Hwoarang... I challenge you

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You must be suicidal... but I accept. Expect these Iron Fists to show you no mercy.
 
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>_>

Oooooookay then.

The venue is a giant Aztec temple where you are both racing to get an ancient mezoamerican artifact . . . the Chaumutzpotoetl, an Aztec translation of the dreaded Necronomicon. The temple is full of ancient horrors, traps and treasures . . . detail is the word of the day boys . . . and make sure that your last round has your hands firmly around the artifact.

Best of three, as usual.
 
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A chance to knock you down or let you know where you stand?

Time for you to level up Kelesk... shall I be the instigator?
 
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KelesK rushed through the seven foot tall grass and dense jungle that surrounded the temple. The sunlight burned through in small patches, reflecting off his glasses. He knew Hwo was in that temple and he knew that Hwo was after the Necronomicon as it contained the one and only spell for vanquishing the Angelic Spectre. Finally at the base of the temple, thousands of steps came to meet him, the temple itself seeming to not want anyone in. Vines and other assorted plants had grown over the enormous Aztec structure and various animals had taken shelter within the cracks and holes that had decayed over time. Many of the huge firey tan blocks that made up the temple had begun to weather and crack, some parts had started to crumble and collapse.

-------------------------------

The demon looked up the long flight of stairs only to see the Tae Kwon Do Prodigy scrambling towards the top. KelesK half looked away, getting his eyes out of the glare to think, Any amount of time he is in there longer than me is a few minutes less he will have to search, he cannot get in there first. A portal tore open before the angered demon, another taring open at the top of the stairs, right in front of Hwo who bumped into Kel, his face buried deep in a map of the earthen edifice.

Kel seeing half an opportunity, swung his elbow around greeting Hwo’s face as it rose from the map forcing him to the gravelled ground at the entrance of the temple, facing the sky as a flock of birds passed across the blistering sun. Hwo squinted and faced away realising that the light was burning into his eyes as he sat up to face KelesK. At first it was hard to make out the figure before him due to the little white dots that had burnt into his eyes from looking at the sun but eventually they faded revealing the demon before him.

“You wanted your chance Hwo and here it is, I cannot allow you to take the artifact from here.”

Hwo jumped to his feet, “Just try and stop me. One way or another, I will finish you today.”

KelesK dropped into his fighting stance, hoping to lure the Tae Kwon Do Prodigy into the same thing, and he succeeded. Hwo was far too close to the steps to lower into any decent stance, loosing his footing as he stepped on the corner of the top stair, fortunately he only fell down a few, small fragments of dust and rock following him down.

KelesK began to laugh, summoning up an orb of ice, “It’s a shame it had to end this way.”

Hwo’s eyes opened as the demon dropped the orb onto the flight of stairs freezing them and forming somewhat of a downward ramp of ice, Kel walked off into the temple as Hwo, with nothing to grip to, slid helplessly down to the bottom of the stairs coming to rest in the grass, I will be back demon, mark my words . . .

As KelesK entered the temple, the piercing light immediately dimmed revealing the many hieroglyphs on the walls. Kel rested his sunglasses on his head and began to read the various warning and stories that scarred the walls of the first room, stopping to read one that had caught his eye, “Beware. Whomever seeks the ancient relic shall never return to this point alive.”

KelesK stopped from a minute, laughed and continued on into the next room, “Well I’m already dead so what is there to lose.”

Several rooms deeper into the temple KelesK stumbled upon more hieroglyphs, “Deep within these walls will be the death of an unknown.” KelesK read this and ****ed his head slightly to the side, What the hell is that supposed to mean..? Having just thought that a small glaive of metal flew past his ear hitting the wall and ricocheting off into the corner, the astonished demon turned and faced the direction of where it had come from only to see several rectangular holes in the walls at various heights. They lined the hallway which he needed to get through, due to the last turn he had taken being booby trapped as well; Kel stared back down the previous corridor where thousands of metal spikes had closed in from both sides of the hall, completely blocking everything. Fortunately he had escaped that trap unharmed. KelesK decided to just run and hope for the best, the sound of clanging metal echoing through the temple as he continued.

During this time Hwo had found a way in, but it was not what he had expected, climbing into a small tunnel towards the back of the temple had ultimately resulted in his first injury and him ending up in a slight situation. He had lost his grip climbing through the tunnel, ending up in a room of spikes, one of which had scratched his right arm rather badly, blood seeping from the wound. Hwo settled himself and looked around, the nauseating smell that accompanied the many skeletons, some human; some animal made his head spin. Dry blood covered the floor and even the huge blocks that made up the walls. Seeing another small passage he reluctantly went through it continuing onwards into the temple leaving a small trail of blood in his wake.

By this time Kel had run into a dead end. Agitated by the consistent dead ends and traps he had encountered, slammed his fist into the wall, cracking it. The sound of dust and tiny rocks echoed through the halls of the temple as they fell to the ground. One tiny fragment causing the floor the move and restructure the temple entirely, the next he knew, KelesK was on the ground covered in dust. As he got to his feet he saw what he was after, a pedistal sat in the middle of five torches, each sitting at a point of the pentacle which was inscribed in the ground. Upon this pedistal sat the prize of the two fighters; the Necronomicon. KelesK stopped to look around, Hwo was no where to be seen.

The room itself was enormous, sarcophaguses lined the room on both sides and five giant statues sat in the room, two on both the left and right walls and one behind the Necronomicon along with two smaller statues which looked similar to wraiths. On each of the walls there was what appeared to be a Angel and a Demon, but the statue behind the Necronomicon was by far the strangest thing KelesK had ever seen, . .Is. . that. . .is that my true form..?

Taking shelter behind one of the huge demon statues the Tae Kwon Do Prodigy watched from over the spectre’s left shoulder, where he was he could not see what KelesK was looking at but he could tell it was bothering him. A small drop of blood ran down from the gash on his arm and came to rest at the tip of his knuckle, where it was inevitably dragged down by gravity, a time bomb waiting to reveal to the demon where Hwo was hidden. The instant the drop hit the ground Hwo jumped from his hiding spot and sprung his attack, “Jinsoku… IRON FIST!”

Kel spun around to where the sound had come from to see the first of Hwoarang since the temple entrance. The room echoed with the deafening sound of Tae Know Do Prodigy’s yelling and of Kel’s grunt of pain as he was embedded into the leg of one of the huge statues, his glasses falling to the ground. Taring himself free, he looked towards Hwo, who did not seem to care of the Necronomicon anymore, only revenge. The ravaging look that the young Prodigy’s face wore played right into the mighty demons nerves, his inhuman strength seemed odd considering the circumstances.

“There is no water in here demon, your powers are useless.”

Hwo stared as the spectre’s eyes changed color, they began to glow a dark orange as small crackles of an aura began forming around him.

“Chaos Control!"

The mighty roar unleashed by KelesK was followed by the deafening echo of the Chaos Control enhanced aura crackling to life. The young Prodigy smiled back, “It ends now demon, you will die here.”

. . No more games Hwoarang . . .
 
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The jungle breathed with life, suggesting peace, but peace will always struggle with chaos. Kelesk and Hwoarang had other interests than noticing biological consistancies in the sufficating heat that radiated from the primeval garden. Bracing themself down small canyons and pacing up the other end, trees, vines, random creatures searching with the curiosity of their senses, and miniscule hieroglyphic stone pillars randomly met their vision and their thought process as they continued hastily.

Kelesk's voice almost startled Hwoarang, who was in a trance-like state, easily influenced by the magical aura that seemed to increase with each step, "Hwo, I'm stopping... I'm feeling disoriented."

Hwoarag turned, noticing Kelesk was holding his chest, frozen in a fearful stare, "We're getting close... I feel the same energy I felt in the desert."

Kelesk had always been intrigued by Hwoarang's practice in Tai Chi and his sense of aura, finding himself eventually believing any reference of an ancient mystical theory anyways, "You and your aura... your like a bloodhound."

Hwoarang smiled, "I'll always admire your willingness to follow this bloodhound."

They both chuckled, like a conversation you've had a million times in the last few days, would always make you chuckle.

"When we were in the desert, I know I doubted you at first, but you found a way to prove me wrong."

Hwoarang grew a reflective stare, "That is not dead which can eternal lie, and with strange aeons even death may die."

Those words had become more than rumors to Kelesk and Hwoarang, creation and evolution in it's essence a pointless battle in the shadow of an unknown circumstance. A history book would literally burn in their minds at the slightest whim of reconsideration, compelling them with each step to turn back, to stop questioning.
-

Hwoarang walked into Cucumba's subterranean castle, noticing insanity slept and had scrambled eggs here each morning. Making a deal with a tyrant who had been mentally altered with madness, madness that wrapped guilt in a plastic bag, and put it out front for the city to deal with, Hwoarang was led through corridor after corridor, turn after turn, by the general direction of Cucumba's presence.

His ambience... the myst of an imperishable agony.

Hwoarang came to a door, nervously displaying numerous possibilities through visual daydreams as he pushed it forward. The door slightly creaking, he entered slowly, captivated by the paranoid alertness that controlled his emotions.

"Android, I see you are a man of no boundaries."

