Nothing Left Behind [Private]

"Dear Zack,

It's been a while since we had gone through hell together, a lot has changed since then. The attack with the whole Rising Tides business, the rise of the newer dark guilds, and even the mass amounts of mages returning back to Fiore. Throughout all of this time, I would like to think I have grown up massively as well. My achievements, as I remember them, was how I obtained one of the Wizard Saint spots, becoming an equal to your strength, intaking a weird lacrima, and... That's pretty much it. Or so I thought. As I sat down at my desk with a five dollar coffee by my side and extra buttery popcorn in front of me, I was reading up on the Celestial Spirit Star Suit, a new technique I have yet to perfect quite yet. I then remembered one small detail, and figured I would tell you in person. Admittedly, I could just simply tell you in person, but there are a few things that I would like, and the distance between Black Rose and Blue Pegasus are preventing that from happening. Therefore, there is a landform that the Magic Council likes to refer to as the "Mysterious Canyon". It's isolated, no mage within hundreds of miles, so the important things mentioned over there will not be heard. There are a few things I'd like to know about yourself, so that I can better myself as well. I'll be at the Canyons daily from Noon to Four P.M, or Sixteen if you go by military time. Thank you for your time.

-Elyx Reiaki

And so he would be standing on the rocky terrains. No average mage would be able to get there within even four hours. This was an area specifically designed to keep out other mages who had no business being here. The Sky Slayer would swing his legs over the cliff, looking downwards as if he were expecting Zack to be walking.

Elyx wouldn't be waiting that long though. He knew Zack was no average mage and of all mages that could arrive somewhere swiftly Zack was one of those who would always arrive swiftly if he could. He did everything fast. Hence the name Speed Demon.

Elyx would probably have been there just a few hours when something dropped from the sky at high speed and hit the ground hard. So hard in fact there was a practical explosion of dust and debris. With a sudden flare of magic, that came from the centre of the cloud, all of the dust dissapeared revealing a man dressed in black his hand holding the handle of a large sword, almost like a giant kunai. He was holding it though almost as if he was the hilt of a spear in that his body was straight upwards with his feet pointing towards the sky. With acrobatic grace he flipped off of the sword and snapped his finger causing the sword to rise out of the ground and sheath itself at his waist. He clearly wasn't that pleased as a person. There was something on his mind. However, he had come at the request of Elyx. A mage who he saw a lot of potential in and one who he considered a friend. This mage was the legendary Speed Demon himself and the current official guildmaster of Blue Pegasus, though a letter had been left with them to change that fact. He was god of ishval and few could stand against him. Especially when it came to speed.

"So Elyx what's this about?" Zack said walking over to the edge of the canyon. He was on the other side and he looked apprehensive to some extent. Not at being here, but as if there was something he should be doing instead. Indeed, in his opinion he should be somewhere else, but Elyx had at least earned a bit of his time. "What do you want to know about me?"

His speed from far away was able to be read by the light brown eyes of the Slayer, impressed with how fast one could travel, but even more impressed that he was able to read it as well. The first question to be asked was what this was about. Following that up was what he wanted to know about Zack. Lets start with the latter, rather than the former. On his right hip would be a pouch of his Celestial Spirit keys. Flicking his right pointer finger at the keys, he would have one specific key in his grip, the golden key. Zodiac Key, Virgo. I have been doing some research Zack, just like you have told me to do. And I learned quite a few interesting things about controlling the Celestial Spirits and their origin. He would start, explaining this slowly but with thorough detail. Within my hand is a key, a Golden Zodiac key might I add. With it, I can summon one of the twelve Zodiac, this one being Virgo. And the next part was going to seal the deal of what he had learned. As I recall, these are the names of the Zodiacs. Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces... And Zack... There it was. The first part that he wanted to mention to the Celestial Spirit. It was like Aiyana, it was not as if a being was unable to become a spirit. But according to the lore, there were originally twelve Zodiac's, however, you yourself are an additional Zodiac. The Thirteenth one. Now what I wonder is, what exactly made you that thirteenth Zodiac?

The difference between Zack and Aiyana was that Aiyana was not a Zodiac, she was just a Celestial Spirit that can be summoned. Other than they, they seemed to live life the same way, walking around and acting like any other mage. Now as for the Thirteenth Zodiac, he however did something different somehow, in some sort of way. The Celestial Spirit King required much attention, and Elyx was not going to bother him for something as small as a question. Zack however, was a different story. Virgo hinted, but never actually said it directly to him, and fortunately, the Slayer was able to catch onto what she was saying.

So Elyx had figured out who Zack was or who part of him was at least. He'd worked out that there more than twelve zodiacs and that Zack was the 13th. "Very good, but I have to correct you on one point. There have always been 13 spirits." Zack said and then focused using magic power to bend light and form a large serpentine creature behind him. "Ophiuchus, the true name of the 13th spirit, lives in the shadow of the celestial spirit king himself, though maybe you don't know of him yet." Again Zack focused and bent light once more to form a large towering figure wielding a large sword. "The king writes and enforces the laws of the celestial spirit world. Beneath him reside the twelve zodiac and behind him the 13th gate, that of the serpent bearer. That of...myself." It was worthwhile to give him the full detail of the twelve gates before he explained further about how he became who he was.

