Kyle stood before them, grinning from ear to ear and with arms wide open in greeting “Welcome to my Lair!” he chuckled at their surprised expressions “Oh did you really think I would not expect you to follow me?” laughing now as they turned baffled “Oh please, I wanted you to follow me. The next few events must be played off flawlessly. I cannot have a bunch of party poopers such as yourselves strolling around free now can I?”

The shield and mace wielding Champion stepped forward, stomping down his foot in frustration as he bellowed “And you believe you can kill us? Here and now!? Boy you do not even know what we’re capable of in combat!”

“Do I not?” Kyle asked, snorting right after in amusement “Worry not, I won’t be killing any of you. Not yet anyway…” he then gestured at the doorless hall around them “I’ll simply keep you here for the time being, until I have further use for you. Oh and don’t even try to escape, the walls are cheap ice but surrounded by tears in reality. There will be no warping out of this room.” He glanced at Karnage “Nor bashing through the walls.” He then glanced over the rest with a cold smile.

“You…had it all planned out?!” exclaimed Karnage in fury “Everything!? You really think everything will go your way!?”

Kyle’s smile faltered into a hollow visage as he met her burning gaze of anger “Yes, I did plan it all out…well with some help anyway. Can’t forget to give him credit, he’d never let me hear the end of it! And yes, everything WILL go our way because we will force it to.” His eyes grew wider as he spoke the next few words “Be it kings or queens, angels or demons, Gods or Devils. Nothing will stand in our way, nothing can stop us.”

He chuckled coldly, a wicked cackle to their ears “We will bend over this world, to our will and needs. Struggle as it might, this is no damn holy quest anymore. This is a bloody inquisition against the entirety of Chaoz and we are the Inquisitors! Those who stand against us, might as well perish.”

“You’re mad…” whispered a wide-eyed Karnage as she stared at him horrified “You’ve lost your mind!”

Kyle only smiled, a warm friendly smile that surprised her “Oh but you were fine with it all as long as you didn’t know about the dirty work…” he coldly pointed out, before his smile warped back into a wicked sneer “Me? Mad? That would insinuate that I have no clue or capability to control myself and my actions. No my dear, I am quite sane.”

Karnage said no more as she stared at him, her emotions falling apart, her mind warring her heart.

“Now if can excuse me I must bid you farewell, else I might miss my cue. Worry not, the events that are about to transpire will be…shown here for you to partake.” said Kyle as the ceiling melted down before forming into a large screen, magic flared within its borders before suddenly the battlefield in front of Akai Bara began to play out within.

Kyle bowed as he spoke his last words with a cold, maniacal voice “Watch, as I light a fire so cold…that it shall bring on Chaoz’s first ice age. Watch as I reform this world with fire and frost.”

His form suddenly melted down into slime, dissipating into the icy floor before them.

The sword Champion cleared his throat before asking “So…did anybody bring a deck of cards?...”

Nix elbowed him so hard he smashed through the wall on the left and then burst out of the opposite wall, revealing active rifts behind both before the walls regenerated back to brand new.

Hasharr,

Plains of Gold before Akai Bara,

Minutes later.

Kyle stood again above the Thorn Palace of the Oni fortress city of Akai Bara, staring down at the dissipating battlefield below. Jeyd’s Horde of Berserkers had shred through the opposing Orcs and their moral, who were now escaping through the river while their Goblin allies retreated away, over encumbering the remaining WarHogs as they rushed through the plains.

The battle was over, all that remained was the still frenzying Berserkers chasing after the runners. This was the perfect moment for Kyle’s planned entrance, not only were the Orc Warlords scattered and unguarded but the Oni were watching from their walls. He was also sure, even though he did not see or sense them. Elven spies were watching from afar.

Kyle glanced over himself, still wearing the usual white cloth gear most casters of his level wore on Barik. He had decided it was time for a make-over, a villain should look the part after all. Opening his inventory Kyle changed his equipment to a dyed version of itself, the stats remained the same but the expression he now oozed was a dreadful evil.

Black sleeveless and open-front robes that fell to his feet over a shirtless chest, strapped with dark-blue belts to which several small satchel-like pockets were attached to. The pants were just as black and baggy, both the pants and robes also had a design of blue flames rising from his feet, fading to black as they reached higher. He wore a pair of black leather gloves with openings on the finger-front for his claws, but went for enchanted black boots that would morph with his feet.

Over his arms he had long black vambraces with dark-blue lines forming a design of rising blue flames filled with black. Buckled to the vambraces were three straps of long cloth each barely touching the ground, each strap of cloth ending in a thin blade into which a blue gem was embedded.

Kyle grinned as he looked over himself, even his two white tails protruded out from under the robes perfectly. Yet one last touch was missing. “Every set of gear requires a weapon…” Kyle mused as he summoned forth his Frostfire into a long blade held within both his hands, but he did not will it to change to his ancestral sword. Instead Kyle held the thought of the sword’s existence, leaving the summoning frozen mid-way as it had been before he realised he could even summoned the sword.

“Time to give you a physical use, Behemoth.” He spoke to the creature to which he had contracted, as it’s dark malevolent shadow grew out of the ground behind him yet again taking form of some random mixture of beasts. This time going for a tiger with a long scorpion tail and stinger, though if it was a tiger or a lioness Kyle couldn’t tell as it was entirely made of darkness.

Kyle had debated what to do with Behemoth before, the creature had the power of a Deity within the Spirit Realm but was nothing more than an apparition of darkness on the physical plane. So he figured, what if he gave the creature a physical form?

