Flames of the Righteous The Reburn - Zachariah

[heavensmostwanted]

Who: Naoki Kashima; open
Where: Everglade
When: Backdated the day after Naoki's fight with Levi
What: To take his mind off things, Naoki has decided to hunt down a guy burning the rich people in the Everglade.
Warnings: Naoki may find it hard to talk. Some fighting and a tad bit of blood.

Truthfully, Naoki wanted one of the other targets over this one. Saving some fellow monsters seemed more interesting, and he doubted the rich would be too thankful. But fact remained people were dying. Still had to do something about that. Turning a corner near an alleyway, he saw some flames being shot at what he assumed was one of the noble people; least the victim was dodging them effectively, if a bit pathetically. Zachariah seemed to be playing with him. The flames matched the description alright. If fire was this guy's only weapon, this would be an easy mission. But if he could somehow bypass the barrier...maybe this could work as training. He needed to understand just what made him snap and nearly kill Levi.

Just as Zachairah cornered the rich man, spouting off a speech Naoki really did not pay attention to, Naoki tapped the man's shoulder. "Excuse me, sir."

The bounty whipped his head around, growling. "Who dares interrupt my pur--"

He didn't finish that sentence. Not when a fist suddenly crashed into his face. Naoki made sure this one was low power. If the face couldn't be recognized, he doubted the bounty could be claimed. His body soared into the wall, right next to the rich man. The near victim looked back and forth between the two before running off in a huge panic.

Naoki sighed. Yeah, no thanks whatsoever. "Anyway, you're under arrest, blah blah blah, just stand down and let me collect the bounty."

Zachariah slowly stood back up, clutching his face. Aside from a bit of a broken nose, he was fine. Just very, VERY angry. "You shouldn't underestimate my flames. Besides..." He raises his hand, smirking. "You activated my trap card."

"Wha--"

Before Naoki could finish, a column of fire erupted around him. Zachariah laughed madly, summoning more fire around the Demi-Fiend. Even lances made of fire appeared above the mage, and he cast them into the pillar as well.

"Do you think I was weak because I targeted the wealthy? Fool! Of my brothers, my flame burns brighter than all! But you were too stupid to--"

The flames dispersed quite quickly, Naoki smacking his hand and revealing no damage, not even soot from the fire. The mage stepped back, horrified at how his magic had no effect. Naoki only stared at him, unimpressed.

"I was hoping for something interesting, but you can't even graze this barrier. Even an Agidyne feels hotter than this." He sighed. "So much for training. Pixie!" In one bolt of black lightning later, his small demon appeared, smiling at him. "Your turn. Just don't kill him. We need the money after all."

Zachariah's fear soon turned to snarling at Naoki, pointing at him aggressively. "You mock me!? ME!? I will not fall to some weak devil like this!"

Pixie laughed. "Oh that's cute. You think you have a choice."

Before Zachariah could raise his hand again, his eyes suddenly widened, immense pain brought onto him on his stomach. Slowly looking down, he found the Pixie there, having delivered an intensely hard punch to his gut. He coughed up a bit of blood, only for the next second to have his jaw struck, his body briefly sent airborne before smacking the ground, hard. Pixie only stood there, crossing her arms.

"Wow. Even I am disappointed." She looks back at Naoki. "So...are you doing okay?"

Naoki turned his head, clearly uncomfortable. Even his eyes shifted downward, still bothered by what he did. "I don't want to talk about it."

Pixie looked worried, frowning. "Naoki...Fine, I get it when you need some space." And with that, she vanished in another bolt of black lightning, leaving Naoki alone and for him to pick up the body of his bounty. Now he just had to get back and report this, and hopefully get paid.

Comments

[heavensmostwanted]

"Really?"

Naoki saw the guns. If there was one thing none of his current barriers could do, it was deflect any kind of bullet. It's why Dante was such a huge pain in the ass. Fortunately, he was much faster than he was back then. He started to move, planning to run along the wall even to escape the gunfire and shift his focus, hopefully.

"Coulda fooled me. What happened to that bravado a minute ago?"

While Metatron had been still, the aura growing as it charged an attack, Pixie had hovered above Augustine, and launching a spell to him below.

"Ziodyne!"

While normal Pixies were seen as the weakest of the weak, a step above slimes at best, she was far different. Her powers had been augmented to nearly surpass even some of the Fiends.

