A Bounty-ful War

I had to give a small chuckle at this, eyes closed in sweet imagination. I opened them again, and stayed silent. Just looking at Philemon, I gave my answer. "I need no preparation That's considered cheating the first time you face them. I just need their weak spots. The rest will come as it is needed. Unless, of course, Coren himself asks for my company for the obviously terror-filled mind of his." I looked at him, waiting for the answer I required.

"I've got no problem with it, as long as you avoid anything involving Drake and Blitzkrieg. That's some real private- Actually, something tells me it doesn't matter what I say. You're gonna see. Open 'er up Philemon." Philemon chuckled as he smashed a chair over Coren's head, knocking him unconscious, and also opening a portal. "Was there no more... Peaceful way to do that?" asked the singer, Belladonna. "There was. It just wouldn't have been as much fun," said Philemon with a chuckle. Philemon then touched Night's hand, and darkness fell for a brief moment, until she could see Coren standing only a few feet away, looking around. "I'm gonna kill that bastard for that!" as the darkness faded, the walls of Coren's mind seemed to look dark and menacing on one side, but overly joyous on the other end, though the joyous end's walls were bleeding and had several hundreds of weapons stuck in them. "Smash a chair over my head, I'll kill him." Coren turned around to see Night. "Hey. Don't mind the streams of blood coming from the walls, touching them doesn't get you wet."

"As long as they don't bother my senses, I'll be fine." I looked around in the demented mind of the godling. A certain vine sword caught my attention, and I smiled. "Looks like I'm on your mind as well, eh?" I make the teasing in my tone obvious, a smile with an obvious meaning, hoping to get him roughed up even more than he already was.

"Yeah, those swords represent the worst things that have happened to me. I think my subconscious is trying to tell me something..." Coren actually had no idea what those swords were for, but seeing as he saw his own, he couldn't really jump to conclusions such as that. "Anyway, we're supposed to look for my Shadow self. The me that embodies my hate, regrets, and all that other stuff I continually whine and bitch about." Coren scratched the back of his head as he wiped Night's statement from his mind, lest he actually get it. "Oh cool..." he walked over to the wall and drew a large black and white sword that looked like a large cleaver, or knife. "I'm keeping this one." He put it on his back, slanting it so it didn't drag the ground, as it was around 6 feet long. "Alright, let's go." Coren walked away, gazing at the thousands of swords that stabbed the wall, only not to notice the floor as it disappeared and caused Night and Coren to fall into darkness once more.
"HEEEEEEEY JACKASS!" Coren looked to the side fast enough to get a boot to the nose. "Sarp... I killed you ya know." Sarp shrugged as he disappeared, only to reappear with a large broadsword which he swung down towards Night.

I leaped back, avoiding the blow, landng some eight feet away from the new guy. "Sarp, huh? If i were you, I'd change the name to Sap, you're so slow."

"Yeah, 'cause I haven't heard that one before. Come now little girl, if you're to insult a person, do it well. Seriously, that's what my attire is for." he was wearing the same thing as Coren, which made Coren chuckle. "Oh Hell no. I can take a boot to the face, but you did not just diss my sense of style." Coren stood up and wiped the dust from his coat. "Now run along little peon, and bring your master. I don't fight the weak and helpless." Sarp's smile changed to a frown. "Oh, so you can't feel it?" Sarp chuckled. "Come on, Sarp wasn't Fool Arcana! He was Moon! Man, I'm pretty damn lazy..." Coren shrugged. "I guess so." Sarp's face and attire changed, now being a man completely covered in mummy-style wrapping, but with a trench-coat. "Before you can fight Him-" "I said get him. I didn't mean Charon dumbass, I meant get my Shadow-self. I couldn't care less for your power, the power of the Fool. I want His power. The power of change... Hmm. Damnit. Fool and Death is what he said... Change and emptiness. Now that I think about all of the things I've done, and add that, I'm one sick f*ck." Coren nodded knowingly, which made the Fool annoyed. "Well?" Coren shrugged. "Come now Me, We were taught never attack first, unless it be a surprise attack. Night, wanna strike first? He's only got Infinite power, and has control over Death itself, so I'm sure you'll be fine."

"The rhyming tree doesn't deserve to be killed, plus I just need an acorn." I slipped my dagger out, and split it in two. The blades had taken on a new form inside Coren's mind, they were now shadowed in hues of purple and black, translucent and looked as if on fire. "Sweet." It seemed as if I knew how to use them already, and I waved them in a vortex above my head, then was able to appear behind Mummy-Man, and was able to knock him down and away four or five feet, the blades growing in intensity when I hit him. I reappeared, and I had to have been invisible for that time, because Coren didn't notice me until then, when I came visible once more where Fool used to be.

