Bound by Blood

Marx sat at the rooftop, a few buildings away from the Eclipse Gate, simply staring at it. Demons came marching through, with the occasional dragon, and even human soldiers came through, fighting for the people of the present. It was amusing. He knew very well the forces of the past and future were too much for this city to handle. The army wasn't strong enough, they would always be outnumbered. There was nothing they could do, and yet they fought. Again, and again, and again.

The sheer scope of it would make the bravest men give up. But these people kept fighting. It could take him back, to a time when he could be that naive...that stupid...

"Idiots." He muttered under his breath, having recently spoken to an old friend. It was a nice experience. Albeit irritating after finding out the intentions his good friends have now. "You don't understand...the only one who can possibly hope to kill Azazel is...".

"Marx!" A voice caught the jester's attention. He turned his head around, seeing the one and only, his son, Amon, or Archard as he was named at birth, standing behind him. Amon stood, gasping for air, with bruises and scratches on his body, but nothing that would need his worry. Still lacking his shirt too. Marx stared into his son's eyes, and he saw it clearly. Seething anger and hatred, so potent and so real. His eyes, slit like a beast's, stared at him. Amon very much had the intent to kill Marx.

"Boy. Good to have you." Marx stood up, staring at his son, glee in his voice. Marx dusted off his shirt, arranging his jacket neatly "What brings you here?".

"Haaah...haaah..." Amon took a moment to catch his breath. It was clear he exhausted himself not long ago. But from what? "I...came here to kill you...Today...I will kill you!" Amon's arm instantly became coated in hardened Black Blood, imiating the arms of a demon "Marx!".

"Is that so...?" Marx smiled widely underneath his mask, absolutely delighted "Then come at me, boy!" He shouted, granting full permission for Amon to come at him at full strength, to kill him.

A Scorpion's Shadow
"Dammit!" Amon held Kiva close to him, making sure not to drop her, while Hemera held tightly with her arms around his neck, as he did his best to avid any scuffle with the demons, or god forbid, the dragons. The last thing he wants is to fight with such an unfair handicap.

"Do you know where you're going?" Hemera calmly asked Amon, even though he was running like hell.

"Of course I do!" Amon quickly replied, teleporting on top of a rooftop, looking into the distance, and teleporting back down to the streets, continuing his run. "It's up ahead!".

"Let's hope we actually get there...".

"We will! Don't be so negative!" Amon berated Hemera.

"I'm being realistic." Hemera replied in a stoic manner.

"...You're being nega-...".

"DIE!" A roar echoed, causing Amon to halt, as Arma bursted through the wall next to him, his spear pushing Geten against the ground, grinding him into the nearby building "Die, die, die! You so-called "hero"! You wanna save people, then try and kill me first! Hahaha!...Ha?" Arma turned his head, facing Amon and the girls, his grin widening ever so devilishly "Aaaah, finally! New, weaker prey!".

"Halt!" Geten leaped at Arma, kicked the demon's shoulder, forcing him on his knee "Not while I'm alive!".

"Shut up!" A blade potruded from Arma's shoulder, striking Geten dead in his stomach, sending him flying. His armour protected him from getting his guts skewered, instead causing the impact to send him flying upwards "Haaah...so annoying! Annoying! Annoying!" Arma's eyes dilated from sheer anger, cracks appearing on his face "Haaaah...You!" Arma pointed his spear at Amon "You'll be a good punching bag to relieve myself!".

"...No." Amon uttered, teleporting behind Arma, fleeing the scene "I can't afford fighting some fucked up designed reject of a demon!".

"Hi." Arma said, appearing right next to Amon without a hitch. Amon, Kiva and Hemera turned their sights to the tall demon, and before either could have a proper response, his arm thrusted forth, striking them, sending Amon and the girls flying into a building. "Hahahaha! Punching bags are fun!" Arma leaped towards the building, but was struck by Geten who came back down, landing a kick firmly into his face.