Hwoarang smirked, turning to his left and noticing Cucumba, a silhouette in the darkness. "Are you certain the Necronomicon has a copy?"

Cucumba walked forward, "I am completely certain... dreams are once again omens of Alhazred."

They both were quiet... words not worth describing something, that when examined by the values of classic society, created doubt in picking any side, historical or biological, justifying what was viewed as reality.

"Shall I destroy this copy?"

Cucumba "No... I may need both in stopping him. The best way to kill a monster is to lure him to his death with power. Kelesk was admirable assistance in the Nameless City... yes?"

Both Cucumba and Hwoarang turned, watching as Kelesk came through the same door Hwoarang had previously used. "He speaks the truth... having both the Necronomicon and the Chaumutzpotoetl are essential."

Hwoarang nodded.

I know what it would mean for the administration to have both books...

Noticing Hwoarang's reaction, Cucumba exhaled with a stressed perplexion, "Kelesk is also going to assist you on this mission as well. Avoid Alhazred at all costs, he is only a misperception that lingers, a redundance of insanity."

Hwoarang motioned for Kelesk to begin heading out, following him as they exited Cucatoth's chamber. Faction: Catalyst and the Nation of Administration had never been on considerable friendly terms, but in the eye of a creature, no longer a man, insensitive crimes and the portal of a forgotten world mutating his very soul, personal problems and substances of loyalty would have to be put aside.

Cucumba smiled, his receptive eyes gandering as the reflection of Hwoarang and Kelesk slipped from his view.

Your too kind android... almost too kind for your own good.
-

Hwoarang heard Kelesk release a deep exhale, and examined his excavation tools, realizing that both of them had simultaneously noticed that the sun was now rising above the horizon.

"We got a day to pray for at least a clue of the exact whereaabouts of this temple, and can only hope a millennia of erosion hasn't covered it completely."

Kelesk developed a facial expression of agreement, watching as Hwoarang started to head in the direction he had already been heading all morning. Soon, they begin to notice that jungle seemed to become less and less jubilant with life, an eerie mist developing with each step, each attempt to focus deep within the mist, causing the mind to drift beyond it's original beheld purpose.

"We're getting close... "

The fog soon surrounded them, the jungle losing it's color, it's ambient epitomes of an abudance of life, and created even more constant rational reasons to turn around. Hwoarang focused deep into the mist, his point of visual attack scanning where the energy, presumably shrowded in darkness, grounded it's radiance.

"Through the darkness... I see the light."

Kelesk quickly turned to Hwoarang, "See the light?"

"Yes, the temple is right down there.. "

Kelesk tried to see, squinting to focus into a gray cloud that accompanied the smells, and certainly the accountable essence of death, "I can't see it."

"Just make sure we don't get seperated."

Kelesk had actually already been in the mode to unhesitantly keep at least one eye on Hwoarang, random encounters with branches of leaf-less shrubs making him jump, "How do you see?"

"I'm a machine... remember?"

AHHHGHHHHHGAAAHHHH!!!!!!

Hwoarang and Kelesk froze, the bitter cry of something man could probably have only witnessed in an incubus of hell, shattering their very souls. Kelesk could suddenly feel what he used to automatically refer to as a demon, realizing Cucumba hadn't completely stripped him of his powers, definately his ability to recognize a heavenly entity or a netherworld hellspawn, "Demons walks this way... "

Hwoarang smirked, "Alhazred... "

Both Hwoarang and Kelesk slowly began to hear a slight mumble, what soon sounded like the cry of a lost child.

"Help me... Help me...I'm lost in the fog... mommy... daddy?"

Kelesk began to walk towards, his angelic and unnaturally generous side controlling his emotions and his rational acceptance, that this was an actual child in need of assistance.

"Kelesk come back... he's tricking you!"

Hwoarang watched as Kelesk disappeared into the mist, noticing he couldn't focus on his position anymore, or the position of anything, the dark magic elevating from the temple, that was only a short jog ahead, clouding his senses and the air itself.
-

Kelesk walked through the myst, completely convinced he was a knight in shining armor, arriving just in time to help...

"I'm lost... I'm lost... so lost. Mommy... daddy?"

The voice constantly echoed, each audibal eruption enforcing Kelesk to run faster towards it.

"I'm lost... AND NOW YOUR LOST. HAHAHAHAHAH!!!"

Kelesk froze, noticing the voice had gone from a child-like echo to a dark and deeply chilling growl.

"YOU HAVE BEEN TRICKED SPECTRE OF HEAVEN AND HELL... SATAN HIMSELF HAS COMING LOOKING FOR YOU!!!"

Kelesk was stricken with fear, random outburts filling his head, jumping back and forward from the helpess child, to whom Kelesk considered to be Satan himself.

"I'm lost... YOUR LOST!"

"Mommy? Daddy? HAHAHAHAH!!!"

Telekenesis was a viscious weapon, whoever was using it, enchanting his victim with the greatest of ease. Kelesk was the enchanted, but now he was the retreating. He turned around, and began to blur in the other direction, gasping as he saw a silhouette slowly develop, the silhouette of a demon.

AHHHHHGHHHHGAAHHH!!!

It growled with an ear wrenching instensity, it's solid white eyes staring deep into Kelesk's entire spectrum of reality. The demon loomed over Kelesk, who had become a statue, desperation taking it's sweet little time to set in.

AHHHHGHHHHAHHH!!!

Kelesk grew angry, "Back to the depths of despair you go!"

He jumped up, extending a right cross to the chin of the demon, watching as it reeled back more than Kelesk had expected it to. The demon reacted, vertically rotating a right uppercut into Kelesk's gut, following up the instantly brutal manuever with a right backhand that sent Kelesk stumbling back even further, than his right cross had sent in the demon.

OOF!!!

"Ouch... what was that for Kelesk?"

Kelesk shook his head, rubbing his eyes, as he watched the demon turn into Hwoarang, who was rubbing his chin..

"That kinda hurt... "

Kelesk realized that he had been hallucinating the whole time, and realized that mental fortitude would also have accompany strength and resolve to face Alhazred head on. Suddenly, random but low growls seemed to come from every direction around them.

"YOU MAY HAVE AVOIDED ME IN EGYPT... BUT NOW YOU HAVE NOWHERE TO RUN!!!"

Hwoarang and Kelesk began to search around franticly, trying their best to realize where the voice had come from.

Hwoarang smiled, "I'm sorry Alhazred... but it seemed more like you were avoiding us in the desert."

"HAHAHAHA... YOUR ARROGANCE ONLY REFLECTS THE GOVERNMENT THAT CREATED YOU ANDROID!!!"

Hwoarang's eyes began to glow red, Kelesk noticing, and wondering what Alhazred had truly meant by that statement.

"I might be an android, Alhazred... but I'm the android you fear!"

A cold wind began to flow through through the air around Hwoarang, the gray mist helplessly pulled with it. The air soon churned in a circular and now observable motion, fragments of dirt from the ground below Hwoarang, elevating in a visual display of just how angry this android really was. A red tint of aura soon traced the edges of the his body, sparks of energy randomly exploding, as the Earth shook with mind boggling intensity.

"Alhazred... not even an army of demons could prevent me from getting that book!"

The red tint, that Hwoarang seemed to be holding back from full display, spread in every direction, quickly forming a swollowing giant orb of energy, that soon faded. Random sparks of electricity continued to dance across Hwoarang's body, the red tint of aura beginning to partake in a highly audibal revolution, beguiling Kelesk into realizing why Cucumba was so positive about hiring Hwoarang, and jubilant for him accepting this inner-demensional task. This machine of capitolist design, was no longer of being of emotional parody, anger and hatred were the only choices anymore, and both Kelesk and Alhazred were now realizing this.

"AHHHHH!!!"

Kelesk, witnessing the Earth obligingly handing it's greatest and most consistant gift, contemplated the favorable situation of having a skillful killing machine stand beside him on a caliginous and forsaken battleground, as he became enchanted once again, but this time, it was the rapid pulse of red that eminated from Hwoarang's eyes.

"AHHHHHHHHHH!!!"

Hwoarang tensed his entire body, grinning to an almost evil extent, as his muscles began to bulk and stretch to inhuman capacities.

"AHHHHHAAAAAAAAH"

The red tint of aura became a sea of energy, like water, was always looking to expand. Kelesk soon acknowledged that this sea of red, engineered by the the progressive hatred of a machine who didn't care about anything or anyone, had completely surrounded him, yet seemed to spare him from actual contact, as he looked down and noticed the ground the below being burnt and scorched like the sun itself had arrived.

His skills are impossible...

Soon the accumulation of red energy faded as the mist, that had shrouded all perceptible references for Kelesk, and seemed to make the natural and mechanical sensors, that Hwoarang trusted each and every step with, jolt with a presumed revelance of overload, began to swirl in the disturbing motion. Through all this, the seismic vibration still remained, the red tint that had traced Hwoarang's had now become a convincing and constantly pulsating aura, and the actual numerical situation of combat was being revealed.

Hwoarang yelled like he only arrogantly could, "ALHAZRED... ARE THEY ALL YOU CAN BRING TO THE TABLE?!!"

