Halsey (l) v Legion (w) [ref:Joe]

Despite the difference in strength, speed, and raw power, Legion had done the unthinkable. Like a master of his own craft or a seamstress weaving the needle through individual threads, he had managed to tautly pull the strings against Halsey's body. From what little flesh was exposed on her there were clear signs of the nearly invisible threads. Her flesh squished over the fishing wire like threads, rolling almost from what small traces of fat she may have had on her body. Like stockings that were just a little too snug. 

Boom, boom! The sounds of the light blasts rang into the air as they impacted the target. Small plumes of smoke obscuring his path as he took to the sky for his already planned attack. With his body in full motion it was already too late to avoid her own movements. She was wise, skilled, and quite honestly possibly more experienced than she led on. Halsey was a snake, slithering in the shadows of deceit until the perfect moment to strike! Legion, the ever unknowing rat that had wondered into her nest, was none the wiser to her plans. 

His arm came down, the wind breaking off his shaft into small streams as the wind howled into the field of battle like a lone wolf at the moon. With a 'whoosh' his spear missed, the tip only able to collect a small piece of her ornate hair piece as a trophy from his whiffed attack. He was baffled for a moment, no, dumbfounded in fact. His eyes played her movements on loop as he continued to watch the events unfold in near slow motion. Like a circus performer she had contorted her body so gracefully that she managed to bend out of harms way. Then with the most gentle step to the side she managed to avoid the venomous bite of Eldritch Bane, only to leave herself in the most opportune and advantageous position. 

If she could have seen his face behind his mask she would have caught a glimpse of a man truly in awe, but instead she would see nothing more than the ghostly blank expression of the white fox mask that acted as more than just protection. With his body stunned from her spectacular movements he found little time to muster any defenses. In fact the black blade that had often found itself nullified in battle up until this point and found purchase in the protective flack on his chest. Although it was anything but deadly, the blow surely took it's toll on Legion. He could feel his ribs give slightly, not even to break, but nevertheless. Along with that his skin tightened and hissed as the surface of his pale flesh began to flush with bright pinks, the early stages of a bruise that would last at least three lifetimes.  

The sting of the sword's bite was more than enough to distract the poor pray from the following set up of her attacks. His eyes were shrouded by pain and he found himself misplaced from his last position, most likely from her attack, but still.... Misplaced. As he finally brought himself back to reality he was greeted by the mighty force of another power blast. It hit him dead on, knocking loose from his grip his spear and send him into the air at least three feet. Smoke cascaded off of his body just in time to leave the impact zone clean as another strike found itself zeroing in on his back. As if a second round of thrusters had kicked in, his body flew another few feet. 

Thud, thomp, thump. His body bounced off the ground and began to tumble back toward his spear in a series of unfortunate events. Lifting himself to his knees was most likely the worse mistake he could have made, for it granted Halsey the prefect timing to strike. As his left arm braced itself against his knee and he went to push himself up he felt nothing but pain. Pain so inconceivably agonizing that his head shuttered and lagged as he looked down on at his chest. Another strike but this time it had found purchase just slightly inside the grooves of his breastplate. Just outside the sturdy protective layer and tightly tucked into the soft exposed skin. While not deep the wound was definitely noticeable, blood pooling until it soaked the outside of his clothes. His fingers lifted until they soaked themselves against the outside of the wound. He could feel it, the sting of the air hitting the exposed meat. The bite of the cold against the inner parts of his flesh. 

He said nothing, he made no sound, instead he just let his hand rest against the crimson ooze that had gathered on his now soiled clothes. Within a moment his entire palm was caked with blood. So much so that a gentle stream found itself dancing down his forearm. His eyes flashed with hatred and his right arm found itself slashing through the air slightly until it was extended out horizontally. Darkness emerged from his shadow like tendrils reaching out form the void. They whipped and latched onto his leg and then slowly began to climb up to his arm. His ki surged and a slight hum began to buzz into the surroundings like a high power saw. The crimson dripped slowly, each droplet feeding his shadow and suddenly they began to manifest.

