• The Dark lord, part 1




    The air was deathly still, sound a forgotten instrument from those gathered in the dark realm of Dynamis. No one dared to shift their gaze from the two Galka that now stood upon what was to be their battlefield, weapons drawn and at the ready. On one side stood Vyndameer, the hero of Vana’diel, and the warrior of good in this fight. The people of Dynamis did not know who he was, why he was here, and how he looked just like the Dark Lord. Despite all this, he was still a beacon of light to them in these dark times. In him their hopes for an end to the nightmare had come alive, and all wished him victory in this fight. Vyn aimed for victory as well; his worst nightmare, spawned before him in flesh and blood could not be allowed to live. He would not, could not, allow such monstrosity in this world or any other.

    Across from him stood the darkness that plagued him in his dreams, the living embodiment of evil, Dark Lord Vyndameer. He reveled in death and torment, seeking amusement from others’ misery and pain. He had long since turned Dynamis into a world of never ending suffering, and with the power at his disposal none could dare oppose him. That is, until his other self arrived. His tyrannical reign was hoped to be at an end, with his defeat by his own hands, in a sense. But the Dark Lord would see to it that he claimed victory, even if it took every last ounce of power he had. Vana’diel would be his, and not even a version of himself could stop him from doing so.

    Their knuckles were clenched tightly around their weapons, and were frozen in utter silence and grim determination. They were almost statuesque, and one could even go so far as to say the moment was worthy of being forever captured in a picture. But only one thought crossed the minds of those gathered: Who would win? Would the hero of Vana’diel seize the day and rid the land of evil for good? Or would the Dark Lord’s power crush the would-be savior and forever doom them to eternal darkness? The world waited with baited breath for the two mighty warriors to begin the most ferocious battle to ever be witnessed by mortal eyes. Time itself seemed to stand still, waiting for the two combatants to break the overwhelming silence and begin the ultimate duel of good and evil.

    The silence shattered with one almighty roar, echoing from the throats of the two Galka. They surged forward, the sound of their booted feet rising up and filling the empty air. Their weapons moved with such immense force that it almost looked like the air was being cut in front of them. Blade and scythe crashed together in a cacophony of steel and power, the echo of their mighty clash resonating out across the city. They were still for but a blink of an eye, then separated and struck again. The ring of their weapons once again filled the air as they moved almost simultaneously, weapons landing again and again against each other. The Dark Lord’s scythe could barely be followed; Vyn’s Balmung was much the same. Their weapons moved as though they weighed no more than a feather, and the air was now suffused with the sounds of battle. Vyn managed to force the Dark Lord away and spun in a complete three-sixty, Balmung raking the air in front of it. The Dark Lord dodged by a scant few centimeters and hopped back a few steps. Grabbing his scythe in both hands, he began to spin it around himself, turning the weapon into a spinning vortex of death. It was an impressive display of skill to say the least, and Vyn could hear the scythe audibly knifing through the air. Vyn began to spin Balmung in much the same way, and soon both blades were whirling so fast that is sounded as though the air had been filled with millions of bugs. The two moved forward again, the ground tearing in the wake of their spinning weapons. The two weapons clashed and clashed again as they continued to spin, the force of their spinning too great for even the mighty crashes of steel to slow them. Vyn and the Dark Lord danced about the battlefield with their whirling blades, spiraling and swinging with them to clash over and over. The Dark Lord stopped his scythe short and launched a potent Fire IV spell all in one motion. Vyn almost didn’t catch it in time; he managed to dive out of the way as the fireball streaked past and impacted against one of the city’s stone walls. Vyn inwardly marveled at the strength of the spell; there was now a huge chunk of the wall missing. Maybe I should’ve listened to Kitz’s advice… he thought to himself.

