Honeymoon In Hell

[Desman Black]

Guns and (con)Troll


“Ash!” Desman heard himself yell as he reached his hand out for her by sheer instinct. He saw her body, bloody, lifeless. His fist soon closed in anger, his heart began beating faster and faster. Dark hurt her, the space marine hurt her, the guards hurt her, the squid-face doctor hurt her, and now the arena has hurt her. Each time, Desman somehow trapped, unable to do a thing to stop it, but not this time! He was free, he had no cage, and the attackers?

They were going to pay the price for it.

The feelings of enraged anger grew as the area surrounding Des grew hotter and hotter until suddenly, the air surrounding Desman shot up in flames. This caused even the sniper to take a step back in surprise, a sense of dread washing across them. As he saw the flames separate to reveal his opponent, unmoved and unflinching, the gunman felt intimidated. Desman couldn't feel the heat of the flames surrounding him, he barely could see them past the red. Whether that was because there was no burning, or he didn’t give enough shits at the moment to care about the pain was a question that could not make it into Desman’s mind at that moment, for at that moment, his mind was only filled with one thought: Revenge.

The human valiantly rushed at the sniper, his new cape made of flaming cotton flapping behind him like he was some anime protagonist. And like an anime protagonist, you knew he was gonna hit hard. He summoned pirate sword was in his hands, it’s black energy blade also alight with ebony flames.

As impressive as this was, the gunman didn’t flinch. He squeezed and held the trigger. Desman dodged to the left at the last minute, the bullet barely grazing his face. His toes tore through the sand just before another bullet struck it. Then with a flourish of acrobatics, he did not remember possessing, the protagonist of this story jumped through the demon’s horns while twirling in the air. His blade cut clean through the barrel of the gun as it was squeezed once more. A small explosion of fire ruptured in the demon’s hand, damaging the appendage beyond use, the blooming flames casting Des’ shadow across the now closed off wall.

Unlike the laws of karma, his anger would not be satisfied with just disarming this fool. When the light at his back faded, the human turned around to slice through his back, only to be met face to face with another gun. Crimson blood oozed onto the ground, the previously used hand turned to a jagged stump, the liquid already turning into a small puddle in the sand. Amber eyes narrowed in on him, he was not afraid.

All at once, the trigger was squeezed and the cutlass moved. The normally docile human flicks his wrists and the flaming energy blade cuts the arm in two. Not before the demon shot the gun, but just as he did so that the arm moved up while his head ducked down. The bullet left a crater in the wall behind him, but the limb fell to the ground with a soft thud, the gun clattering against the stone.

The demon just took a step back, closer towards the center of his soon to be deathbed.

“You think that you can beat me?!” Desman’s voice was rough and coarse as he approached the demon, but clear and loud; Demanding attention. “You think that after all you and this place have done to me, - ...to her? - that I’m going to let you walk out of here in a condition that’s better than the one you put my friend in!?”

Desman’s opponent didn’t say a word but even as he silently backed away from the human, he did not carry a sense of fear. It bothered Des, but not because he was worried. He guessed there had to be something else, it had been too easy. The sniper’s stumps press against his chest, and without making a noise himself his body began to change. There was a snapping noise, something like bones breaking, and a sick noise shell being ripped off soft flesh. Suddenly two limbs unfold from his back, and as they did, two guns aimed straight for the human slave, the mask’s jaw coming unhinged and the skull tilting to leave an unsettling impression on anyone else who was watching. It appeared to be an intimidation tactic or an attempt.

Desman just took a step forward and used a roundhouse kick to disarm the creature that was not afraid of him, but it should've been. Grabbing his opponent and lifting him up with one hand, Desman finished his monologuing. “You see, I don’t do justice. Just not really my thing, see, it’s inconvenient to be the hero all the time, especially with assholes like you making things difficult for me. No, I do something much more satisfying, something with excellent results. I do vengeance; Do you wanna know why?” The human thrust his cutlass into the demon's chest, before bringing the body in close to whisper the last words they would ever hear. “Cause I’m the bad guy.”

The demon didn’t exhibit fear, or remorse. It barely moved as it was pierced and engulfed in licorice colored flames. Where Desman might have wished, or just expected, to hear cries of pain and anguish he would be only slightly disappointed. The shadow demon he pierced made a noise, it was a grunt of pain that echoed out because of the demon’s speech pattern. It sounded more like a growling.

Strangely it sounded as if it wasn’t coming from him at all, but from under the ground. It sounded like gravel scraping along the rock, but deep and earth as well as like pebbles clinking against pebbled. Then he could feel the ground moving under his feet, sand shifting under his soles. A shadow ran across him, something in front of them towered over the two and created a darkening that stretched out to the stone barrier. When he looked up, unamused by any cheap trick he thought the wounded demon was pulling, only to see a mountain rising from behind, his jaw slackened and he was paying very close attention to it now.

Beady glowing eyes looked back at him from the giant figure that now loomed over them both. The human’s eyes glared back before looking him up and down or would have. When Desman looked down at the Troll’s feet, his heart stopped upon seeing the limp body of Ash still rag-dolled there in the sands. Suddenly nothing mattered more to him than getting her out of danger’s way. He lifted his bare foot and pushed the skull-headed demon off his blade, before leaping over the fallen body and trying to make a straight line for his friend.

Before this, however, one of the newly grown arms lunged out and grabbed him by the ankle, making our not-so-much-a hero face plant into the sand, kicking up a small cloud as he does.

They felt the ground tremble as the Troll lifted and dropped his foot into the earth. Panic erupted in Desman’s heart and he threw up his head to check Ash’s body. He missed her by a few feet. But he had no time to calm down, the other demonic hand reached up and clawed at his leg. The human rolled over and with his free foot began curve-stomping his face repeatedly. And kept doing so even as he felt the mask-like face breaking under his barefoot, only until he was let go did he stop and scramble back to his feet.

By then the gigantic creature had loomed a bit closer, shaking the arena with each step. It was like thunder shaking the whole place, sand shifted and fell from the fixtures above. Its body blocked a set of lights, casting a looming shadow over the players.

At this time Desman was on his feet and ready to rescue Ash once more, the Troll was staring him down. He froze, not wanting to really be caught by the giant. To his surprise, the demon from behind him has retrieved one of the still workable guns and began to unload the clips into the creature’s stony hide. As you would imagine, this didn’t end well. The troll passed Desman up to turn to the demon who had not been aware of the additional fighter and stepped closer to threaten it. Meanwhile, Desman slipped past the behemoth and sought the woman who he’d risked his life already several times to help.