OOC: the ability only lasts as long as I'm in ur mind, so unless we go in there later on, I won't be able to turn invisible again.

"Ha, that's supposed to make sense?" he stood up and wiped the dust from his pants. "Rhyming trees and acorns? You're just spouting bullshit now. Nice moves there Twinkletoes, perhaps you could do something that actually hurts?" The Fool laughed.
"The moment man devoured the fruit of knowledge, he sealed his fate... Entrusting his future to the cards, man clings to a dim hope. Yes, the Arcana is the means by which all is revealed... Attaining one's dream requires a stern will and unfailing determination." the bandages became blue, and his arm was engulfed in blue flames. "Burn!" he create a flaming whip and slammed in down, towards Night.

I flipped back, avoiding the whip, and teleported in front of him. Time seemed to slow, then resumed after I tore the fabric from that same arm. The flames ate Fool's blue ones, and grew slightly larger, and the actual blade became jagged and swirls of a different white material covered it as well. My slide-tear ended putting me behind him again, stopping in a crouched position, one leg out to the side and my opposite hand on the ground to help steady myself.

"The Arcana is the means by which all is revealed... The silent voice within one's heart whispers the most profound wisdom. Enter, The Priestess." As he spoke, the flames were extinguished, steam circling around him. The bandages changed again, as Coren swore. A huge pillar of ice suddenly appeared instantly, to fast to dodge, and encased Coren's legs, but he quickly shattered it before it fully encased him. "Keep on edge, The Priestess is all about being defensive, setting traps of ice everywhere." Coren raised his blade, blue flames encasing his blade. As he swung, his sword froze over. "God damnit." he threw aside his sword before the ice creeped along his arm. He then charged The Priestess, his arm flaming. The flames solidified as he slammed his arm into The Priestess sword, causing steam to cloak them. Coren then went flying backwards out of the steam, trailing ice and flames. He then got back up, and charged again, hoping Night would do something while he distracted it.

"Cazzo." I swore under my breath. Coren was still charging at him, but he got knocked back each time with ice slightly encasing him. I looked around, hoping to find something to spark my mind. Then a crazy idea hit me. I took my dagger to my own skin, and cut a small portion of the first few layers off, blood slowly coming out of the wound. I teleported faster than before, and took some ice from Coren's trail, making sure Priestess couldnt pay attention to me by using my invisibility. The ice froze the wound, but it didnt freeze the blade after it was used on flesh. It started to crawl up my skin, so I scraped it off. I glanced at Coren, hoping he saw we could use Priestess Ice against Priestess Ice, a similar concept like fighting fire with fire.

"Don't even bother." the ice on the blade suddenly turned to steam as he chuckled. "If you tried to impale me with that blade, you would only have healed me. You don't fight fire with fire, as that is complete idiocy." the ice on Night's skin seemed to tighten as it slid across her arm. "Perhaps you should have-" "Burn." Coren slammed his flaming sword into The Priestess, who screamed in agony as it's flesh disintegrated into darkness. Coren chuckled as the ice on their bodies turned to steam.

"What the f*ck."
"Damnit, move!" Coren summoned his wings and furled them around him just in time to block an explosion of dark energy that radiated death itself. "He's jumping through Arcanas out of order! He's Death now. Thankfully, Death is my Arcana, so this is the last stage. But don't get hit!" Coren unfurled his wings and launched a blast of energy into an incoming blast, negating them both as another blast was launched at Night.

I sighed. "Not again." I leaped out of the way, yet again. The blast missed by just a few inches, but that was because I waited until the last moment to move. "If you know all this, then why don't you just kill him already?"

"Because he's Death. Neither of us can die in that kind of sense." Coren took out his huge sword and then sighed. "Well, that and because I'm an idiot who doesn't recognize the fact that I'm the Death's cousin. Motherf*cker." Coren charged forward and slammed his sword into Death, redirecting the energy Death was emanating, and forcing i into his being, beginning to eradicate his entire being, but breaking the sword. "Damn, I liked that sword."

OOC: Yeah... My neck kind of got nearly broken, so my posts may suck for a little bit... I can't really think properly.

OOC: That;s okay. Im whooped out from school anyway, too much....thinking....heheh

"Then grab the one behind you. It looks exactly like it."

