[SP-F6] Mental Renewal <<Calming the Soul>>

[Vigilon 0]

Vigilon attacked once more, and Corruption seemed displeased. "So, you pulled yourself too tight on this one...maybe we can try something else instead...it's intensely rough and very relieving, you'll love it..." She said as she slowly transitioned back to a mischievous smile, and then she changed form again. The battlefield changed form, too.

The room they were in once appeared to be a grand, beautiful room that was dimly lit, but now it looked like an actual battlefield, except the battle was over. Vigilon couldn't see Corruption, but there were three armored figures, with helmets concealing their faces. They all had red cursors, but there were no names displayed. Vigilon attacked one, and with a burst of red, the figure he struck shattered, but the burst of color seemed to deal damage to Vigilon...

Ah, this was one of those "which one is the real enemy" tricks. He should have seen this coming. Now he just needed to wait for his opponents' attacks and figure out which one was real.

 

Vigilon: [                    ] [          ]

 

Decoy 1: [ ]

Decoy 2: [ ]

Corruption: [                     ]

[Vigilon 0]

Maybe he could handle this with an AoE attack. So he did, but the problem was that because he struck both targets, he not only found the real one, he got hit by a burst of orange. Now he knew he was gonna need to be more careful. Corruption cracked her whip, attempted to attack Vigilon, then split back into three. Two of the three figures were probably more danger decoys.

He'd need to be clever about this. He should have waited. "I really should have thought this through." He remarked with a sigh. The three figures laughed simultaneously. "Missing The trials of passion already? Well, you're the one who asked for a different region of your heart to explore!" They all said at once. "What do you think of such trickery? You are one to be strict with your code, but surely you're loose here. You wanted a fight, yes? Can you tell who your real enemy is?"

This was getting annoying real fast.

Vigilon: [                    ] [          ]

 

Decoy 1: [ ]

Decoy 2: [ ]

Decoy 3: [ ]

Decoy 4: [ ]

Corruption: [                     ]

[Vigilon 0]

The battle was nearing its end, but Vigilon needed to be careful with his targeting and his energy if he wanted to win. Each opponent tried to whip Vigilon, but only one managed to hit. He falsely tried to attack each one with a basic swing, and two of them simply stood there, ready to take the hit, and only one tried to dodge. "There you are..."

He then used an actual Sword Art, spending the rest of his energy on the attack, and it would seem Vigilon's tactic worked. The figure took damage, and the other ones simply burst into yellow and green without damaging Vigilon. Almost there, he was almost there...but now he was exhausted. For now, he'd have to endure or dodge a barrage of attacks to recharge his energy. After not doing anything for a few seconds, Corruption split into three again. Now how was he going to figure this out, assuming the other decoys were smarter than those who came before?

Vigilon: [                    ] [          ]

 

Decoy 1: [ ]

Decoy 2: [ ]

Decoy 3: [ ]

Decoy 4: [ ]

Decoy 5: [ ]

Decoy 6: [ ]

Corruption: [                     ]

[Vigilon 0]

Vigilon focused on evasive action as the figures assaulted Vigilon. In time, he noticed more complexity with the attacks of one than the others' attacks. Vigilon had taken a fair amount of damage, so it was all down to this.

Vigilon attacked one figure...and to his relief, he chose the right target. The other figures shattered, as they burst into colors of blue and violet. Vigilon saw that his opponent still stood, but she reverted back to her original form, and the surrounding area was the room it used to be once more. Corruption fell to the ground, then looked up to Vigilon with eyes that seemed to be pleading. "So, you've got me...well, what are you waiting for?"

He was agitated during this little decoy-puzzle, and he really disliked being messed with. He took a deep breath, he didn't even know what was possibly being corrupted during that moment...but now he had peace, and an answer. "You asked me who the real enemy was. It wasn't those decoys...but it wasn't you, either...in fact, I think its what you represent that is the enemy here." He decided.

Corruption's eyes lit up. "You're...sparing me?" She asked, surprised. "You've treated just about every monster in your Mindscape as they were seen as: Monsters. You killed them all...so why...why spare me?"

Vigilon shrugged. "You're not all bad. Sure, your name is literally corruption, but as long as there's something good in you, isn't there hope? I can't always guarantee that I'd spare someone. Heck, I know for a fact that there are definitely some people who I won't spare, for the sake of protecting others, or simply to defend myself if I'm alone."