Behind him, as he scrambled away from the scene, both enemies were fighting one another. It was unimpressive, a creature that towered over a wounded one was a one-sided fight all day. However, it was enough of a distraction for Desman to ever want. He glanced back just in time to watch the sniper manage some trick with his guns that locked the troll up. Unfortunately, this meant that massive creature was easy to topple over. And it did.

The fight only happened 50 feet away, at most, so when the troll fell due to uneven terrain Desman could already tell there was going to be a big event. Instinct, something he hasn’t had to experience for a time, told him to flee the area. Like when animals knew a storm was about to hit. He doubled his efforts to reach Ash in time, but already cause and reaction was happening. The same as when he feels himself but on a larger scale, sand picked up from the piles and began to ripple through the air. He just reached her side when they were both swallowed up by the storm.


When the dust cleared, Desman was clutching his princess in distress in one arm and was dangling from one section of the continuously wrapping wall that was there to protect those who have come to watch by the other. He made a mental note that not even his master was present in the stands, which was unusual since he was always watching. Or at least claimed to be. Only there was a time and a place, and he had to keep the creature among the sands in sight. Or as close to that as he could.

He heard Ash whimper in her pained state, this created both panic and revenge to cease… At that point, he only cared to know if Ash would pull out of this. “Ash?” His hushed voice caught in his throat.Then he seized the moment and forced himself up and over the edge of the wall. When he landed on his ass, he propped his back against the momentary shield and hugged her with both arms.

Ash groaned as she was crushed against his chest. Though it was hard to understand if it was out of pain or pleasure.

He didn’t know if gratitude was what drove him to do so, or fear. He ran his hands along her back as he squeezed her tighter to him. Finally, all the pent-up emotions burst like a common beaver dam. He broke down in tears and began to sob uncontrollably as he cried, his face against her shoulder.

She groaned, half whining. “Des…” She pushed weakly against his chest. He could have held her if he wanted, but he let her pull away. He stared down at her past blurry vision and reddened eyes. “Why do you cry so much…?” Her question sounded rhetorical, mostly because it was. Except she was generally curious right after asking the question. She frowned and reached up. Her fingers were cold, and dirty, leaving sand colored smudges as she wiped the tears from his cheek.

Fresh tears fell from his eyes, undoing the little work she’d done to clean him up. He grabbed her by the head, ready to kiss her passionately; Until she let out a pained noise and pulled back. He felt something slick on his hand and glanced down to see the smearing of blue across his palm... He was reminded of the blood that he’d seen when she’d been shot, realizing that it hadn’t been just a nightmare...

He reached up to help her stop the bleeding, but she just pushed it back, away from her gently but quickly. He watched sensitivity swirl in her eyes and could sense distrust forming. He had no idea how to react to that look in her eyes but had to help her. “What’s wrong?” He begged…

“My horn..” She whispered as if she was afraid to say it out loud…

He looked up, wondering how sensitive they were that that hurt… Then he saw the damage. There was was a decidedly big chip missing, and a large crack in the side. He imagined it could just be snapped off with enough force at this point. He reached up gently, shushing her when she tried to pull back. “Hold still.” He asked gently, combing his fingers through her hair and pulling it up. Quickly finding where the bullet had ricocheted off the horn and grazed her skull. He immediately understood that if she had not had them curving the way they did, she would have been dead.

He stared, then opened his mouth to say more, only for the angry cry of animalistic frustration to shake the wall that his back was against. They both heard the Troll as it lifted itself up from the ground with sounds of rage. They didn’t see or hear it but guessed the noises they had heard was it grabbing a large boulder from the ground. As it came barreling at the stone seats of the Colosseum. A full section was now a crater, the rock still wedged in its place. He decided that it wasn’t time to worry about her horn.

Ash looked back into his face, making eye contact. He couldn’t see it, he could feel it. “Desman, you gotta fuse with me. It will make this fight easier.” She said, looking pathetic. Either on purpose or by chance.

The human looked back at the humanoid with regret, shaking his head as the monster roared out behind them. “I… I can’t.”

“What do you mean you can’t?” Ash asked in a hushed and desperate tone, even grabbing his shoulder. “Please… Please, Desman.”

The man’s red hair fell in his face as he lowered his head. “I can’t, Ash. I don’t know how. I… I just can’t. It’s not the same as before, where you could just plug into me.” He shook his head, the red curtain in front of his eyes shifting across his closed lids. “I wouldn’t even know how to achieve that in this body.”

Ash stopped, to look him over. She recognized him instantly because she’s seen him before but evidently began to process what he meant finally. He felt her body sink into his arms until finally, even her head laid on his shoulders. He dared not to look up, but she wouldn’t be looking his way anyways. The silence was filled with another boulder being tossed into the stands, apparently on the other side of the arena. The human squeezed her tighter to him protectively. The creature was seeking out its prey, blindly. The Storm Demon let out a heavy breath.

One of the few animes she’d sat down long enough to watch had a fusion mechanic as well. She let out a sarcastic laugh as she reimagined the goofy dance, sure it was merely for comical relief. “We could always dance together…” She said with only a hint of sarcasm. But when she thought about it, sex was like a dance. They even called it ‘the mattress mambo’. Should she suggest they fuck each other, too? He might take it literally.

“Dance? Can you… can you even do it with your injuries?” It was obvious that Des was more concerned about Ash then whether her plan would work or not. It was sort of cute how he was so willing to go along with her, like a lost puppy.

Ash seemed tired and out of it until she scoffed at him very blatantly. “If I can dance on a pole with a headache all night, I think I can deal with this.” She said, making light of her injury. It sure as hell hurt, but only if you touched her horn… Then she raised her head and gave him a confused look. “Why?” Her voice taking on a very different tone. Did he really think that was going to work? She was going to have to do some of that stupid fru-fru ballet, wasn’t she?

“I mean you seemed pretty confident in the idea so…” Desman was always one to be carried away by enthusiasm, whether it was his own or someone else's, and this time seemed to be no exception.

Ash groaned at the realization. “Fine… But I’m not leading.” Said, basically telling him he better know what he was doing. And he should. “And we better hurry before the big guy back there destroys our stage.”

“Oh come on, we both know you can move around angelically on no matter how unstable the surface.” Desman said cockily as she pulled he to her feet, soon pulling her with his arm wrapped around her back as the other held her hand, in truth he was hoping to distract her enough to remember the steps, he hadn’t danced in ages.