"It's not the same one." Coren grabbed it, and swung it, only for it to shatter in mid-air. "You can't replicate a gift from Thanatos himself, even in your imagination." Coren tossed it over his shoulder, only for it to recreate itself in the wall. "A god's gifts are hard to come by, even when you're on the god's good-side. The chance of him letting me recreate that weapon after what happened with Blitzkrieg... Let's just say it's more likely for Zeus to bow and give me his Master Bolt then for him to give me that sword again."

Coren did so.

OOC: Uh... That was hardly... Anything to respond to..?

OOC: sorry, mind block....still have it...damnit What i was implying before is that it's your battle and that most of it should be you in the battle, and Night is offering assistance when absoltely needed

After ducking, Coren spun around to see the Fool once more. "Son of a... You're still alive?" "You just said it... Neither of us can die like that..." the Fool seemed tired, in comparison to Coren who hadn't even broken a sweat, even when nearly hit with flames.


his bandages changed color once again, to a soulless gray. "The final Arcana, Judgement. Son of a-" Coren was cut off by swords impaling him in all of his limbs, but his right arm. Everything around Night and Coren, everything in sight, faded to black. The surroundings changed to a translucent dome, floating above Earth.
"I am the Magician, the Priestess, the Empress, and all other Arcanas. I am the mixture of all beings but those whom hold the title of 'Fool.' You are the beings whom hold fate within thine hands. Show me that that fate does not lead to an end here, Night." Coren couldn't move anything but his arm, but he didn't even have the energy to twitch it. "Show me your Arcana, and let me know what you are. Are you the Magician? Or maybe Death? Or possibly, are you Devil? Let me see your true secrets, and let yourself be judged."

OOC: I would simply like to point this out; This has evolved past simply a manifestation of Coren's subconscious, or it would seem. It has the powers of the Eternal Judge, the being whom will judge humanity and see if it shall live and prosper, or die painfully. Of course, this isn't actually the Judge, just the manifestation of such.

OOC: I don't suppose you could respond?

OOC: i know ive not been on for a WHILE........apologies....school has been mind bending, taking my attention away from everything else including my own writing, which sucks. Then whenever ive tried to get on i got instant block, same with my own works in progress....i may edit this post later, make it better, but not change the meaning too much.

IC:

I just tilted my head to the side, looking at the Judge. Then my eyes scanned towards Coren, watching him for a short bit, then back to the Judge. "You have just told me that you are all the other Arcanas in one. That means you know their strengths and weaknesses. You would also know their personalities as well, but yet, you prove to me you do not by asking me to show mine. If you are the combination of the Arcana, this Judge, and if you're so powerful that you can judge the fate of humanity, then why can't you judge me just by instinct or your almighty power? Eventually, this banter will end and you will initiate a duel, one with your power i could not win against. A good fight it would be though, but at our differences, one halfling could not defeat the combined powers of the Arcana, even if she was born with Gabriel's blood." I watched intently, standing up from the makeshift chair and leaned back slightly, shoulders relaxed and rolled back, a pose taught to me by a demon I had encountered a while back. Of course he would've had his hand up close to his face and tail swaying to and fro, but the parts that I imitated were exactly the same. My eyes never left the Judge, and my hand found its way to rest on my dagger's hilt.

"I am the Judge. I do not use 'instinct.' I do not 'guess.' I am not all-knowing. I do not know you well, Night Williams. As such, it is only through combat that I can gauge your potential, and find your Arcana. I know not of how you act; nor of how you fight. I am created ignorant, as to make this a fair fight. I house the powers of all Arcana, but unlike Mr. Keitaro, I have not mastered them. I am the Judge; I am not of the Universe." He pulled out a large war-axe before continuing. "Keitaro could easily defeat me here, if not for what happened to him." He spun the axe once, and smiled ever so slightly. "But enough of him, let us begin. In here, you have a chance at winning, so best not to talk for too long as to waste such a chance."

"As you wish Your Honor." The hand resting on my dagger drew it out slowly, and I split it in two, then connected the ends of the hilts together to form a doubleblade. It went into my right hand, and I took the pose once more, but this time I raised my armed hand up towards my face, in a position similar to if you were taking your gloves off by biting the tip and slowly pulling. "Your move."

The Judge charged forwards, war-axe ready. As he charged, both he and the war-axe grew in size, and he stood at 8 feet tall, and the War-Axe was about the size of Night. If not bigger. He swung it downwards towards Night.