    “Hehe…Haha…Hahahahaha!!” The Dark Lord’s cackling seemingly cut the battle short, as Vyn froze, half expecting another spell. Instead, the Dark Lord chose to speak. “Incredible…I have not felt my blood burn with such fury in a long time! You are to be commended for giving me this feeling I have missed!” Vyn remained on guard, unsure of what his counterpart was getting at. “What are you spouting now?” he questioned. “Fool! Surely one such as you knows what it feels like to be in the heat of battle! The exhilaration of facing a worthy opponent, of having a challenge should not be foreign to you!” “Heh…” Vyn allowed himself a small smile at that. “I suppose you could say that.” “Long has it been since I faced a worthy opponent…How appropriate that it would have to be myself.” “You’re the fool if you think we’re anything alike.” Vyn retorted. The Dark Lord smiled nastily in response. “Oh? How so? We share the same face, the same lust for battle, the same-“ “I don’t kill just for the sake of killing, nor did I sell my soul for the power to do so.” Vyn cut in. His other self snorted. “Power is all that matters in this world. The weak do not deserve to live, nor do they deserve to rule in a false mockery of power. That is why I destroyed the weaklings who called themselves leaders of these cities, and in exchange, the Dynamis Lord granted me power beyond that of any other mortal.” “You caused the death of thousands, and plunged this world into eternal darkness.” The Dark Lord shrugged in response. “Merely a means to an end. The world is mine and the power of a god is at my fingertips. There is no greater aspiration than this.”

    Vyn shook his head sadly. “I truly pity you then. You no longer remember what true power is. You only know the falsity that you cling to so desperately. Power cannot be given; it must be earned. That’s the only way for one to truly become powerful.” The Dark Lord laughed loudly before Vyn could continue. “Such meaningless talk! Power need not be earned when it can be taken! There is no place in this world for such foolish beliefs! Only the strong should survive, and those that believe such a fairy tale deserve to die with the rest of the weaklings!” Vyn could only glare at his other self as he answered. “Only those with no desire choose such a path. A real warrior seeks power that is earned, for that is the power that claims victory.” The Dark Lord shook his hand dismissively. “Your prattling bores me. If you truly think such idealistic notions function, then this will be no challenge at all.” “Fine.” Vyn pointed Balmung directly at the Dark Lord. “If you won’t listen to reason, then I’ll just have to prove it to you.” “Hahahahaha! Come then, hero of Vana’diel! Show me if your power is great enough to overcome real power!” The Dark Lord cackled, charging for Vyn. Vyn moved to meet the charge, and the battle began anew.

    Balmung smashed into the ground, shattering rock and splintering cement as it struck where the Dark Lord had been standing only moments before. A small sliver or rock bounced off the Dark Lord’s face, and he snarled in protest. He swung his scythe in a wide arc, forcing Vyn to back up a few feet. Then, twirling the scythe in one hand, he slashed towards Vyn twice and released focused blades of wind from the scythe’s edge. The blades sped towards Vyn, carving up the ground as they went. Vyn thought quickly, and cut Balmung across the ground, ripping chunks of earth and stone into the air to create a crude earthen wall to block the wind blades. The idea had merit, but only partially worked; one blade crashed into the floating stone and dissipated on contact. The other plowed right through and smashed into Vyn with diminished force. It was still enough to send the dark knight flying several feet back, and he crashed to the ground with a thud. “…He used the force of the scythe to add extra force to those Aero IV spells…” Vyn grunted in pain. “Very resourceful I see, haha!” his other self guffawed. “Had that one struck you at full strength you would most likely be dead. As it is you should have only suffered…moderate…damage.” He gave a toothy grin as Vyn rose up a little unsteadily, giving himself a quick shake to throw off some stone lodged in his armor. “Is…Is that the best you’ve got?” Vyn coughed. “Not even remotely.”

    Vyn was upon his other self in the blink of eye, having moved too fast for even Cait’s trained eyes to catch. She blinked in surprise as she saw Vyn’s sword starting to move towards the Dark Lord. The scythe came up, ready to block the incoming swing, but Vyn had other plans. He feinted the swing, halting it halfway towards the scythe and connected with a gauntleted fist into the Dark Lord’s gut. His other self stumbled back, caught off guard, and Vyn pressed his advantage by following up with a spinning backhand to the face using the hilt of his sword. A small smile of satisfaction crossed his face as blood-and a tooth-spurted from the Dark Lord’s mouth. “Arrogant worm!” The Dark Lord spat. “Don’t like the taste of your own medicine, huh?” Vyn sneered. “Your screams of mercy will fill the sky when I am done with you…” “You know…You talk too much.” Vyn was again before his nightmare, and slapped a hand against his other self’s breastplate, magic curling at his fingertips. The Dark Lord cried out as Vyn forcibly ripped a glowing red ball from his chest. As the ball melted away into Vyn’s palm, the Dark Lord spoke slowly. “An impressive…Drain spell…” “I’m not even halfway done with you, monster.” Vyn replied. “We…shall see about that…”

