Chapter 63

Kaizen

We got out the car; the air was so dry here.

The desert poured all the rain from the sky that it could, and warmish water went to my ankles, yet the temperature didn't change. It wasn't natural, nor cooling in any way, nor did it evaporate from the intense heat. I bet I could fry an egg on the car.

"The mortals are evacuated right?" Asked Herculian.

"Some are stubborn, but those who stay know the risk." Said Rodrick. "I sense him over there." He pointed.

"I scent him. The only benefit to the hot air, is that he sticks out." I said with a growl, taking off my shirt. I put my clothes in the car, but the weird thing about it was that my clothes should be soaked I could only guess his Contradiction powers prevented the rain from nourishing the land, or doing what water is Supposed to do

Something like that would be useful against a water creature like Leviathan. I wonder how many he'd killed in this short time. I could sense him stronger than the last time I encountered him.

"My fire probably won't burn him, and the light won't blind or cleanse him..or magic might do the opposite." I said looking in the distance.

He could fly without wings. Mocking gravity. I bet that really put the god's panties in a twist.

I shifted and bounded in the air. I made the clouds rumble thunder with my speed and red lightning.

"That wasn't the plan!" Yelled Herculian, crouching, and glowing before he shot past me as pure light.

He knew I couldn't respond in a way he could understand right now, but I made contact with Contradiction in the sky. My teeth ripped off his cloak, and he grinned, brandishing a sword in each hand, except a torch in his top right.

"You think your fangs will be enough." He chuckled. "Let's test them against my borrowed weapons hmm?"

[They'll have to be.] I snarled and his eyes lit up. He'd never been trained in wolf speech, yet he spoke it.

[Oh this will be Delightful.] he smiled wide, laughing as if he were insane. Contradiction's blade dance was hard to dodge, but my horns couldn't be cut by the blades, Rodrick stood on the ground, having his bow drawn, but unable to fire

Diana had a similar problem, since she can cast Absolution Magic, unobtainable to any but a Champion but she'd kill us since we were so close. Rodrick made a barrier with light as well, but it was clear that he and Diana were more supportive than fighters at the moment...

She'd shoot me or her boyfriend if she used her magic, even her magic darts. She told me a bit about her abilities in the car, that if she needs too, she can die as an offering to change reality around her with magic but it was Dangerous. And 100% fatal to those around her.

"Holy Smite!" yelled Hurculian. He became dressed in a white and gold toga, with a sword and shield so large, no mortal could ever dream of holding it.

Contradiction blocked him with three arms, and I had to teleport, preventing his torch swing with my horns before he could slam it down on him.

Herculian zipped in straight lines as pure light, before ending up behind him, and with my horn on his torch, I became his focus.

"That's all you got!" He grinned.

"You only know but a fraction of my power dog!" Herculian bashed his shield at him, causing him to plummet about 50 feet down, but not anywhere close to the ground.

He blocked Herculian's enormous double-edged sword and comically large white shield with two hands, while I had the torch, and he caught an arrow from Rodrick with the fourth. He'd tossed the blade in the air, and caught it in about 3 seconds, but if either of us moved, his hands would be free.

"HA! Arrows do not pierce me human!" He said throwing the arrow back with deadly precision, and it got Rodrick in the left shoulder in those 3 seconds..

I turned to teleport, but I had to double back for Herculian. If Rodrick died, he's the Champion of the Sun Herculian can come back too, but unlike the rest of us, he could get his soul sucked. Damn it.

"I'll heal you." Offered Diana, glowing green as the Champion of Lia.

He grunted, but I couldn't really focus on them. Contradiction had 4 arms free again, and it was because of me. I would rectify it.