The mist had completely disappeared, thrown high into the Earth's atmosphere, a helpless element to the chemical and spiritual reaction that a biological mechansism had created. What actually had been revealed, would cause most priests to drop to their knees and repent, drop to their knees and pray for a painless death. A demonic horde had quietly marched around Hwoarang and Kelesk, the android not showing the slighest iota of fear, the spectre of heaven and hell, known as Kelesk, tensing with new-found knowledge and a rapid concentration of a questionable future.

Alhazred, who was standing amongst his nefarious creations, walked forward, enjoying the fact he had effortlessly surrounded his prey, "Did the capitolists forget to program the ability to have nightmares android? When they tore your soul to pieces and started over? Because your in one... and your friend seems to know it."

Hwoarang's aura, with it's sporadic revolutions, seemed to pulse even faster, the red glow filling not only Alhazred's turqouise-turban-shrouded eyes, but the eyes of the many blood-thirsty demons that randomly growled and hissed, with only the agony a demon could. The android glanced over at Kelesk, noticing he had sheathed an intimidating staff. He watched numerous energies clash with each other, and somehow form teeth-like blades on each end.

Kelesk looked over to Hwoarang, grinning, "And then we woke up... "

The horde of demons spared no laws on diversity, each demon having it's own unique characteristic, each demon trying to out-intimidate Hwoarang and Kelesk. Some were green, their teeth-filled-smiles, reminiscent of the Cretaceous period. Others were dark purple, and built like steroid-popping primates. The rest, which seemed to partake in the majority of individuality, insightfully were seen as humans who swelled with hate, their figures doubled, their pigments a menacing light purple. One of the light purple demons bent down, his claws digging deep into the topsoil, as if he was preparing to run a marathon, that included ripping Hwoarang and Kelesk to shreds.

The android, who was now laughing as he tensed his electrically-spaztic-muscle-bulging arms, couldn't help but let out one final promise of emotional fortitude and arrogance, "Madness may ride the star-winds, the habitually daydreaming inhabitants of Earth's theorized concepts of time, may be the only barrier left from the supernatural horde of the anti towards the current states of clericalism, and Kelesk and I might be outnumbered two to three-hundred-thousand, but mark my words you fallen Muslim to a puppet-like-consistant position... your last breathe will rise from this perfect mix of solar consistancy and organic migration from numerous climate shifts."

Alhazred smiled, disappearing into thin air, yet his voice seemed to remain with a ventriloquistic incantation, "Most mortals would be mesmerized by my meer presence.... I have come to learn that the human mind, unfortunately feared by the own individuals, who are ironically in charge of using their's in substantial, and so far... historically-crucial abritrations. Lead their worker ants into the pit of possible self-doubt, with a factual statistic, indicating that the average materialistic and asinine hominid can only use a small percentage of his nerve box. The truth is... with a call of destiny outbreaking with each deja vu, with each comprehension of how impossible it is for this many to co-exist, lost souls taking sides that either humanly transient or ethereal indecisions caused everything to go wrong or everything to go right, it's obvious that there is no wrong or right, theres is only CHAOS!"

Hwoarang and Kelesk tensed with anticipation, noticing some of the demons began to stir, the one who had made his intensions known first, tearing up the dirt as he floored it towards the android. The demon went airborn, outstretching it's claws, aiming it's grip towards the throat of someone described as, "glowing red" through jives of delineation. The android quickly reacted, blurring straight at the unhesitant hellion, placing his open hand over the demons stomach, his gritted his teeth forfilling the closing step at the end of the coinciding kinetic effort , a beam chromatically matching the aura that surrounded his presence, incinerating a substantial and life stealing portal, through the spherocyptic existence, contrary to standardized views of having an acceptance of faith.

"Next... "

A demon howled, previously classified as a steroid-popping primate, it's sudden cry in regard to the quick death of another, that shared it's aeons of abyssal torment. The howl seemed to signal a unity within the demons, and Hwoarang could feel their pain-stricken energies begin to coexist, like any crowd who shared one purpose, either it be in cheers of victory, acceptance in a musicians figurative lyrics, or in this case... the death of an arrogant android who strained the Earth of it's collection of energy, and an individual who felt both the pressures of heaven and hell, tear his inner-soul to fragments, fragments that surprisingly created a synchronic power, a power that God himself could only potentially objectify.

Hwoarang watched as the demonic horde began to close in on him, hearing Kelesk mumble, "Damnit... "

The android blurred forward, a cluster of demons, engulfed by sporadic explosions of red energy, became dust in the wind, as scorched fragments settled to the ground where they once stood. Hwoarang continued his impossible assault, grabbing the closest demon by the throat, launching himself into the air, taking the franticly clawing hellion with him.

"I got a present, but I figure it would be more appropiate for you to give it to your friends... "

The android, his right hand pinching the demon at the neck, squeezing the life out of it, swung his left into it's stomach, a slight red glow suddenly spreading from the entrance of the gash. Hwoarang released the demon from the death grip, simultaneously rotating in mid-air and extending an echoing right foot.

CRACK!!!

The demon plummeted, mimicking a meteor landing, disappearing into the crowd of demons that seemed to trail over the horizon in the distance. Hwoarang extended his left hand, spreading his fingers in every direction. The ground beginning to rumble violently, random demons howling with a nervous tone, a red flash erupted from the where the demon had impacted, blinding everything and everyone instantly.

brgrgrgrgr.... fshhhhhhhBRUMMMMMM!!!!

A ear-wrenching and menacing ring controlled all thoughts, all intuitions, time itself had become meaningless. The seismic activity increased, but with vision a thing of the immediate past, the cause of the questionably natural disaster remained unknown.

BRUMMMMMmmmmmmmmmm.....

The visionless scenery subsided, gradual divulgence of a landscape altered indefinately, brought an eerie silence. Demons stood in awe, realizing they were in over their heads, but winning or losing was a game they had decided to never consider again. Chaos suggested parody anyways, emotional ties only pertaining to the end of another's physical entity. Their fortitude was being numb, accepting the role as the last resort weapon of a turbulant and dictatorial tyrade... it's handle, Alhazred.

AHHHHHGHHHHGAAHHH!!!

The hellish legion cried in unison, creating their own, but formidably outmatched seismic activity with the vibration of their brimstone lungs. Hwoarang remained focused on the product of his clutch endeavor, gaping at a crater, demons piled around it, their skin black and bubbling with blisters. An android, with what seemed limitless powers, devoured at least tens-of-thousands of his appointed enemy. Yet, as he float in mid-air, staring over the horizon, no longer focusing on the gap in the middle of a malignant sea, he realized that this horde was never-ending. The demons kept appearing over the horizon, hundreds-of-thousands turning into what seemed millions. Hwoarang became less enthused to face his adversaries head on, the thoughts of Kelek's situation ran through his mind.

Has the battle for reality... begun?
-

Kelesk leaned under a swiping demon's right claw, impaling him with his blade, the green goo that filled his veins spreading everywhere. The spectre was already covered in it, impaling and decapitating demons as they approached, the rotting and once hopelessly aggressive piling around him. Jolting his blade from the demon he had just vanquished, he spun around, planting his right foot on the stomach of a fallen demon. Using it as a pivot point, he began to rotate in mid-air, becoming a tornado of adrenaline, his glowing blades inviting death on all who tested them. The horde still entered fearlessly, their guts, outreached limbs, and heads ripped to shreds. Green goo ran down in the horde who had yet to join their brothers, bathing the hellions in their immediate futures. Kelesk's grasp on the situation became a blur, everytime his blades met a demon, another one would appear right behind it.

My arms are going to fall off...
-

Hwoarang's eyes searched for a sign of his temporary ally, noticing a huge wave of green liquid splash down on a group of demons, further noticing the culpret, and realizing that a revolving bewilderment of two sourcse of light was Kelesk's blade, Kelesk's shapeless silhouette hidden between them. The android gasped at the amount of demons he had slayed alone, following a trail of corpses that only disappeared as fast the spectre created it, demons who still walked, crawling over the stagnant speed bumbs that kept them from them their only purpose.

He doesn't realize how pointless all this is... I have to get him out of there!

The android blurred towards the ground, his impact not only scaring Kelesk, but throwing a good amount of hellions on their backs.

BOOM!!!

A shockwave spread in every direction, knocking even more of them down, and giving Hwoarang time to inform Kelesk on the situation.

"Kelesk... there coming from as far as I can see!"

The spectre turned, freshly-spread green blood exiting the torso-less legs of a demon, "What do you mean... this horde is endless?"

Hwoarang nodded, "The more we kill the more they appear... "

"What was that huge explosion that happened a minute ago? One minute I could see, the next I couldn't."

The android exhaled, "It was a nice little ki grenade technique I taught myself. Let's just say I put a nice dent in their numbers. But... like I said, it only caused more to appear."

Hwoarang and Kelesk watched as the demons jumped back to their feet, some of them looking aggrivated, this account reflecting their hurried pace to close in. The spectre held his blade tight, and the android's fist began to slightly glow red, each of them realizing they were preparing to fight something that could last forever. Soon, they were completely surrounded, it almost being a deja vu of the original encounter. Kelesk began to engage them once again, slicing two demons vertically in half, in an almost uncanny motion. Hwoarang's fist ignited, the red tint that had once rivaled the sun in brightness, radiating in the demons' eyes once again. He charged forward, the sound of metallicly instituted knuckles controlling everyone's ambient focus.