"I'm still here, you know!" Geten shouted, his kick sending Arma crashing into the ground.

"Gaaaah...!!!" Arma shouted in sheer rage, several blades potruding from his back, as Geten landed a fair distance infront of him "Why...why won't you die already?! You're the first human who has taken this long to kill...why...?! Why why why why why WHYYYY?!!!".

"...Because...!" Geten struck a pose, his right fist striking his chest, in the middle, pointing at Arma with his left arm "I am a superhero! And it is my job to protect those who are unrightfully wronged!".

"...Ha." Arma tilted his head, moving his neck with such force that he cracked his neck "You piss me off.".

At the moment Arma's arm extended towards him, Amon erected a shield of Black Blood in an attempt to block. Sadly it didn't harden on time and Arma broke through it, still hitting him. He quickly got up, looking around to see Hemera lying on the ground, coughing "Hemera!" Amon quickly leaned towards her, grabbing her arms, to which she yelled out in pain, causing him to let go in response "Oh no...no no no no...".

"I'm...fine...!" Hemera said, clearly in pain, as she tried forcing herself up, managing to sit up "Kiva...Kiva is...urgh...!".

"Ah...Kiva!" Amon quickly looked around, finding Kiva lying unconscious "Oh god...Kiva!" Amon teleported towards her. She was a farther distance away than Hemera. He couldn't keep a good grip on her when he was hit. He gently lifted her head, carrying her up in his arms "Kiva...?".

"She's alive." Lucadra said, appearing infront of Amon "I can tell. Her heart is beating." Lucadra motioned her hand, as blood sipping from Kiva's forehead went back inside her head, the injury instantly closing "I closed every wound, put every lost blood in, clean, with no risk of an infection. She'll live.".

"Lucadra...thank you..." Amon briefly choked up, being relieved Kiva was alive.

"Hahaha!!!" Arma's mad laughter spread througout the city, as more blades potruded from his body, extending and piercing the ground "Hahaha...I will...destroy everything! If you won't die from this, then I give up. Show me, hero, what you're really capable of!".

"...!" Geten felt the rising power coming from Arma. His attention turned to the building, where Amon was sent into "Damn!" Geten bent his knees, leaping upwards into the building "Is everyone alright?!".

"Huh?" Amon turned, seeing Geten "What's happe-...?".

"You can teleport, right?!" Geten shouted at Amon, clearly in a hurry "Get out of here, this next attack is going to be too much!".

"What?!".

"DO IT!" Geten yelled at Amon, who quickly teleported towards Hemera, placing his hand on her.

"Who are you?" Amon asked Geten.

"Not the time! GO!" Geten said, and Amon did as he said, teleporting as far away from the area as he could, as Geten jumped back down to face Arma, striking his fist into his open palm, gathering magic power around his arm "I'm stopping you here, Arma!".

"Haaah...what is your name...? I think I missed it." Arma calmly asked Geten, his aura growing more malefic, tearing the ground around him, as the blades growing from his body became more menacing and demonic.

"...Geten.".

"Geten...haha...Today is your funeral!!!" In one stroke, Arma unleashed his power all at once, a storm of blades following. Demonic blades, no hilt or guard, just blades, shooting in every imagineable angle. Blades struck through buildings, like hot knife through butter, flying up into the sky, as high as possible, some even striking into dragons, bouncing off or stabbing into them, and beginning to fall back down, in a rain of blades.

Geten stood his ground, each blade striking harder and harder, each one pushing him more and more, yet he stood his ground. His armour was strong enough to bounce off his armour. He gathered every ounce of his magic power onto all ten fingers, and he did as fast as he could for a simple reason; his time was running out, his armour's time limit that is.

"What's the matter, hero?! Can't handle this storm of blades?! Is it too much?!" Arma cackled madly, beginning to walk towards Geten, extending his arms forth, shooting massive amounts of blades at him "Hahaha...Is it finally happening? Are you breaking? Did your heroic will finally snap?!".