A blade appeared from his aura, stained crimson with flakes of onyx throughout it. Buzzing with edges as serrated as a saw he launched himself forward. Springing his attack he led with a horizontal slash, aiming for the exact spot that she had hit when her combination started. Shifting his weight and slamming his left foot into the ground he turned his shoulders slightly. With grace he followed through with the momentum, leaning back slightly as he drove his hips forward into the swing and brought the ki blade vertically through the air like an uppercut. 

Refusing to let up his jaw dropped and his free hand lifted to the mask in order to turn it slightly so that only his mouth was revealed. A bright blue light illuminated from the depths of his throat and suddenly a beam emerged in a brilliant display of power and control. Legion didn't stop, his body was already moving on its own and his thoughts were filled with rage as his emotions certainly got the better of him. With his mouth still open and his emotions literally flowing forth, a small spark ignited against his tongue.

His cheeks swelled and his chest expanded in the exact moment the spark ignited and as he exhaled a trail of inferno lit itself ablaze threatening all of life that may touch it. The ground, as fractured as it was would be covered with soot. small section of sparse greenery would have been reduced to ashes and cracks might have been filled with their remains until trace locations would have looked to be full. Of course the attack had it's own set backs, burning back toward his own body as the ends of the clothe undercoating of his armor began to singed. 

Without second thought and making sure that he had relocated Halsey he adjusted his stance. His feet shuffled until they were slightly more than shoulder width apart and small piles of dust had collected on the outer parts of his soles. Then, with two hands raised and fingers extended, he let out a deafening yell. "Solar Flare!" The words echoed out as the shrouded sun seemed to break through the blanket of clouds and send down a light so radiant that the liquid in his own eyes began to boil. Tightly clenching his eyes he tried to protect himself from the backlash of his technique as it was new to him and he had not yet mastered the skill. But he could see, from behind his tightly squeezed eyes, the blistering white light fill the battlefield.  

---

As she stood there in her fresh wounds, body lowered and aura flaring like a raging inferno from the great beyond, Legion could only look at her. His crimson eyes peering from beneath his mask, red orbs floating lifelessly as he held the deadpan expression on his face. From his previously successful blows blood had spewed forth and splattered against his once pure white mask. Now, with streaks and splatter of liquids more akin to oil, Legion moved his masked slightly, revealing the two eyes that were narrowed and chilling.  

"A name is all we have," Legion said in regards to their last encounter. There was a moment of silence after his words, as if he were waiting for an apology from the woman. As if there was something in him holding him back from pressing forward with his barrage. Without another word, even if she were to speak, he slowly donned the mask once more until crimson glow illuminated under the shadows within the eye slits once more. 

A gloved hand found itself contorting soon after, its ring and pinky bending into his palm until his thumb could tightly pin them down and his index and middle finger extended. Once more, smooth, emotionless, and calm he rose his arm, as if to back hand the woman, and swung his fingers out in a wide curved path. The wind shifted and begun to bend to the will of the ancient wanderer. Almost instantly it compressed itself, sharpening into a fine point like the blade of a master blacksmith who had been refining a blade for his entire life. 

The ground that had once been shattered from her increasing power now became as scarred as Legion's own body as the invisible technique carved a path forward. Rocks that were as large as the demon's fist were sliced to ribbons and soon Halsey would face the same fate. Legion, for some reason even unknown to him, began to move with unquenchable bloodlust. In his mind he was set on killing the woman, but why? Was it his honor or was it something else? He knew that Hades was shackled deep within his body, bound soul to soul, so it was possible that this was his doing. 

Did Hades know Halsey? They were both beings from a time before time, both familiar with creatures that could only be dreamed of while in the darkest depths of Hell. Hades, before taking the crown, had hunted these Eldritch Horrors, but still Legion had zero clue as to why. It could have been for sport, it could have been out of necessity, or it could have simply been out of fear. Regardless, it was possible that Halsey was one of these Eldritch Horror's bound into a vessel.  This was the most logical reason and at the same time.... The most terrifying.  Was Hades power rising to the point where Legion's emotions and actions became dictated by the Hell King's will? Also, if Halsey was one of these primordial then her power knew no limit and her hunger no bounds. 

A cold sweat dropped from under the mask and rather Legion cared to admit it or not, it was not because of fatigue. Her presence was truly chilling, damn near petrifying,. A gulp found itself forced down his dried throat as his ears blocked off the sounds around him to the point he could only hear his own swallow. Once more he blamed the techniques he used instead of the emotions that swelled within his heart. Must have been the fire, he thought to himself before lifting the mask slightly once more as running to the left and releasing a double blast of ki.  