"I don't know the details of how it happened, but I know what happened. When I was born I was taken from my parents by a being known as Shangdi, the Sky Emperor." he said and drew his sword. "Somehow he managed to get ahold of the black key of the 13th gate and enfused my soul with it. If it hadn't been for my descent I doubt my body could of handled it, but it managed to. The process however effected my mind and for a while I had major short term memory loss. Unless something happened that was a major impact...i wouldn't remember it. Even people as famous as Shuhei and Heero just didn't stick in my head. I also had no access to Ophichus' power." He took a deep breath and then decided to express things a bit further.

"It wasn't until recently, after defeating seven giant monsters and unleashing an eight on the world...that I unlocked my memories and ophiuchus was awakened making me into the embodiment of the 13th gate. I can hear him in my mind constantly. He's always trying to take over...but I haven't let him so far." he clenched his fist and then drew the sword. "But if someone takes this sword from me...then he takes over. I can't stop that. Its too important"

Seems like most of what he had said was true, all but for one part. There was always a 13th spirit, one hidden from the months and most of the books. The Black Rose library knew lots, but it did not know everything. I don't know of the Celestial King personally, but I have read as much as I could on him. His appearances are beyond rare, I heard something major would have to happen to even get him to glance at you. Elyx would explain... A pause before he gripped the Celestial Maiden's key with a much stronger grip. His light browns eyes were filled with determination. So basically, you are not the true Celestial Spirit 13th Zodiac, but it was forced into you and will remain until you lose that sword of yours. The Sky Slayer would explain rather obviously. Just the thought of that made him clench his teeth, now snarling. One bound to a Celestial Spirit life just because one took his soul without any reason. His father, the Sky Emperor, was the one who had done this. There was another character that had this sort of parent. I know of a mage who had a similar problem to you. I know him by the name Deniel, while others know him as the 1st God of Ishval. It was both of his parents, manipulative, controlling, demanding. To this day, he is still struggling with this, but I helped lighten the load for him by relating to him and trying to get him out of that hell. He would explain, then pointing the key to Zack, so that it could face the 13th Zodiac Spirit. We are going to visit the Celestial Spirit King for ourselves, you should not be bound to a Zodiac Spirit. With two Celestial Spirit Zodiac's to call upon him, we should be granted a few minutes of his time. I'm getting that Zodiac out of you and free your soul. I am going to need you to comply with me on this one however.

A flicker came to Zack's eyes. It was rather odd as if the white and black of his eyes inverted briefly. It seemed like something or someone was trying to take over. "Seems Ophiuchus isn't too happy with the prospect of being free." Zack said a note of strain in his voice. It was clearly taking some effort to keep the 13th gate spirit under control. "I can hear his voice in my head. He likes having a physical body...it means he doesn't have to stay in the spirit world, but can go there if he wants....besides if he goes back he can't fight and get revenge on the Sky Emperor." It was a difficult situation. Zack did want to be free of the spirit's presence if only so that any strength he had came from himself rather than something forced onto him. Of course, that would mean training again to master a new strength so he could defeat the Sky Emperor himself.

A change of tone came to his voice as his eyes flickered back to being inverted once more. "You want me out this body boy? You're gonna have to force me out." it said and then Zack shook his head heavily and the eyes returned to normal again.

"An audience with my swordmaster would not be hard to get, but it seems Ophiuchus is against the idea...all he wants is full control of this body without me stopping him." Zack said again the strain was in his voice, but there was more of it. "Problem is if I let him do that I don't know what he'll do. He's not exactly a nice guy."

It kind of sounds like he is leeching off of your body just to even have a physical form. Listen Zack, you may have some sort of free will, but without that sword, you are a slave to the Zodiac. Elyx would explain. Ophiuchus was holding Zack as a hostage basically, no contract or anything, just the mere cost of his body. It was just for Zack though, one idea would pop into his mind. Maybe there was a way to revise the contract, making it something new that they could agree on. It was a rather risky plan, mainly for Elyx. However, it could give Zack his free will back... At the cost of Elyx's own. But before given the chance to say it, he would receive a nasty reaction from him, that of a serpent. Seems like he had touched a nerve for the Zodiac, but it was not going to have him as a slave to his commands. Elyx would place his palms to the side, two spheres of wind forming, awaiting a signature of his own contract with the Sky Deity. However, Zack returned, and so Elyx would place the spheres of wind back where they belong, flowing with the rest of the wind. And what do YOU want Zack. It's not all about the Zodiac within you, you are a being as well. I understand that Celestial Spirits are not tools, but also living beings. That however does not mean it has any right over your free will. And if it wants to protest once again, it can come right now and try to stop me. But one way or another, I'm going to give you a chance to be free!

"I will use whatever power necessary to deal with those who must be dealt with even if it costs me my life and my soul." he said calmly a determined note in his voice. "Of course, that's not to say I wouldn't do it with my own power, but if I lose the power of the 13th then there is no guarantee I would even be able to use magic again let alone get to the strength I need to bring down the Emperor and the four Kings." The flicker came onto his eyes again and suddenly Zack was right in front of Elyx staring him right in the eyes as the rest of his clothing and body began to invert in colour. That which was black became white and vice versa.

