As the woman approached Krohman, he held his weapon ready. A shadowy mask covered a majority of her face, hiding her identity safe for her mouth and long blue hair tail coming from the back of the helmet. With a grin she held her right arm out and formed a blackened, liquid, double sided scythe. She twirled it as if it was weightless while sprinting toward Krohman. Parrying her attack, Krohman quickly slashed his katana toward her.
His motion stopped as his nose caught the scent of Esper and he realized whom she was. Before he could react, she quickly brought the force of her back scythe upward across his chest and pushed him backwards. Placing his hand upon the wound, he felt his blood gently trickle down his chest. Though the wound was not threatening, it was clear her weapon was sharper then it appeared and she meant to kill him. Holding his katana in a defensive means he spoke.
"Esper, you have to free yourself from his control."
She smiled big at him, showing her black lipstick as it shined from the dim lighting outside the throne room.
"Krohman, my dearest kitty. I will make sure to place your head on my masters most prized trophies. The horror of starring upon your dead eyes will haunt me forever as he wishes."
She stepped into a shadowy area and disappeared. Krohman desperately looked around, trying to let his eyes adjust until he felt a deep gash into his side.
"GRR!!"
He growled before holding his side, cringing at the sting. Immediately he went noticed a shadow beside him again and slashed toward it, cutting Esper clear through her gut.
"Damn it!"
He growled as he went to catch her, failing as she disappeared. Another wound appeared across his arm, forcing him retreat himself to a dungeon wall.
"Hehe... awe did you want to hurt me? That is rather mean kitty."
His wounds quickly healed up, sealing before he stood from the wall and glared upon the creature known as Umbra.
"I'll have your head for doing this too her."
"Doing what? Allowing her to be whom she always has been? She feels no remorse, no pain. She is the perfect weapon."
"You say that, yet you want to see her suffer!"
"Yes, but I will always be pleased to know she suffers silently behind that beautiful smile."
"Sadistic bastard."
Krohman roared as he attempted to ignore Esper and charged toward Umbra. As he sprinted, he quickly felt several new wounds as they appeared across his arms and legs. It did not stop his advance until she appeared quickly in front of him and tried to slash at his head. Krohman quickly jumped backwards, dodging her attack barely. Glaring upon her, Esper gently placed the end of her double bladed scythe upon the floor, resting herself upon the long hilt. Her mouth formed a pouty appearance under the helmet.
"Awe, you dodged. You do not seem willing to make this easy for me. I thought we were friends!"
"Stop talking through her."
Krohman stated as he glared again toward Umbra.
"Stop using her as a puppet you coward!"
"Coward? Oh, I see."
Umbra stood from his throne and slowly began to walk toward the two fighters. Esper quickly backed away, bowing toward him as she did.
"I merely wanted to watch my pet kill you. But if you insist I weaken you first, then it shall be by your consent!"
He quickly crafted a blackened blade of shrapnel rock and smacked it against the floor beside Krohman. Missing the miqo'te, Krohman sprinted up the blade and slashed his katana across Umbras chin. The blade missed, cutting nothing while he phased into shadow just long enough to be untouched. As Krohman jumped from Umbra, he was quickly caught by a shadowy hand which protruded from the wall and began to crush his body. Growling as Umbra slowly tightened his grip.
Umbra looked to his pet as he continued to squeeze harder. The miqo'tes blade pierced through the hand, but did not harm Umbra in any way.
"How many bones shall I crush before you take his head? All of them?"
"Master let me do it please!"
Esper groaned, pleading for her chance to prove herself.
"Oh, so eager to appease-"
The entrance to the throne room slashed apart as Mahdi and Skan stumbled a bit while walking in. Both were bloody and worn down but still standing.
"Don't worry, it's not our blood."
Mahdi stated from behind his helmet as he stared upon the situation.
"Ah. Well Krohman, I'd give you a hand but it appears you already have one."
Krohman growled as the grip tightened around him.
"Not a good joke- GRR!!"
"I agree."
