The Red Hand

Chapter 473 – A Battle Between Siblings.

"From there, I believe you can put together the pieces." Labrys said as he finished his story. It wasn't hard to figure out what happened next. Vikes' twisted desires for peace and friends sent him on a war against the Gods, a war that resulted in Halifax's creation, and his own destruction. "Our Father's desire to crush the Gods and those who followed them eventually drove him deeper and deeper down the path to embracing his true self." He continued as a shadow fell over Halifax's face. "What started as a wish to live alongside mortals slowly morphed into a desire to destroy them. Even one such as I can find the tragedy in such a tale. Though, in the end, a Demon Lord has a duty to fulfill."

{Enoris must be destroyed, be it by its own hands or that of a Demon Lord. That is its fate, and it cannot be avoided, no matter how much the Gods or you may wish it to be so, Enūma.} (Labrys)

"Do you understand now, Sister? You were at our Father's side from the very beginning, and it was your words that helped guide him toward his destiny." Labrys said while keeping a watchful eye on the silent Halifax, wary of what she might do in a hysterical state. "It's not your fault that the Gods corrupted you, stole your memories, and turned you against him. So please, work with me. Help me to destroy this world and finish our Father's mission. It's what he would've wanted, what you would've wanted, and what you know needs to happen. You've seen for yourself that Enoris is destined to be destroyed by its instability and its Gods are corrupted and feckless. So why not join hands with me and embrace your destiny?" He continued as Halifax stood completely motionless. "After all, are we not just tools of-"

*CLANG*

Before Labrys could finish his sentence, Halifax was on top of him, the Demon Axe only barely managing to block her blade with the handle of his body. The Divine Blade moved at incredible speed and caught him off guard with the ferocity and intensity of her strike. Halifax most certainly intended to kill him with that blow, and the look in her eyes told Labrys everything he needed to know.

"I see, then you are truly lost..." Labrys sighed as he pushed Halifax away and spun his axe around to get a better grip, lamenting what he must do. "Then... In honor of what you once were... I will do as I must."

"I am not a tool." Halifax spat as she activated Astéri, the red flames of her ability exploding outward like a rampaging dragon's fire, torching the land around her and setting the field ablaze. "Don't you dare call me that." She growled, her eyes filled with a mixture of fear and anger. "I am Halifax, the Divine Blade! I will not be lied to by a weapon forged by a Demon Lord!" She said as she pointed her weapon toward Labrys. "We are not siblings. Vikes is not my Father! I am not Enūma! You will not deceive me! And I will prove that your words are nothing but lies here and now by killing you and finishing what I started four thousand years ago!" Halifax roared as she flashed forward, clashing with Labrys at incredible speed.

*WARP *WORP* *SWISH* *SWOOSH* *CLANG* *BANG* *BOOM*

Accelerating to incredible speeds the siblings rocketed around the clearing as their weapons and magic clashed and exploded; each seeking to bring the other down. Unlike during her battle with Penelope, Halifax was holding nothing back against Labrys and was genuinely trying to kill him despite Akagi needing the Demon Axe alive. Contrary to the emotional storm in her heart and mind, Halifax was outwardly calm, sharp, and focused, using every bit of her four millennia of combat experience to bring down her foe.

Labrys was also similarly dedicated to the fight, lamenting his Sister's unwillingness to hear him out but steeling himself to do what must be done. Each of the Demon Axe's attacks were intended to be lethal, and there was no indication of hesitation as he struck back. To him, this battle was an unfortunate outcome, one that he'd predicted but hoped would not come to pass. While for Halifax, this clash was the only way to keep her mind off the Demon Axe's words. Words that could and would drive her into a place she'd been once before, a place from which there was no guarantee of escape again. She knew that there had been a dark secret kept from her, one that she presumed was that she was a mixture of Divine and Demon Lord, but hearing that she was actually the true Blade of Vikes and kin to Labrys was simply too much to bear. Her entire life had been dedicated to and focused on being the Hero. It was what kept her grounded for all those centuries, and her status as the Divine Blade was the single most important pillar of her identity. If said pillar was in actuality constructed of nothing but lies and falsehoods, what did that make her? It was a question she didn't want to think about or answer, and thus her mind rejected the notion and chose violence to make the pain go away.

{He just needs to die! DIE! DIE! I won't believe his lies! I won't believe them! I am Halifax! Halifax! And I will destroy Labrys just like I destroyed his master! I AM NOTHING ELSE!} (Halifax)

*CLANG*

"It is truly regrettable that it has come to this, Sister." Labrys said as the two separated after clashing and creating a large burst of magic that vaporized nearby plant life within a few hundred feet. "Our Father would weep to see his children fight." He said as he readied his Axe and wound it up behind him for a swing. "But worry not, I will give you mercy. Your end will be swift, and soon you shall join him on the other side!" He said before swinging his weapon down and slamming the ground, creating a massive beam of dark power that exploded outward from the ground and flashed toward Halifax at incredible speed.