"So Elyx...you think you're a match for the 13th? Or is that you think the maiden can beat the serpent bearer?" the other voice said before blurring back to where it was before now with a sword in hand. No, it didn't blur back as it said that. It was as if it hadn't moved at all, but it had. An afterimage had been used, but didn't that mean that Zack/Ophiuchus had blurred back and forth multiple times as he transformed? Yes, it did. That was how fast Zack was. There was a reason he was known as the speed demon. "How about we make a little wager then...and i'm sure Zack will agree. You versus me and if you win...i'll let you send me back to the celestial spirit realm and Zack will be rid of me. I'll even throw in Zack's wizard saint spot. However, if I win then I will consume the maiden and add her power to my own. Oh and you'll be dead of course. So what do you think?"

Ophiuchus or Eclipse Zack as he could also be known paused briefly as if a thought was occuring. "Oh and Zack says that if I lose and he loses the ability to access magic...then the defeat of the Sky Emperor is a task he sets for you." he said and then paused again and he sighed. "And...because Zack is a nice guy and he won't shut up...as a heads up he's saying to let you know that we've trained with all twelve members of the Zodiac so unless Virgo has learned a few more tricks then she won't be much help to you."

(Eclipse mode normally only lasts like three posts I think, but for this thread as its plot i'll keep him in eclipse mode till he's beaten/you're beaten)

Then let ME handle them Zack. Because I can guarantee victory over them, I haven't traveled so far for nothing you know. The Sky Slayer would reply to the normal version of him. Everything about his color would switch, revealing a no longer subtle and formal Zack, but one of clear murderous intent. The Serpent arrived again, accepting the challenge that Elyx had thrown at it. Looks like he was right to come fully prepared, Bound Iris, the Celestial Keys, his magic items, all of them were set. His eyes kept up with the speed of the being surprisingly enough, his awareness has been raised heavily from before. Maybe he was not the speediest mage, but that was not a problem. Strategies played a huge role in combat, and maybe even a little bit of luck.

So the bet was that if he won, that Zack would be set free and the Zodiac would go the hell away. But if the Zodiac won, Virgo was his to have and Elyx would be dead. Gambling, it certainly was a hell of a game. But that was the point, and he wanted to let the God of Ishval go. Maybe he won't possess the power that he once had before, but at least he'd have free will. Virgo though... He would gamble with the Maiden's life. Looking at the golden key, it reflected a bit of sunlight at the tip. She was ready. All right. Game on! Virgo is set and so am I!

One more message from the real Zack, telling Elyx that the burden of the Sky Emperor would rest upon his shoulders. With a nod of his head, he would agree before starting off the battle between them. I'll admit, you are pretty fast. But nothing that I haven't seen before. The Sky Slayer would announce, swinging the Celestial Maiden's Key downwards. I open the gate of the Maiden! Come forth, Virgo! The gate had opened immediately, and Virgo would arrive in less of a formal stance, and more of a battle stance. She was on the line, and like hell was Elyx going to let her go through this alone.

Next up, I open the gate of the Chronicle Mage! Come forth, Aludra! Aludra was going to be the mage that played at a safe range. She can bring down a giant meteor and manipulate with light magic as she pleases. In close combat, she is not slouch either, which is a surprise consider she is a mage. But that was all part of the plan. And finally, Elyx would activate his Star Suit to keep close to the Celestial Spirits.

Holding Aiyana's key up to his chest, the wind around him would spin, his body coated with a bright white light. The outlines of his body would rip open for the moment before reforming into the keys spirit. It was not Aiyana, but still Elyx. Instead however, there was no shirt on his upper half of his body. Instead however, he would have nine tails moving upwards and downwards, purple little fox ears on his head, and three black lines on each cheek. His eyes were purple as well, locking onto the Zodiac version of Zack.

You had best prepare yourself! Elyx would exclaim. Virgo would quickly dig into the ground, waiting for an opportunity to strike from above. Her presence currently unknown. The objective for her was to be close to Zack, so she could take advantage of "Celestial Fire" And so she would attempt to approach the 20 meter border. Elyx would attempt to get close as well, also to use the "Celestial Fire" effect. Once he would get to 20 meters, he'd open up a magic circle. Frostfire Make: Cannon! He'd exclaim, a giant sphere of frostfire magic flying towards the Zodiac, that being Zack.

Aludra would summon a giant meteor from above to crash down onto Zack, which might affect Elyx if he did not notice it in time, but the impact would not be too damning for him if that were the case. It inflicted moderate damage, and she was not aiming for the Celestial Fire effect. That was good, because now she could keep her distance. Elyx was attacking close up, Virgo was a ceasefire below Zack, and Aludra is attacking from far away. They have all corners covered.