CHING!!!

CHING!!!

CHING!!!

CHING-CHING-CHING!!!

The android and the spectre continued to keep at least some breathing room frrom the horde, noticing they now stood back-to-back, each of them playing a role in the other's survival. Hwoarang's fists began to glow even brighter, as he prepared another assault to just keep from being overwhelmed.

CHING!!!

CHING-CHING-CHING!!!!

The impact of Hwoarang's fists not only internally shattered the handful of demon's they ecountered, but kinetically created a shockwave, that again, dropped a wave of of the horde on it's back. This time the demons got back up even quicker, some beginning to run full speed at the android. Hwoarang turned around, his mouth dropping as he saw the demons begin to surround Kelesk, one grappling him by the neck and raising him above the ground.

"No!!!!"

The ground began to rumble once again, Hwoarang turning full heel, and blurring towards Kelesk. Demons were thrown out of his way, as if they were literally hit by a bullet train. The android's powers were tapped into his anger, and he was beyond pissed at this point.

CHING!!!

His quickly and suddenly glowing fist cratered the demon who held Kelesk, releasing the spectre from it's grip. Hwoarang began to dance around the heavily breathing Kelesk, his fists and feet severely crippling each demon as they approached.

CHING-CHING!!!

CHING!!!

CHING-CHING-CHING!!!

Sadly, his efforts were less than effective, and soon the demon horde completely enveloped them.

Hwoarang's voice echoed beyond the random howls and rapidly stomping feet of the massive demon enclave, "ALHAAAZREEEEED!!!"

They disappeared amongst the demons, who were now crawling over each other...
 
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While Hwoarang completely trashed Kelesk's round here, it's important to note that his fight was not without flaws.

Firstly, his battle didn't get to the temple interior, which was to be the arena for the bout. However, I didn't word it sufficiently to penalize him, so I disregarded that bit.

Hwoarang's spelling approached atrocious on this one, and I'm willing to bet it had to do with his inability to run a spell check due to his machine's constant resetting. This too was ignored.

"Bracing themself down small canyons" . . . Bracing implies restraint against movement, themseves was the proper word choice . . . alot of sentances like this need severe tooling.

It often felt as if Hwo was putting words in haphazardly. For instance; "Telekenesis was a viscious weapon, whoever was using it, enchanting his victim with the greatest of ease. Kelesk was the enchanted, but now he was the retreating. He turned around, and began to blur in the other direction, gasping as he saw a silhouette slowly develop, the silhouette of a demon. "

He should have used Telepathy, Telekenesis is the ability to move objects or exert force with the mind. Further, the double use of the word shilouette could have been avoided by breaking down the word into it's meaning: "gasping as he saw a shilouette slowly develop, the horrid, faint outline of a demon."

Not everything was bad, I liked some touches, like the "Insanity as a Chef" idea and this sentance:

Making a deal with a tyrant who had been mentally altered with madness, madness that wrapped guilt in a plastic bag, and put it out front for the city to deal with, Hwoarang was led through corridor after corridor, turn after turn, by the general direction of Cucumba's presence.

or:

It growled with an ear wrenching instensity, it's solid white eyes staring deep into Kelesk's entire spectrum of reality. The demon loomed over Kelesk, who had become a statue, desperation taking it's sweet little time to set in.

You also did a fairly decent job adapting Cthulian mythology into your post, despite the obvious impossiblity of such an undertaking. It would require that your fight club characters not be able to win this battle, nor leave with a happy ending.

As for Kelesk, as I told you when you wrote your round: Hwoarang does not play games.

If you intend to beat him, your game needs to be at 200%. Technically, your writing ability is above his, but his imagination and patience apparently far exceed yours. Had your post captured some freestyled thinking and doused it in levels of detail that swelled your offering to the size of his, the day could have been yours.

Alas, Hwoarang wins this round.

On to round 2, both fighters must move the fight indoors of the temple this time.
 
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Beneath the swarming plague of multiple coloured demons, the two warriors continued to fight a relentless battle, stuck between mixed emotions of anger, hate and dismay. When the demonic horde had first consumed the two they had been but mere feet from each other, but now, Hwo slowly watched as a thickening wall of demons spread between the two separating them further and further with each demon they killed.

--beyond hope lies success--

CHING-CHING-CHING!!

“Kelesk!”

--beyond this hurdle lies a goal--

“AAAARRRRR!!”

CHING!!

“HWO!!”

--there is always light at the end of the tunnel--

“CHAOS CONTROL!!”

Sparks of chaotic energy flew from around the spectre, dancing around his very entity in a mystical waltz of hectic beauty. Slowly a small hole began to grow around the spectre as the crackling grew furthermore obvious to the demons until his aura burst to life. The sudden outburst of power even attracting Hwo’s attention as every demon turned to face the spectral warrior.

“I grow tired of these games hell-spawn!” The spectre’s intimidating voice clearly reflecting the expression that stood upon his face, yet one stood forward, Kelesk’s flaring aura mirrored within the demons black, expressionless eyes; eyes that had seen more than enough years of never-ending torture.

“Heh . . .”

An agonising wail of pain filled the air as Kelesk decapitated the demon that stood before him; the demon horde again taking a step back in unison. The energies from Kelesk’s chaos aura being their main cause of concern as the aura flared near uncontrollably. The small glow that surrounded Hwoarang’s fists died down the only light in the vicinity being the spectral warrior, Kelesk.

“Alhazred . . .”

A moments silence crossed the demon horde again before one of the green demons made a quiet clicking noise but Kelesk was growing evermore impatient, lancing one of the teeth like blades of the scythe upwards through the demons skull, green ooze flowed like gel from the wound as the merciless spectre jolted the blade back towards himself, severing the demons head in two, the lifeless demon falling inert to the earth with a solid thud.

“ALHAZRED!!”

Then he spoke, like a homicidal maniac, deprived of all sanity and place within any state of civilisation and/or life.

“Demon spectre, your pitiful existence revolves around chaos. You very existence could no be possible without chaos and as I said before, there is nothing but chaos. I have seen you dismal future of chaotic ways through my dreams. You are living proof that I am not as insane as I seem.”

Kelesk winced in anger, Hwo’s red aura also beginning to radiate around his very being. The braver demons now within their master’s presence stepping forward slowly, before a flare from Kelesk’s aura caught their attention once again, the orange chaos aura crackling with radical power, flaring with every odd occasion that Kelesk’s attention was diverted or his concentration or mood altered.

“You know NOTHING of me or my existence Alhazred. Call off your tortured slaves or I will . . .” Again the sporadic look of unjust resentment stood upon the spectre’s face, the Tae Know Do Prodigy amazed at the sudden change the demons had shown since the chaos aura was brought to bear. The demons; were they afraid of Kelesk, or the physical chaotic abilities that lay within his power.

Again the chaos aura flared, before the spectre closed his eyes. ****ing his head to the side in amazement, Hwo watched as each demon one by one, bowed down, opening up a walkway leading towards the temple that had got them in this situation. Hwo began to walk through the opened sea of unearthly beasts, not one making a sound, not even the sound of heavy breathing that one would consider a demonic creature to have.

--life is to be taken one step at a time--

Kelesk began to walk through the sea of demons, every one of them eyeballing him, the smallest hint of light reflecting off their large black, glossy eyes; the footsteps of the two warriors roughly scraping towards the entrance of the temple.

--goals are the rungs of a ladder--

The spectre turned to face the horde grinning sadistically.

“Tell Satan he can kiss my ass.”

The spectre turned back to the entrance of the temple before stopping two steps into his stride.

--you must take each small step to safely reach your ultimate goal--

“Return to that which spawned you . . .”

Within one spectral hand, frost flooded into a small orb of water that the spectre had gathered. Within a matter of seconds the orb grew to the size of a basketball, yet sill none of the demons flinched, the chaos aura still flaring insanely.

“Greetings card . . Bastards . . .”

Kelesk launched the orb through the walkway of demons, millions of tiny, nail like ice shards flooded the vicinity, shredding and ripping apart each demon they came in contact with, most exploding as soon as they came in contact with a demon; any shards that flew in the direction of the spectre simply ricocheted off the chaos aura. Before long the orb itself shattered into several dozen large shards, cutting down whatever remained of the demon horde. Hwo poked his head back out of the temple entrance, revealed to him the gory aftermath of the savage spectre. Green ooze flooded the floor and piles of motionless demon corpses lay within.

“Sweet Jesus . . .”

“C’mon Hwo, let’s go.”

It took the young Prodigy two looks to actually believe what he saw but it became more apparent to him how much he too had underestimated his partner, both fighters had powers untapped that the other was unaware about, and both were hesitant to unleash them unless necessary. Together the two walked through the dark temple entrance.

The temple itself was cold, very cold, darkness gripping everything possible not allowing itself to be lifted, as it were not just there, but it actually wanted to stay there. Hwo closed his eyes and looked around. Even with his cybernetic implants and technology he could still barely see anything of distance. The hieroglyphs inscribed on the walls around the two fighters were as clear as day to him as they radiated with some form of energy, though what they actually said, Hwo could not work out. Hwo spun around as the spectral warrior grabbed his shoulder.