Vigilon: [                    ] [          ]

 

Decoy 1: [ ]

Decoy 2: [ ]

Decoy 3: [ ]

Decoy 4: [ ]

Decoy 5: [ ]

Decoy 6: [ ]

Corruption: [                     ]

[Vigilon 0]

Corruption seemed to be in thought for a short moment. "I have to die if you're to move on. Then again, not all death in the Mindscape is permanent, some of us who are understood can be reincarnated...I want you to finish me...and I'd like you to use this." She explained, before handing Vigilon her whip. Vigilon hesitated, but in the end, he took a deep breath, and dealt the final hit. Corruption shattered, and the whip in Vigilon's hand, which apparently had the word "Seeker" engraved onto its handle, then changed into a simple dagger after a few seconds. Now engraved on its blade was "Desire", and the word previously on its handle disappeared.

Light came into the room, and a box appeared before Vigilon. He picked it up, and opened it to find more of those red crystals. Three small, one larger. Clearly, he would need to wait and regenerate HP before moving on. If these crystals really did heal, he'd need to save these for combat situations...and now that he thought about it, he could have just used one when his HP was starting to run low.

Vigilon: [                    ] [          ]

 

Corruption: [                     ]

[Vigilon 0]

As he waited, he wondered if taking the understanding route with Corruption was really the right choice. She literally tried to corrupt his heart, and yet he chose to spare her?

Well, there was nothing he could do about that, so he waited for his HP and energy to regenerate to full, then he moved on and left the building.

There was only one more building to find, and one more fight to win, there just had to be. He'd faced many things so far. He'd fought against the memory of that group from his middle school days, he'd obliterated the combination of two dragons and proceeded to question himself on whether or not he wanted it to be that easy outside of Aincrad, deep down inside. He'd had a close call with the possibility of death and failure, and he'd encountered and forgiven a shadow of his father's killer. Now, he had also faced his sister and convinced her to remove the mask, he'd clashed with a beast that called his efforts futile, and turned the tables on those words, and recently he'd just battled one who sought to dip his heart into darkness, and chose to spare her despite it.

What a ride this had all been.

[Vigilon 0]

Vigilon continued along the labyrinth, looking for the one building he hadn't found yet. He soon found something he hadn't seen yet, but it wasn't a building...it was yet another creature.

It seemed to be a spectral creature of some sort, appearing a translucent white with an eerie blue glow. When it saw Vigilon, it let out a deafening screech, and two others appeared. Vigilon readied an Area of Effect Sword Art, and attacked them all at once. Only the last one that appeared survived the attack, and it slashed at Vigilon, leaving really bad gashes on him. Vigilon attacked once more and the fight was over. He sighed, now confirming to himself that every major battle he wins causes a new enemy to show up. Hopefully this would be the last one. 

"Someone...anyone, just say something..."

Ah, yes, that voice was still present. it was getting kind of confusing as to why it's still there.

[Vigilon 0]

It took a bit of a short while, but he did eventually spot the building. It was almost as large as the center building that was blocked off by the battles he had yet to win. This had to be the place.

He walked along a burning hall, making his way over to a large room, and then, he saw it.

Once more he looked, and behold, a Great and Terrible Dragon of Fire, Darkness, and Ire. It's scales were the color of obsidian, and its eyes were like an ever burning blaze. His fires burned with heat that could destroy entire cities, and the Dragon's name was Bahyolvokun.

This Dragon would wage War to all that dared cross him, and his Wrath was infernal.

 

Vigilon stood there, staring at this monstrous creature. To him, its appearance made him think of not only a dragon, but maybe even a being of evil. That, however, was one man's perspective.

 

[RP combat initiated, Stats will not matter]

[Encountered Elite Demon Bahyolvokun]

 

Vigilon: [                    ] [          ]

 

Bahyolvokun: [                     ]

[Vigilon 0]

Vigilon was in trouble now, if he wasn't before. The Dragon got up, and Vigilon had to dodge a widespread cone of flame that was breathed out from the monster.

It was far from easy, because he still got caught in the edge of the attack. He then prepared his own attack, and unleashed his sword art against Bahyolvokun, dealing a fair amount of damage. What he was going through now made the times he'd gotten whipped by Corruption seem like nothing at all. He then realized he'd been afflicted by burn, as his side was still stinging and he noticed he may or may not be on fire right now. He stopped, dropped, and rolled, just to get slammed by a clawed hand that probably belonged to his enemy. Vigilon crawled out, used Galaxy Destroyer, and was then caught in the dead center of the next flame cone as the Dragon breathed fire again.

Yeah, this was gonna be fun.

Vigilon: [                    ] [          ] {Burned}

 

Bahyolvokun: [                     ]

[Vigilon 0]

How was Vigilon going to get himself out of this one? What he saw was some kind of semi-demonic infernal dragon that would gladly go on a rampage and cause a massacre, regardless of which side asked him, and that was enough to get Vigilon to attack on sight. Problem was, he may actually be out of his league here.