Ash knew he was just flattering her, but she couldn't help but enjoy it in the midsts of danger. She allowed him to pull her up, especially since she was a little shaky on her legs. She took his hand and draped her arm over his shoulder, her body reacting like a bad habit. “I was worried about you, not me.” She teased, pulling her hair across her crown before taking the position again. “Ready?” As if she knew he needed a minute.

“Y-Yeah.” Desman gulped as he started moving his feet, around the floor. “One, two, three. One, two, three…” He muttered under his breath as he focused on his feet, anyone could tell he wasn’t very good at this.

Ash let out a soft laugh when she realized what he was doing, which Desman could hear with a strange clarity as another boulder was flung at another part of the audience stands. She took her hand off his shoulder to lift his head up by the chin, which sported a full beard at this point. “Relax.” She addressed gently, then put her body much closer to his if only to keep herself steady on her feet. If they thought about it, that would be for the best. Staying close would ensure the best results to a fusion, logically anyways. “One, two, three…” She said softly, just loud enough for him to hear. “One, two, three.”

The human managed to slowly lift his head up for his eyes to meet up with hers, as they did so, the fears and worries slowly slipped away from Desman, the surroundings almost completely vanishing from his mind and vision. She was in his arms, safe, protected... He would never let her go. Never again.

The only thing that pulled him out of his trance was the light coming out of his chest, and the darkness coming out of hers. “D-does that mean it’s working.” The question was rhetorical of course, there was no way either of them could have the answer. The light and darkness grew larger, eventually pushing into each other as they covered their respective owners, neither of them doing anything to stop it; It felt right, it felt natural.

Desman felt himself being pulled into her, like she was his new center of gravity, eventually becoming indistinguishable from where their bodies met. The merging of their physical bodies was something they’d both experienced before, their only true sign that it was correct - which was a bit of a surprise to both the Morality Mirrored Humanoid and the Once-Before-Robot. An illumination formed between the two, casting light outward that consumed the two until they were just silhouettes. The light became so intense it was like trying to see into the sun, anyone who was watching would have to look away; anyone who was not paying attention was instantly drawn to the source of beaming light.

A rainbow of colors streams out of the center like the rays of the sun, reaching each corner of the Colosseum and banishing any shadow it caressed. When it all faded, or more so the rays receded, orbs of all shades and hues danced around the entire area. Finally, a single figure stood where two once had. He was a tall and handsome figure with a cheeky grin and a surprisingly amount of hair which faded from bright red roots to black tips in an ombre effect. His black horns - one which had a small scuff where Ash’s would have been cracked - held a proud triangular captains’ hat, which he picked up politely as a greeting to his new audience. Apparently Ash’s showmanship and Desman’s hint of cockiness merging for his hello.
The hat appeared more fitting for a female, broad black front with an elaborate skull and crossbones with tribal accents. Fore metal studs on either corner to connect with the next flap, and in the right side a beautiful silk red rose pin pierced the hat and pinned a teal ribbon bow with five folds in total - 3 on one side, 2 on the other - and the last bit of ribbon hanging in a tattered mess down to his shoulder.

Black Ash placed it back on his head, the hair magically floated in mid-air, like a slow moving fire. Heat radiated from his body, but this was more felt than seen. He wore form-fitting cloth that was both dashing and cosmetically new, which covered most of his burnt red skin. It started with a  powder blue silk shirt, pulled open to reveal his flawless chest. Over that, a low cut teal blue vest with gold trim, elastic bands on the inside held it closed and tight against his body. A pristine black and gold admiral’s jacket with a high collar and rope-like accents on the shoulders. This look was completed with skin-tight trousers, knee-high cuff and buckle boots which had a thin steel heels, and several other decorative accessories including dozens of rings, necklaces, and even gold accents to his horns.

Colorless eyes stared back at the troll, eager to get back into the swing of things, and with a snap, his cutlass appeared once more in his right hand. “That’s almost as good as sex.” He said, swishing against the air, but it was pretty clear he was not talking about the sword. Exactly what he was comparing to sex was lost.

It was also interrupted by a very impatient and giant creature screaming something he could not understand his direction and picking up a house-sized boulder.

“Well, that’s not good.” He said, in something that mimicked cocky sarcasm, before also summoning The Red Devil’s Claw, swinging it expertly with his left hand. “Alright big guy, let’s get this party started.” He grinned, and before the chunk of a mountain was thrown, the hook was tossed to wrap around the Troll’s arm.

-

“Well, well, well. If I didn’t see it I wouldn’t believe it.” His shifting eyes turned to one of the people that had witnessed their accomplishment and was still bewildered. The demon had a good head on his shoulders, as he didn’t run off to tell everyone. He would have to be taken care of. Neujmin turned back to his star players. He lit his cigar with a magical flame, puffing at it for a moment before letting the flames go out.

Their master had a large meaty hand, one reaches up and grabs a lock of her ebony hair and pulls it close enough to rub his thumb and index finger together, spreading it and seeing how bad it actually was. He imagined she could summon up a way to fix that. “Well, congratulations you two.” He said, but looked like he was just talking to Ash. Especially being so focused on her as he was. “As agreed upon, you will be rewarded for your success.” He took a drag, all but ignoring Desman at this point.

Ash, however, visibly perked up from her exhausted and wounded state at this news. If she noticed Desman’s confusion she didn’t show it. She took on a pleased look, even her tail coiled in anticipation. It all left a bad taste in Des’ mouth.

“But how about I get you some clean water to wash up first.” He flicked her hair back over her shoulder. “You're filthy.” He growled, and then turned away from them, walking away as he waved. “Take him to his cage, bring her with me.”

Desman’s jaw dropped. When he saw his logic flashing over Ash showing signs of agreeing with him - particularly picking up her hair and sniffing it then looking away because it apparently did smell - jealousy hit him like a bag of bricks. Although it was hard to say he knew he was feeling envious or if it was just a blind rage towards a man who seemed to have her attention. He didn’t even have time to respond before his guard yanked him back towards the dank and moldy basement while Ash looked eager to do whatever they had agreed on.


Ash’s Prize, Desman’s Pride.

If he were a lion, bear, or tiger, he would be prowling his cage. As it were now, he paced. Desman’s mind raced with uncomfortable visions of Ash with Neujmin, bouncing up and down on his lap while her black hair fanned across her back. He seethed, it sickened him to think about Ash with the man that bought them, but the idea of Ash’s naked form turned him on. Imagining her in his lap was a lot easier to do, and more enjoyable - but it fed his troublesome hardon, which was ridiculously uncomfortable, probably due to the fact he spent nearly half a decade without one.