“You see anything Hwo?”

Hwoarang shook his head, then realising he was in the dark actually spoke his response.

“But there are some hieroglyphs on the walls, but I can’t decipher them.” He continued, with vague hope that Kelesk may be able to see and/or read them but without luck.

“Alright then, let’s move on.” Said Hwo, closing his eyes again and heading towards the first door within the temple, though mere feet from the next room Hwoarang heard a scraping sound. Small scratches could be heard around on the huge slabs that made up the temple, the sound causing both fighters to stop in their tracks. Hwoarang still had his eyes closed, the world of red and black beneath awaiting the creature within the room to unveil itself. The two waited within the pitch black corridor, the young Prodigy the only one capable of seeing. For what seemed like minutes the two waited, the scratching sound clawing at their nerves and then it stopped, and the temple went silent.

Slowly Hwo took a step forward, his foot scraping against the dust and dirt on the hard stone floor as he took his step forward, and the scratching started again, Hwo with a bit more of an open view through the doorway looked around as much as his field of vision would allow. Still his vision toyed with what he heard, a simple view of red and black filling his vision.

Kelesk walked up beside the young prodigy and took another few steps towards the door, the scratching sound still heard from within the room. Kelesk got but a few steps from the doorway before Hwo saw something unlike anything he had seen in his years; the deformed streak of blue crossed his world of black and red.

“Sweet mother of Jesus . . .”

Kelesk turned his head to where he had heard Hwo’s voice come from, the fear and unknowingness in it became instantly apparent to the spectre. But it heard the voice too, Hwo watching as a blue object filled his world of crimson and black again, it was the creatures head. It stuck its head through the doorway, obviously capable of seeing in the darkness as it looked directly into Hwo’s eyes, for a second the two stared at each other before it looked at Kelesk, Hwo still staring at the creature did not even remember of Kelesk’s presence until he noticed it’s lack of attention towards him, looking at the direction that the creature had been looking for several dozen seconds. Hwo’s eyes opened in horror, and time itself slowed for the Prodigy, the creature stepped into the doorway, unveiling its hideously deformed body, hunched over. Its knees bent suggesting it had been living in cramped areas for some time now, but it’s most distinct features being the fangs that protruded upwards from its lower jaw and the giant blades that protruded from its arms and legs, as if replacements for hands and feet.

“Kelesk!”

But it was too late, Hwo witnessed the creature impale the spectre with on of it’s large blades and carry him off accompanied by a scream of utter pain, Hwo’s world returned to red and black as it had been for so long, all that remained in his vision were a few small blue drops that lay on the walls and floor, which he knew was Kelesk’s blood.

I could have saved him . . . I could have warned him better; he couldn’t see it . . .

All went quiet until he heard the echo from the Soul Scythe bounce and come to rest, unknown to the Prodigy how far away. This sound was accompanied by another pain filled scream of mercy.

This is all my fault . . .

“Kelesk!!”

Hwo slammed his fist into the wall, a ching sound echoing through the temple as it landed, followed by the gentle sound of falling rock particles and small stones. The trek here had been long and hard, but both had somehow managed to support the other in one way or another, but now it didn’t matter.

It took the prodigy a few minutes for the ungodly thoughts of the spectre’s demise to pass his mind before finally moving on, forward into the darkness, he knew where he had to go, and what he had to get.

Within the next room the hieroglyphs stopped, the room seemed even darker than the last, the dark matter within this part of the temple must be in thicker quantities, thought Hwo to himself. To his left, sat a flight of steps, made of the same stone slabs that the temple itself was composed of, before him, a wooden rope-bridge, its age apparent to Hwo immediately. Though the rope bridge was unsafe and seemed the obvious way to go, Hwo’s senses told him to go down the stairs. At the bottom was a gutter filled with crystal clear water, besides a few drops of blue that stood out in Hwo’s world of red. As he walked down the steps it hit him that his senses had told him right, from where he stood, in his world of crimson and black, he saw a trail of blue that ran alongside the gutter, the blood was Kelesk’s. In places the splotches were thicker and on occasion small pools of the spectres blood ran into the trench.

--before the end of the adventure there is a test--

Hwo followed the trench, through a small tunnel which seemingly wound for miles, but finally he saw a light, as he approached it, it grew brighter, unknown to the prodigy was that the water in the trench was no longer purified, instead was stained almost pure red with blood.

--friends will become enemies--

Hwo opened his eyes, the light emanated from within a chamber and as the prodigy entered, he saw Kelesk, crucified upon a cross, his blood dripping into a pool which ran into the water. Hwo followed the trench that ran from Kelesk, to the trench he had followed, inevitable witnessing the pure dark red water, the spectre’s blood. On the ground a few feet away lay the Rogue Scythe.

--and enemies will become allies--

Behind the crucified spectre, sat the book the two had been searching for, the Chaumutzpotoetl. Scattered neatly around the room lay hundreds of priceless Aztec treasures. Cups, crowns, weapons, even full suits of armour. Bewildered Hwo did not see Alhazred appear within the room.

--only through knowing your friend and enemy alike will one pass this test--

“Hwoarang, nice to see at least one of you survived. Though it is a shame you didn’t cross the bridge, there are some interesting things across there.” ****y and taunting, Alhazred smirked at Hwo, before pointing up at the spectre as the prodigy took a few steps forward. This indication grasping all of the prodigies attention, watching as the spectre tore himself free of the bindings that nailed him to the cross, dropping into a pool of his own blood.

--and the price of this test--

Hwo ****ed his head to the side lost as to how the spectre could contain his pain and how he could still be alive after having lost so much blood. Hwo stared at Kelesk, who stared back,; Hwo, from where he was and with Kelesk’s head lowered couldn’t pick how inhuman Kelesk’s expression was.

“Alhazred! What have you done to him!!”

No response came from the Alhazred who was still smirking, watching intently as Kelesk took his first few shaky steps towards the prodigy, blood flowing from his fresh wounds.

--is life--

With no warning the seemingly lifeless spectre launched himself from the pool with inhuman strength and speed, a fountain of blood following him through the air as he flew towards the prodigy, landing but a metre away from Hwo, the fountain of blood closely in pursuit, falling in a small pool on the rough stone floor as the spectre began attacking his former ally. Though this creature fought with the same strength as Kelesk, it did not share the same combat qualities or form but instead on sheer instinct and reaction.

Kelesk . . . What has become of you . . .
 
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"Survival wasn't the plan... was it Cucatoth?"

Alhazred stood atop the temple, Synth and Kelesk had previously focused their efforts in entering. They had another problem to solve apparently, a seemingly infinite abundance of demons, appearing from over the horizon like a never-ending tsunami, impossible to the capabilities of even mother nature herself. The majority of the battle seemed to have reached an eerie stalemate, most of the demons who were previously marching, soon standing still as they approached the edge of the constantly growing and vile amoeba, watching their destination, the surrounded Synth and Kelesk, become convincingly covered in their fellow species. The demons who felt the android and the spectre were in their attack range, continued to push each other side, crawl over each other, and dig minute trenches with their rapid and earth-digging feet.

Alhazred smiled, "I thought at least the android would cause a ruckus... his concern for someone not even of his affiliation... shows his true weakness... compassion."

Alhazred watched as a colorful blur flew out from of the center of the horde, exactly where Synth and Kelesk should have been, "About time... I expect you to find me quickly."

Suddenly, as if the blur's eye had caught the meaning of life, it stopped, revealing Synth who appeared to have Kelesk by the back of his formerly white t-shirt, now stained convincingly green, Kelesk still gripping his Rogue Scythe tightly.

"Yes... that's it android, I know you see me."

Alhazred continued to stare blankly, gritting his teeth as Synth and Kelesk turned into the blur once again, it now becoming obvious that they were heading straight for him. The blur split in half, the top part slowly turning into Kelesk, as if Synth had tossed him up above him. The spectre sailed through the air, his hands turning into what resembled gauntlets of ice, the method of melee that Kelesk intended to use being revealed. Alhazred watched as Kelesk's approached him, a threatened expression developing as Kelesk threw his arms back in a ready-to-attack-mode manner. He began to echo a battle cry, a promise of his own, "Alhazred... you may have all these demons at your disposal... but you don't have the strongest demon of them all!"

Kelesk landed, only needing to plant one foot as he bent his knees, frog-leaping towards his telepathic nemesis. Strangely, Alhazred didn't even flinch, his dead stare only slightly visible, due to the fact his face was still shrouded by a bluish-green turban. The spectre of heaven and hell quickly realized the more he approached, that this appearance of Alhazred was merely a hologram, a trick, and maybe even trap. Synth landed beside Kelesk, slightly startling him, Kelesk currently too focused on the current strategic premise.

Kelesk turned to Synth, "We're going to die... "

Synth frowned, "If I have to do this on my own... I will."

"Don't you understand? Nothing is going to survive... we'll all be victims to his chaos!"

The android tensed his arm, he had long ago slapped self-doubt into a muddy puddle, "You, yourself, are a victim of chaos, but you survive. I am a victim of chaos, but I have survived. What makes his personal chaos so special? What makes anyone's personal chaos so special? The fact they survive it, the fact they find a way to overcome it."