Sure was "Last but not least" in the situation of these four battles, definitely...but how was he gonna do it? How was he gonna get through this battle without getting scorched out of the Mindscape? He needed a plan...but that was the issue, he never specialized in making plans. Strategies, maybe, but this was in the middle of combat and-oh, he took too long overthinking and another breath attack was on its way. Vigilon rolled to the right, and actually managed to dodge the attack this time.

Guess he'd just have to improvise and hope for the best.

Vigilon: [                    ] [          ] {Burned}

 

Bahyolvokun: [                     ]

[Vigilon 0]

Vigilon prioritized not getting hit over dealing damage, which was a good move, since that fire breath was difficult to avoid. The Dragon was mostly stationary, so it would be easy-ish to attack...right? He attempted to maneuver around and managed to activate his sword art, striking his opponent...and then getting swatted to the wall by said opponent's tail. Ouch.

"This is getting ridiculous..." Vigilon wheezed, trying to catch the breath that was knocked out of him by the impact. After falling to the ground, Vigilon got up, with some difficulty, and saw he was in range for another breath attack. Time to get moving.

He bolted off to the right, then suddenly the left. He barely managed to escape the attack range. If this kept going on, he didn't know if he'd be using several of those strange crystals, or if it would be just as simple as the last three times.

Vigilon: [                    ] [          ] 

 

Bahyolvokun: [                     ]

[Vigilon 0]

"You fight with me, against me." The Dragon then stated. "Do you even realize the irony of your situation?"

Vigilon was now confused. "What the heck are you even talking about? How could one be fighting with and against someone, unless you're being redundant, that is?" He asked.

He then heard the voice hyperventilating or something, it didn't help at all, nor was it something Vigilon was able to understand. Double confusion.

He dodged the next attack and activated his sword art, managing to deal a bit of damage to his opponent, bringing its HP to yellow.

Then The Dragon stopped playing around and got serious.

Vigilon was grabbed, lifted into the air as The Dragon took flight, then he was tossed to the ground, pounded, and then came more fire upon him. Vigilon found himself unable to utter any words after such a severe beating. He needed some ice...maybe more...

Vigilon: [                    ] [          ] {Burned}

 

Bahyolvokun: [                     ]

[Vigilon 0]

The Dragon did nothing for some time. "Well? Aren't you going to say something?" He questioned.

Vigilon slowly got up. "Give me a break, you just beat me senseless..." He muttered weakly. He then pulled out one of the smaller crystals, and made use of it. "Ok...that feels oddly better..." He remarked as some of the red marks representing his wounds faded. There was still no shortage of said marks, however. It seemed that the Dragon had reverted back to its usual attack patterns. Ok, better be careful in case another attack burst was to happen.

Vigilon focused on dodging attacks, and eventually he managed to get another attack in.

This was probably going to take a fair amount of time if he wasn't going to use any more crystals, so he would need to focus on avoiding attacks instead of dealing them...he'll win in the long run this way, he was sure of it.

Vigilon: [                    ] [          ] 

 

Bahyolvokun: [                     ]

[Vigilon 0]

His thoughts were interrupted by a sudden voice. "Where am I...? What's going on here?"

Vigilon stopped and looked around, but there was no noticeable source of this new voice. The previous voice then spoke up all of a sudden. "Is someone there? Where are you? I haven't heard anyone for so long!" Vigilon then heard the other voice speak again. "Someone's there? Where are you? I can't see you, but I can hear you?" Wait a minute. "Wait, isn't that what I said not too long ago?" Vigilon suddenly asked. The Dragon that was about to attack suddenly stopped. The first voice spoke again. "I don't see you either, but do you feel it too? That sense of...imprisonment..." The second voice spoke up. "Yes, yes I do...where are you? I can't see you!"

Something wasn't right. "You can feel them there, don't you?" The Dragon asked. "I don't get it. I don't even know what you're talking about, how or when I started hearing these voices in my head, when I...." Vigilon rambled. "Ah...you don't know, do you? ...Well, you'll know soon enough, the answer will be as clear as the daylight sky in due time..." The Dragon remarked.

Vigilon: [                    ] [          ] 

 

Bahyolvokun: [                     ]

[Vigilon 0]

Vigilon was confused, this dragon seemed to figure out what was going on before Vigilon even had a chance to put things together, and he was still in the middle of combat, not to mention those two voices were still speaking and still trying to find each other, as if it was its own scenario far, far away from all this, despite Vigilon being able to hear it.

What was this madness, exactly? "What in all of...what...how...but...I DON'T GET IT!!!!" Vigilon thought aloud. "At this point, I do wonder what this challenge you chose to take upon yourself will break first, your mind, or your body?" The Dragon remarked.

Vigilon shook his head. "Just...argh, enough with this already!" He exclaimed.

And the battle would continue. Vigilon rushed in to make a false attack, he jumped back to avoid getting slashed, and then he followed with an attack of his own.

