The Red Hand

Chapter 474 – The Divine Blade, Halifax.

{So it would seem that my initial estimates for her power were... off. I suppose I really shouldn't be surprised that Enūma is capable of such growth. After all, she was Father's first and finest creation. A being born of unlimited potential.} (Labrys)

The extraordinary attack unleashed by the Divine Blade had caught the Demon Axe off guard with its ferocity and intensity. It was far more power than he thought his Sister could unleash in a single attack, though, despite taking damage that would be lethal to most people, it was only enough to do minor to moderate damage. As Labrys crawled his way out of the smoking X-shaped crater, he met Halifax's golden gaze as the Divine Blade hovered above. Even at this distance, he could feel the anger and hatred burning in her eyes like white hot flame, and he knew that the only way this battle could end was with one of them killing the other.

"A pity that you survived." Halifax clicked her tongue in irritation as she floated down to meet him. She'd hoped that her attack would've done more damage, anticipating that it would incapacitate him at least partially. "I thought Adad's power would've finished you off with such a direct hit. The last person who was hit with something like that was turned to ash on contact."

"Had we fought a few months ago, it very well could've done the same to me." Labyrs said as he flicked some rubble off his shoulder. "But I've regained my full strength thanks to the people of this world's... Let's call it generosity.” He laughed, which irritated the Divine Blade. “Destroying the weapon of a Demon Lord might be much easier than killing the being itself, but even still, it will take much more than your previous attack to end me. After all, you know full well that it wouldn't have killed you either, Sister."

"Grrrr." Halifax growled at his use of the term, Sister. "Still trying to fool me with those lies? No matter how many times you say it, that won't make it true!" She said as she landed on the ground, remaining in Adad. “We are nothing alike, and we are not kin!”

"The truth is the truth. Whether you accept or deny it is completely separate from the reality that is, Enūma." Labrys said as he spun his Axe between his hands and channeled dark power into his weapon before readying himself for the next clash. “In due time, you will come to accept it.”

{Though I suspect that, deep down, you already have. At least, a part of you anyway.} (Labrys)

"And I say that your so-called 'truth' is a load of bullshit!" Halifax yelled as she flashed forward and clashed with Labyrs, the two continuing their dance from before as they zipped around the devastated landscape and reduced even more of the battle field to ruin as their blades and magic clashed.

*ZIP* *FWIP* *BOOM* *KABOOM* *WOOSH*

"If you are so confident that there is no connection between us, tell me, Sister. Why do you not unleash your full power?" Labrys seemed to smirk as the two continued their high-speed dance, firing large blasts of magic power that met and canceled each other out with violent explosions that shook the nearby forest. "I can see that despite your desire to kill me, you're reluctant to delve fully into your reserves. Why is that?"

"Maybe I'm just playing things smart!" Halifax exclaimed as she used her twin blades to send a torrent of small white blasts toward Labrys, who deflected the weak attacks with ease.

*FWIP* *SLICE*

"Maybe, but I think it's because you're afraid." Labrys laughed as Halifax's face contorted in irritation as she dodged a series of dark spikes that appeared under her feet. "Your first form is called Enūma, is it not? From what I understand, it's your most powerful form, and yet here you are using something far inferior to it during a duel with a fated enemy. Shouldn't you go all out to destroy me quickly? Unless... Is there some reason that you can't use it?"

"Shut up!" Halifax screamed as she created a shock wave with her bladeswl whic6 tossed Labrys into some trees that he crashed through before stopping himself by digging the end of his weapon into the dirt

*CLANG*

"Perhaps I will if you prove me wrong!" Labyrs yelled as he blocked Halifax's twin blades with the shaft of his Axe before pushing her away and sending a volley of dark blasts from his right hand that Halifax easily dispatched with her blades before unleashing a secondary magic attack that struck her from behind, causing her to lurch forward and stumble as she took damage. "Show me that you have nothing to fear! If you do not believe my words, then come at me with your full strength! Show the power of the so-called 'Divine Blade Halifax!'

"I'll show far more than you ever imagined, you lying bastard!" Halifax screamed as blue and white flames wrapped around her blades. "Let's see how you handle this!" The Divine Blade roared as she thrust one blade forward, which seemed to vanish as it impaled reality itself, followed closely by the second. "WARP BUST!" Halifax yelled as she flicked her blades in opposite directions, tearing open a massive gash in the air that crackled and writhed with immense power. It looked like she'd torn a hole in the world, and a keen observer would've noted its similarities to the sky during a magical disaster.

*WOOSH*

In a flash, the tear expanded before shooting a rainbow colored beam of energy forward, meeting Labrys, who swung his Axe and stopped the attack dead in its tracks. Energy crackled, popped, and sizzled as the rainbow of doom continued to push the Demon Axe backward, causing him to slide due to the immense power on display.

"Tearing a hole in reality? Hah! Do you truly think that such a thing can be done so easily by a Divine weapon?" Labyrs laughed as he planted his feet firmly in the ground and channeled more power, which exploded outward from his body in a massive torrent of black energy that enveloped him in a dark flame that Halifax knew all to well from her dealings with Akagi. "Only a weapon forged by a Demon Lord could so easily part creation!" He roared as he slammed his weapon down, smashing the attack and firing a black wave back toward Halifax as the tip of his blade met the ground, the Divine Blade finding hercaught off guard due to the speed of his attack.