    Vyn was on the move again, going for the offensive before his other self could have a chance to react. He didn’t think he could handle a Drain spell from the Dark Lord, especially if that Fire IV spell had been any indication. His weapon was a blur of motion as he lashed out as his other self. A few slid past the Dark Lord’s defenses, but were not enough to shake him. He needed to land a solid blow, and soon. The Dark Lord was a more ferocious opponent than he’d expected, as his adept use of magic had shown. The ring of their weapons drifted over the battlefield over and over as the steel crashed against each other, issuing sparks. “No witty banter? What a shame…” The Dark Lord snickered. “I would…But I’m too busy trying not to look at your ugly face!” Vyn grunted back. “What?!” “Geez, don’t you ever think of anything original?” “If your aim is to anger me…Then you have succeeded!” The Dark Lord forced Vyn away and let loose a barrage of Fire IV spells from his hands. Vyn knew there was no way he could dodge them all, so he tried something else. Swinging Balmung as fast as he could, he batted away the blazing balls of flame with the flat of his blade. The potent spells were flung all over the battlefield and city, littering the air with debris from their explosive landings. “Just how much magic power does he have..? I can’t even get off two spells without having to recharge…” Vyn pondered to himself. The answer came just a few seconds later, when the Dark Lord started casting a new-and familiar-spell. “No!” Vyn raced towards the Dark Lord, praying he could interrupt his casting in time. Unfortunately for Vyn, the Dark Lord was very adept at casting, so his spell went off as Vyn came within just a few feet of him. Vyn stumbled to the ground as a green ball of energy pulled itself from his body and melded into the Dark Lord. “Tsk, tsk. Such sluggishness.” The Dark Lord chortled. “Dammit…” Vyn snarled. The crackling of a flame filled his ears, and he looked up to see the Dark Lord forming a Fire IV spell in his hand. “Now…Let me hear you scream…” the nightmarish creature hissed, a grin as wide as his face prominent.

    Vyn could only think of one thing to do at this moment, and it was perhaps the craziest thing he would ever do. Nevertheless, it was his only option. With a loud bellow, Vyn stood up, the tip of his sword plunging straight for the partially formed spell. The Dark Lord barely had time to realize what Vyn was doing before Balmung stabbed into the ball of flame. The result was the premature detonation of the spell at point blank range to both Galka. Since the spell had not been completed, it was only at roughly half power. But that was still enough to blast both Vyn and the Dark Lord to opposite ends of the battlefield, bits of armor and blood spiraling away from their bodies. They crashed to the ground with a loud thump, and the aftershock of the explosion and their landing rocked the ground. When the air had finally stilled, neither Galka was moving.

    “Oh no…” Cait whispered in fear.

    “Wow…” Gwenn said, stunned.

    “I’d expect something like that from Gwenn, not Vyn…” Enyin mumbled. Nobody moved; they waited to see if one would stand. Some even dared to hope that Vyn had taken the Dark Lord with him with his last attempt.

    However, it was not to be that easy. Both began to stir, groans and grunts escaping their lips. It took several minutes for them to even sit up, and several more after that to manage to stand. Vyn had lost a chunk of armor on his right side, and now sported several cracks down the left arm of it. The Dark Lord had fared similarly; one horn from his helmet as well as a shoulder plate had been blasted clean off. There was also a spider web of cracks radiating from the center of his chestplate.

    “Clever…” he coughed, his voice rattling with pain. “I did…not expect you…to try something so insane…”

    “Yeah, well…Neither did I, really…” Vyn panted back.

    “You are…much more interesting…than any other…challenge I have faced…”

    “It’s…about to get…much more interesting…” Vyn grunted, raised himself a bit higher, and withdrew his mumeito. As he set himself in a new battle stance, the Dark Lord managed a smile.

