God Ash: Remnants of the fallen.

What does it mean to die?

A termination of life, or the abrupt ending of consciousness...

Or is it something even more than that?

A shift in perspective, or perhaps a change in circumstances and environment...

Those were the thoughts jumping around within Cain's mind as he felt himself approaching the brink.

His body was overflowing with power, but this power, this furious flames, also burnt him as well.

It was deadly, destructive, filled with passion and force, and it as well be the source of his death.

A symbol quite similar to the runic character for the word, 'Fate,' was engraved into his head as the power flowed within hos altered blood vessels.

And with this power burning beneath his heels, he dashed forward.

Cain remembered one skill he had had for a long time now.

By expelling a small amount of mana from the soles of his feet, he was able to accelerate in any direction, even abruptly stopping, or changing directions.

It was a skill he made use of all the time, these days, without even knowing it.

It was something already engraved in him; like the magic was becoing a part of his soul and vice versa.

It was not the same for {Golden Devil Wyrm: Asura}.

A skill evolved first from {Draconic Transfiguration} and {Rakshasa}. The bodily power of a demon that scorches the world with its feet, combined with the power of the lineage of a dragon.

Such a thing shouldn't be possible, but the word possible was not common within the universe of mystery and magic.

With a coarse roar, Cain smashed his blade forward.

For the first time since the beginning of the battle, Inixth out on a serious expression...

A black have covered his body as his speed suddenly increased tremendously. He dashed away, dodging Cain's initial attack.

Not even wasting a breath, Cain threw the {Flame of the Abyssal Flame} at the retreating Devil.

Sidestepping to dodge, Inixth unconsciously came to a halt, giving Cain all the time he needed to launch a furious bombardment of {Flame Orbs} into the area.

Clicking his tongue, Inixth held the chain attached to his weapon and began to twirl the scythe beautiful. Like a leaf fallen forest of a tree branch in the midst of a wild storm, the scythe danced through the wind. Cutting the {Flame Orbs} apart.

Dashing forward, Cain stretched his hands out, and two snake-like chains extended from his hand, wrapping around the hilt of his blade.

Dragging it away from the ground, he pulled it back into his grasp.

One of the chains disappeared, while the other wrapped around both his arms and the hilt.

Staring into the treacherously green eyes of the Devil, Cain knew he couldn't hold anything back.

Both unleashed a flurry of furious blows that made the air around them boil, and the ground below them turn into magma.

The air popped and exploded as the heat caused by the friction continued to rise.

However, both were unperturbed, completely focused on their battle.

Lukas watched on, his eyes energy leaving,

"Incredible..."

It was like watching a furious god of War, and the god of Devils duke.it out for the fate of the universe.

Truly cinematic!

Evangeline's face remained impassive...

Lukas glanced at her,

"You know, now would be a good time to step in."

Evangeline shrugged slowly, "Not yet."

Lukas sighed, 'Thos girl is really mad. At this rate...'

Cain continued to fight, his blood boiling, alreadt evaporating through the cracks on his skin.

Violently circulating his Ki, Cain tried to mend the cracks as they appeared, but they just got wider.

"Hahaha! Wonderful! Absolutely wonderful!"

And worst of all, Inixth didn't even seem to have had enough. On the contrary, the level of danger coming from his continued to climb.

Raising his guard to block against a slicing attacks, Cain buckled under the force of a knee strike straight to the chest.

His body was flung away like a broken ragdoll, but Inixth chased right after him.

"You are mine!" The scythe was swung straight at his head, but Cain had no intentions of dying so soon.

Stabbing his blade into the ground, he managed to stop his body on time, dodgiyboth the insane Devil and its fast weapon.

Eyes blazing with rage, Cain laced the surface of his blade with Demon Matter. Then Ki, and then finally, a coating of turbulent mana.

With a loud battlecry, he swung his sword.

The earth rumbled and split open as the skies rolled. The air surrounding them combusted and turned into a horizontal pillar of fwicked flame that struck at the Devil head on.

Convinced such an attack, despite its brutality, could kill the Devil, Cain was ready to use another devastating attack.