In short: Augustine was not dealing with the average Fairy clan demon.

[immortalrose]

Augustine keeps firing even once the summoner takes to the wall. The hunter continues firing for a moment before attempt to pursue. A sickeningly bright magenta beacon of light flows past Augustine as he shifts his center of gravity so he could walk upon the wall with ease. "Oh, don't fret, little demon! I still have enough moxy left." He taunts with a playful chuckle. This is probably the most thrilling battle he had since arriving here. Most people in this realm or either too mundane to be deemed worthy or just too weak. This boy here is neither of those things and it's refreshing.

"Meet your end, child---?!" Augustine is quickly cut off when Pixie's spell comes crashing down upon him. Astaroth senses this and the shadows quickly converge upon Augustine like a mock cloak. The electrical spell seems to bounce over this shadowy cloak like water but Astaroth's strained growls deem otherwise. Augustine leaps off the side of the wall and darkness that converged upon him shifts quickly.

Startling white angelic wings form upon Augustine's back as he takes aim at Pixie for her assault. While his main focus is capturing the summoner, he'll gladly blast that accursed fairy out from the air. "Didn't I tell you before!" He fires several shoots at Pixie and takes to the sky. No one would suspect one of the highest ranking demons to possess such beautiful wings but they're indeed Astaroth's wings.

[heavensmostwanted]

Thanks to her side and speed, Pixie dodges on between the shots, smiling all the way. Ah the benefits of being a hard target to hit.

"Missed me missed me, now you gotta kiss him!"

Him? She of course referred to Metatron, and he was done charging. He made good on his threat to both monsters. "Fire of Sinai!"

A beam of red energy suddenly shot right at Augustine. It contained fire, yet at the same time these were not the same flames Cerberus used before. If anything, the property and power far surpassed anything the demon dog could muster, and would unleash a torrent of fire all around Augustine if he was struck.

Leaping off the wall thanks to Pixie's distraction, Naoki aimed at the vampire, his body shining brightly again. From his tattoos, bursts of ki shot forth like a volley, intending on keeping him pinned while Metatron delivered the hopeful final blow.

[immortalrose]

Augustine was about to tap into his magic next until that accursed angel finally struck. In his attempt to dodge the incoming blast, Augustine gets hit upon his left side by that barrage of ki from the summoner. It works out too perfectly for the summoner and his annoying pets. The Fires of Sinai rips through the vampire's defenses quickly and within moments his entire body is engulfed in flames. It takes whatever spells the vampire knows to keep himself from being rendered to cinders here and there. Craftily weaving an thin shield of ice around himself to smolder the flames, Augustine soon loses strength and falls.

Astaroth let's out a vicious roar as it emerges from the shadows once more. The enormous beast crudely claws its way upside the adjacent building all the way towards the rooftop. Of its own volition, it catches Augustine within its monstrous arms and shields him from view. That last attack really did hurt quite a bit but the two seem very much still alive. The demon's soulless gaze ignites with pure loathing as it glares at the summoner and his minions. Augustine on the other hand is barely even conscious at this point, his flesh somewhat charred along with his clothing and hair. Astaroth holds onto him possessively but careful not to harm the injured vampire.

"Dammit." Augustine gasps in between coughs.

[heavensmostwanted]

Metatron is about to pursue, ready to fly before Naoki holds out his hand, shaking his head.

"We're done here. From what I gather, even if we finish him, he'll just come right back. Better he lick his wounds and take this lesson."

Metatron is hesitant but does nod. Pixie even shouts up to the monstrous duo.

"Be grateful our master spared you two. Get in our way again like that, I'll blow you away with my real magic!"

"Let's not give away more tricks." Naoki sighed, rubbing his temples and now walking away. Soon Kurama shows up at last, with Naoki grabbing the cash and his device back. He gives one more glance at the vampire and his demon, glaring.

"Take this fight as a warning. Or I will make you wish you died next time."

And he meant it. He walked away with his demons following him, just in case something happened again.

[immortalrose]

Astaroth snarls loudly enough to wake the entire neighborhood but no one would dare wander outside now after all this. Nevertheless, the fiend doesn't attempt to strike when the summoner turns to go. Instead, it lingers upon the edge of the roof as Augustine coughs quietly.

"Definitely bit off more than I could chew." He mutters to himself. "That summoner is a bit too powerful." Which is honestly a tad surprising.

"I envy him."