    “I see you know the samurai style…In that case, let me show you my other blade…”

    Vyn raised an eyebrow. “Other blade?” The Dark Lord just smiled wider.

    Raising his hand, the Dark Lord called forth dark energy. The energy began to form in the shape of a sword, and when it was finished, fell to the earth. Vyn immediately noticed how long the blade was. The blade itself was as long as the Dark Lord; the hilt extended beyond that. The blade’s color was the same deep black as the Death Scythe, which put no doubt in Vyn’s mind of its deadly power.

    “Never seen a blade like that before…” Vyn commented.

    “This weapon was created by my power alone.” His other self gloated.

    “Overcompensating much?”

    “WHAT?!”

    “Guess that’s a yes.”

    “Mock me all you wish! It will only add to the pain I inflict upon you!” The Dark Lord snarled, grabbing the massive sword and pointing it at Vyn. The blade reached almost halfway across the battlefield.

    “Oh, you want to play that way, eh?” Vyn snickered, bringing the mumeito up as well. “Well. Come on then!”

    “Gladly…” hissed the Dark Lord.

    The dance of blades began anew, with twice as many blades and twice as much ferocity. The Dark Lord could move the massive blade as easily as Vyn could move the mumeito, which was a feat in itself. Echo after echo rang from the weapon pairs as they clashed against their counterparts over and over. The speed at which the blades were now moving could only be classified as near supersonic; by the time the first clash had registered in the assembled group’s ears, a second was already coming. The battlefield became littered with debris and bits of armor as glancing blows chipped away at both Galka. Even with all of this, the only sound to be heard was the clash of the blades; Vyn and the Dark Lord uttered not a peep. They were beyond words now; the heat of battle had overcome them. Their graceful moves and masterful swings gave the battle a strange look of beauty. It was almost like art; a deadly art, but art nonetheless.

    The Dark Lord finally grew frustrated and backed off, panting in anger. “Enough of this!” he snarled.

    “Tired already? Some great warrior you are.” Vyn replied, also panting.

    “I grow weary of your banter! Playtime is over…” The Dark Lord brought both of his weapons in front of him, and his being began to glow strangely.

    “What the heck’s he doing…?” Gwenn asked.

    “I…I do not know…I have neverrr seen the Dark Lord do anything like this…” Kitz replied worriedly.

    “Vyn, watch out!” Cait cried out in alarm. Vyn already knew the danger he was in, however. The attack that was coming next could only bode ill for him.

    If I get hit with that…I don’t know if I’ll survive… he thought to himself darkly as he geared himself for what was to come.

    “See if you can joke after this…” the Dark Lord snarled, racing for Vyn. Vyn brought up Balmung to ward off the attack, but the Dark Lord disappeared in a purple aura, only to appear behind him.

    What?! Warp spell?! But-

    Vyn didn’t have time to finish the thought as the Dark Lord shouted, “Tengoku Jigoku!!” The massive katana tore upward from the ground and up Vyn’s back, etching a red line in his armor. As if the pain wasn’t enough, the sheer momentum catapulted Vyn high into the air. The Dark Lord shot after him, scythe raised in a crushing stance. He reached the apex of his jump just above Vyn, and brought his scythe down ferociously upon the helpless hero. Vyn was rocketed into the ground, the thunderous crash of his landing rushing past all onlookers. When the dust cleared, Vyn lay unmoving in the center of a large crater.

    “Most impressive indeed…He is the first one I have been forced to use that on…” the Dark Lord chuckled as he sheathed his weapons. “Alas, his power was no match against true power. Such a shame…” There were no other sounds; just the crushing silence and overwhelming sadness. Cait began to sob quietly as the Dark Lord turned away from the battlefield, his smile attesting to his belief of victory.

    The sound of shifting rubble stopped him dead in his tracks. He slowly turned back to the crater to see a gauntleted fist grasp the edge. Another one soon followed, this one clutching Balmung and the mumeito. The Dark Lord could only gape in shock as Vyn dragged himself out of the crater. He looked considerably worse now, and his chestplate looked ready to fall apart. He managed to stand and gave himself a look over. Noting the damage to his armor, he gave an exasperated sigh and planted both of his weapons in the ground.