He was so consumed with what could be this reward that Neujmin was talking about that he didn’t notice how much time has passed, and was barely aware that he was not alone. Somewhere among the halls and halls of this place, there were other slaves like himself, but the guard duty barely showed their face in his area. So when he heard the signs of guards, while distracted he was curious.

He watched as Ash was escorted down the hall. He momentarily forgot all his problems, just happy to see her. However, quickly he noticed the bounce in her hair and the shine on her horns. Yet, despite the images, he couldn’t shake of her and that… That demon, he couldn’t help but notice how beautiful she could be.

Ash’s body was swallowed up in a black satin robe that tied tightly around her waist with a red bow. He could just make out red garter straps that held up her nylon stockings, and among the normal metal clanking, there was a tapping of plastic against the floor by her dangerous looking heels. They approached his cage, and she looked away at her old cage as if she was waiting to be let in after a romp with the master - showing off the red satin bow in her curled locks, only for the key to slide into his locked door and twist. He still didn’t quite understand what was going on, even as it creaked open and she was let inside.

He felt insulted she’d be returned to him after her playtime with Neujmin, but damn it was hard to be mad when she hid behind her soft raven-colored hair. She was obviously posing for him, hugging her body in a subtly shy sort of way, until the guards left them alone, only standing far enough away to give them some privacy. The sex demon brushed her hair past her shoulders as she looked up at the taller human, then touching herself through the robe she found the knot at her waist. He watched as she untied it, his face growing hotter by the moment and a confusion and bitterness that slowly faded.

When she was done, she opened the robe wide to reveal her full outfit; A lacey red babydoll nightie with a split down the front center to show off a heart-shaped ruby navel ring, and a low riding red thong that was layered with frilly lace, across it was a fishnet garter belt, red straps reaching down her thighs and holding onto the nylon stockings for dear life. She stood on red and black snakeskin stilettos with impossibly high metal heels. She looked up at him, flashing a small smirk with snake-bitten red painted lips and waited for his reaction while she slid the robe off her naked shoulders. “Well?” She teased, running her hands along his chest as she stepped closer, stopping at his shoulders.

“You look… you look…” Desman was legitimately unsure of what to say to her. She had obviously dressed up for him judging by her question, but the clothes didn’t matter to him all that much. They did manage to distract him from his anger at her though, at least for a little bit.

-

Desman woke up with Ash in his arms, only half aware of how this happened. He remembered being frustrated with her, he remembered being angry for a while before finally just giving in to her encouraging urges. His hand traced her spine lazily while he tried to sort it all out, and he came to the truth of things. She had used him... His blood began to boil again, to the point that he almost had the mind to grab her by the horns - again - and shake her.

His intentions must have been filled with enough of his ill intent that she woke up out of pure instinct. Her tail whipped back to life, her body wound tightly around his and she let out a sultry groan as he felt her naked body move against his. He looked away from her. "What's wrong this time?" She said sleepily, her persona either slipping more or crumbled away entirely for all that mattered to him. Her words burned his ego.

"I can't believe it." He spat his whole body tense. She would notice quickly, but he didn't care to give her the chance. His jaw was tight and tears burned his eyes. "I've been told all my life to be careful who I trust, and I've been taught that lesson several times over, but even so I never thought I would be used by you like this." His tone was that of anger threatening to breach the edge of the glass, his words held the feeling of confrontation and tasted like bitter poison to his tongue. He grew tired of this game, whatever game it was she was playing. He liked to think he knew what rules she was playing at by now but who really knew?

Despite his trembling, he wasn't afraid, not at that moment; not even as she slid from his grip and wore the face of someone else who was about to, or has already snapped. However... Despite her demonic features, there was much human behind those horns and piercings, and he was not aware of the heartbreak he was about to endure.

"Use you?" She tossed back at him, with an even tone, any drowsiness within her has long left her with his accusations.

Accusations that were his right to make, dammit!

He sat up quickly, not willing to fight her physically, but determined to fight her verbally. With dignity of course! His temper held firm though, he was beyond angry at her now. She had used him, and probably not the first time! "Yes!" He raised his voice, enough to alert everyone and everything in the room that they were awake.

He watched as his level of new frustration even shook the unshakable Storm Demon. She was a wall, a stone grey wall that he watched buckle. At first, he was satisfied that he finally got a reaction out of her that wasn't sarcasm or sexual, but then as her face of ice fractured and he saw what looked like honest pain coming through he felt nothing of the sort.

Her breathing intensified like she could break apart entirely at any moment, finally, an action was decided. "Use you how Des? Like a coping mechanism? Like a big fucking anchor?" Each question had a little extra hurt to it, ounces of emotion that weren’t there prior.

She had always seemed honest with him, but never this vulnerable. He looked up to see one of the recognized guards approach the cage and begin to open it, but he couldn't concentrate on anything else but her words and her face... She stared him down, the flames of his newly acquired fire doused by the pureness of her vulnerability.

He realized he'd reacted a bit harshly, a bit hastily... All a bit too late. Her analogy struck him the hardest, especially because it felt like he'd gotten what he wanted from her. This whole time he just wanted to help her deal with what they did to her. He knew she was tough, but he didn't realize how much just being with him must have meant to her until that moment. Distracted, he watched as the guard grabbed her, expecting her to fight like she always did.

To everyone's surprise, she didn't.

She allowed herself to be pulled to her feet so easily that the guard didn't even know how to handle it, pausing to see if it was real. Giving her enough time to stare Desman down. "I'm so fucking sorry." She finally lashed out, but then turned away and half lead the way out herself.

He was left there holding his shattered pride, soaked to the bone with guilt. She didn't even look back.


Completed Deals

Cigar smoke trailed behind the nicely dressed demon that was Neujmin, he wore a wickedly pleased smile that cut his face from ear to ear. The troll he’d pit them against had been a rough plan to kill them off and clean his hands off the two. Never would he imagine the two scratching it, let alone that they would be defeat it. Defeating it was unheard of, for the most part. It required power, a power he did not normally hold onto for very long but clearly he had a pair of trump cards.

And to make matters better? He killed off the only two who could spread the rumors.