Elyx's Abilities:

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Three opponents versus one. The odds were against him and in terms of raw power at the moment he was probably outclassed. However, they couldn't damage what they couldn't hit. He leaped into the air and flipped swinging his sword and launching a powerful 15ft diamter beam of black energy at the last location he sensed Virgo in. The beam was powerful, and would delve deep into the ground for nearly half a mile. A massive diagonal hole that would pierce through both sides of the canyon and cause parts of it to crumble. Ophiuchus, or Eclipse Zack, had little issue with collateral damage. He had no strong ties to this world except for having freedom from being in the shadows of the celestial spirit king. As he landed he seemed to split into six almost perfect copies of himself. Only one of these was real however. The rest were mere after images used to distract an opponent. What it did mean was that it would be hard to hit him with any attack unless you could identify the real one. The issue was that all of them were moving at high speed.

Suddenly, a second sword appeared in each of their hands and was flung outwards towards the meteor caster. The five after images rapidly merged into one and went to strike her hard in the chest. No mercy would be given by the serpent bearer. At one moment he went to strike at Elyx, but as he got too close he felt himself hurting and so began to rapidly circle again keeping distance. It seemed Elyx had some sort of damaging aura. That would make it hard to get close. Of course, he did have his armor cushioning some of the damage and a few ways around it. He had plenty of ranged attacks as well.

"Ninpou: Hoshi No Yumi." he said and on all of the after images a bow composed of dark celestial energy formed and two shots were fired. These were mimicked by the after images though of course the after image ones weren't real. All of them thrust their other hand up as well and a lion head composed of darkness erupted forth accompanied by a loud roar to collide with the meteor. Only one of these lion heads was real, but as it collided with the meteor a huge explosion would be caused hopefully shattering it.

"Gotta hit harder and faster to bring down me buddy boy."

STATS:

The enemy did not focus on Elyx when he fired a giant beam of what seemed like darkness towards the ground. It took merely half a second to understand what the target was, and a snarl would arrive on the Sky Slayer's face. Like hell I will let him do that! Elyx thought, his teeth now clenched as a second circle of magic formed in front of him. The timing had to be perfect, or else it would completely miss and Virgo was going to deal with hell. Ready... Ready... NOW! The circle fired out another sphere of spinning Frostfire. Seeing as it is H ranked in power, it could block the impact long enough for Virgo to escape. Naturally, it would fly on by and let the beam continue. If Virgo realized she was being attacked, she could take advantage of the two seconds she had extra to run away. The impact was a successful one, causing Virgo to notice an attack, and thus flee the scenery. That was a bit costly, considering Elyx now lost a chance to use a free H ranked attack. However, he used it wisely to save his Zodiac, and now she was still roaming towards the Serpent. For that act, Elyx was going to make it pay hell.

Aludra's meteor was unique for one special reason, impacts that are similar to her meteors instantly are pushed through. The Meteor would not even flinch at the equal power thrown at it, and would continue on. Provided the Serpent was still under it while it made collision, the damage would be heavy. On top of that, she had yet to make a move yet. She played at long-range as well, meaning Zack was going to have to deal with a sniper as well. Get too close to her, and he would suffer the effect of Celestial Fire. There was one thing she decided to do to give Virgo the upper hand in this fight. She placed out her right palm, ball of light aimed towards the right side of the enemy. Virgo was located onto the left, still evading and taking advantage of the Celestial Fire effect. If Zack were to dodge towards the left like she expected, Virgo can wrap his feet down with her chains, restricting him from using his magic and resisting. Elyx can go in for some devastating strikes while he's held down like that. If Zack dodged towards the left, he would be caught in Virgo's chains, helpless.

And finally, the Sky Slayer himself. He was the only one who could not see through the tricks since he did not know what Zack was able to do. The speedy images were impressive admittedly, but there was one magic trick up his sleeve to save himself from the pain of dealing with however many images were there. Placing out a white sphere from his pocket, Deemo's Orb, he would activate it's effect. It was able to nullify any images that were designed to deceive the eyes, and so the images would have no effect on him. There you are! He exclaimed, breathing in to compress air into his lungs, eating it for fuel. The real one has been identified, and like hell would Elyx let him run away once again.

Incoming arrows, Elyx had high awareness, and nothing was really distracting him. With his Sky Cloak, he would dissolve into the air, and in one second, reappear right behind the enemy if the enemy did not move within that one second. Teleportation, a beautiful thing with the Sky Cloak for dodging arrows and getting the upper hand. Instantly, the Sky Slayer would open a circle from behind Zack. If Virgo had the chance to wrap her chains around his ankles, that would give Elyx a free hit when he uses the Sky Deity Bellows. Bellows would free Zack from the chains if he were caught in them in the first place, but send him flying quite far away from the three of them.

Thanks to Elyx, Deemo's Orb also helped Aludra see through the illusions, and would full-well expect them to eventually form to one. They were images, thus can be predicted with the orb. To retaliate, she would simply hold up her staff, trying to block the damage with it alone. Her physical power is great, but not that great, and for that, she would have to pay a price. She blocked half the damage and reduced knockback, she did not even fly off of the ground.

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Elyx's Abilities:

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The explosion had not even been enough to throw the meteor off course. A powerful spell indeed and what's more his energy beam, the shooting star blade, had been diverted somewhat saving Virgo from damage. However, the meteor would not get a chance to hit him because he just didn't stay still long enough. In fact, just to be cocky he used his defiance of gravity to flip round the meteor and struck at its side with a powerful kick aiming to launch it right back at the one who had conjured it. As such the attack that had been launched was not enough to force him to the left and into Virgo's grasp. Even if the Meteor had failed he would kick off from it and fire off the remaining three shots of the Hoshi no Yumi towards the celestial spirit. As Elyx appeared near him he blurred downwards and flipped round landing on the ground.