"Maouken..." Geten muttered, when Arma drew closer to him "Toi!" Geten dashed towards Arma, his armour beginning to dissipate, forcing himself through the onslaught of blades.

"Die, die, DIE!" Arma shouted, using more and more blades, practically sending a complete stream of blades. Geten was no longer visible under the massacre of blades storming at him "Hahahaha! I win, her-...!".

"RO!" Geten emerged from the storm of blades, his hands cupped next to his waist, lunging his arms forth, his hands open into a claw-like motion, aiming for Arma's stomach. A shockwave shot first, causing Arma to cough blood from his mouth, soon followed by the magic power bursting into an explosion, covering a wide radius, with both Geten and Arma caught in it. The red explosion's crimson light emitted with great radiance, seen by the majority, even those in the evacuation zone.

Amon noticed the explosion, deducing it was more than likely Geten. He breathed out, turning back to Kiva and Hemera "What hurts?" Amon asked Hemera, who lied against the wall.

"My arm...and chest...breathing hurts and...I don't...think I can stand..." Hemera replied, blood leaking down her chin from her mouth "My arm...ribs and leg...are most likely broken...".

"...Shit...!" Amon gritted his teeth, sitting down, with his back against the wall "I'm sorry...".

"It's not your fault...You weren't strong enough, sensei..." Hemera said to Amon, reassuring him.

"...That's a problem...You could've died just now, and...!".

"What was that power?" Hemera cut off Amon, asking him.

"...What?".

"A black shield...appeared for a milisecond...what was that power? I haven't seen it before...".

"Ah...I...".

"Is someone there?" A voice called out, as a man wearing a black suit, with red hair and holding a katana, entered the building Amon and the girls hid in.

"Who are you?!" Amon quickly stood up to face Gazelle, weary of him.

"Calm down, I'm here to help." Gazelle replied "I came to scout the area...and you're the only survivors I found.".

"...Wait, you know where the evacuation zone is?!".

"Yes, I do. Would you like an esco-...?".

"Take the girls!" Amon told Gazelle.

"Wha-...?".

"They're hurt, go take them to a doctor or something, please!" Amon begged Gazelle, desperation clear in his voice.

"...What about you?".

"I...have buisness.".

"I can't just let you go, sir." Gazelle said, halting Amon in his steps "I'm afraid, I'll have to take all three of you ba-...".

"Did you find any kids? A group, with a woman with blue hair and a huge rack?".

"I...What? I mean...yes, I have but...".

"Good." Amon said, placing his hand on Gazelle's shoulder "They're my students, and their friends. Take them back." Amon said, teleporting away.

"Wha-...?! He vanished?!" Gazelle said, looking around, finding no trace of him, but noticing the two injured girls "...What hurts?".

"Arm. Boobs. Leg. Carry her gently though." Hemera said, gesturing to the unconscious Kiva "She's in worse condition...".

"...Alright." Gazelle said "What the hell is that bastard thinking...? What's left to do he-...?" It suddenly struck Gazelle "Don't tell me...".

The Monster
The two fists collided, Marx's gloved hand, with Amon's blood-coated fist, the impact being a draw. Both men stood their ground, trying to push the other's fist away. "Still weak." Marx calmly stated, immediately kicking Amon in the stomach, extending it upright, lifting Amon above his feed, denting his stomach and causing him to cough blood onto his mask "Have you not tried?!" Marx lowered his foot, quickly leaping upward next to Amon, kicking him in the side, sending him flying into a nearby building, landing down on his feet "Ah...over alr-...?" Marx was cut short by Amon's hand grabbing him from behind, bashing his head into the rooftop floor, the force of the impact shattering the roof, causing the two to fall into the lower floors.

