Deathsong Chronicles - Tacet 8

Aria hissed in agony and glared at Xepher as his blood gushed freely out of the terrible wound.

"What..?! How...?" he hissed as his vision dimmed. "I...am a god..."

"Wrong. You are a foolish idiot who hasn't any amount of sense, fighting against a Guardian and his allies." replied Xepher. "From the moment you sought to rule Rursus, you have doomed yourself. Now die, and may your soul rot in hell."

Xepher dealt the final blow that launched Aria into the air, slamming down on the ground with a satisfying crunch.
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In the plains outside of the demonic stronghold, Soroga and the alliance, along with the orcs, trolls, ogres and more, were fighting for their lives as they were severely outnumbered.

And yet, try as they might, they were slowly pushed back by the endless legions of demons. Some were big, some small, some burned with unholy, green flame, some sprouted wings and spikes along their bodies.

The only thing in common between the demons, were their burning eyes, fixed in hatred for the defenders. That, and their grins as more and more fell to their weapons and arcane spells.

Just as the defenders were beginning to lose hope, the most forefront of demons stumbled, then shrieked as it dissipated, it's soul released, screaming in torment.

Row by row, the other demons followed.

The defenders gaped at the souls released, and some fell to their knees in relief, when-

"On your feet, all of you!!!" roared Soroga. "This cannot be the end of it." No, it could not be.

And yet, demons all over Rursus were destroyed in the same way. In fact, not even a piece of any demon remained.

No, it simply couldn't end like this.
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Dragonsniper fired at the head of yet another demon. They were getting closer, and still closer.

He was snatched off his seat by a flying demon, and shouted a curse. He aimed up at the demon's grotesque head, and was about to pull the trigger when the demon's head vanished.

And so did the rest of the body, sending Dragonsniper crashing down onto the caravan. Not only the flying demons, the rest of the pursuers vanished, their souls flying out of their dissipating bodies.

"He did it." whispered Jennifer, grinning broadly.
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Aria was dead, and Xepher fell to his knees in weakness, relief and sorrow. Tears rained down his cheeks, and his body was wracked with sobs.

Suddenly, a strange keening sound sliced through the air. The gathered soul warriors looked at Aria's corpse, which inexplicably rose up into the air.

Aria opened his eyes, and grinned, his fangs elongating even as he spoke. "...You are powerful, I grant. But you are too late. The power of the Great Dark Beyond has been unleashed before my soul left my body. And so...I win."

Aria's body lengthened into a serpentine shape, his body turning into a metal akin to adamantium. He continued to become like a dragon, lengthening more and more.

No, not a dragon. A Naaga. His upper torso remained humanoid, but his claws, horns and wings became all the more horrible. He rose in the air, shrieking in triumph as the souls of his demonic slaves rose and as one, sped to him, entering him.

Aria convulsed, and a wave of power exploded out from him, forcing anyone a mile around to fall to the ground. He laughed, aware that the peals held a manic quality.

"Now what?! We can't fight that!" shouted Emily.

"Actually, there is a way. When I was in the Guardian Realm, I learnt the power of unity. Link your minds with mine, and lend me your strength." said Xepher calmly, his voice like the calm before the storm. And an epic storm at that.

They did so, and automatically, the rest of the world's defenders linked in mind and power with him. Even the flora and fauna gave a little of themselves, entrusting their lives with the Guardian.

Xepher was lost in a nimbus of energy, and when the energy died down, an angel wing and a demon wing was behind him. He was wielding Kunou no Yami in one hand, Cypheria in the other, and was adorned with swirling armor engraved with runes of the seven colours of the rainbow.

"Time to end this, permanently." muttered Xepher, his voice distorted with power as he launched up like fate's bullet at the arcanic god-demon.