The bullets rang out like bombs in the night as they flew toward Halsey, each blast slightly rocking his shoulders back from the recoil of his own power. He knew that there was no way he was going to be able to win with big fancy moves, so he needed to do what Hades would have done. Win over time, act as a king and command the battle with more than just his presences and through fundamental skills he had honed over the years.  As he came sliding to a halt on her right side, moments after the blasts were fired, he lifted his fingers once more. Ki began to stream out like a string, ever caught in the web of the spider, Legion spun his threads like a seamstress. He moved in and out, rounding the woman like a predator to a prey as he sprung his trap. It wouldn't be much longer until he went for the kill... Blood was in the air. 
 

---

Legion's own wounds seeped with trickles of blood like sap from a tree. Tiny droplets rose to the surface only to shiver with the gentle kiss of the breeze before cascading down his body like a gentle river. How deep does the hatred for Halsey go? How meaningful was their battle, truly? He could only think of the truth as he lifted his gloved hand to dance across his wounds, tracing their outline and taking in the memories of the battle so he could later analyze it. 

Through this brief pause of battle afforded to him he took a moment to adjust. Legion felt the sweat dripping from his pours, the chills crawling down his back, and the tightening of his muscles like a beast that was cornered. Although the battle had been in his favor and Legion responded to each threat of Halsey Ona with a precise answer, he found himself dwindling in defenses. More importantly, even though he had the answer to his opponent's vicious attacks, he lacked the substantial power  to actually put his opponent down for the count. 

Use my power, what are you waiting for? A voice crept into his mind from the depths of his soul- no, their soul. It was booming and filled with such a commanding presences that Legion felt obligated to obey- yet still he held onto his will and tried to push back the voice. He had heard it before, one too many times, Hades, the first king of hell and being that had been shackled to him. 

"I can do it myself," he said bluntly back, his voice most likely rising confusion due to his seemingly mistimed response to Halsey. Between his baffled response to the dark demonic voice in his head Halsey had managed to wiggle free from his bindings. A growl rumbled in his throat but even then it had been more than enough time for Legion to refocus and catch his breathe. 

From her hands spewed forth strings of darkness so corrupt it was if Legion had starred into the abyss of hell, no the void. An expanse so deep and so lightless that his own mind seem to be summoned to it, like a siren's song to a sailor at sea. his head shook violently as he broke himself from the trace of her ki and he found himself holding his head. 

Take it.... Hades' voice whispered as the strings began to chase Legion down as Halsey's voice tightly crumbled. 

"No!" Legion screamed, his right hand shooting out before him as the ruby ring rested upon his finger began to illuminate brightly. The shining light suddenly engulfed Legion in a protective barrier and the strings lashed against it with hallow thuds. Suddenly the scattered like leaves in the wind, heading directly back toward its master with hungry captive predators. 

Her laugh began to echo in the sky and as Legion looked up all he could see was a tiny speck of energy. A light that twinkled like a star in the cosmos and a darkness that threatened to swallow even the furthest beacons of light. It was a terrifying thought, one that once again only made him fear the woman he had seemed to out maneuver the entire time. Maybe Hades was right, maybe Legion should barrow the power before it was too late. Halsey would only become stronger and the window to end things was beginning to slip between his fingers. 

It is yours... The voice said as he suddenly felt a hand crept into his mind. It was like flashing images and each time the hand reaching out from the darkness grew closer and closer.  

His eyes widened as the beam flew from her hands with incredible speed. "Fuck!" Legion muttered as his feet began to pound off the surface in quick succession. He began to run from the beam, turning his head over his shoulder only to look on in horror as he realized it had been tracking him from the very beginning. His feet ricocheted from the ground, leaping and bounding over the waste land and avoiding what cracks and crevasses threatened his footing. Sweat began to roll down his body now as early stages of fatigue began to settle. His body started to slowly and the distance gained from the beam was quickly demising. 