As the bellow came down towards him he swung his sword over his head once more launching the same black beam of energy again to try and counter it. However, the sky bellow was a bit too powerful and the blow slammed him into the ground. Part of his flesh was torn away, but he didn't seem to care and let out a laugh before speaking. "Numbers are your edge here. It looks like i'll have to bring out the big guns. See if you can keep up with this."

A huge aura of magic began to sweep round him as he slammed the sword into the ground. [spoiler=Purple]"13th Gate Unlock."[/color] His body began to glow brightly in a vivid black colour before growing and forming into a powerful 8ft tall armored figure with a wolf head on one hand and a horned serpent on the other. This was the true embodiment of the 13th Gate. It was now truly celestial versus celestial. However, the spirit was not done yet. "Ninpou Eto No Tsukudo. Ninpou Eto No Tsu-Yasa." he stated and his body became bathed in a thick purple double labelled aura. This was his peak physical form. The only way he could be any stronger or faster would be if it was night time.

His sword began to rotated rapidly around his body at such a speed it was almost a saaw blade. However, that was just a defense. The attack was him raising his hands above his head forming a huge sphere of black energy and hurled it at the ground where he had most recently sensed Virgo to be. If he could take out even one of the spirits then his opponent would be severely weakened. Or so he felt. This was the signature spell of the 13th gate transformation.

Yet this was a mere distraction in a blur of motion that was almost impossible to follow with the naked eye he tore towards the sky slayer aiming to slice him to pieces with the sword which had now returned to the horned serpent hand. Said horned serpent had clamped down on it making it much harder to knock out of his hand.

Yet whilst he was attacking Elyx and Virgo the thrown sword had began to move by itself striking out at her. It was taking a bit of the serpent's concentration, but in his heightened state it wasn't too much. His mind was processing a lot faster now. He was the very definition of a demon of speed. The sword was swinging in a rapid series of strikes aiming to slash into her. Providing she stayed within 500ft of Zack it would continue to attack her. IF she went out of that range the sword would come back to him and join in on the rapid series of slashes against the summoner.

Magic:

Once she had heard a new spell from below and for a little bit, receiving no results, Virgo had enough. While Zack had countered Elyx, or attempted to rather, the Zodiac would break all surrounding ground around her. Earth manipulation, she could control all of the terrains at her free will. Her eyes seemed rather annoyed rather than the usual hollow they once were. Her chains were extended all of the way to 30 meters, lying on the ground. She made quite the dynamic entrance, which would make a nice distraction for Aludra to come in. This would allow Virgo to get up from the ground long before Zack would even attack the ground, if he would even do that anymore knowing that the Maiden no longer was there.

While Zack would reveal himself in a new form, during the transformation, Elyx would teleport using his Sky Cloak once again, just in case there was a nasty backlash explosion effect the transformation had, and he made sure to get to the 100 meter range. Virgo would know better though, taking advantage of how the enemy was transforming. There was a little time, but she understood that, and would make sure to act quickly. The Zodiac would surround the enemy with rock quickly while he was revealing his 13th form. If she does that, she would clench her fist and cause the rock to implode with Zack inside of it, and Virgo jumping back towards Elyx.

Aludra in the meantime was rather far from the meteor coming at her. And it was her magic, so nothing could really stop her from cancelling it out. Instead, she would just run towards the side as it came towards her. The distance was major, and so she had this freedom considering she was the sniper of the three of them. She would make to and avoid the meteor. Since it was rock, Virgo would pick it back up with her palms faced out towards it before launching it back to Zack, like hell would she let the Serpent win, and will do anything at all costs to prevent it from doing so.

The Serpent charged for Elyx, who had a moderate amount of distance to prepare himself. Quickly, he and Virgo would act. Virgo would place an S ranked Rock Barrier around the both of them. Elyx would form a spell from the Frostfire-Make ability, a bomb. He would fill the dome with Frostfire quickly before Virgo would quick Elyx's wrist, then digging into the ground. Too much magic was inside of the barrier, all magic senses would target the trap they had made. They looked like they were just trying to defend themselves, but instead, they were trying to lure him into a trap. Aludra was a distance away while Elyx and Virgo were underground, making an escape towards Aludra.

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Elyx's Abilities:

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As the rock closed around him almost instantly it fell apart into dozens of tiny pieces. Right now there were few things in existence that were faster than the Serpent. As the meteor came flying at him again he quickly veered round it dodging it easily and then went straight at the rock wall. Rather than going in like a slashing maniac he instead suddenly dove downwards towards the ground and much like Virgo moved through it as if it was water. This was an ability he had learned from the maiden herself.