    “H…How…How can you still live?!?” The Dark Lord finally managed to speak.

    Vyn held up a finger as he spoke, “One second there, Grouchy…” As everyone watched, Vyn began to methodically remove his chestpate and its leftover pieces.

    “He can’t be that stupid…” Gwenn muttered.

    “Yourrr frrriend must have hit his head…” Kitz commented. The chestplate fell to the ground, a very audible crack emanating from it. Vyn winced at the sound, making a mental note to find someone who could fix it up when they got back to Vana’diel.

    The Dark Lord was in utter disbelief as Vyn finished and pulled his swords out of the ground. “You…What…Are you mocking me yet again?!?” he bellowed, fists clenching tightly.

    Vyn looked over at him with calm resolve and replied, “A smart warrior knows that damaged equipment is useless equipment. I removed it so it wouldn’t get in my way.”

    “You…You must be mad! I could kill you in seconds without your armor!”

    “Oh really? We’ll see about that.” Vyn set himself in a different battle stance this time, one that had the mumeito at the forefront.

    “You still aim to fight?! You must be begging to die!”

    “Shut up and fight, you bag of wind.”

    If the Dark Lord had a limit, Vyn had just pushed him past it. “ENOUGH!!!!” his other self bellowed, raging forward at Vyn.

    Vyn just smiled. “Let the games begin.”

    Vyn battled fluidly, his sword strokes moving through the air in smooth motions. Much to the Dark Lord’s aggravation, Vyn had seemingly grown much faster. His attacks were faster and his movements were swift and hard to read. It was as if his armor had been a restraint, and removing it had unleashed the true warrior within. The Dark Lord was forced several times to take one blow to avoid another more powerful one. This only caused his anger to rise even further, and the strength behind his swings gave testament to that. Vyn for the most part was calm, but knew his advantage would not last forever. The wounds he had received were slowing him down, and keeping up this battle was beginning to sap his strength. The Dark Lord was not as badly hurt as he was, but was beginning to show fatigue as well. One well placed strike could possibly end the battle, and Vyn knew just what to use. But it required an opening, one which he did not expect to get so easily. However, the Dark Lord’s anger was getting the better of him, and he overextended his swing, allowing Vyn to dodge while he stumbled momentarily to regain balance. It’s now or never!

    Vyn’s weapons began to glow much like the Dark Lord had before. “Oh boy…Here it comes.” Gwenn grinned.

    “Herrre what comes?” Cait asked.

    “Vyn’s about to go apeshit on this jerk.” “Huh…?” The others just stared blankly at Gwenn, who motioned to look back to the battlefield. They all did as Vyn’s weapons were glowing brightly and he was about to strike. The Dark Lord managed to turn himself around just in time to receive Vyn’s powerful technique. Vyn’s voice rose up from the battlefield, signifying the start of his technique.

    “Houseki Ouka Butsu!” He rotated in three full circles, with each of his swords crashing into the Dark Lord with mighty force. Upon each strike was an explosion of light, and a large pink flower formed before his opponent. By the time Vyn had finished the three rotations, the flower was nearly his size and his arms were crossed in front of him, swords clenched tightly. Both were frozen in that moment, the cusp of the final strike just milliseconds away. In one fluid motion, Vyn’s swords slashed together, dealing one final strike and blowing the flower apart in a shower of petals. The force of the flower’s explosion was equal to the combined might of all the previous strikes, and the petals became razor sharp, spiraling with the Dark Lord and slicing into him as he was blasted right towards the building where he resided. He slammed into the stairs that he had descended, sending debris and dust hurtling into the air. The dust drifted over the battlefield as Vyn kept his weapons held, staring intently at the stairs. When no moment seemed to stir from them after several minutes, a cry of joy rose up from the assembled crowd. It seemed as though Vyn had truly defeated the Dark Lord this time, and ended their misery once and for all.

