Bathing In Corruption [Algos/Vanyel]

It was almost predictable for her to say such a thing in response to his own statement. He could almost taste the satisfaction in her voice as he turned to face the oncoming wave of demons, and he wasted no time in bringing a set of weapons to his side, a pair of gunblades that were firmly kept sheathed at his waist as, the moment that Algos gave him the order and the go-ahead, Vanyel began to calmly walk forward.

As he proceeded, he couldn't shake her words. She wanted him to show her how far he'd go to protect Calypso, but the image of Algos' face never left his mind. Even now, he wanted to hurt her, tear her apart, brutalize her in a way that only he could. He still couldn't stop hating her for what she had done. He wanted to move on, but part of him just wouldn't let him. He knew it wasn't his fault, but there was an incessant nagging in the back of his head. But, despite this, he kept his focus in front of him.

The second part of her order rang out in his head as the swarm approached him. He still didn't draw his weapons. As one came close, he slowed to a stop, taking a stance with his fists, and just as the demon reared back to attack, the man suddenly ducked down, drew his arm back, and threw a punch forward all in the same motion, sending him flying backward into the others.

Letting out a cool exhale as he returned to his prior stance, he wasted no time in snapping forward, continuing to use his fists against the wave of demons, pummeling each and every one of them with the brutality he hadn't utilized in years. The demons were knocked down, and each time they rose again, he would hit them even harder than the last time. He broke bones, and when they healed, he'd break them again.

It didn't matter how many times they got back up, Vanyel simply continued to lash out and fight. No matter how high their durability or how strong their regeneration was, he continued to attack. As if his emotions fueled his combat, each hit became more savage than the last, cobalt energy flaring as his fists slowly uncurled, his essence coiling around his hands as gave into himself, his coiled energy turning into claws.

The moment they formed, he began tearing into the demons, slashing and impaling them over and over again, eventually drawing his weapons, mixing them in with his bare-fisted assault. As the last enemy finally fell, Vanyel walked back to where Algos stood, returning his weapons to his side. His blue eyes seemed to burn themselves into Algos' crimson, gleeful stare. As he came to a stop in front of her, he remarked with only a single word:

"There."

It felt strange to have given in to such a brutal savagery. As Algos approached him, embracing him and holding her close to her bosom -- causing the man's face to flush a deep shade of red, holding his tongue as she spoke. Would this really make Calypso happy? It didn't take a rocket scientist to see that she enjoyed seeing him brutalize those demons, acting like a mindless berserker.

It felt so strange to let go after all those years. Back then, his brutality and unrelenting nature earned him the nickname "Dragon of Kyushu" in the yakuza, a trait that only seemed to dwindle and distance itself from him as the years went by. But, deep down, part of him loved that feeling. The rush that he felt as he threw himself into combat, hurling punches and fighting like in the old days, was exhilarating.

As she asked him how he felt, asking if it felt divine for him to let loose and go berserk, he remained silent. He looked back down at his bloodied knuckles, only for his head to suddenly jerk back up as Algos kissed his forehead, his face deepening its crimson shade as the demoness unleashed a crackling, pressurized wave of energy. However, he breathed a quiet sigh of relief at her assurance that he wouldn't lose control, even if that was one of the last things on his mind at that moment.

"To fight like that again, after so many years, felt...exhilarating. I haven't felt a rush like that in so long, I had almost forgotten what it felt like to fight."

Despite him knowing how Algos got in such a high of emotion, suffering, and pain, there was still some level of awkwardness and embarrassment with the princess being so close and affectionate with him, as his cheeks flushed red once again as her hands grazed the sides of his face. The thought of becoming as strong as Algos was a tempting offer -- but also one that he had little choice in.

After all, at this point, there was no going back. There was no other path for him other than to stay by Calypso and Algos' side, to cultivate and nurture this budding aspect of himself in order to become a true devil.

Her eyes seemed to bore holes into his soul as she gazed at him, putting a question forward and letting her tongue slide out of her mouth as blood dripped from the tip, the gentle echo of each drop landing on the earth being almost hypnotic as it rang through his ears. Letting out a quiet, shaky breath as she continued to speak, breathing down his neck and continuing to feed that temptation.

"The high isn't as important. It's just a nice byproduct of the end goal, but...I don't mind indulging in it. If it will help me grow stronger, keep Caly safe, and give me the ability to become a devil unlike any other, then I'll take it. "

His fingers hovered over his weapons, coiling slowly around the handles of his gunblades. Perhaps it was because of that high that had practically reinvigorated him to fight, but there was an itch that he wanted to scratch -- to hit that long-lost high again in the thrill of sheer, pure combat. The feeling of his fist stopping as it made contact, the feeling of his body moving with the flow of the battle, stylishly avoiding blows while returning the favor.

It was a part of his life that, no matter how long he was out of the game, would never leave him.

Being entirely truthful, he felt a shiver run down his spine when Algos asked about making this more interesting. But, he breathed a quiet sigh of relief as she pushed away from him, before suddenly wiped his forehead with a bloody hand, feeling the drops of blood slide down his face as he inhaled them.

The devilish substance took little time to reach their intended effect, and he could feel that desire to fight creeping into his heart, as if a creature wrapping their claws around his heart, only to fill him with this long missed feeling. A grin began to spread across his face, hardly noticing the mildly jarring flash of purple as they were transported further into the desolate outlands of the Nation of Thoughts.

He took in more and more of the blood as she spoke, the desire to fight grower stronger and warmer, coiling around his heart and mind like burning chains. As his eyes darted over to Algos, seeing her motioning him to attack, he didn't waste a single second. He started off into a sprint, kicking forward as he reached behind him to pull out his weapons again, before suddenly lurching forward and thrusting his arms forward to stab her with the bladed ends of his gunblades, one of them being wrapped with Corrosion Cloud.

The black cloud of corruption and madness immediately targeted the demoness' magic, should the weapon have connected, beginning to slow the flow of her demonic energy and slow the process of her being able to unleash her magic. Should the effects have taken hold, this would begin forcing her to take more time to prepare her spells. Ripping the weapons back and readjusting his stance, he quickly stepped forward to go in for a flurry of quick, yet controlled and precise slashes in order to increase the effect, ensuring that he stayed within range of her.

"Perfect for me. I've been aching to beat the living shit out of you to get payback."