What's more, due to the way the technique worked, he was now moving even faster. He stopped underwater and glanced about scanning. There was a large amount of magic above him in the barrier they had formed. His celestial sense told him that the two had gone away from the barrier. The strongest celestial presence was over by Aludra. It seemed to be getting stronger as well, suggesting that they had gone that way. He moved through the ground rapidly and then suddenly came surging up behind Aludra, throwing the smaller of his swords straight at her back and then swinging his arms overhead and launching off the same black beam from earlier at a slight angle to cause a huge tunnel through the earth and try to destroy Aludra.

"DIE!"

Magic:

The sudden movement of magic caused Virgo to pop up from the ground, Elyx launched behind her before they would land on the ground. However, they would witness the pieces of light that was once Aludra's body. The Sky Slayer clenched his fists tightly in rage... He knew that Aludra was not dead, but the fact that she had to suffer in the first place brought him to anger. Virgo would look back to her summoner, and admittedly, felt a bit of pity for him. After a hesitant pause, she would finally speak up. Master. If you wish, you can summon the Celestial Spirit King to take care of him for you. Since you can summon three Celestial Spirits at once. The Maiden would explain, placing the palms in front of her body. His purple eyes would look over to Virgo. Before given the chance to ask however, she would answer for him. You must be able to sacrifice a Golden Zodiac Key in order to have him be summoned here one time. And... You must also have a good relationship with them. The Maiden would reply. And just like that... His eyes widened... Before a drop of water would escape from the right socket.

W-What? No... No... Elyx would ask before the maiden would answer him, just as calmly as she always had been. It's the only way. I heard you wanted to call him, and this is the only way to have him. He will defeat Ophiculus. Elyx was so sure that he could do it, but Virgo thought otherwise. He did not want to lose her. No way... He couldn't.. She was the Celestial Spirit that stuck by his side whenever he called her, and he could not afford to lost her. Virgo! Stop speaking like that! I can do it! I don't want you to leave! Elyx would exclaim, only for the maiden to close her eyes. It was her going now, or her being eaten. If he had summoned the Celestial Spirit King, she would still be alive... But she can't be summoned until she is somehow repaired. He did not want to lose her forever. He just wanted her to be with him... As a summoner and spirit.

Virgo would help him make his choice. This is not a goodbye, Elyx. This is a see you later. She would explain. Tears began to flow down from his eyes. The maiden and him have gone through so much together. And now he could lose her for the moment. That was the first time she ever even called him Elyx. And now to see her go... And yet, his arm would move as it picked up her golden key. Virgo... I don't want you to leave me... I promise I will get back to you. Somewhere, somehow, I will do it! And with that, he would do it indeed. The key was raising, glowing as his power flowed through it. I... I... I open the gate of the Celestial Spirit King... The Sky Slayer would subtly say. The maiden's body would begin to glow in white light... And within a few seconds, the key would shatter, and so would the maiden. Leaving a crying Elyx alone for the moment.

See you later... Virgo... The boy would announce before a sudden new being would fly down onto the scene. Looking up, he would see a weird being that... Just had no description whatsoever. But he was a majestic one, flying onto the scene before arriving in front of the Sky Slayer, who was still sulking over the loss of Virgo. The king had a usual serious frown on his being, understandable. No one should expect him to be a happy man. Despite all of the magic flowing in his body, the power in him, the Lerale mage was able to cry. And what could have caused it, the being nearby that made him sacrifice Virgo's key. Number 13. It seems your contract has come to an end. I have witnessed the fight, only to be summoned to this side of it. I've put up with your games for too long, and now is the time I put it all to an end.

---

Summary:

As soon as the King appeared Opiuchus Zack vanished appearing in the shadow of the king. It was not just a figurative statement, but a literal one. When the celestial king was present Ophiuchus had to remain in his shadow. It was just one of the reasons that Opiuchus hated the King. "Well your majesty" he said spitting out the words like they were filled with venom and anger. "You want to end my games? Then you're gonna have to take me out." With that he swung his sword in a flurry of blows launching off the beam he had used earlier time and time again trying to overwhelm the king with sheer energy. It wouldn't be enough, he was almost certain of that, but he was trying his best. Using his speed he moved about in the shadow launching off the beams and also lifting balls of energy above his head and throwing them. All signature spells. "GO BACK TO WHERE YOU BELONG KING! THIS WORLD IS MINE!"

It was that those words were said that suddenly Opiuchus' arm stopped swinging. "What are you doing Zack?" the spirit said glaring at an image seemingly only it could see. The light then began to bend to form the figure of Zack standing there. A voice echoed out of nowhere.

"Its over Opiuchus. This body is mine. We never had a contract...our bodies were bound together. Now that time is over." it said in Zack's voice. "All things must come to an end and you must return back to the spirit world." The head of the spiritual Zack turned to face the king. "End it. Even if it takes me with it"

The King just stood there in a battle stance, unphased by the threat. What was a key to to the king? His face remained neutral, the informal talk given to him would not make him even flinch. The darkness to be sensed was nothing new to him, what exactly had the King seen that makes this monster so unnerving? As for Elyx, he could only step back and watch in horror what was going to happen next. Virgo as sacrificed... SACRIFICED... So the king could be summoned. Before the Serpent was able to execute any form of attack, it just seemed to... Stop... Elyx could not see what was going on, Vivid Dreaming did not allow him to communicate with spirits that are not associated with dreams, so that option was out of the picture for him.

