Korey's
[Achlys Keresa]:
That is how Achlys wound up in this situation, standing between a twisted face Joshua Allen and a burning building, behind which, a tree hid both a wounded Korey and an unconscious Little Bella, her scythe, Reaper, in hand.
"What's this? A daughter of Thanatos?" Joshua sniffed the air like a dog, his hand firmly on his Falchion sword, Crimson Vengeance. "You're a Demigod ranker, too, just slightly higher than me, I can sense it. Maybe, if I kill you, eat your corpse and devour your soul, I'll break through to mid-level?"
"Oh my gods…you're insane," Achlys grinned, hands raised to cover her mouth as she giggled, before turning serious. "Good thing father told me to come here. Otherwise, unchecked, you'd be a threat. The aura of Death is strong around you. Who did you kill and how many?"
"I've had time to practice. Sooo much time. You'd be surprised what wonders bathing in a pool of blood in an alternate reality can bequeath," Joshua singsonged with a shrug, confusing Achlys, who tilted her head imploringly. "Are we going to talk, or are we going to fight? Oh, I can't wait to taste demigod bones!"
Then, almost without further adieu, Joshua dashed forward, almost blindingly at Achlys, the clash of their blades — his falchion blade and her long scythe — rung out into the night.
[Joshua Allen]:
Joshua swung his falchion, his 30+ years of experience in his pocket dimension guiding his actions; despite his outwardly appearance, he was technically over 40+ years old, but, considering the other 30+ years came from his time inside that dimension, his physical body has pretty much stayed its same, adolescent self. Sadly, despite his experience, his opponent wasn't ordinary. For every blow he threw at the Daughter of Death, he blocked and parried two more. This girl gave as good as she gets!
She danced like a fluid ballerina, a proper Dancer of Death herself. She threw jabs and slices and pushed and blocked. She moved with agility, fluidity and grace of a deathcat, but in human form. Joshua would never say she was his superior, but, at the very least, he can say she was comparable to his own capabilities — Something he wouldn't give just anyone, and, if anybody ever brought it up… Well, he'll kill them, so there's no need to worry about that.
Meanwhile, Joshua was having the time of his life. He swung his falchion like a madman dancer, his moves rough yet refined, angled yet ruthless, practiced but strong. He was a proper killer and was as dead a foe as his opponent.
Using her scythe to push back a blocking Joshua, Achlys was no slouch. And, as if seeing this, Joshua leaped back, putting his hand to his mouth in a specific formation, he exclaimed "Chaotic Flame Breath!" then, as he blew into his hand, red hot flames scorched towards Achlys like a pillar.
"Thanatos's Blessing: Impregnable Wings of Death's Darkness!" screamed Achlys, as the feathers of her wings visibly hardened and folded, covering her form like a protective cocoon, protecting her from Joshua's scorching flames.
When the assaulting sea of red fire stopped, Achlys got out of her cocoon, but, when she did, she noticed too late that Joshua was waiting on her. She sensed the invisible approaching of her father's presence, as instantly, she was grabbed by her neck, her scythe kicked from her reach.
"Aha haha! You are good, I'll admit," Joshua clenched his fist harder around Achlys's throat, even as she struggled to fight back and breathe. "Evidently, however, not good enough. You can't fight me, girl!"
"I-I'm not trying to," Achlys struggled out, before reaching her hand out to Joshua's heart and, with all the will she could muster, yelled "Soul Extraction! Soul Banish—-!"
But, before she could finish, Joshua tossed her backwards, into the wall of the burning house. "Bitch! You think you can kill someone who's father predates Death itself?! Fuck you! Now DIE!!"
Gasping, Achlys could only watch, grabbing her own neck as Joshua rushed her way, falchion in-hand, ready to end her. Joshua could smell the horror coming off her — the terror of death coming from it's daughter felt poetic to Joshua. It smelled delicious! He couldn't wait to swallow it down with salt.
However, before he could even reach her, one of the kids he'd been trying to kill earlier was on him, a new tattoo that wasn't on them before, now glowing on his forearm —- A golden caduceus, bright and golden, matching the boy's golden glowing eyes. And despite half a pipe being stuck in his gut, Korey was on a role. He punched Joshua at superspeed, sending him flying twice in mere seconds!
[Korey, a few moments earlier]:
As Korey laid wounded, possibly dying, he angled himself so that he could watch his savior's fight. He noticed how elegant and graceful the girl fought; he was enamored, to say the least. However, when it looked like she was about to lose, he began feeling hopeless. Not only was she about to die trying to save him, but, ironically, he'd die after his savior, which considering she had literally just pulled him from a burning building, felt counterproductive and redundant.
Just as all hope seemed lost, time seemed to slow down. The trees, previously flowing in the warm breeze, stopped entirely. The raging fire that was burning the only home Korey's ever truly known, halted as if someone had a universal remote and pressed the pause button. Even the fight with his savior and would-be killer, completely slowed to zero kinetic motion. And with this, Korey heard a voice: "It's much sooner than I thought, my son, but it looks like I have no choice."
Thinking he's hearing voices, Korey looked around but only saw a losing Achlys, a gloating Joshua and an unconscious Little Bella — All paused in time by some…something. "Hello? Is there anyone there?"
"Young one, it is I, Hermes, your father," said the voice. "I've come to help."
"My…father?" Korey said, shock evident, even in his voice. "...Help me?"
"Yes, and, while I've been following your mischievous exploits, I am quite impressed at your endeavors for such a youngster a trickster like yourself," said the voice. "I cannot do anything to heal you— That would be against the rules; I can, however, unlock your power. All you have to do is accept it."
Realising what was at stake, Korey shook his head, clearing himself from his shock at finally learning who his father was. Nodding his head, he figured he could ask questions later. Right now, Corven's friend needed him. Then, steeling his resolve, he muster all his courage and spoke. "I… I accept."
"Alright, hang onto something, because this is about to hurt," stated the voice, declaring himself as Hermes.
"Wait, wha—," Korey began, but was cut off.
No sooner had he began to speak then Korey felt a sharp pain at his forearm, one that seemed to travel throughout his entire being, though it was deeply concentrated mostly to his arm. The pain was so great, Korey couldn't even scream. As he squirmed on the ground, it felt like needles were piercing his arm, that the pain would never end.
By the time it did, Korey wiped the sweat away. He instinctively knew what was on his forearm — A tattoo of his father's symbol and crest: The Caduceus. He also instinctively knew he was no longer just a regular mortal; he was fast — Realy fast. And kinda strong, too.
And, as if to prove his point, time slowed somehow even more and Korey suddenly appeared behind Joshua, punching him in the face, sending him flying. He followed up by throwing a punch after punch before Joshua was able to react.
Sometime in between the punches, time returned to its normal pace, but, to Korey's perception, it was still quite slow.
"Aah!" Joshua scream, enraged and pissed as at Korey, as a wave of crimson fire came from within him, just as Korey tripped over a loose pipe, narrowly avoiding the heat of the fire, but he still had to deal with the force of it, sending him into the ground even further than the fall did.
"NO!!"
Getting up, Korey found himself standing before a grinning Joshua Allen, with a falchion blade through his gut. The horrified scream of Achlys loud in his ears.