However...

He had to stop in his tracks...

A toreent of blood gushed forth from his mouth and nose.

Using {Asura} was more than a bit dangerous.

It was literally threatening. Despite his precautions to heal himself, his body wasn't able to keep up at all.

"Damn it." Cain cursed to himself as he struggled to stay on his feet.

"Well, this is embarrassing..."

The words were just as terror-inducing as the being they came from.

Watching the air before him distort, Cain knew his fight wasn't over yet.

Inixth walked out of the flames distorting the air, a wide grin on his face which was partially burned. However, in a matter of seconds, whatever damage was sustained had already been mostly fully healed up.

"And here I thought you'd be able to go more than a few rounds. Don't give up just now, Human..." Inixth taunted.

Cain sighed, shook his head, then chuckled,

"The name is Cain. How about we refer to ourselves on first name basis from now on? I feel we're close enough to do that."

Inixth chuckled as well,

"I couldn't agree more."

Blowing out some bloody snot from his nose, Cain shrugged, then shook his head, allowing some blood flow back in.

'Defeating this guy is not going to be possible using normal methods.'

For victory in this battle of life and death, Cain decided to risk his life.

By putting his life on the line, perhaps he just might be able to grasp victory. That was his belief.

And so, he let go. He decided to abandon self preservation.

The cracks growing across his body began to spread even more, giving him a more demonic, perhaps even devilish air.

Inixth grinned wildly,

"Finally getting serious, aren't we?"

Right now, Cain resembled Devils far more than he did a human. Horns, a serpentine tail, and golden-black scales that stretched all across his body.

His muscles had become more defined, and the power oozing from his body would be more than enough to make a regular humans suffocate just by being in his presence.

Within this form was locked a power so deadly, its force could break the world.

The power of a Demon.

And yet, Cain decided it wasn't enough...

Lukas frowned, "Those two big guys are on the move."

All this time, the {Frost Devil}, Ba'logth had been assisting the {Flame Devil}, Gatotak, heal his wounds geabted yo him by nome other than Cain.

Now that they were done, it was only a matter of a a few minutes, perhaps even seconds, before they arrived at the scene of Cain's battle.

Evangeline nodded, "Judging from their expressions, its obvious they won't let him go with just simple death."

Lukas spoke through gritted teeth,

"Then why don't we do something now?!"

Evangeline sighed. Her eyes became a bit dark,

"Only when he knows true despair..."

Lukas nearly yelled, "Are you sure that's a good idea?" He said, hso tone climbing.

Evangeline turned to him, a strange look on her face,

"If you think Cain will die here, just know he has been through much worse." Evangeline said, an endearing smile playing at the corners of her lips as she watched Cain fighting within an inch of his life.

"Yes... Fight, struggle some more. Weep. Beg for salvation!"

The words of a madwoman. But no one would hear them over the sound of screams, yells, and blood flowing from exposed gullets.

Cain tightened his grip around his weapon and closed his eyes. He concentrated on nothing and everything, dulling out the background noises and unimportant details.

And expanding and exploring on the others.

His mind's eye opened. He activated {Eye of Clairvoyance}.

The world came to a halt. As his mind speed up...

The {Speed Devil, Inixth} was fast, but not as fast as Cain's thoughts in this moment.

With his lips, Cain uttered the world's that signaled the Herald to the beginning.

"Open."

Cain had an escape plan. But that was only to be used when he was sure he had no other choice, as there would not be a second chance.

Right now, he figured it wasn't time to run yet. He could always have a little fun, perhaps leave some presents behind.

And so, with his hands, he pushed the Elemental Vault open.

Feeling the ominous sensation spreading, Inixth took a few steps back, then dashed forward like a viper, intending of ending the battle with a single strike.

Of course, that would no longer be possible, as a large, almost titanic arm of gold exploded out of a magic circle from above and smashed the {Speed Devil} into the ground.

A steamy, red mist escaped from Cain's mouth,

"Rejoice, despair..."

He looked into the skies, 'I have never been so conflicted in my life.'

With arms of gold, Cain was going to try changing his fate...