"Teleportation, ya dumb fuck!" Amon exclaimed, as Marx quickly turned around as the two were falling, grabbing Amon's arm and pulling him towards him, preparing to punch Amon in the stomach. Amon used the momentum to his advantage, land a punch onto Marx first, sending him crashing through several of the building stories, landing on the fifth floor, quickly getting up, looking up, expecting to see Amon landing down.

"Heh." Marx quickly turned around, performing an upward kick, using his Wind Magic to gather up wind, firing a slicing wind kick at Amon, who quickly ducked, barely dodging Marx's attack "You're too predictable." Marx said, as the razor wind cut through the building's wall, and continued forth, cutting the building next door diagonally in half, causing the upper portion of the building to slide down, falling and shattering on the earth.

"Careful, that wind will cut you! I don't even know if you're Black Blood will keep you safe!" Gram warned Amon, who gritted his teeth in response, as darkness gathered on both his arms, quickly lunging both arms forth, as two arms of darkness extended towards Marx.

However, Marx quickly lunged forth, nearing Amon in only a split second, his arm already in position to strike Amon's jaw from underneath. At that moment, a stream of darkness bursted from Amon's body, pushing Marx's away, cancelling his attack "I don't have as many openings as I did before!" Amon exlcaimed, closing his fist, signalling the darkness assaulting Marx to begin crushing him, and it did. The pressure of the darkness tightened, beginning to crush his body.

"Haha...!" Marx chuckled as the darkness cornered him "Well done." A beam of pure magic power shot forth from the darkness and towards Amon, who quickly teleported out of the way, cancelling his darkness and freeing Marx "But not good enough, boy!" Marx exclaimed, taking off his gloves from both his hands "40%." Marx lunged towards Amon at blinding speed, preparing a punch, and in response, so did Amon.

The two punched each other in the face, the force of their punch being devastating, the shockwave causing them both to be pushed back, however, they quickly regained their balance, lunging at each other again, their fist colliding once more, a shockwave breaking the floor beneath them, causing them to fall to the floor beneath. Amon extended an arm of darkness at Marx, grabbing Marx and throwing him down at the ground, the impact breaking through the floor, going further down.

"Hahahaha!" Marx chuckled, holding onto his hat in absolute joy "That's my boy!" Marx exclaimed in what looked like genuine happiness, laughing madly as he fell down.

"I'm not your boy!" Amon shouted in response, teleporting infront of Marx, punching him directly in the face with as much strength as he could, sending the jester plummeting down further, eventually reaching the bottom floor, the impact sending a shockwave that broke the windows and dented the ground. Marx lied there, in a crater in the middle of the bottom floor's room.

"Ah, this is a feeling I haven't had in a while." Marx wiped blood off his mask. Not Amon's this time, but his own, dripping from his eyeholes and mouth "Pride in someone else." He quickly stood up, as Amon had already teleported to the bottom floor, shooting a a stream of shadows and darkness at Marx "That's getting stale..." Marx said, extending his arm forth, firing a beam of magic power, colliding with the darkness, piercing through it, and heading towards Amon.

Amon teleported behind Marx, ready to strike him behind the head. However, Marx ducked, kicking his leg back, striking Amon in the stomach, causing him to lag for a bit, as he lunged at him "50%." He muttered, and began unleashing a savage barrage of fists at Amon, striking him repeatedly on his body. The overwhelming force of Marx's attack on Amon's body gave Amon no time to teleport or focus, especially when getting hit on the head "Haha!" With one final punch across the face, Amon was sent flying outside the building, rolling about before standing back up, wounded and bleeding.

Marx put his hands in his pockets, walking towards Amon "Well, well, well." Marx exited the building, standing before Amon "You got strong. I'll admit. But...it's not good enough to kill me." Marx said, raising his hand up, closing his hand into a fist, as the building behind him imploded, the wind pressure surrounding it crushing it, causing it to collapse "After all...how can you beat me when I control something as precious as...air?".

"...? Urgh...!" Amon suddenly collapsed on his knees, feeling the oxygen vanishing quickly, and without a warning either "Gah...!" Amon closed his mouth, trying to keep in some air before it all vanishes.