He shot cold fire out his torch, and I dodged the spikes that jutted straight up to the sky from the freezing ground below. Anything the 'fire' touched became a spike of ice 100 feet in the air. Some even exploded from the impact of the fire. I struck the ground with lightning as I landed, careful not to harm my already injured shield brother

I shifted, sliding across the ice with the momentum I had, and shot a hellfire arrow at him, while I saw my brother get out his car. He didn't wait for his clothes, he just teleported up to confront him, while Grace rode Aureus with her staff in hand. She hurled it at him, and it would have gotten Contradiction in the heart if not for it being on the wrong side. It landed and embedded itself in the ground

"You actually got me this time!" He beamed, tossing two swords in the air before teleporting.

"FUCK YOU!" Screamed Grace in anger.

He used two hands to clap, while the other two blocked me and Herculian, since we were right on his tail. He switched hands when he caught his swords, missing my head with a swing from his bottom left one, but I got two fingers that held the torch It was the only ranged thing he had, but he didn't even flinch.

I was closer, so I could hear it was on the right... but since Grace rode the Dragon King, she might not have noticed. My siblings looked tired too, as if they all had engaged him before. I tried going for the torch again. Its metal was hot, but it couldn't burn someone designed for Tarteron.

"Worrisome little shit." Contradiction sneered. He began to glow, but I wouldn't let go. It was the source of his magic if I could just get it out of his hands.

[Brother, he shoots lasers too!] Warned Tyson, pushing me out the way, taking the shot of pure light in the liver. The whole through him was about the size of a softball..

[Tyson!] I screamed, though Diana caught him. He made the water around him red as roses, but I had no time to mourn one who could not die

"He's alright. This is Nothing you Wretch!" Diana said, offering her support.

Her hands glowed as Tyson's injuries grew thorns out his body It looked painful, but I knew she used likely the most powerful healing spell she had. I could hear him moan loudly since he shifted, and Diana had trouble keeping his head above water She chanted a long spell in an ancient language

"Damn it! Die!" Grace yelled, jumping off her mate to engage him personally bare handed. She punched him hard enough that he parted the waters, making a small tidal wave in the ankle high salty water

We were nowhere near the ocean, yet this water held that smell now..

"It's like you're not even trying.!" He boasted. "Leviathan was deliciaous, Pollax tasted of strawberries, Amphian was a symphony of flavor and you Bring me Herculian." He grinned wide.

He teleported as light to get behind his brother, and strangled him, while dodging dragon's fire that became ice with one of his hands.

Grace landed to get her staff, and I surprised him by shifting only one arm, and getting him round the neck with my bow. It made him let go, but the muscles of the mighty Demigod of Strength looked a little deflated

" I said I wouldn't Do this, but I need to be of better aid. I summon you, my steed, the First Unicorn Uriel!, the Glittering One!" Rodrick said while running and a beam of white light parted the clouds, and stopped the rain. In its place was a mighty horse, one whose muscles could be seen through his fur.

Now the ground was wet, but the solid white glittering Unicorn-Pegasus threw his head back and neighed. Rodrick rode the great King, who looked as if he recognized the face of Contradiction.

Diana left Tyson's head to fall as she caught Herculian, and dragged him back to the car, crying as she did so. Her true concern and fear for her lover was a strange hypocritical sight, but I couldn't help but feel bad.

"Don't break! Don't Break Please!" She yelled, as he chuckled.

My hands were full here, and Rodrick was offering support by clearing the sky, and raining down pure light. He melted the ice and the water no longer smelled salty. His arrows shot the clouds away, making gusts of wind that will likely blow down any homes nearby.

"I'm not fatally injured, but keep the clouds parted Come sundown, me and Rodrick will be halved in power." He coughed, reaching, pulling my brother by the scruff and putting Tyson's head on his chest as he sat up. "They really are soft." He said falling asleep.

"Healias!" yelled Diana, trying to save them both, but it was clear soul mending wasn't her forte, and keeping my brother alive was proving too much. She began to age, looking 50 or so. Her hair became white as they both slept

I felt the snap of my patience.

"What you do in the heavens is Your business, but what you do to the citizens of Urth is Mine." I snarled. This time when I teleported, I rammed him with so much force towards Rodrick, that if Uriel hadn't kicked him to the ground with his back legs, he might have killed Rodrick on impact.