    Vyn, however, knew it was not the end. He held his weapons, waiting and watching. Sure enough, a few seconds after the cheering started a loud and hateful yell filled the air, originating from the damaged stairs. A massive blast of dark energy erupted from them, completely obliterating what was left of it and sending chunks raining down on the battlefield. Through the smoke, a figure could be seen steadily moving forward. As it cleared the cloud, it became clear that it was the Dark Lord, albeit wounded somewhat. A portion of his chest armor had now been shattered, and his helmet now looked to be almost crushing his head inside of it. He was also limping slightly, but his scornful gaze burned brighter than ever. You could literally feel the hate pouring from his eyes, with every last ounce of it directed at Vyn.

    “You…” was all the Dark Lord snarled, but even that was dripping with malice and contempt.

    Vyn responded in kind. “Don’t like the taste of your own medicine, do you?”

    It seemed almost impossible, but the comment made the Dark Lord even angrier, and his eyes were border line madness. “Death will never come swiftly enough for you…Death will be a luxury you will never attain…I will make you suffer for the rest of eternity!!!!!!!” he screamed in fury.

    “You’ll never win. You can’t beat me with your false power.” Vyn said to him, still managing to remain calm.

    The Dark Lord quivered in pure hatred, his face contorted in the most demonic look one could ever make. “I…have had…ENOUGH OF YOU!!!!!!”

    The ground began to shake as the Dark Lord became surrounded by a dark aura unlike anything Vyn had seen before. The sky visibly darkened as the Dark Lord bellowed, “You wish to see power?! Then I will show you…MY ULTIMATE POWER!!!!!”

    “I don’t like the sound of that…” Vyn muttered, taking a step back from his other self. Lightning began to rumble in the still darkening sky and the quaking ground grew stronger as the Dark Lord summoned his frightful power. A low growl began to emanate from his throat, growing into a full blown scream of rage as the sky and the ground matched his rage with their own. Vyn was barely able to keep his footing as the ground shook violently and the sky ravaged with lightning.

    This…is bad. REALLY bad. Could this be the power of the Dynamis Lord…? Vyn pondered.

    “Now witness the ultimate power!!!! The power of the DYNAMIS LORD!!!!!” the Dark Lord screamed out, as the aura suddenly exploded in a flash of darkness that covered the entire city. When light finally returned, the ground had stopped quaking and the storm had subsided. But the Dark Lord stood, his eyes completely white and his body pulsing with the dark aura. His gaze was directed right at Vyn, who could only stare in surprise at what had transpired.

    “Wh…What happened to him…?” Vyn mumbled. The aura around the Dark Lord seemed to radiate fear, as Vyn could feel it clawing at him. The crowd assembled behind him had been scared beyond words; no one had ever seen the Dark Lord do this before.

    When the Dark Lord spoke, his voice was filled with pure evil. “Now you see the true power I possess…Now you face the Dynamis Lord in all his glory!”

    “Nice touch. Does it come with the lampshade too?” Vyn quipped.

    The Dark Lord laughed coldly, sending chills down Vyn’s spine. “Mock me if you wish. It no longer matters. Your fate is sealed.”

    “Oh yeah? Well, let’s test that theory out!” Vyn cried, charging for the Dark Lord.

    The Dark Lord sneered, and disappeared in a blip of purple fog as Vyn’s sword swung at him. “What?!” Vyn cried, turning just in time to see the Dark Lord appear again with his scythe rushing to strike. Vyn brought up both swords to block the strike, and it was fortunate that he did. The sheer power of the strike sent a shockwave coursing through the ground, and brought Vyn to a knee almost immediately. He struggled against the incredible power bearing down upon him, arms straining with the massive force.

    S…Such strength…Can barely…hold off… Vyn managed to force the Dark Lord away and stand up, but there was not even a moment to breathe as the Dark Lord was upon him again, attacking with swift and deadly ferocity. Vyn was having trouble keeping up, with each strike sending waves of pain up his arms.

    I can’t keep fighting like this…It looks like I need to pull out my trump card…That is, if he gives me a chance to! Vyn ducked one swing and managed to thrust the mumeito forward at the Dark Lord’s unprotected section. But much to his surprise, the sword was halted by powerful Bind magic, and blasted backwards into Vyn with double the force. Vyn tumbled backwards, managing to land in a relatively upright position with the mumeito resting on his knee.

    “Ugh…Damn…” Vyn grunted as he pulled himself to a standing position.