"Hahaha!" Marx laughed "With one simple gesture, I win! You can't beat me, boy. It was a nice try, but!".

A tower of darkness extended from Amon's body, as it began taking a humanoid form. Arms of darkness, with shadowy fingers, a head, similar to a reptile. The arms landed on the ground, mimicking Amon's movement "Mmm...!!!" Amon raised his arms up, and the shadow followed, the behemoth's arms rising up, and when Amon struck the ground with both his arms, so did the shadow, the impact creating a large shockwave and cloud of smoke to gather.

"Haaah...!" The oxygen returned, and Amon breathed in and out, his shadow vanishing "Haaah...haaah...".

"You're getting reckless. Your magic power isn't something you can just waste up willy nilly!" Gram berated Amon "You haven't mastered this magic well enough yet...don't get careless.".

"Haaah...I know...but..." Amon stood up, as the smoke cleared, catching his breath. And the first thing he saw, was Marx's hat, floating down, and landing infront of his feet "...Huh?".

"BOYSAYSWHAT?!" Marx suddenly shouted, punching Amon square in the face, sending him flying back, before Amon quickly regained his footing.

"What?!".

"Exactly!" Marx extended his arms to the side "And now! Finale clap!" As Marx moved his arms, his hand about to meet, a "wall" of wind was being pushed by him. Large amounts of wind gathered, as if the very air was being grabbed, and once Marx's hands met, in a clap, a large gust of wind erupted, a large shockwave following suit. It was as if the air was being pressurized, and immediately released, resulting in a shockwave that tore the area asunder.

With that simple gesture, a shockwave tore a crater in the ground, sent Amon flying, and all infront of Marx, who wasn't even harmed. "Haha...70%. Too much, I gue-...Oh?".

Marx noticed Amon still standing, his arms infront of his body, as if he tried to block the shockwave. His arms blade heavily, and so did his legs, his pants somewhat torn from the shockwave "Haaah...haaah...Urgh...!".

"Don't move. I'm closing your wounds as best I can, but with your current magic power, I can't do much more." Lucadra said to Amon, closing any open wound on his body as fast as she could so he could continue fighting.

"Boy...hahaha...Give up already." Marx said to the wounded Amon "You can't beat your old man. I'm simply too powerful for you." Marx walked forth, grabbing his hand, and putting it back on his head "That wasn't even full strength, and look at you. You put up a good fight, but...it's o-...".

"Shut u-...Urgh...! Shut up!" Amon cut off Marx, panting while still in pain "You...I'm not done until I kill you. Do you hear me? I'm killing you, here and now! I'm not letting you escape again!".

"Kill your own father? How cr-...".

"You are not my fucking father!" Amon shouted, silencing Marx "You...are not worth being called a parent! You...are not...a father! You are not my father!" Marx stood silent, listening to Amon's shouting "You can keep living in that fantasy world, where I reply to your calls, but I am not your son! You are not my father! You are one of the people who have made my life hell! And for what?! Some killing machine?! Well congrats! You made your fucking killer! Your machine! Because I'm not stopping until I'm sure you're all dead in the ground! Do you hear me, Marx?! You and I are not father and son! We are enemies!".

Silence creeped the area, not a sound was heard...it was too quiet.

"Hahaha..." Marx pointed up, much to Amon's confusion "Sure we are." Amon looked up, seeing a large screen broadcasting the entire thing to the whole city, even those in the evacuation zone bore witness to this, and heard everything Amon said.

"...No..." Amon's eyes widened in shock and horror, and before he could say anything, he coughed uncontrollably, vomitting blood, as Marx had struck him in the stomach while he was too busy being horrified.

"I can beat you in anything. Physical or mental." Marx said, putting his hand on Amon's shoulder, digging his fist deeper into Amon's stomach, and sending him flying into a building "Boy! Archard! I have WON!".