The blade of the Celestial Spirit king would emit blue light magic, shining elegantly for the moment. Zack did not even move, such a technique if the King had to use a bit of time... What would it do? And despite the fact that the Sky Slayer wanted to jump in and protect the body that belonged to the God of Ishval, but he found no strength to do it. His part of the gamble was not going to be made, the most that could happen was Elyx dying, but Virgo was safe from the serpent. There was no gamble anymore.

The king would slam the blade downwards, the blue magic spreading out in a damning radius before breaking the earth deeply, then traveling towards Zack's direction. The blue magic rippled through the ground at eye defying speeds, and anything it touches was shattered instantly. Zack...

Summary:

...or Opiuchus depending on your perspective was hit by the wave of power and a strange effect was caused. The image of Zack that had formed began to solidify whilst the solid Zack began to do the opposite. Slowly, but surely they were inverting. The spirit-like Zack was becoming real whilst the original spirit was returning to spirithood. The whole effect only took a few seconds and when it was over the 'spirit' was now a large half serpent wielding the giant sword. It hissed extending a forked tongue and then let out a laugh.

"You may have taken me from his body, but you've removed all magic from him as well." the spirit said spitefully. "He's as weak and pitiful as most mortals...even if he trained a hundred years he'll never become as strong as he was when he had me."

Suddenly though the real Zack moved forward and using his other sword which had changed to gold and was full of energy he rammed it through the spirit causing it to shriek in agony. There was a slight marking on Zack's face that moved down his body and along the blade into Ophiuchus. As it struck him the spirit began to fade away into sparkles, forcibly being returned to the spirit world. However, as he vanished entirely the sword fell from his grasp and into the ground where it slowly began to shrink till it formed into a small key like sword bound with serpents. It was the true key of Ophiuchus.

Zack dropped to his knees the sword falling from his hand and the clothes on his body vanishing to be replaced by simple leather. Everything that he had gained whilst in possession of Opiuchus' power was fading now. He was now just a man. "Thanks Elyx. Thanks King." Zack said and sat there for a moment. "Its good to be free of his voice...even if it means I'm just ordinary now." He slowly rose to his feet a small staff forming in his hands. It wasn't much, but it seemed he had retained at least a little bit of the ability to bend light.

"Zack, my old friend. You are not devoid of magic, but it is sealed away. Celestial power will always be part of you. One day you will regain some strength." he said and then turned to Elyx and spoke.

As for you boy, tell me of your name. The King would ask of Elyx. That's right, this was the first they met. What was the Sky Slayer supposed to do? Virgo... He wanted her back by his side. His face was neutral now, seeing that Zack made it through. The Summoner was just inferior to the rest of what was going on, someone could tell him their story a thousand times about this and it would not make any sense to him. Now, as long as Zack was officially free... It seems like he can speak casually. He was an H rank mage, the time to cry was over. My name is Elyx Reiaki of Fiore and Black Rose. The young mage would explain to the towering King, who would look right back down. A sudden smile would appear on the King's face.

Normally, I'd never allow for this to happen. And to have a bond with Virgo, to lose her like that... Number Thirteen was not worth it you know. The Celestial Spirit King would explain. Elyx tried to butt in to defend himself. But- Naturally, that was denied. But you did it not just to stop Number Thirteen, but to save the Maiden. You not only did it to stop my greatest nusiance, but to save the Maiden. For that, I am very much impressed. I'll grant you one wish in exchange for this act.

What I want the most is to have Virgo back. You're right, The Serpent was not worth it. But I did not want to lose her! That is my wish right there! The Sky Slayer would announce. Now he was the brave one to ask for such a thing. A dead silence would follow after his voice echoed throughout the canyons. Finally, the King would have a response. You would be the first Summoner I would allow for that to happen... He'd reply. Elyx held up the pieces of the broken key to the king. You even kept every bit of the key? An odd human you are. Provided you are able to follow one condition, I am willing to settle for Virgo's return.

Name it then, my King.

A sacrifice must be made. There is no way that can be avoided. Provided you are unable to summon me ever again, I will take Virgo's place for her. Meaning you can't break her key specifically to bring me out.

I accept! Elyx was not too keen on letting Virgo go once again.

And so it was done. He no longer can summon the King, because Virgo was his only golden key.
The King would return back to the Spirit World. And as for the Celestial Maiden's key, the pieces had to mold back together by the king himself. If Elyx wanted it back, he was going to have to see the king by using Yuni in a few days, when the key would be repaired. And Virgo would be back.

---

Zack... The Sky Emperor. Before I take you home from the middle of nowhere, tell me what you know about him.