"Shi-" Halifax didn't even have time to swear as the black wave slammed into her and sent her flying while inflicting a not insignificant amount of damage.

"Don't think I'm done yet!" Labrys said as he appeared behind Halifax just before she landed, slamming the Divine Blade in her back with the flat of his blade and sending her flying like a game-winning grand slam.

"Ack!" Halifax gasped as the wind was knocked out of her as she was sent carreeing into the sky. However, that was not the end of the Demon Axe's attack as, in a flash, Labrys appeared in front of her, continuing his combo with an overhead swing the smashed her into the devastated terrain below, creating an even deeper crater that only further destroyed the once pristine landscape as she exploded from a delayed magical blast he'd sent with her.

*BOOM*

"Unless you've given up on life, then the only way to even have a shot at beating me would be to use your full power, Enūma!" Labrys yelled at his Sister, who slowly pushed herself out of the dirt and rubble, wounded but still more than able to fight and equally pissed. "And before even getting any ideas, Anathama won't work a second time."

He smirked beneath his mask, reading his Sister's intentions as she glared at him. "That form is worthy of its namesake. The ability to shatter a Demon Lord is an incredible ability, but..." Labrys said before rapping his knuckles on his chest armor with a clang. "Unlike our Father I have no soul to destroy. The one you can see here merely belongs to my host, and while you may have no qualms with killing him, it will do you no good even if you do.”“What?” Halifax's eyes widened in surprise. She presumed that Labrys required a continuous host to exist and that without one he'd be severely restricted in how much power he could use.

“Yes. For you see, Sister. Like you I do not require a host, I just need enough of mortal life energy to sustain myself. I'm more than capible of crafting an body much like you can.” Labrys smirked under his mask. “I won't deny that its harder for I than for you, butI've already regained enough power to exist without a mortal body if I so chose, and I only continue to use this vessel for some tertiary benefits. Sorry to disappoint you, but I won't go down to the same petty trick that killed our Father!" He laughed in truimph.

*TSK*

Halifax clicked her tongue in irritation as her next move had been read and an alternative method of taking down Labrys had been stripped away. She could tell that Labrys was not lying; that much was clear when she examined his soul at the start of the battle and realized it was that of the Hero Muichiro rathe than his own, albeit heavily corrupted by the Axe's influence. She'd been hoping that Anathama could severe Labrys from Muichiro and render him severely weakened but with that plan out the proverbial window, it meant that she'd have to go back to the drawing board. Though the divine Blade had many forms and abilities that she could use, there were few that had a genuine chance at destroying the weapon of a Demon Lord.

Enūma was one of them, but Halifax did not want to use it if she could help it, largely because of her own internal fears. That and she was also holding out hope that defeating him the old-fashioned way with her other forms was more than possible. The two had clashed over and over again with neither taking significant damage, a testament to their sturdy construction and relative parity in power. Halifax was hopeful that in a battle of attrition that she could win, but was also wary since she had no idea what Labrys was truly capable of.

Debate raged in the Divine Blade's mind as a swirl of emotions took hold, the fear of Enūma countered by the equally potent fear of the unknown and the genuine concern that Labrys could either escape or defeat her, both possibilities terrified her for vastly different reasons. After thinking it over in her mind, Halifax eventually came to a decision, one that she was not happy with but proceeded with anyway.

"You disgust me, Labrys." Halifax said as she took a deep breath and powered back down to her base form, which made the Demon Axe suspicous. "But know that whatever you're planning won't work, and if you know me as well as you claim to, then you must know that I won't make killing me easy."

"Fair, but then again nothing about this whole situation is easy, Sister." Labrys said as he flashed forward and met Halifax's blade with his Axe.

"Nothing in life is ever easy." Halifax said quietly as she activated the First Form of the Divine Blade, Enūma. She didn't want to to use this form in this fight, but something deep inside told her that she needed to. Halifax was strong-willed, but the battle had taken a heavy toll on her mental health, and despite her outward appearance, the Divine Blade was at the precipice of total mental collapse. Fear, worry, and dread filled Halifax's mind as she clashed with the Demon Axe, with her focus on the battle itself doing little more than delaying her slip into darkness. Despite how much her mind didn't want to believe Labrys. Despite how much she rejected the notion that the two were Kin, Halifax's heart and soul knew it to be true. For no matter how much the Gods tried to strip the reconstituted Blade of its true nature and bend it to their will, their power was nothing compared to that of the bond between Vikes and Enūma. A bond that existed even four thousand years after the Demon Lord's death.

*CLANG* *WOOSH*

Activating her First Form, Halifax felt a surge of emotions flood her mind as power welled up from deep within. With what seemed like little more effort than swatting a fly, Halfiax sent the Demon Axe flying, the single swipe of her blade causing enough damage to actually make Labrys, not the host he was using, feel pain as his metal form groaned under the stress of her attack.

"Ahhh, there you are." Labrys laughed as he stopped himself from flying further with his power, his eyes transfixed on the newly transformed Halifax as he found himself filled with nostalgia and pity. "As changed as you are, my Sister, I could never mistake your presence. Welcome back, Enūma. Its been far to long."