Now to reward the fighters. He had let the woman sleep with her mate like she wanted, with instructions for the guards to take her back to her cage across the property when they were done. He’d been waiting for her, ready to deal with a prideful and satisfied woman who has on more than one occasion given him too much lip. (Honestly, the problem with her was that you couldn’t punish her. Or so he strongly believed.) To his surprise, even though she smelt like she’d enjoyed herself, she looked more defeated than she had ever appeared to be in the short time he knew her. It was almost alarming... After all, he was in no mood to let them go now.

With some half-cocked threats and lewd remarks, she’d perked up enough to snap at him and return to her usual uppity self. He left her that morning with a warning to be packed and ready to move in two days. She scoffed back at him and told him to just come and get her. Whatever bothered her wasn’t bad enough to erase her sense of self. She was aware that he could smell blood in the water and chose to pretend she wasn’t injured. He liked that.

Now he leads her towards her new home, a few floors up from the gutters, where the cages looked more like prison cells. Nicely lined up, outer cells having 3 solid walls, inner cells having two. There were hallways and armed guards that walked the same paths each day. One passed them nodding to Neujmin as they did. He slowly nodded and tipped his hat with the cigar holding hand. It wasn’t a big show, but enough to be noticed.

“Demons showing demons respect,” Ash commented coldly, looking away from the hall at the cells she passed. Most of them were empty. “Don’t see that a lot.”

“You aren’t really a demon, from what I’ve been told,” Neujmin said, his voice purring and honestly turning her on a bit.

He threatens to throw her to the sex-hungry wolves, but the worse he’s done is check her body out while she was half - or more - naked. Despite how willing she would be. “I meant in general.”

“Sure you did.” He said, turning to face her. His eyes were hard to see in the shade of his hat, but she held them. “Maybe one day you can get your hands in this business, that is if you can ever pay for your freedom, then we can talk as equals.” He said to her before taking a drag off his cigar and flicking the ashes at a cell. “For now, I hope you enjoy your new living quarters. And if anyone asks about any special treatment, I have faith that you will tell them to properly fuck off.”

It was at this that they rounded a corner and approached a cell that was already wide open and bare of any personality other than the lone human who stood in the middle being un-cuffed by one of the guards his master sent to retrieve him. Neujmin waited for them to leave the cell before waving her in. Ash had no bindings, but she hesitated after locking eyes with Desman. She had to be nodded in before she stepped past the gate and laid her pillow down on the bed that was held off the wall by chains. “I’ll be back after you two have settled in.” He said, then the guards closed the gate, locked it, and they were left alone once more.

Desman seemed to have cleaned up a bit since the last time they saw each other. He wore a spotless white shirt now, new jeans, and red hoodie. Not because he was cold, but because crisp white shirts tended to need something added or else it was a blinding scene.

Ash remained with her back to him, she was not as destroyed by the event from the other night as people might think, but Desman would notice with clear insight that she had been affected. At some point he might notice he has a lot more empathy when he was present around her, his only guess was she had the ability to read people in her reservoir of secrets.

Desman rubbed the back of his neck roughly, wondering what to say if anything.

Desman finally built up enough courage to talk. “L-look Ash, I don’t expect you to forgive me but… I overreacted yesterday and I’m sorry. That’s… that’s all I wanted to say so… I’ll go over there and leave you alone forever now.”

Her eyes roll at him, her body slowly turned. It looks like effort had to be put into this turn, but Ash did it. She grabbed his wrist to stop him, but stubbornly remained silent, confusion crossed the man’s face and mind, but he didn't pull away. He couldn't despite her barely holding on.

He opened his mouth to say something, “A-”

“I did use you, Desman.” She said, striking him with the inability to respond. “But I thought it was what you wanted.” She let his hand slide into her’s, squeezing it gently. “I thought if I gave Neujmin a reason to keep us together…”

“Oh, so that’s why you were so pushy about fusion in that fight with the troll…” Desman used his free hand to rub the back of his head as he tried to figure out the appropriate response. “Just one thing: the part where you were hurt wasn’t part of the plan, was it?”

She finally looked up at his face, but with a look that said she didn't understand. “Oh.” The demoness touched her horn, she could remember the pain… It wasn't something she had enjoyed. “No. That was real. My Entropy magic must have kicked in.”

“Good.” He said, letting a small sigh of relief escape his lips. “Cause then I would’ve slapped you. How is your horn doing anyway?”

Ash would have scoffed at his threats, had she not been involved with her own mind. “It was healed by the time I got to you.” She said honestly, pulling him with her so she could sit on their plank style bed. She hoped it would hold him and her if they wanted to sleep with each other. “It feels like a bad bruise. But in your bone.”

Desman just continued to rub his head as he thought if what to say next. “Well, I wouldn’t know what that feels like, I have no bones.” He let out a small chuckle, it didn't help the mood at all. “...well, at least I didn’t. And the only thing I have bruised is my pride… and my ego… and my self… you know what, that’s not important right now. What is important right now is you.”

The Storm Demon softly smirked at him. She continued as if she hadn't heard him. “That and… He said I could see you again if we won that fight. And I was tired of sleeping alone…” She said softly, gently.

The once-robot just blushed for the first few seconds after being told this, he clearly knew what she was implying. “I must admit, the ground is a whole lot more uncomfortable than I remember it.”

Ash squeezed his hand a bit. “It wasn’t a fancy bed in the penthouse suite… But I enjoyed the company.” She said, giving him one last piece of unhinged honesty. He could ask her anything, and at worse, she’d stretch the truth. However, she was being truthful from her core… If he had any burning questions, now might be the best time to get an answer. While she was in the mood to answer.

Truth was, Desman really didn’t care about most of Ash’s past, she would reveal that as she felt comfortable with it, he had enough turmoil of his own to know not to push people about it, he was far more interested in her present. “There is something that’s been on my mind since… well, y’know.  Where did your name come from?”

Ash didn't really know what to expect from him, she just has decided that telling him what he wanted to know would be the best way to proceed with him. A little honesty, a little guarding of her ‘heart’, and a lot of letting him lead the conversation. But it struck her as odd that he ask her about her name. “I think my mom got it from her side of the family. Same with my sister’s. I always thought they were pretty formal.”

“No, not that one.” Desman responded, realizing he should have been clearer, to begin with. “Your real name, the one you chose.”

Desman would become very aware of the silence that took over momentarily. He could understand by her silence that she wasn't sure how to proceed with this. Then slowly she did.

Stunned by his ‘real name’ remark, she picked up her jaw first. “You mean, Ash? The Storm Demon?” He could hear a hint of surprise but nodded. Ash then adjusted in her seat, rather their bed. All without taking her hand from his. “Well… Do you want the full story, or the TL;DR version?” She asked her tone still low, her words still slow.