*WOOSH*

"THE ONLY ONE DYING HERE IS YOU!" Halifax roared as she gripped her blade with both hands and met his attack with her own, stopping the blast cold before slicing it clean in half, which forced it to dissipate.

*SWOOSH* *ZAP*

"AND IF YOU SEE YOUR MASTER IN HELL, MAKE SURE YOU REMIND HIM WHO SENT HIM THERE!" Halifax said as she appeared next to Labrys in a flash of lightning after switching forms and activating Kataigida.

*BOOM* *SMASH* *CRASH* *WOOSH*

Unleashing a series of high speed attacks, Halifax swarmed Labrys with an unrelenting onslaught as she tried to take him down, swapping between Kataigida and Astéri as she alternated between fast, weak attacks and slower, yet still fast, heavy attacks. Her form blurred as she moved so quickly that no mere mortal could hope to keep up with her, but Labrys did so with ease. Despite Halifax's best efforts, the Demon Axe blocked, dodged, or countered most of her attacks, though a few small hits managed to get through due to the sheer speed and volume of the Divine Blade's strikes.

*SWOOSH*

As the two danced back and forth across the battle field, Labyrs counterattacked having roughly the same success rate as his Sister; though in the end, both failed to inflict any meaningful damage on the other. This stalemate was not due to a substantial difference in their power or ability. In fact, it could aptly be said that while Halifax and her erstwhile Brother were roughly equals when it came to combat potential, Halifax had far more practical experience than Labrys owing to her four thousand years of continuous service. Thus she had a slight edge.

"I see you've not lost your touch after all this time." Labrys said as they clashed, holding the other in place as they met face to face, Halifax's white aura from Kataigida and his pitch black, almost purple, Demon Lord aura fighting just as hard as their bodies. "As expected of my older Sister!" Labrys roared as he drove the butt of his Axe into the ground and used his power to create several shadow monsters that jutted from the ground behind the Divine Blade.

"As if those weaklings can hurt me!" Halifax said as she leaped into the air, back flipping over the half dozen shadow monsters and eviscerating them with her blade before landing; blocking a heavy blow from Labrys, who'd attempted to catch her while distracted.

*BOOM*

"Minions like that are nothing more than cannon fodder to me! If that's the best you can do, then I think I understand why Vikes ended up dying by my blade." Halifax smirked, her comments irritating the Demon Axe as the two continued to exchange blows, light and dark power exploding outward as thunder roared with each clash. "And for your information, not only have I not gotten rusty these last few millennia..." She paused before driving a boot to his chest, kicking him away and swinging her blade skyward. "I'VE GOTTEN FAR STRONGER THAN EVER!"

*CRACK* *BOOM*

A blast of lightning struck Halifax's blade as they crashed down from above, supercharging it with blue energy that flowed around her body, crackling and sizzling as it seemed to ionize the very air around her.

{An attack? No...} (Labrys)

"Six-Hundred and Forty First form of the Divine Blade, Adad!" Halifax roared as the lightning accelerated around her body wildly before turning the same golden color as her hair and eyes, enveloping her as if she'd been covered by a flame made of liquid gold.

*FLICK* *WARP*

"What?!?" Labrys exclaimed in complete shock as a second blade appeared in Halifax's right hand, an exact copy of her main body. Illusions were a simple matter for Halifax, but the copy of her true body was not just some bluff, it was real. It pulsed with great power and seemed to be no less dangerous than her true existence.

"You're done." Halifax said coldly as she swung her twin blades at incredible speed, catching Labrys by surprise as he was lifted into the air by her rapid series of strikes. Each individual blow didn't do that much damage, but it added up as thousands of blows hit home. The Demon Axe quickly found himself overwhelmed by the sheer number of attacks, but was confident that he'd recover quickly. However, Labrys' confidence in his survivability would put to the test as Halifax leapt several miles into the air, bringing him with her as she continued her assault. "Let's see how you like this!" The Divine Blade roared as she paused her attack and raised her twin blades above her head, crossing them and gathering up an astronomical amount of power in each as she charged one with blue energy and the other with gold.

*CRACKLE* *SIZZLE* *POP*

"I won't let you-" Labrys' attempt at both a retort and counterattack was stopped short as Halifax brought her blades down, creating an X-shaped pattern of energy that slammed into the Demon Axe full force. In an instant, the attack sent Labrys hurtling toward the ground while at the same time burning him due to the sheer intensity of Halifax's power. After a few agonizing moments Labyrs impacted the surface, exploding in a violent blast that sent the four nearby onlookers running for cover as the nearby forest was leveled and leaving behind a gargantuan X-shaped scar on the land.