Running past his spear he plucked it from the ground like a feather and stabbed it into the ground utilizing it as an anchor for a sudden stop. Turning to face the beam wasn't the best thought he had, but using his opponent's strength as their own weakness was. His ringed finger lifted once more and he found himself focusing only the beam's essences. Suddenly, just as before, the bright light illuminated through the darkness of the beam and their power collided with devastating winds billowing from the impact.  Then, as if some unknown force had redirected the attack, it changed its path directly to Halsey, just as the strings had done. 

"Power is nothing with the skill to wield it." Legion spat in response. 

Then free yourself from your shackles...  His eyes suddenly went wide and the runes spun and began to shift. His aura began to spark with the same abyss that had once corrupted Halsey's. Within his mind he sprung forward, pulling the once bodiless hand with such might that he felt Hade's mind come to the forefront. He could see his eyes, the two different tones and shades of them peering out from the deep, but more than that he could feel his power, feel his conscious now more than ever before. The white's of his eyes became riddled with stressed blood vessels that burst from the seams. Blood flowed from his eyes like tears as he loosened his grip on the very idea he held onto for so long- never let him in. 

Yet that was exactly what he did and now he would never be the same. 

His mask suddenly shattered as a beam shot out from his mouth. Fragments of the white demon fox mask rained down to the ground like shattered shards of glass. As  they fell to the ground the beam threatened to engulf Halsey it her entirety. While it wasn't anymore advanced than his previous attack, it was larger, much larger and hued with the same darkness as her own attacks. 

Halsey had all the information at her disposal now, she was sure to figure out there was something sealed within Legion and the purity, or absence of, his ki was sure to be the biggest tell of them all. Clawing at his own face he removed the remnants of the mask and tossed it to the side with little remorse. His movements became strange, as if controlled by two people who were struggling for power. 

As his aura continued to climb his hands began to shift into different positions. Fingers found themselves contorting into random shapes that seemed to shackle the near uncontainable aura. His hands began to move faster and faster until finally he had found himself in control once more with only Hades power and none of his mental influence. 

As his fingers continued their dance an orb appeared inches from them. It burned with a darkness that emitted no light, and shadows lurched out from his palms eating away at all the light around them until their movements became masked.  Then he began to tear away at it, like a savage beast forced to starve that had finally gained the chance to eat. Peeling back at his own ki allowed tiny chunks of the gathered energy to rest like chunks of flesh in his palms. Then, like a pitcher posing for the first pitch of a game, he cocked back his arm a threw the first of the orbs forward. 

It was like a shooting star streaking through the sky with incredible speed and suddenly- BOOM! The blast imploded on itself and rapidly expanded until it was a perfect sphere. Hopefully distracted with the display of sudden raw power, he forced his hands gains the burning energy. 

A sizzle broke the silence and his scream quickly followed as he began to force his ki into the gathered orb. Within the depths of the darkness a bead of light could be seen, tiny at first but slowly growing in size. Sweat rolled down his head and steam cascaded from his palms as he retched in pain and bit down on his tongue so tightly that blood began to squeeze itself from the fresh marks. The ki lunged from the bead in random directions and suddenly the technique was ready. An orb so powerful and so corrupted that even it could hardly find a stable position to manifest into. Lifting it over his head he began to huff and puff. 

Then he released it, throwing his entire body in a large arch until the orb found itself flying through the air. His body flipped from the continuous momentum and impacted the ground with a thud so heavy it nearly took the breathe from his lungs. It was like an atomic bomb, although rapidly approaching it seemed to happen in slow motion to his own eyes. The sparkle from the ki and the sporadic arcs of energy that left the center of the shell looked like a glistening star in the bright sky, like a second sun that was off in the distance. Then, it exploded. 

The blinding light came first, as did the heat as the once, in comparison, rather small orb stretched out for nearly eight hundred meters  After the expansion and heat came the wind, knocking the demon to his ass once more as dust flew up from the ground and scattered from the epicenter of the explosion. Finally came the sound, a boom so loud that it broke the sound barrier three times over. Wave after wave he could feel the crack of the sound shaking his heart and causing it to skip a beat. Yet in the wake of the destruction even he couldn't tell what had happened. Had she been hit, did she manage to escape, did he happen to somehow negate his attack? Standing to his feet while using the spear that rested behind him as a crouch he prepared himself for a battle to rage on, there was no way she was going down that easily. 
 

---