“Whichever you're willing to tell me.” Desman responded, his soft smile trying to be a show of comfort. “If it’s long I can even brush or braid your hair,” he added half-jokingly.

Ash was thankful for his offer but not because of his offered service. She flashed him a gentle smile back before letting go of his hand to pat the seat next to her, telling him to sit next to her if he’d like. Implying this might be a long story. He lowered himself into the seat beside him, she took his hand once more.

“I…” She tried to start, a stray thought coming to mind before she starts again. “A long time ago, there was this Pirate named Osa. Osa the Red Devil. His magic came from items more than him, but he did know how to channel and manipulate fire, though never in a big way.”

‘Eventually, he got the idea to make his own magical items. So he made a grappling hook, and dagger. Which later were considered hopelessly lost. Then I found them, or rather they found me.”

She paused to let him think about the weapons she now carried. “After I researched Osa a bit more, I decided a change of name would be appropriate considering I was throwing away my old life. I picked Ash because it sounded cool. ‘Red Devil’s Ashes’? The lingering evidence that something was there before.” She let out a soft chuckle, she didn't care so much if he thought it was cool or not. She did. And she was the only person who mattered to her.

“It fits thematically with my own abilities over electricity. But I wanted my own title like Osa. So I started calling myself Storm Demon.” Ash finished up, looking back at him and shrugging gently at it. Not much more to add.

“Makes sense.” the redhead responded nonchalantly, before adding in his own history with names. “Y’know, when I ran away from home I thought about changing my name too. Cause, now it’s the only thing that keeps me connected to my old life, so I’m sort of glad I didn’t.” The man laid down on the bed, his hands beneath his head as he stared at a nothingness behind the ceiling.

Ash would eventually crawl in beside him, she had climbed on top of him to fit in the bed with him, but she didn't mind at all being so close to his body. She was actively trying not to start anything, but she enjoyed the closeness. “Why are you glad?”

“Because I liked my old life, I miss it, I miss him…”

Ash didn't understand the idea of missing life as it was, probably because she has managed to always keep back against the world. Nothing else generally mattered to her. Yet, as he mentioned his brother - which she assumed who Desman meant by vaguely mentioning as ‘him’ - Ash instantly recalled her own flesh and blood. She laid her head against his chest, his heartbeat gently drumming against her eardrum. For the first time in her life, she said the most sincere apology. “I’m sorry, Des…”

“It’s okay…” The man said softly, putting his arm around her. “I know I need to accept it will never be that way again…”

They had but a moment of silence before they heard the rattling of their cage. Or more accurately the bars of their new cell rattle under the weight of someone large leaning on them. Ash turned over to look back, and sure enough, their master stood there, signature cigar in hand. He blew his smoke towards them before grinning a wide toothy grin. “I see you’ve settled in just fine.” He teased the two. “Enjoy it. You two have earned it.” Neujmin put his weight back on his feet, dragging his arms across the bars. “But be warned, if your performance slacks in any way, I’m taking you away from each other again.”

His threats made Desman squeeze Ash closer, but she knew better. Neujmin was more intelligent than that.

-

Death and Black Ash

Neujmin’s hand slapped the wall as the elevator doors were just starting to close. Inside were his new pride and wealth. The human and the humanoid, Desman and Ash. Individually they were almost worthless, but together they were priceless. It has been weeks since he discovered his gold mind, and since he had to silence those who he believed would give away the secret. He lurked a bit closer, casting his shadow into the elevator while his crimson eyes burned holes into the two.

He had caught them in the beginning embrace of one classical dance or another. He was more than aware of the reason and didn’t bother asking, but he watched as the sheepish male pull the female closer, and of course, the female glared up at him with straight defiance. Good to see she was back to normal.

His shoulders almost took up the entire width of the elevator door as he stared back at them. “Don’t get your panties in a bunch, I have a job to do too, ya know. Just a friendly reminder of our deal. You keep doing good, and I keep you two a thing.” He only felt the need to bring it up because of the opponent the two were facing. Specifically, the guy who’s stolen his gladiators before. Now that his fighter was getting a reputation of the highest kind and they were fighting higher tier fighters, more importantly winning those fights, he guessed this wasn’t just another fight.

Ash rolled her eyes.

She was the one he was worried about the most, she has on more than one occasion proven that she can think outside the box to get what she desires. His problem was that so far his only incentive was keeping her in contact with the male. What she saw in him was beyond Neujimin, but that didn’t really matter. If anyone put the idea in her head that she could have more than he was giving her, he was sure she’d take it.

He glared at her. “Got it?”

“Take the knot out of your panties and either get in here or let us go, we have to win this fight for you. Remember?” Ash dominated the back talk.

They stare each other down for a long dragged out minute before her master slowly slid his hand away from the sensor for the elevator, relenting to her logic. She was too smart for her own good...

Ash could hear him growling in displeasure at her statement, yet it was impossible to argue with her. That was the best part of all this surprised threatening. She grinned smugly before turning back to Desman, letting him relax before starting. “One, two, three…” She started, repeating the numbers as the human took the lead. Neujmin watched until the doors closed around them.

-

Black Ash stood with his hand on his cocked hip and a charismatic grin splitting his red face, it had a sense of smugness to it, but that was a part of his charm. He wore another elaborate outfit, as he tended to for fights which are generally dictated by Ash’s desire to dress up for any occasion that she could. Starting with the stiletto thigh high boots, tan in color which zip up from the back but a red ribbon crisscrossed through hidden loops to appear more complicated than they really were. Dark brown stockings reached up to about an inch from the hem of the body tight one-piece that started from the torso and ended in tight shorts around his thighs. This was barely seen as he wore a gold, brown, and red silk kimono over top of it, the sash around his waist at least 6 inches wide and tied off by a gold string. Around each forearm were cold and brown arm warmers, with red ribbons also elaborately crossing over each other to tie off at the elbows. Long red ends of the ribbons hung from his elbow to his knees. Around his neck was a scarf of red lightweight fabric with a thin gold chain entangled in the folds. This scarf tied off in the back, but seven tails of red hung down so far that it barely missed the floor by a millimeter. Gigantic gold hoops hung from his ears, thin and troublesomely big.

As always, his fiery hair drifted in an invisible wind. The only thing on top of his head today was a gold band, keeping the top half of his hair out of his face, and some gold rings along his horns. Gold and rubies adorned his fingers, multiple rings on each hand.