    “Hmhmhmhmhm…Do you understand now the futility of your fight? You are powerless against my true might. Beg for forgiveness and I may grant you a quick death.” Vyn said nothing, merely closing his eyes and taking a deep breath as he spoke to the creature within his mind.

    Bloodlust. Vyn said within his mind. He felt its presence there almost instantly. It was obviously waiting for him to call.

    It is about time…

    You know what I am going to ask of you.

    Yes, I do know. And you shall have it.

    Vyn’s curiosity was piqued at that comment. The bloodlust actually wanted to help him? Why do you sound so eager to help me…? He questioned.

    The bloodlust chuckled, or so it seemed. You face an enemy whose strength is beyond anything you have seen before. His bloodlust has devoured his soul; there is nothing left of the being that once was in that body. His power is immense because he has embraced it, and yet here you stand, still contending with him.

    And your point?

    My point? You have not summoned an iota of my power and you can still fight him. With my full power behind you, you could quite possibly defeat him and prove that controlling the bloodlust is stronger than letting it control you. And if you were to do this…

    If I were to do that?

    …Then I would have to acknowledge your strength and therefore find no reason not to obey you.

    Vyn couldn’t help but laugh in his mind at that remark. I never thought I’d see the day where you’d say anything like that. Very well then. I’m sure you’re itching to fight as well, eh?

    The bloodlust laughed as well. I am always ready to fight, and a fight of this magnitude is sure to be glorious indeed.

    Then let’s show this pretender what a real warrior can do. And no holding back this time, either. I want everything you’ve got.

    The bloodlust chuckled softly just before it began to flood Vyn with its power. Ah…So you noticed…I am glad to hear that. Vyn felt much more flowing from the persona this time as the power filled every corner of his body. It was an immense amount, and inwardly he wondered just how much the bloodlust had been holding back on him.

    Ponder later. Right now I have a battle to fight. He scolded himself.

    Vyn’s eyes opened, and the Dark Lord looked on with mild surprise. Even he could see a difference in him, and it was not one he had been expecting. The fires of determination burned brighter than ever in Vyn’s eyes, and with the power of the bloodlust backing him he seemed even more ferocious than before.

    “Hm…So you are determined to die. Then so be it. I shall grant your wish.” The Dark Lord said as he was in front of Vyn in a split second. “I don’t think so.” Vyn simply stated as he was gone before the scythe ever touched him. The Dark Lord gaped in surprise, but only for a second as he turned to meet Vyn’s attack from behind. This time it was the Dark Lord who was driven to a knee as Vyn’s power drove him down.

    “Wh-What?! How?!” the Dark Lord sputtered as he fought with increasing difficulty against Balmung.

    “There’s something you ought to know…” Vyn grunted to him. “You may have embraced your bloodlust…But I control mine.”

    “C…Control? Ha…Hahahaha!” Vyn backed off and let the Dark Lord climb to his feet. “You truly ARE a fool! You cannot control the bloodlust. It’s power is far too great for that. Besides, such power can only reach its peak when it roams free, unhindered by petty thoughts and weak struggles.”

    “Oh really? If that’s the case, then why am I about to kick your can all across this battlefield?”

    “Hahahaha! Believe what you-“

    Vyn never gave him a chance to finish his sentence, as his mumeito was already cutting into the Dark Lord’s exposed flesh. Vyn had caught his other self completely off guard, and proceeded to pummel him across the battlefield, just as he said he would. The Dark Lord managed to finally force him away only after enduring roughly a minute of Vyn’s furious attacks.

    “I…I do not understand…How can you have become so strong?” The Dark Lord sputtered, his eyes burning in anger.

    “If you actually listened to me, you would know why.” Vyn answered him, glaring right back.

    “It is impossible to control the bloodlust…And even if you could, you could not possibly be stronger than I! I hold power beyond which your mortal mind can comprehend! Nothing can withstand me! NOTHING!”

    “If that’s the case…Then why am I?”

    The Dark Lord did not answer; perhaps he could not. But he was not content to let Vyn sit and mock him. He blinked out of existence, appearing above the battlefield and unleashing a massive hail of Fire IV and Stone IV spells. A grin split his face as the battlefield lit up in mighty explosions of flame and rock. But the grin disappeared as Vyn came rocketing out of the smoke and punched his doppelganger right in the chin. The two fell to the ground again, and immediately were upon each other with both blade and fist.