He missed.

Vigilon: [                    ] [          ] 

 

Bahyolvokun: [                     ]

[Vigilon 0]

The Dragon prepared to breathe fire, and Vigilon barely dodged the attack. Vigilon would activate his sword art and rush in to attack. He hit this time, but now it was time to run.

Vigilon managed to get far enough away that the Dragon then accidentally grabbed a huge stone, and did the rest of the whole attack barrage anyway, in which the rock shattered afterwards. The Dragon barely spoke when it was angry. In fact, it was more of a silent rage...

"What would you do if someone was to harm another, especially if it was someone you cared about? What would you do if something dared to threaten you life, what if someone tried to kill Jewel? Alex, show me what you can do!" The Dragon demanded.

"...."

Vigilon said nothing, and ignored the voices in his head. "Well? What if what stood before you dared to do such things?"

Vigilon readied his sword.

"...."

He then rushed in to attack his opponent. He blocked and parried every physical attack to come his way, and he let loose upon the Dragon. Strike after strike, blow after blow, he was relentless in his assault.

 

Vigilon: [                    ] [          ] 

 

Bahyolvokun: [                     ]

[Vigilon 0]

Despite being exhausted, Vigilon's eyes spoke far louder than even the rest of his expression. An intense, burning red that bore into his opponent's own gaze.

"Yes....yes....this is exactly what I wanted, for us to battle as equals! Wrath is universal, Wrath is eternal, even the most holy of beings bears a hatred for something. There will always be those who threaten peace, and thus there will always be Wrath before there is peace." The Dragon declared.

"..."

Vigilon took a deep breath, then another. The two voices made it difficult, but in the end, he managed to keep breathing deeply.

"..."

He walked up to the Dragon slowly, but remained wary in case of any sudden movement. No response came, so he continued walking. When he finally reached the Dragon, he stabbed it. "You're wrong..." Vigilon began. "But so was I." Vigilon did not remove his weapon just yet. "You claim there will always be Wrath, but it is not truly eternal. Just because there will always be wrath in Hell doesn't mean its the same for everywhere else. Human wrath...is flawed. I am flawed, you are flawed, it's something we all have to accept. Not every problem can be solved with a sword, and that's just something we'll have to live with, regardless of how many times we make the same mistakes."

With that, he moved his blade, having it cut its way out of his opponent. The Dragon's HP dropped to zero.

"I thank you for being willing to hear me out..." The dragon stated. "After all....I am a part of you."

Then the dragon shattered.

Vigilon: [                    ] [          ] 

 

Bahyolvokun: [                     ]

[Vigilon 0]

Vigilon would stay in the room and wait for his HP to regenerate. If anything, he was lucky that he didn't have to deal with taking any more damage, but getting some healing just in case didn't seem to hurt...speaking of healing, he looked over to where the dragon once stood. Ah, yes, more of those odd healing gems were there. He decided to pick them up, and once he was confident he would make it to the center structure, he left the room.

The two voices continued to speak, and Vigilon still couldn't wrap his head around why. He looked around, and noticed there seemed to be less enemies around...and there were a good number of large crystals scattered all over the place. Funny, those weren't there before...something was wrong, those crystals didn't look right...

"I thought that was the last one, like with those other inner demons...why...do things somehow look worse?" He thought aloud.

[Vigilon 0]

Vigilon wasn't in the mood to investigate those unsettling crystals that just showed up while he wasn't looking, or, more accurately, while he was fighting that dragon, Bahyolvokun, if he recalled that correctly from the battle's memory.

Sure, there were still some enemies around, of all the different kinds he'd seen before, but there were less of them, and some of them had less than their maximum HP and a few crystals on them.

It's not like something would go on a rampage and plant crystals everywhere, right? And for some of the weaker enemies to have taken damage prior to encountering Vigilon, well...exactly what in a place like this would attack monsters other than Vigilon? He pondered over this, despite the two voices continuing to speak, resulting in a bit of mental traffic. The center structure of the isle shouldn't be too far now, right?

"This will all be over soon." He thought.

Edited August 23, 2021 by Vigilon

[Vigilon 0]

He would soon spot something within one of the larger crystals that was now dotting the stone grounds of the isle, and when he took a closer look, he saw one of those Blood Beasts trapped within it. Now Vigilon was even more concerned. Was this not over after all, or was there something lurking about, hoping to get in his way? He couldn't tell, but now he'd decided to quicken his pace in case it was the latter. He'd been through enough, in his own opinion, so he would make haste to reach the final building. The two voices continued to speak, but now they seemed to be even more afraid, for whatever reason. What a coincidence, Vigilon was, too...

When he could see the center structure's entrance on the horizon, he would sprint towards it....but then he stopped suddenly, as there seemed to be someone there. "What the...?"