Mahdi stated as he quickly slashed Zantetsuken toward Umbra whom merely raised an eyebrow at him.
"Did you think that was suppose to do anything to me?"
"I tend not to think, just do. Makes things a lot easier."
Mahdi grinned as the voidsent shook his head in irritation and attempted to squeeze his hand to break Krohmans body. He seemed confused as his hand did not move and his shadowy grip dissipated, dropping Krohman to the ground.
"What?-"
His wrist squirted his blood into his right eye as it sliced off and hit the ground. Umbra stared at his hand on the floor in shock.
"That's... that's not possible. That blade-"
"Is exactly why we brought the son of Odin. Your shadow abilities are no match for the blade of dread. It would seem you've become a bit to lax in your time here Umbra."
Skan stated as he held up his hand, filled with dark magic. Squeezing it shut, a loud explosion was heard from outside the throne room.
"I placed my kamikaze blades into every wall in your domain... Now it's nothing more then dirt. You've much less of a domain to work with."
Krohman stood up, as his eyes fell upon Esper whom seemed worn out. As if Umbras weakening was having an effect upon her as well. He glared over to Umbras hand upon the floor and noticed it burning with a blue flame. Quickly he sprinted for the hand until Esper appeared before him, converting her double bladed scythe into two hand held ones. She slashed at him, pushing him backwards and disappeared, quickly into the shadows.
Umbra noticed what Krohman was after and quickly leaned down, grasping his hand.
"Clever. But it will not save you boy. My pet, Finish them!"
Esper appeared quickly, slashing her blades through the three men at incredible speeds. She stopped, and appeared before her master, charging a beam of elemental magics toward her friends.
"That's right, end them!"
As she breathed heavily, clearly tired from Umbras diminishing power, she nearly released the blast until she felt something impale her chest. She glared down to see Zantetsukens hilt between her breasts and fell to her knees as the elemental burst extinguished before it could go off. Krohman rushed to catch her before she fell over and held her for a moment. Barely breathing as the blade disappeared and left the hilt to fall to the ground beside her. Slowly the liquid shadow around her body began to drip off and retreat to it's master.
Krohman held her in his arms as she looked upon him and smiled.
"Sorry... for making you come here... I hope you go home and see Krehmia soon."
"We both will Esper. I made a promise."
"Heh.."
Her eyes widened as she tried not to spit blood out but let it trickle from her mouth.
"I don't think I can let you keep that promise..."
Mahdi summoned Gungnir, the spear of Odin and rushed past Krohman with Skan as they faced Umbra whom was holding them both off with ease.
"Give her a kiss from- hmm..."
Clearly she was losing it as she stared blankly at Krohman.
"Mummy... I am afraid..."
She stopped talking as Krohman kept his eyes upon her till he knew she was gone.
"Not again."
He stated as he gently placed her down body down upon the ground and stood up with his katana out. His fur turned crimson red as he looked to Umbra whom was still holding sliced off hand.
"You're going home Esper. I promise."
His blade began to burn as he rushed toward Umbra in a haze of anger, cutting at him in an onslaught. His attacks focused upon Umbras only remaining hand. After phasing to much of the attacks, Umbra dropped his hand from his grip as Mahdi piercied his arm with Gungnir.
"GRRR!!! You little bastard. Enough of this!"
Umbras body grew much bigger then before and he swatted at mahdi, smacking him into the cave walls. Krohman pierced Umbras back with his blade, cutting downwards until Umbra got his hand on him again, this time smacking Krohman to the ground with a shadow hand, holding him their and crushing him. He grasped his former hand again and this time reformed it's aether into a scythe.
"You may have killed my pet. But I win none the less. You will all still die here!"
Skan created his daggers and quickly released them into the shadowy hands that held both Krohman and Mahdi, destroying them while releasing the men. They stood up ready to attack the voidsent.
"Come then Warriors of the Light and feel my wrath!"
Umbra beckoned to the three as they sprinted forward.
To Be Continued!
TOC
https://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/lodestone/character/2469857/blog/3411115/