"Save the psychology... I don't even know what's real anymore! I don't even know if your real... anymore." Kelesk dropped to his knees, his hand releasing his Rogue Scythe in a defeated manner.

"So... this it. We just drop to our knees and hope for the end to be painless. That's not me... and it will never be me. I'm going to go destroy a demon horde... you sit here and admit defeat... maybe watch the show, if you got any strength left."

Synth's rapid foot steps, were soon followed by the sound of an object's propulsion creating a hiss in the wind, it obviously the android not going back on his word. The spectre glanced back, noticing Synth drop down directly in front of where the temple's entrance should be. The temple itself resembled a typical Aztec design. A basic square base, a step-like design reaching all to the very top, where a small cube, previously and visually dignified as a ceremonial chamber, rested at the top. Coincidently, Kelesk was resting on top of the cube, considering it where they should just leave him to die. Synth's position and situation proved his feelings were the total opposite, but at the same time it also clued the same scenario of destiny, the demon horde all turning to face him. The android looked back, noticing the dark entrance to the temple standing behind him, positioned on the southeastern corner of the temple. Staring at the entrance, he could truly smell death, and swore he heard random hymns of a precautious nature. He smiled, death was a toy he took apart, just to see if he could put it back together.

"We come from the land of ice and snow... from the midnight sun where the hot springs blow!"

He charged the demon horde, some demons growling with a fearful description, some moaning as if agony was an electric prodder forcing them into battle. The android's metallically enhanced fists created an orchestra of bone-chilling rings, his residual image transforming into an invisible force that danced back and forward in front of the temple's entrance. Wave after wave, a tsunami shifted from the amoeba-like entity, previously described in the same detail, but the diameter of the effect only requiring enough force to keep the android busy. Quiet air turned into implosions, metallic rings an audible signal of each implosion's creation. The implosions of amazing speed, hitting herded and brimstone-scented scales, never seemed to lose rhythm, as if an electric keyboard was playing, and it was stuck on one key...

CHING!

Meanwhile, Kelesk had crawled over to the edge of the ceremonial cube, staring confusingly as he watched Synth almost pointlessly, from his troubled point of view, fight off a fate that never seemed to end. His voice resembled someone who must have lost his soul, it was very low and drawn out, "Why do you bother android? What's the goal? We're just victims to chaos... we're just victims in the end."

"That doesn't sound like something God would have told you, spectre of heaven and hell."

Kelesk turned, the hologram of Alhazred beginning to move from it's previous statue-like state, and crossing it's arms in a mocking fashion. The Spectre glanced at his Rogue Scythe, then back at the hologram.

"Don't worry... I'm just a figment of your imagination like you've already noticed. The only thing I want to know... is why is Cucatoth so willingly eager to sacrifice his pawns?"

Kelesk immediately grew bitter to the statement, and even contemplating a reply. He turned back to Synth, realizing he had better things to do than argue with a figment of his imagination. He continued to debate why the android continued deal with the endless adversaries. Synth had begun to pile them up, building a pyramid, exceedingly organic, of his own. Watching the bodies continue to collect and become a part of the pyramid, the metallic symphony continuing with no falter, Kelesk swore he heard Synth singing. "Will drive our ships to new lands! To fight the horde, singing and crying! Valhalla, I am coming!"

Was Synth trying to convince Kelesk that there was a point in continuing, or was he only trying to entertain himself, before he accepted defeat as well? What was the purpose behind needlessly slaughtering a demon horde? What did Synth hope to make sense out of explaining to Kelesk that he even agreed with Alhazred? That life was only chaos, that everything was a product of chaos. Was Kelesk going to have to basically accept the fact that Alhazred may have been right on a certain level, but was he dead wrong on another?

Kelesk stood up, walked over and picked up his Rogue Scythe. "What the hell... "

He ran off the side of the cube, and let gravity descend him to right beside where Synth stood. The android turned, releasing and launching a thundering kick into the mid-section of a demon at the same time. "I figured my speech would have eventually cleared things up. Ready to enjoy some more chaos?"

Kelesk nodded, extending his Rogue Scythe into attack-ready position, the teeth like blades at each end, flashing with a battle-ready notation. The android and spectre charged towards the demon army that never ended, and they didn't care if it ever did. "We come from the land of ice and snow... from the midnight sun where the hot springs blow! Will drive our ships to new lands! To fight the horde, singing and crying! Valhalla, I am coming!"

Time passed, and the demon army still seemed to never end. Kelesk was wearing layers of greenish demon blood, while Synth, creating his casualties in more of an internally damaging way, had basically genocided his way to statistics Stalin and Hitler would be jealous of. A light snapped in Kelesk's head, as he slid an impaled demon off the edge of his Rogue Scythe, energy sparking from the wound as more green blood ironically splashed on Kelesk's pants. "You know... that book won't move beside itself."

Synth, who had just finished shattering the spinal columns of four of five demons with a series of scissor kicks, turned to Kelesk, his eyes rolling in the back of his head in a stress-inspired realization, "Your right... I think this is a lost cause. On the count of three... we head for that entrance." Synth began to count, "One... two... three!" The android and the spectre darted for the tunnel, swearing they felt hands try to keep them from doing so, a paranormal experience they would never forget. Upon entering the temple, Synth noticed he could see Kelesk's breath, and realized the temperature had dropped to below freezing.

"I wouldn't be surprised if we weren't on Earth anymore... with what I've seen already... I wouldn't be surprised if we weren't even alive anymore."

Synth turned to Kelesk, "Why would you say that?"

"Because... since we've approached this temple, everything has been an illusion. That demon horde could have been just an illusion."

As they stood a good distance from the entrance, leaning against a erosionaly damaged 25 degree slope that led into darkness, the android and the spectre began to hear footsteps approach them. I slightly obscured image turning into Alhazred himself as it approached.

"You may be right, you may be wrong spectre. The mind is a powerful thing when it's totally convinced of what it's seeing, or what's it believing. But, I won't explain my methods... because I'm not your typical villain. I won't put you in something you consider an infeasible predicament at first glance, and then ramble about my secret plans or impossible goals. All I'm going to say is... you won't make it out of this temple alive. Death is too strong of a force here... death was the hands that you felt trying to hold you back."

Synth grinned with eagerness. "So... now that it's become apparently clear that we intend to Indiana Jones our way into this temple. Your going to try the conversational approach? Didn't expect your demonic horde to be so unconvincing did you?

Alhazred still held his unbreakable stare. "Believe what you will... or believe what I can easily make you believe."

He faded away like a cloud of smoke, Synth and Kelesk acknowledging that the real battle had just begun, that the real adventure had began.

"We should get going... "

Synth began to head down the sloped tunnel, Kelesk following not too far behind him, his Rogue Scythe randomly discharging energy that bounced off the walls and back to it's hyperactive blade. They continued to walk for what seemed a good minute or so, when they heard something similar to a tidal wave, a rushing burst of water echoing from the darkness ahead of them. They soon were met with a wall of red tinted liquid, blood was going to be the third object that greeted them since they decided to enter the temple, celestial hands, and then Alhazred being the first and second.

Synth's voice trembled, "Ignore it! He's merely trying to scare us away!"

It was too late for any further advice, as Synth and Kelesk became engulfed in the blood, closing their eyes as the constant pressure forced them to brace against what weathered indentions there hands could grasp within there reach. The flow of blood continued to push against them until it suddenly stopped, the android and the spectre realizing that the tunnel was either filled, or Alhazred had become bored with his current illusion. Synth opened his eyes, turned to where he believed Kelesk was at, realizing that he couldn't anything at all, just blood, just a red liquid that made his eyes feel strange. He began to swim back, hoping to bump into Kelesk, which didn't take long. Synth grabbed Kelesk by his shirt once again, tugging to hint that he was going to continue on, he was going to swim through the blinding elixir.

The android began to head back down, using the slope of the tunnel as a method of direction, he soon heard the spectre swimming behind him, which gave him a sigh of relief, he still had an ally. Synth, who soon felt the slope grow flat, reached around and realized he had reached an opening. He reached up, noticing that he couldn't find the roof. The android started to swim up, each couple of feet giving him a sigh of relief that maybe he would run into the surface. He felt his hands touch open air, and soon the top of his head as well, his eyes appearing above the pool of blood. Looking around, he saw a typically designed Aztec chamber, random hieroglyphics scattered across each wall. The sound of Kelesk discovering the surface slightly terrorized Synth, who was too deeply imbedded in reading the hieroglyphics and relating their odd shapes to things of actual accountability. Kelesk didn't hesitate to swim to the other side of the room, where a small platform stood, and where Kelesk finally escaped the pool of blood.

"This shirt is ruined. I don't think detergent can get demon blood and now human blood out as well."

Synth floated out of the pool, landing beside where Kelesk had just climbed up. He searched around the room for an exit, but was only met with a collapsed one, the two pillars that held up the ceiling, leaned into the ruined entrance.

"Looks like I'll be creating our exit," Hwoarang smirked as blood dripped of the side of his face.