He stepped out of the elevator and walked towards the arena. On either side of him group of girls formed and several held notebooks against his chest. He knew what they were for, and he happily summoned Red Devil’s Quil with a snap of his finger. With crimson colored ink, Black Ash’s hand-scrawled over the paper elegantly and leaving a large B and A across it. Enjoying the fact that it was obviously the name he's taken up, but also stood for Badass.

He knew his master was waiting and watching, but he couldn’t disappoint his fans. Without fans, Neujmin wouldn’t be getting this big of a crowd. Desman’s desire to be accepted overshadows Ash’s cool composed state, neither was fully aware as they were merged completely now that Desman had a body to bond properly too. So to excuse himself, he shaped his hands into guns and shot a crowd, then one his way out he kissed his fingers and sent it to the last girl with a wink.

Poor thing fainted.

Black Ash slipped through the gates and into the arena. Most people cheered the red devil on while he kissed his hands and then spread them out in a ‘thank you’ motion to his adoring fans. He could hear some people trying to heckle him, but he was fortunate enough to have Ash’s thick skin in these situations. He just blew them kisses and waved in a pageant kind of way.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the arena entered his opponent. A creature of greens and blues, both deep like the forest, and light like the sea. It was both beautiful and horrific; Ghastly but gorgeous. The creature took up a large amount of space and had three grotesquely fused heads that resembled deer skulls with smoky flesh and fur. Bobbles hung from its multitude of antlers via silver and gold chains, and white yarn. Two of the three heads were more fused together than the one on the right.

It approached with the grace of the dead, lumbering in through the gate with slow and stiff movement, towering over Black Ash. Where many have buckled under the pressure of this being, he smirked confidently and chuckled. “Hey, there big guy.” He addressed his opponent with a flirtatious tone and a wink. But the monstrous creature only grumbled in response, unintelligently. “Sure, fight now; talk later. Just feel free to call me~!” Ash shining through a bit but with Desman’s showmanship.

The creature started by trying to crush the fused warrior, slamming a thin club down where they were, but Black Ash was too quick for that. A cloud of sand erupted from the floor, a curtain of sand colored dust billowing out of the surface to properly portray how hard the creature hit. It shook the whole arena and Black Ash was reminded of his debut fight. In a snap of the fingers, he was already climbing the mossy smoke fur of the creature’s back.

Which felt like just as it looked. Black Ash could feel it moving unnaturally under the palm of his hands as the bobbles upon its horns jingle like wind-chimes. Slowly the three skulls look about for its prey, unaware of the demonic man that piggybacked upon it. Black Ash considered the creature being unintelligent and stupid, even undead in how it reacted. Slowly he climbed, careful of whatever was slithering under the veil of fur. When he reached the crook of the two heads which were mostly fused together, he was sure he was going to get away with it.

Only for the green glow of the worse of the six eyes to flare up and the ghostly looking pupil to narrow down on him. There was a moment of charge before a teal colored beam pierces the distance as well as Black Ash’s shoulder, nearly knocking the figure off and arousing the man into a moan before the blade in his hand is slammed into the neck bones.

The Red Devil’s Quill, however, only plinked off its hide the inertia of his stab forcing the blade to not only bounce back but fall from his hand. Black Ash watched as the feather-shaped blade bounced down the back of this creature. Quickly he was forced to follow as the creature shot more eye beams at him. Black Ash tumbled along the spine of the creature before slamming into the ground below, Ash’s inherited weapon inches away from his rib cage.

He took a moment to rethink his strategy while he quickly summoned his other inherited weapon, a grappling hook pixelates onto his right arm, loaded and ready. By this time, however, the creature has turned around slowly in a zombie-like shuffle and as the two face off, Black Ash is quickly taken care of by that same club slamming down against his ribs.

The fused fighter screams out in bliss as his ribs pierce his lungs, hot crimson blood explodes from his mouth and onto the club, his chest, and the sand. And so the countdown began. Before the creature could clumsily defeat him, Black Ash aimed the hook for its shoulder. Moving at top speeds the hook buries itself into whatever flesh this creature had covered its body.

The creature reeled back in pain, which picked Black Ash off the ground far enough for him to swing out of the way. Quickly, hand over hand, the demon figure raced up the chest of the skull-faced creature, grin firmly planted on his face even with the blood in the corner... It got its barring once more, his whole world shaking once it leaned back onto its feet and it almost knocked him off once more. Our hero grips the creature's body under its mossy smoke, holding on successfully, but under his hands and knees, something slithered. Black Ash’s nose wrinkled up in disgust, but he didn’t have time to be picky. The creature may look slow and stupid on the outside, but for a big guy, it was fast.

It reached up for him at first, trying to crush him against its body. Black Ash dodged by swinging off with the braided hair rope of his the Claw. Summoning the energy blade as he did and upon landing, he dug it into the creature’s side. For a moment it split the smokey fur open so that he could see the wiggling flesh underneath a moment before grazing the slithering root looking flesh that caused this creature. He watched the energy blade streak through a portion of it, the black colored blade leaving a thin, fiery-red line about 4 inches deep. But what damage was permanent or not was covered by the smoke once more.

A moment later, before his second attempt to slice through the creature the three-headed demon grabbed the thread that attached its opponent to it and pulled hard enough to free the hook from its chest. Gravity took over from there, forcing Black Ash to swing across its gut once more. True to Ash’s nature he took the opportunity and dug his blade even deeper this time. The black cutlass dug hilt deep this time and sliced a smile’s curve into the belly of the beast.

Immediately the flesh split open, a gap opening up in its lower torso as the roots were cut through. The fur parted with the body and revealed two things. The first noticeable feature was the horrid and overwhelming smell of death and decay that these roots had apparently been suppressing up until now. Secondly was the wet wiggling noises. He was apparently hollow on the inside, other than more of those roots. Neon green fluid began to spill out of the gaping maw in its stomach before the flesh came back to life, and ‘threads shot from one end of the hole before pulling it tightly back into place.

The creature itself through this whole time has dropped the hook out of reaction to the attempt at disembowelment, freeing Black Ash to quickly yank it back and swing it higher onto the creature’s body, aiming for the entanglement among its antlers. The grappling hook successfully trapped itself in the ‘limbs’ but not before sending several of the bobbles lose. What appeared to be mere decorations fell towards the earth. However, when a couple collided with the creature, even the softest bounce, the thin glass shattered and hellish fires erupted across the mossy smoke, engulfing it in flames.

