“You will die alone monster?” The void being mocked. Tilting a monstrous head back and forth to really sell his lack of concern. “You couldn’t think of anything interesting or at least accurate to open with?” The void being mocked, pointing down at Ozzy. “Clearly I won’t die alone, I have a follower right there.”

  “Then I’ll kill him first! I’ll make you watch as I slaughter your only disciple.” The god thundered, leveling a murderous gaze at Ozzy.

  Everyone in the room facepalmed.

  “Tyrus. Thank you for the enthusiasm.” The Goddess of Light said, pinching the bridge of her nose in evident frustration. “I need that human alive, he’s the whole reason I brought you down here in the first place.”

  “Hard to find good help for a stupid plan?” The void being asked.

  “Help is easy to find, loyalty is a little harder.” The Goddess responded, matching the void being for haughtiness.

  “Last chance.” She offered.

  The void being lashed out. Say one thing for the void being. Say it was a badass.

  ***

  Striking out faster than the darkness could reclaim fleeing light the void being moved first. Slamming into the new god who hadn’t yet spoken. Driving pointed appendages into his chest. Using the rest of his bulk like a battering ram to send the organic blades even deeper.

  The wounded god cried out. Clapping his hands together the injured god created an explosion of fire in between himself and the void being. Flames rolled over the void being harmlessly, but they had the added effect of sending the flying back and out of melee, trailing golden ichor as he went.

  “You’ll pay for that!” The loudmouthed god shouted, charging at the void boing recklessly, a massive sword of glowing orange energy forming in his hands.

  “Unlikely!” The void being laughed, dancing backwards. Quickly his form began to change, moving into something more resembling of human form as he began to dodge strike after strike.

  “Taste sunlight!” The reckless god shouted, still yet to have landed an attack.

  Behind the reckless god the Goddess of Light charged a spell. The third and injured god consuming something to regenerate his damaged body.

  “You should not attack alone.” The void being commented, still stuck in a melee with the reckless god.

  “Silence!” The god shouted into the void beings face, redoubling his efforts to strike him.

  Over hand swing. Turn, spin, retain momentum, slash. Return to guard, feint, feint again, low cut. The loudmouth moved in a blur that would have had Ozzy watching mouth agape any other day, but before the void being it only looked sloppy. Wait, how am I even able to keep up with this? Ozzy wondered, frowning as he remembered the fact that he was very much a weakling. Struggling sometimes to even see how fast Trinidad moved.

  “I have somewhat linked our senses. Consider this show my form of apology for taking so long to arrive.” The void being spoke into his mind. “I hope it will prove entertaining, you are after all the first mortal to ever view one of my fights.”

  Seemingly growing tired of just dodging and evading the void being stepped into the reckless gods guard. Immediately the reckless god took a step backward. He pulled his sword closer into his body weakening the strike but keeping it on course for the void being. Rather than continuing further into the gods guard the void being planted its feet, turning in the direction of the swing to reach out with both hands and clap them over the swinging sword.

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  The swings momentum stopped dead, meeting a being who did not gain his power through others but through his own hands. As his hands made contact with the blade made of glowing energy it was like like a hole had been breached in the side a circuit.

  Power flowed from the blade, the portions around the void beings hands glowing brightly as the rest began dimming and losing all of its luster. The energy fading from the control of the reckless god and moving over to the void being. Who, with hand outstretched sent a wave of corrosive darkness at the two other gods who are who were just barely getting ready to jump into the brawl.

  The wave washed over them, not damaging outright. Slowly however, gear crumbled. The Goddess of lights ornate armor crumbling and rusting. She shouted, raising her hands to her armor and firing out a pulse of light to counter the corruption’s spreading ride influence.

  That was right when the previously injured god decided to jump in. He was beside the reckless god in a heartbeat. A massive poleaxe appearing in his arms as he complimented the reckless gods attacks. Moving away as his ally moved closer, striking at the void being whenever his ally did or feinted an attack.

  Together the two gods formed a wall that even to the void being was nearly unreachable. While stronger than any of the deities present he was not above getting ganged up on. In fact he had to retreat as the goddess of light finally made her move. It was clear he had to change something up. The three gods now working together had him on a constant fighting retreat. He was no longer even trying to attack, only using his rapid piercing attacks to buy momentary glimpses of openings through which he could avoid other attacks or spells.

  It was amazing. Despite being ganged up on three to one he received not a single scratch. Even though he wasn’t attacking not being able to hit the void god had its’ own deleterious effect on the gods. For one the reckless god grew even angrier. He raged at the void god, desperate for blood. Even just a glancing blow, and yet he received nothing.

  “You are all expending a great deal of energy.” The void being commented after what felt like a minute had passed for Ozzy. “You might not last.”

  “We do not need to last.” The previously injured god growled at the void being through gritted teeth. “There are more than simply us. We only make up this attacks morning.” He said, and grinned at the void being. Perhaps taking comfort in the fact that though he might not be able to touch him, that someone inevitably would.

  “Ugh. How cowardly.” The void being muttered. Enraging the gods present even further as several more stepped into existence from their hiding places beyond Ozzy’s sight. Now bringing up the grand total of gods to seven.

  “I will admit. I might need that help.” The void being said, speaking to no one in particular though to the glee of the reckless god before him.

  “Hah, there is no one to aid you monster. The gunslingers patrons are either weak or cowardly. You do him a disservice keeping him from me.” The goddess spoke. Only to be ignored as the void being lashed out once again, beginning the fight anew.

  “Calling for hope now? You cannot hope to stand ag-”

  BOOM

  “Thought you’d need help. Stuck around to make sure.” A voice Ozzy could’ve recognized from anywhere boomed through the darkness. It was heavy, grating, and with deep slavic accent. The Lord of Powder had come.

  The explosion from some godly firearm feeling more like being privy to a local nuclear blast than one of Fauga’s guns.

  The reckless god was missing nearly a quarter of his chest. Gasping and holding a hand over the wound that gushed ichor freely onto the floor.

  “I may not be strong Goddess. But my guns were invented to level the playing field.” He spoke.

  BOOM

  Another shot rang out, striking the same god though opposite the first wound in the shoulder. The god shouted in pain, cursing the darkness where Fauga his, taking his eyes off of the void being before him. It was a lethal mistake.

  With the same speed he’d used to start their fight the void being lashed out. Taking the god just below his chin and severing arteries and golden spine alike. The gods head rolled, spinning across the floor to land at the Goddess of lights feet.

  “Stand down.” The void being reiterated. “You have not lost too much to return from.

  “You don’t know that!” The goddess of light screamed, rage bubbling up and out

  of her persona as she seethed. She had been using her magic to buff the two frontlines until now, but in her rage, she stepped forward. Unwilling to leave her job to anyone but herself. Ozzy heard the signature cocking of a round entering a chamber somewhere up above him in the darkness. They’d be fighting to the last man it seemed.