The android extended his hand, a red light soon beginning to flash in the center of his palm. He yelled, the red light quickly growing into a basketball-sized energy blast, rocketing towards the cave in. It hit directly in the middle, the impact shaking the entire temple itself, a cloud of dust and shattered debris spreading in every direction. Once the cloud had disappeared, Synth and Kelesk noticed another tunnel heading forward for a bit, then turning left. They began to walk towards it, finding no resistance physically or mentally as they made the left turn further down the tunnel. The pillar-lined tunnel exited into an even larger room, more hieroglyphics painted and carved all over each of the four walls, sadistically wrapped in skulls and other bones at the bottom. Two thick pillars set in the center of the room, also wrapped in skulls and bones, were the obvious and only form of stability. The ceiling was at least fifty feet high, and had carved and painted hieroglyphics all over it as well. A large fireplace set across the room, filled with a blue flame, Synth suddenly noticing an entity sitting crouched between the two pillars, horns extending out of the side of it's head. The figure was dark green, his skin resembling stone much similar to the demons outside. It's deep and bass-filled voice echoed through the room and slowly down the tunnel behind them, "You seek the book... don't you."

It turned around, it's eyes solid white with small dark green pupils, standing at least ten or twelve feet. His build was intimidating, but was thin enough to suggest finesse. His horns curved inward with a light gray tint, his teeth were extremely sharp, but didn't extend any further than a normal human being's would.

Kelesk was overwhelmed with confusion, "What in the hell... "

The figure laughed, "I love when even immortals answer their own question."

Synth became confused as well, but soon realized why he shouldn't be, "Lucifer... I presume?"

The figure nodded, "Quite the mentally quick one you are machine... was this information in your database?"

The android shook his head, "No... I was once a human. Your story is popular enough as it is."

He smiled, "I hope Alhazred didn't scare you too much already, because I'm not one of his illusions."

Lucifer walked over to the fire, and pulled out a large book from it, which was somehow not even slightly singed. He walked back over to where he had stood before, between the pillars, and opened the book. Turning to certain page, the fire died as soon as the page left his finger, filling the room with darkness. Synth and Kelesk waited for something to happen, to overwhelmed with fear to have prevented the situation anyway.

Lucifer's eyes abruptly appeared, glowing solid white, his voice soon following, "Animus vole contineo scienta, sophismata contineo animus!"

Synth and Kelesk could hear the bones that filled the room begin to rattle uncontrollably, but the darkness continued to conceal everything, and the android couldn't help but ask what Lucifer had just said, "What did he say?"

Kelesk exhaled, "Sprits will contain knowledge, logical fallacies contain spirits."

"What does that mean?" Synth squinted.

The spectre paused, "He basically summarized what is it to be alive, and the bones have reacted with an acceptance."

Lucifer's voice began to echo louder, "ABDICO FRAGILITAS SCILICET AGNOSCO NIHILUM!"

Kelesk followed with a translation, "To renounce weakness is to know nothing."

The darkness evaporated like a bad dream, the spectre and the android realizing they were surrounded by glowing and walking skeletons, who simultaneously and synchronously growled. Lucifer still stood between the pillars, focusing on the book and the skeletons at the same time. Kelesk turned to Synth, a fixture of panic in his face, "How would that book contain Latin? It was supposed to be dated eons before the Spanish invaded the Aztec empire."

Synth shrugged, "Maybe latin is older than we think, maybe it's the language of our creation."

Kelesk shrugged as well, and charged the closest skeleton, rotating his rogue scythe into it's chest and then into it's legs. The glowing skeleton split at the connections, falling to the ground, the glow forming into a spirit that quickly entered Kelesk's body.

Synth ran forward, "No!"

But, it was too late, Kelesk eyes began to glow just like Lucifer’s, and he turned to Synth, "ABDICO FRAGILITAS SCILICET AGNOSCO NIHILUM!"

Hwoarang stopped in his tracks, slowly backing up, as he became immersed in his infamous red aura. He watched as the rest of the skeletons fell to the ground, and the spirits that possessed them, pour into Kelesk, who's eyes glowed even brighter.

Kelesk is possessed... this isn't good. I mean I don't want to kill him, but at the same time I might be forced to.

Lucifer smiled, "INTERFECIO INTERFECI INTERFECTUM HOSTES HOSTIUM!"

"INTERFECIO INTERFECI INTERFECTUM HOSTES HOSTIUM!" Kelesk quickly repeated.

The spectre charged the android, almost mimicking his previous movements, only to miss Synth completely, only to anger the android in to knocking him across the room, forcing Lucifer to duck. Synth bent his knees, his aura in a state of rapid fluctuation, his decision to raise his power level, his decision to let his emotions control his actions, causing the room to shake violently.

Lucifer was still smiling, "Ah... so you actually were human once. I recognize the energy... the Aian clan. Some of my own exiles have joined their ranks. I guess being a machine, a machine of unlimited stamina, and having cursed, and at the same time... uniquely intimidating energy, is a respectable tool. But, it doesn't matter... this immortal I now have under my control, will be your end, will be Cucumba's end, and maybe even the Earth's end."

Kelesk had retained his stance during Lucifer's speech, and was running by him just as he finished, his rogue scythe prepared for another attempt. He approached Synth quickly, jumping up and falling right on top of him, holding his rogue scythe at a downward angle. The android merely disappeared into thin air, and reappeared behind him, grabbing by his shirt, a habit he had made, and tossed him across the room in almost the same direction, forcing Lucifer to duck again.

"Why do you spare him machine? He's far beyond rehabilitation, his only inhibition is to kill you, to kill everything," Lucifer ignited.

"SHUT... THE... ****... UP!" Synth screamed, rivaling even Lucifer's voice in audible consistency.

He charged forward, his hands beginning to glow red, his speed increasing to a blur, that bounced off the side of Lucifer, and sent him tumbling over into the pillar on his right, as if the android had connected one quick and powerful blow. Synth continued to blur across the room, dodging a swipe from Kelesk's rogue scythe. He blurred up the wall, rotating around the room and landing where he had previously stood. With no hesitation, his aura fluxuated once again, the revolutions even more constant than before. Extending his hands outward, he curled his fingers as if he was holding two baseballs, a faint red light appearing in each palm, electricity randomly shocking all over him, the red ki balls beginning to glow to even solarized capabilities. Just as Synth launched them both, he charged up two more and threw them, eventually making the process a rapidly expeditious chain of events, that would rival most machine guns in desirable harmony. The target of these accelerated attacks was incontestably Lucifer, who had been forced to shield his eyes, as the each blast dislocated his statue-like existence. Each blast, so constant, that even silence wasn't allowed to have it's part of the conversation, forced Lucifer into retreat mod, but Lucifer wouldn't retreat so quietly.

A buzzing sound began to develop from behind Lucifer, as a plague of locusts annihilated the available mass in front of them, and annihilated the visibility Synth may have recently had. The buzzing became hypnotically unbearable, but Synth showed no signs of even a slight disturbance. He simply stared towards where he last saw Lucifer, where he last saw Kelesk struggle with his own identity. Eventually, the locusts all headed past him, into the tunnel they had used to enter the room, and it grew uncomfortably quiet. Synth sighed, noticing Kelesk was shaken his head like he had lost touch with reality.

All these unnecessary aggravations...

He walked over to the spectre, helping him up to his feet, "How are you feeling?"

"Like a train hit me, then decided to go in reverse for fun," Kelesk retorted.

"You know you were possessed, yes?"

"I was? What did I do?"

"You tried to kill me, basically."

"Whoa.. I'm glad you didn't have to... "

They both grew quiet.

"You didn't have to kill me."

Synth smiled, "It was too easy to just toss you aside."

"Is that so?" Kelesk competively and sarcastically reacted.

They both looked around and realized that both Lucifer and the book were gone, but behind the fireplace, a tunnel almost seemed to be waiting for them. Looking at each other and shrugging, they headed towards it, a locust who seemed to be running behind, buzzed by them.

"Either Alhazred was trying to be funny right there... or this isn't an illusion," Kelesk exhaled.

"We need to keep moving... either way, " Synth replied.

Exploring further into this newly exposed path, they realize it ends up in another room, that looked a lot similar to the one they had just left. Two thick pillars stabilized the fifty foot ceiling, skulls and other bones wrapped the floor, and the pillars as well. Noticing another fire was burning across the room, and two figures standing in front of it, Synth and Kelesk began to slowly approach.

"You have no reason to fear us... we are only gods of creation, gods of the underworld."

His voice suggested abusive and prolonged amounts of stress, as Synth and Kelesk were still approaching them slowly, each step revealing the appearance of the two strangers, who claimed to be beings beyond this world. Just as the android and the spectre stopped moving, standing a good twenty feet or so away, both of them turned. Synth noticed they looked like native Aztecs, the one on the left being a man, and the one on the right surprisingly a woman.

