Death's Stigma (NanoWriMo14)

Chapter 32

Grim shot into the entrance of the castle which was completely unguarded.

"Grim slow down, she knows we're coming so we need to check for traps." Nadia nagged as he launched himself through the corridors. He flew into a round room and the exits all sealed with thick crystal doors. Tree like crystals spiraled up out of the ground with a figure standing on one of them.

"Did you really think you could reach my master so easily?" The helmeted man teased.

"I don't care because you'll fall just like the rest."

"You underestimate me human, do you not recognize me?"

"Well maybe I'd recognize your ugly mug if you weren't hiding it behind a mask."

"Yes that is true, I guess it would be better for you to see my eyes as the life fades from yours." He pulled off his helmet and grim pulled Nadia off his back so fast it could have given her whiplash.

"You!" He growled at the demon.

"Yes, it is I Venom. Lady Skyra's closest adviser and the demon that dragged your sister into the bowels of hell." His face was completely featureless except for six glowing eyes. He drew his twin swords as a second set of arms drew two more. Grim spun Nadia and she unfolded from her rectangular shape. After hours of reforming Grim had turned her into a new weapon. A scythe blade extended in opposite directions from each end of the staff. Lines of ammunition trailed down from the base of each blade to the handle at the center of the staff. Each curved blade a serrated edge and the tip curved back into a savage hook.

Grim spun Nadia in his hand and fired at Venom. The demon jumped away as the tree branch was splintered by a barrage of bullets. Venom lunged forwards and Grim blocked as the four swords swung at his body. Venom started swinging them independently keeping Grim on the defensive. Grim Boosted his strength then dove away leaving a clone in his place. He punched the ground at Venoms feet sending a rippling line of shattered crystals at the demon.

Venom simply let the shockwave hit him and launch him into the wall. He landed on his feet and jumped from the wall back at Grim. Grim caught one blade with his clawed hand and stepped into Venom's guard. He shoved the top of his scythe into he demons face and pulled the trigger. It blew away part of his face as he shoved a blade into Grim's back. They both backed away in pain. Grim pulled the blade from his back and crushed it in his clawed hand as Venom's helmet reformed around his face.

"You will pay for that mortal." He drew a pistol with his empty hand and started firing. Grim felt two rounds rip through his leg and he tumbled from the tree.

"Myst!" He yelled as he blurred in between trees while firing back.

"What?"

"I need you to control the scale ability when a bullet is about to hit me scale over that part of my body."

"But you can't use it to fight him then."

"Just do it!" Grim yelled as the tree next to him exploded into razor sharp shrapnel. He charged into Venom's hail of bullets and tackled him. He rolled off the demon with his gun and another sword which he crushed in his hand. Venom clasped two guns to his wrists and gripped his last two blades. This time the demon rushed him and sliced apart the trees around the pelting Grim with shrapnel. Grim duck and rolled up under the demon and jumped up. He hooked his scythe in Venom's lower arm and flew straight up slicing off his arm. Venom jumped back firing with his remaining gun. Myst blocked the majority of the bullets but two managed to hit Grim's forearm.

"Why do you fight human? Even if I were to fall to you, not even that pathetic being that called himself Death could defeat my master."

"Called himself Death? He is Death."

"Is that what he told you!" The demon started to laugh uncontrollably. "That fool isn't Death, he's nothing but a lowly guard. Your "Death's" job is to make sure being don't escape back into the world of the living. He has no power other than the ability to make Reapers. Even the beings that created him aren't as powerful as the embodiment of Death."

"Then how was he able to bring me back to life." Grim said blurring forwards.

"He didn't, he slowed time around you when you where on the brink of death and when you agreed to serve him your new powers healed you. He has just been manipulating you to turn you into the perfect slave."

"Grim he's just trying to provoke you."

"I don't care if he's right or not. All I know is that he needs to die." Grim flipped over Venom and slammed the scythe blade through his back. Venom reversed his grip on his swords and plunged them into Grim's chest. Grim dropped to one knee and Venom pulled Nadia out of his back and into a tree.

"I really must thank you human, I have not had such a worthy opponent in so long. I may just let you live so I finally have someone to spar with." Venom placed the tip of his sword to Grim's heart.

"You say that like the fight is already over." Grim said smiling. A chain had slinked up his sleeve and out of behind him all the way over to Nadia. He dove away creating a clone and yanked Nadia back into his hand. Venom appeared next to him and there blades met once again. They were so evenly matched neither could land a hit on the other. Venom kicked Grim's leg out from underneath him and he hit the ground. He rolled back as a sword stabbed next to his head and managed to slice at Venom's remaining gun hand. They jumped apart and Grim fired a hail of bullets at the demon but each shot just bounced off the demons armor. Grim used his wings and dashed at Venom.

"You're getting sloppy." Venom said stabbing Grim through the gut. Grim tossed him away and boosted his speed. He darted back and forth slashing Venom a dozen times. Venom landed without a scratch and Grim grasped at his stomach. "Good try but..." The straps holding Venoms combat gear together snapped and all of his armor dropped to the floor around him.

"Checkmate." Grim opened fire and fired one enormous beam of energy at Venom. The blast covered the room in dust and blew Grim back a few feet. When the cloud settled the center of the demons chest had been melted through. Venom collapsed to one knee and Grim marched towards him.

"Wait human, I can help you." He said as Grim raised his arm to the side. Without looking Grim decapitated him with a single swing. As the demons body faded to smoke he picked up the pulsing purple jewel left where Venom had been standing. He stared into the black depth's and gripped it tightly.

"Are you going to add him?" Myst said preparing to accept another prisoner.

"No. He deserves the ultimate punishment." Grim crushed the gem in his hand. As the last vessel of his soul was destroyed Venom was just gone, no more afterlife only th black nothing of oblivion. He let the particles fall from his hand and turned to the door that slowly opened in the crystal wall. "Only one left."

Sup everybody, how you guys enjoying the story? This chapter took a little longer because I wanted the fight to be the best it could be. As always please leave a comment and tell me what you liked and disliked. *I may be an idiot but I finally figured out how to bold*