Shadows played across the faces of the crowd as people pulled their faces away and shielded their eyes. The creatures pain echoed through the arena. And a moment later the process repeated as each bobble detonated upon impact. The backward stumbling of the creature pulled Black Ash through the air. The hawt flames made Black Ash nervous despite a deeper knowledge of his weapon currently being protected against this kind of treatment specifically. The shattering of glass made the creature play out a sort of dance towards the edge of the arena before the current wave of attacks were over.

Black Ash’s momentum carried him past the arena and above the spectators. As they gasped in horror and awe, he blew his adoring fan - the skulled demon from the auction - a kiss and a wink. He could almost hear the frustrated fight owner growling and plotting to kill them, but he had to keep focused, especially when he heard the purring of a chainsaw as Neujimin directed a lesser to toss the special weapon to Black Ash. The fuzed fighter grinned happily and released their light blade before catching the more solid melee weapon. He then twisted his body to better direct him back into the fight. Specifically up and around the shoulder so that the new weight dragged him down onto the collarbone.

Feet planted firmly, chainsaw sword raised and revving, Black Ash aimed for the head that seemed separated from the other two.

The rotating teeth of the blade made contact with the skull, the weight of seeming enough to crack the bone ‘mask’ but something had to be done about the possible brain on the inside. It’s hollowed voice echoed out in a gurgle of pain as the blade sank into the soft insides. The neon green slime, apparently its life blood, splattered across it and him. However, he was not foolish enough to stand in place for too long.

After a moment Black Ash pried the blade free of the skull which has gone limp, and from the outside in towards the other heads, he swept the stolen weapon cutting off most of all three by taking a few strides. It got stuck on the final neck, but the first two head tumbled off the three-story sized creature and crashed into the stone benches below, only one or two spectators unfortunate enough to gawk at the marvel of the decapitation instead of getting out of a bad situation. They became a blood smear under the incredible weight of the heads. The destruction of the arena’s audience was not spared, and with Black Ash’s record why would it be?

Two figures stood still as the leftover bobbles detach from the undead creature’s heads, among the explosions the fighter’s master’s stared each other down from a safe distance. Neujmin’s red eyes glowing in the flames while he continued to drag off the cigar in his meaty paws.

Meanwhile, the last head’s eyes rotated quickly to Black Ash who was still partly through its neck, the stench of death assaulting him as the two heads fall off. He ripped the blade away, ready to go the other way and preparing a typical line for the fall, ‘Timber!’ of course. However, before he could achieve this quick victory, the creature’s eyes glowed for a mere second this time before shooting the lasers at him once more. Each one impacted the crimson-colored demon, shooting through him as easily as his blade had been for them.

Shock was not the word that described Black Ash’s silence, his mind was not numb to his surrounding so much as it was distracted by them analyzing what just happened. It had needed a moment to charge those things before, but because it was a different head did that matter? Before the crimson demon could calculate any other possibility, his danger sense flared. A fraction of a moment later he was being clutched tightly by one hand, snatched out of the air.

The hand squeezed and reminded Black Ash of his internal injuries as another mouthful of blood escapes him and covers the top finger of the 30-foot monstrosity that held him. His blank eye, one was closed, looked up at the creature that was now - surprisingly - more animated in its facial features. It grinned at him with dead humor as the eyes roll around its head. It looked like it was laughing at him.

Black Ash just grinned back and revved the chainsaw up once more, cutting through its fingers before he jumped forward to finish it off, the giant digits fall twenty or so feet to the floor, green slime trailing behind each one. Invictus is raised over his head then was brought down towards the still grinning skull. However, mid-air, he was snagged by some other entity, his grip on the weapon is quickly lost and the buzzing blue sword fell along the creature’s side, nicking him on the way down at worse. Ombre hair tumbles into his face as he watches this.

Frustration boiled into his blood, he didn’t even realize at first that he was being lifted even higher than that, just that the fleshy roots the creature was seemingly made up of coiled around him. Black Ash reached into the entanglement trying to kick free, only then did he hear the beating of leather wings and see his rise into the air. Upon looking back for further investigation, his face turned to surprise upon seeing the first head he cut off, specifically the broken skull face smirking wickedly at him while bat wings carried them ever higher. The mouth on the creature opens up, the same neon green looking energy of the laser flashed into existence in the form of a rotating ball.

The same color reflected off his blank eyes as he began to understand what was transpiring. Later, later he could consider the hows and whats of this situation, but now he needed to get out. In his wrist form the same dark cutlas as before, and began to desperately hack away at the bindings that aroused more than just his inner desire for bondage. He could feel the energy ball’s heat radiating against the back of his neck, singeing his hair and making a loud humming noise straight into his ears.


His eyes were set on the area below, where the tower of a figure still stood, gawking up at them in a similar stupid way as he did before. If he could manage to fall towards that thing, the landing would be rough, but he’d survive. At this height, he would die. Not that death meant anything to Ash, but Desman’s sense of survival made him fear the end.

He slashed and hacked as fast and recklessly as a man could while being continuously carried higher and higher. At that some point he yelled, “HOW HIGH DOES THIS FUCKING PLACE GO!?” If it reached anyone’s ears at this point he couldn’t tell, but it was rhetorical. The humming was higher pitched now as it whined to be free, begging that the creature that carried Black Ash let it do the damage before he escaped. With a final stroke of his blade, however, the red demonic male began to plunge towards the gawking creature, wishing he hadn’t let The Red Devil’s Claw get lost on the battlefield. He bit back the regrets though and tucked himself tight to speed up this process.

The thought to summon his cape occurred to him, but it made no sense to do so just for the added visual effect of coming in hot. What he neglected to consider was that thought might have been his instincts telling him to watch out for another trick. As it happened, shortly before he would have connected his readied headbutt, another challenge surfaced. His trajectory was quickly changed by a shadow leaping off the figure’s back, and the second head he’d cut off has transformed into a quadruped figure, its teeth sinking into his body as it also snatched him from the air.

They arched high back into the air before he was released, the four-legged skull demon, an extremely large canine-esk creature turning around in the air to back kick him even higher before following its own descent towards the upper walls in the arena. Black Ash was in pain and now free falling towards the unknown surface, but saw no reasoning behind this blind attack. Until - that is - he looked up and saw the energy ball from before that now took up most of the creature’s mouth at this point. It clicked suddenly that these three weren’t some stupid zombie-like creature he could just push around...

<Continue, We think we hit the character limit.>