    The ground quaked with each strike; the air shimmered with each swing. The power of the two Galka could not be fathomed; it could only be heard and felt as the battle continued. Their blades were almost invisible as they were swung, and the rage behind each strike sent more debris into the air. The Dark Lord and Vyn were like demons, battling with reckless abandon and unleashing every ounce of power they had upon the other. The scent of blood began to fill the air as more and more hits made their way into flesh. The Dark Lord now went without chest armor, much as Vyn had, but still fought as violently as before. Vyn was now sporting several cuts along his arms and sides, and blood could be seen leaking out of a few of them. That is, when the Galka actually stopped in one place long enough for the assembled crowd to get a good look at them. They were moving about the battlefield at such a speed that they appeared as blurs of steel and flesh, rampaging across what little ground was left. The scars of battle grew larger and more numerous as the two moved beyond the circle of people, now battling across the city. Walls crumbled, buildings collapsed and walkways shattered as the two warriors threw each other into and through anything and everything that could cause damage. In just a few short minutes, most of the Mines district had been demolished, and the gateway to South Gustaberg had been sealed off by fallen rubble. Yet the two continued to battle onward, as though unaware of the destruction they were causing. Or perhaps they were aware, and chose not to be concerned. Either way, the battle was growing more and more ferocious with each passing second.

    “Hey. Kitz.” Gwenn whispered quietly.

    “Yes…?” the Mithra responded.

    “What’ll happen if Vyn manages to beat the Dark Lord?”

    Kitz was quiet for a moment as she thought about it. “…If he werrre to succeed…Then Dynamis would be frrree.” She looked up at Gwenn, a twinkle in her eye. “We could take ourrr home back. We could become a people with hope again. We would be trrruly frrree, forrr the firrrst time in yearrrs.”

    Gwenn nodded silently, her mind calculating the odds from what she’d seen. “Vyn’s equal with him now…But I’m worried that the Dark Lord still as something else up his sleeve. And if he does…”

    “Then Dynamis will never be free, and neither will we.” Enyin cut in, his eyes trying to track the fight.

    “…Yeah. That.” Gwenn grumbled.

    “Then let us hope that does not become trrrue.” Kitz said flatly, but one could sense the lack of confidence in her voice. The Dark Lord was a powerful foe, and no one had ever seen him go this far before. Who knows what else he might have in store for Vyn?

    “Look out!!” someone cried out as the large building before them was rocked by a large object slamming into it. Vyn came rocketing out the other side, crashing to the ground with a grunt. In front of him, the building began to collapse, the hole left by his gaping form too much for the structure to withstand.

    The Dark Lord landed directly in front of Vyn, his scythe cutting downward. Vyn rolled quickly to the side, bounced up on his feet and swung at the Dark Lord. The massive katana came around, blocking the blow and shoving Vyn away. Vyn recovered quickly, readying his weapons and halting in place.

    The Dark Lord did not advance, but instead panted out, “Blasted bug! It will take the slaves WEEKS to restore my home!”

    “Don’t worry. You won’t be needing it much longer.” Vyn answered back, wiping away some blood from his face.

    “ENOUGH! I am FINISHED with you! I will NOT be mocked by some worthless excuse for a dark knight! Now you will cower in fear at the full power I possess!!!”

    Vyn blinked in surprise. That wasn’t everything he had…? But what else could he….Oh no… He barely had time to blink before the most violent and ferocious scream he’d ever heard erupted from the Dark Lord’s throat. The aura around him intensified, expanding and deepening in shade.

    “What’s….What’s that?!” Keeya stuttered in fear.

    “It’s what I was afraid of…” Gwenn whispered, her face growing pale. “The one thing he never used…The one thing the Dark Lord never did…was Souleater…”

    “No…And he’s using it now, possibly along with the bloodlust…” Enyin trembled in fright.

    “…Yourrr frrriend…He will not surrrvive, will he?” Kitz said in shock.

    “Unless he can match that…Vyn is a goner…” Gwenn answered, her eyes beginning to water.