"Shangdi...otherwise known as the Sky Emperor is a being similar to that of Acnologia, but approached from another path. You know that the self-proclaimed Dragon King is supposedly a former dragon slayer who after bathing in the blood of a thousand dragons became a dragon beyond other dragons?" Zack said looking at Elyx and focused closing his eyes forming the image of a man slowly transforming into a dragon in front of him. "Well, whilst I cannot say if its true or not in his case I can say that it is true in Shangdi's case." He exhaled deeply and the breath seemed to curl and form a humanoid figure. "Though as I said approached from another path. He is not a human who slayed dragons. He is a demon who slayed and enslaved gods and demons. He did not bathe in their blood, but absorbed their power to become what he is now...something new. Something that is not god nor demon, but is still both. I have never seen him fight, but just being around him and his servants...is enough to know his power"

"To the north is Boreas, the King of the North Wind. His power lies in the fell cold." he said calmly and a white figure formed next to him wielding a spear with a snowflake for the tip. "To the south is Notos, Boreas' opposite. He fights with the power of the boiling southern winds." Another figure formed next to him this one black in colour and wielding a large windmill shuriken. "To the west is Zephryus, using the bountiful western winds he rules over nature and turns it against his foes." A green figure now formed wielding a large axe. "Finally is Eurus, who wields the power of moisture washing away her foes and her wounds." A blue female figure now formed this one wielding a pair of swords with wavy blades. "These are his four most powerful servants known as the Sky Kings, though I suppose Eurus should be known as a Sky Queen. Never really thought of that before." he said with a faint smile.

"Without defeating them you have no chance of defeating Shangdi. Not because of the whole 'he's much stronger than them' deal, though he is. No, because without defeating them their power will endlessly revive him. You must defeat the four kings in order to release their seals and defeat him." he sighed deeply. "Though unfortunately, their defeat will also make him more powerful as he will absorb their individual strength. Still, he will no longer have his immortality."

He paused as if remembering something. "Oh yeah, you have to beat all four of them within a week or they will just reform. Its impossible to do alone though if I know your guild...you'll have some help at least."[/color]

This system kind of seemed familiar, but he was not quite able to pinpoint it exactly. There was a huge difference between what he was thinking of and what it was actually. Pillars. For some reason, he was able to relate that word to this system, but why would that be the case again? Oh well, it did not really seem to have too much of a role in this case, and so he would just ignore it. They did not really seem too difficult, considering a week was a LOT of time in battle for him to take down merely five bosses. With the Celestial Fire effect alone, he'd have two of them at their knees by the end of the day. And the fact that they were the Sky Kings, that was cute. Once Zack had finished it was time for the Sky Deity to speak. They have fancy titles, surely. But in the end, I'm the Sky Deity Slayer, I was designed to defy Deities', I will not let you down. The Wizard Saint would explain before flicking Yuni's key out of the socket. With a smile on his face, he would then chant. I open the gate of the Chronicle Commander. Come forth, Yuni! He'd exclaim, and as the ate opened, a hooded Celestial Spirit with snowy white hair and red eyes would appear. These colors popped out more with her grey jacket. Before given the chance to tell her, if Zack did not get out of range, she would take them all to the Magic Council, where Zack could be escorted by them to his guild. Elyx had never been in the guild of Blue Pegasus. Sorry I can't bring you directly home. The council will have to do it Zack. You are going to have to explain to them what happened. I'll help you if you'd like. If not, I guess this is where we depart. I hope... I did something for you.

"They are named the Sky Kings, because they serve the Sky Emperor. I was once the Sky Demon slayer and I never stood a chance against any of them....perhaps because they knew every trick I did. After all, they were the ones who trained me." He shrugged as they appeared near the magic council. "Shangdi knows both god and demons and their slayers. That training has been passed onto the Kings. If I was to class them as mages they would be H. Shangdi is far above them and will be even more so if you beat them. Be careful and try not to rely too much on the power of the air. They know it well."

He walked over a few steps away from Elyx. "The magic  council was where I needed to head before going back to the guild to hand in my resignation. Gotta let them know BP will be getting a new guildmaster. Might even be an old one." he thought for a few moments. "When you do go to face the kings and the emperor...don't go alone. The week time limit might seem a lot, but remember they represent the four cardinal winds. Their homes are not exactly close to one another." he shrugged again. "Maybe send one person to each king and then converge on the emperor."

"Thank you for today Elyx...if you manage to beat the Sky Emperor come find me and let me know...until then I have a job to resign and some people to find. I'll have another job for you if you beat the Sky Emperor."

He remembered the words that Virgo had told him. This sounded like the end of Zack, being the Guild Master of Blue Pegasus and now he was not even able to compare to the average mage. Elyx had done quite a number on him... But... He was free. Free to build himself back up from where he was, living a normal life and possibly being a mage who needed no one else but himself, no Zodiacs to control him and take over his body anymore. This was Zack, and now many people might not look up to him anymore. Probably one of the most respectable men in Fiore, and now all of that was taken away from him. All just so he could be a free man. Was it worth it? Elyx would answer the same answer every time. Yes.

See you later... Zack. Elyx would say, trying not to turn back his head to the former mage, the former God of Ishval. With a sigh from his lips, he knew he would have to move on. A few steps were taken before he would stop for a moment, his emotions really telling him to look back to his friend, one last time for a long time. But he had to be strong. And he would continue walking. He could not help but say one more thing to him. It was nice fighting alongside you when I was still developing, from that moment we started back in Black Rose. You helped me a lot, and now I will do the same for you. If you need someone to call, get me. Now it is time for me to help you. He explained. And with those final words, he would depart from the scene. It was over.