"I am Mictlantecuhtli, and this is my wife, Mictecacihuatl. Our purpose in appearing before you on your quest isn't to threaten you, but to warn you. You see, as ruler of the realm of Mictlan, I can see the past before my time, and the future after my time. Your future, and this realm's future relies on one act, the immediate destruction of the Chaumutzpotoetl. You have witnessed first hand what an immortal such as Lucifer can do with it. So, please, for your own realm's survival... destroy the book as soon as you can. It is knowledge no vengeful immortal such as Lucifer, or no sadistic witch doctor such as Alhazred, or even an ancient horror such as Cucatoth should be in grasp of. I know Cucatoth already has the other copy, but having both would not only destroy the balance between the underworld and this realm, but would collapse all this realm has accomplished."

Synth rubbed his chin in a considerate manner,” How do I know you aren't just Alhazred trying to pull another trick, just like all the one's we've seen before?"

Mictecacihuatl stopped her husband from replying, her voice as soft as a gentle breeze, "Alhazred is only limited to certain illusions. He has no effect on celestial immortals such as ourselves, because we control our own realm, and we always see the truth. Alhazred is merely a puppet master of old witch doctor techniques, a smoke and mirrors psychiatrist."

Kelesk's voice trembled, "You mean to tell me that Lucifer wasn't one of his tricks?"

Mictecacihuatl shook her head, "No, he wasn't."

Kelesk's voice continued to tremble, "How was Lucifer using latin, when the Chaumutzpotoetl is written in nahautl?"

Mictlantecuhtli replied this time, "You see, the book isn't delegated to a certain language, the book itself is the magic, the power. If you could translate the words, you could have read the book in English and it's abilities would be open to your disposal. What lies ahead is the biggest test yet, the test of loyalty. Please take what we have said to heart... you may move on."

The fire that guarded yet another tunnel quickly burned out, the Aztec god and goddess stepping aside, Synth and Kelesk unhesitantly walking through. The architecture they met was just like the last two rooms they had met, but a familiar energy began to aggravate Synth's senses. Exiting the tunnel, they saw another fire, and another figure standing in front of it, facing away from them. His voice was also familiar as well.

"I send you two to get this book, and I have to get it from Lucifer myself."

The figure held up the book Kelesk and Synth had been determined to grasp, turned around, and smiled at both of them.

"Cucatoth?" The spectre questionably expressed with a sense of incredible shock.

"Good to see you survived Kelesk... there is a higher rank in our organization for you yet. And you... android, I'm glad you babysitted my pupil and my interests at the same time."

Synth's grew angry. "Your interests?

"Yes, you see... to acquire this book would take a certain strategy I like to simply call a distraction." Cucumba was smiling like he had won the lottery.

The android shook his head, this whole trip was more than enough bull **** for anyone to take, "So... you mean to tell me our purpose wasn't to get the book. But, to distract Alhazred long enough for you to get the book?"

The ancient horror turned away from them, "Indeed."

"The book must be destroyed!" A voice echoed from the walls, the two Aztec gods soon appearing from the flame. "Too long have I watched your intimidation disrupt the balance my celestial associates, my wife, and I have created! Our influence on this entire realm may have wavered, but as I told Jehovah when he decided his influences were enough for our regional ascendancy to take a slight step backwards, I would not let this realm fall to your selfish ruins! "

Mictlantecuhtli extended his right arm in a summoning manner, a large staff appearing, equipped with menacing blades on each end. "Spawn of Cuchthulhu, I shall slay you for an eternity! I shall slay you in the manner it took to hold your creator in his own realm! Face the wishes of Tezcatlipoca, Quetzlacoatl, Tlaloc, and Chalchiuhtlicue for removing this book, and even Anubis when you took the Necronomicon from it's guarded Egyptian resting place! We shall not have you make the same mistakes Alhazred made, when he wrote the original book, and decided it had it's purposes!"

Mictlantecuhtli charged Cucatoth, who side-stepped a violent slash, and reacted by screaming towards Kelesk and Synth, "You either have to help me or you have to take the book, I cannot hold them off for long! Remember my legacy, and remember all I have taught you Kelesk!"

Cucatoth tossed the book towards Kelesk, only to watch Synth jump in front of him and grab it, "The book must be destroyed! The realm of Jehovah must be sustained, for all other realms to be sustained as well! I cannot allow you to jeopardize my existence, for your own personal gratifications of power. I stand beside all the gods, of all the realms, when I say this!"

Mictlantecuhtli nodded, "You know your surroundings too well machine, you know the truth. I guess the Aian clan's knowledge has it's advantages."

Kelesk and Cucatoth exploded with anger, anger the android's senses easily picked up. But, it wasn't an issue he considered important anymore, the only important issue involving the words both Mictlantecuhtli and Mictecacihuatl had cautiously expressed. During all of this, Mictecacihuatl had noticed that Synth had chosen sides, their side, and she quickly opened a portal across the room, motioning Synth to run towards it, "Machine... it is your only chance for an escape... hurry!"

Synth had noticed her actions, and began running towards it, disappearing into it's rapid fluidity. Kelesk had also noticed the portal, and dove through it before Mictecacihuatl could close it. He appeared outside the temple, less than one-hundred yards from the temple's entrance. The spectre quickly searched left and right for the android, and spotted him heading towards a volcano that was easily spotted in the horizon. Giving chase, and noticing that Synth had realized he was being followed, Kelesk increased his speed to a hyperactive consistency, becoming a blur that shot past the jogging android.

Synth stopped in his tracks, "You don't understand... this book has only one purpose, and that purpose must be stopped, it must be eliminated forever."

Kelesk, who had also broke his momentum, turned to Synth, "Save it... that book now belongs to Cucatoth, so in turn... it belongs to me. Hand it over, or you'll wish you did."

The android smiled, "Righteously violent and prone my words bring winds likely characteristic to cyclones. Storming your hideout, blocking out sunlight. Your image and your business, are truly not done right. Jehovah speaks through me, for I am what I am."

The spectre began to fill an emptiness grow inside him. Had the battle of heaven and hell, the battle that constantly raged inside him, finally reach a decision through the words of Synth, who seemed to be in a trance ever since the two Aztec god approached?

His words are like God has decided the battle was no longer an annoyance worth dealing with!

Kelesk began to pant heavily, as if his soul was leaving his body, "What have you done to me? What has God done to me?"

Synth grinned, his eyes glowing red, "You mean... what has Jehovah done to you?"

He charged forward, realizing his will was someone else’s will as well, and launched a thundering right roundhouse kick to the chin of the struggling Kelesk, following up his first attack, with a left roundhouse kick that sent the spectre into the nearby jungle, which was less than a few yards away. Realizing the spectre was not completely out of it, but merely stunned, he yelled towards the situationally and internally fallen spectre, "Your place is not to die here. I have bigger plans for you, and more important issues to discuss. I suggest you let this machine continue his appointed quest, and decide whether Cucatoth's legion was and still is the right choice."

Kelesk knocked the vines and dirt that his landing at unrested, off of him, and looked at Synth with a focus of fearful intrigue.

Why is he talking in third person? Issues to discuss? Who has possessed the android?

The spectre became too intimidated with the possibilities, and decided he would accept failure over blind stupidity, watching the android continue on his path to destroy the Chaumutzpotoetl. If he was going to destroy it, Kelesk felt he had no purpose in knowing anymore, he had failed regardless.
-

Time passed, and society seemed to neither waiver or question it's purpose, even though one of it's biggest dictators was presumed missing or dead. But, deep in the jungles where a certain battle of realms began and ended, a temple met it's fate to a sudden explosion, taking with it, eons of influence, high religious figure's final resting places, and a certain couple's celestial echoing. A lone figure, green in pigment and in the energy that oscillated around him, glanced around at the ruins he had ironically ruined., his arms crossed in a confident manner.

"It shall take more than gods, who no longer serve an incredibly important purpose, but more of a historical importance, to defeat my visions."

A voice echoed from Cucatoth's right, Alhazred standing there with his arms crossed as well, "We have a book to find, and a plan of vengeance to discuss."
 
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Good rounds from the both of you! Sadly, there must be a winner, and the winnner will sweep the fight. Kelesk, your writing was excellent this time around. You expanded and compounded on every detail, but in the end, your volume of quality writing wasn't quite as large as Hwoarang's/Synth's.

I still want to make it clear that your attempts, Synth, to add complexity to your sentances by using bigger words has a tendancy to make your sentances clumsy. While you had far less this time around, mostly at the end in dialouge, they were still there. If you must convey ideas, which in writing is the lifeblood of our craft, you must do so clearly and concisely. Muddling the meaning of words with overwordiness do not achieve the effect you are looking for . . . you are closer than you know, and perhaps with some time and patience you will overcome your limitations.

Hwoarang wins, and my evil plans are apparently thwarted . . . for now.
 
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I enjoyed the battle, and the venue especially.

My biggest goal was for Kelesk to learn a lot from this, I mean the challenge itself caught me off gaurd.

If anything, I hope him observing what I can do, certainly in a personal manner, will help his overall writing skills.

When and if he's ready, I'd fully welcome a rematch.
 
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Synth said:
I enjoyed the battle, and the venue especially.

My biggest goal was for Kelesk to learn a lot from this, I mean the challenge itself caught me off gaurd.

If anything, I hope him observing what I can do, certainly in a personal manner, will help his overall writing skills.

When and if he's ready, I'd fully welcome a rematch.
I'm not making promises, but keep an eye on my match against Akago. I think you achieved you goal.
 

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