He gazed into the blade of Frostfire, knowing now that the Spirit the magic was made of was no longer his own but somehow given to the soul that lived within the sword. If he truly concentrated and tried, Kyle could barely sense the soul’s existence within the blade. It was a dim flicker of life, enslaved for who knows how long. “I’ll release you of your torture now.” He whispered to the blade which flickered momentarily in silent response.

Kyle raised the blade up one-handed “Take it Behemoth, swallow this poor being whole.”

Behemoth flicked its serpentine tongue as it bared its beastly fangs, before suddenly bursting into a flow of shadow that rushed to surround the blade. The barely audible sound of a scream briefly reached Kyle’s ears but was quickly cut short, as Behemoth devoured the soul entirely.

“Good, now take its place.” Kyle ordered the beast and it obeyed, its master’s command undisputable. The contract Kyle had with Behemoth was a one-sided deal, companionship imbued with commanding Spirit causing the dark beast to become his slave. Yet at the same time the creature’s bottomless hunger would ooze into his own mind, fuelling his own and effecting his mood.

Kyle watched as the dark form merged with the flames, the white-blue Frostfire turning black-blue. As Kyle watched a thought suddenly flowed through his mind, he disregarded it, thinking it nothing more than a coincidence. Behemoth was the cause of a Nogitsune’s existence after all, it was no surprise to Kyle that Void’s flames looked exactly like Behemoth’s power imbued with Spirit.

“Hehehe…” Behemoth chuckled “That was delicious master! Ohh the pain and agony this soul endured! Such a sour yet sweet taste!” it passionately exclaimed.

As Behemoth continued on about how tasty the soul was, a notification appeared before Kyle.

{Weapon} {Magical} {Soul bound} object [{Kōritsuku}] has been [Sacrificed] in the creation of a new {Magical} {Soul Bound} object!

Picture the new object’s form and speak out its name.

The pictured form will decide the object’s utility.

The chosen name empowered by the bound soul will decide the object’s power.

Kyle sighed, he didn’t have the time to think up an appropriate name. The battlefield below was already decided, he couldn’t waste time to think up a good name for his new tool.

(“Worry not child, I have just the name.”) Said Ymir within Kyle’s mind as Behemoth continued going on and on about his earlier snack.

(“Much appreciated Ymir, what is this name?”) Kyle asked as he ignored the talkative spirit, only gazing into the flowing blade of black-blue fire. Grinning as Ymir whispered the word into his mind, then quickly explaining its meaning. (“Yes…Yes that will do perfectly, thank you.”)

Ymir chuckled (“Think nothing of it, we cannot have your entrance ruined by timing.”)

“Then here goes, Behemoth take form. For I name you…Yokai.” Kyle spoke the name whilst picturing the shape, as suddenly the blade of black-blue fire lost shape and burst into his face. Yet he did not react, undisturbed he calmly lowered his arms.

“Oh! Ohoh! T-That tickles!” exclaimed Behemoth now Yokai as the black-blue flames spun around Kyle’s face, before solidifying into a mask.

With a fox’s long snouted visage, the mask was furry black. It covered most of his face, starting at the forehead but abruptly ending above the mouth leaving his cold smile for all to see. The eye-holes were a perfect size, covering everything but Kyle’s eyeballs with long blue feathers afire from black-blue flames around the eye-holes and mask’s edges. To either side of the mask three long gleaming blue claws grew out and around his head, joining together at the back and seemingly keeping the mask in place.

The top of the mask curved around his long furry white fox ears, as if part of his face but mismatched in colour to his own fur. On each curve around the ears two thin and long blue horns protruded out and into his snow-white hair, each horn bursting aflame with black-blue fire throughout their length.

“Last touch.” stated Kyle as he smiled widely, running his left hand over the mask’s black fur Shapeshift.“ he chanted the skill’s name and suddenly both his ears, hair and tails turned to blue slime before turning back but changed. His snowy white ears, hair and two tails were now a pitch black with thin scattered blue hairs.

Kyle opened his arms wide “Perfect, now we’re ready.” He announced before quickly reading through the notifications that had appeared on the mask’s creation.

Title skill [{Tails}] sub-skill (Frostfire Blade) has been replaced with (Darkfire Mask)

[{Yokai}]

Durability: X/X

Protection: 0

{Identity Masking};

Nobody can see your true [Identify], only what you choose for them to see.

{Devouring Visage};

[Devour] can be used through the bound soul’s power at a range of: 5 meters from caster’s eyes.

{Darkfire};

Caster gains the ability to summon the dual element [{Darkfire}]. [{Darkfire}] is the joint affinity of [Fire] and [Dark] elements. Mana cost: 20 per 1cm squared.

{Soul Bound}; Re-summonable

{Unenchanted}

No power-gem sockets

Magically Untradeable

“Time for my entrance.” mused Kyle as he willed the notifications away, taking a few steps back before suddenly rushing forwards at full speed. As he leaped off the roof, Kyle surged forwards and soared through the night sky.

Author: Enter…The villain

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2ZRoWQ0grU

or

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zN0_dFti8Xc

Listened to both half and half through writing xP

Darkfire bursting out from his mask Kyle soared over the city and river through surging at the right intervals before beginning his descent. Like a meteor of black-blue flames he fell down into the very middle of the battlefield, bursting out into an explosion of Darkfire that engulfed the retreating Orcs. Kyle rose from his kneeling landing, as Orcs rotted away all around him, their armour rusting away, their skin falling off and flesh turning to rot before everyone’s eyes.

Only skeletons wearing rusted armour remained laying around Kyle as he walked through the crater his landing created. Calmly and wearing a cold smile he glanced around the now silent riverside as all gazes, Orc, Goblin and Oni fell on him.

He chuckled coldly, his Spirit filled voice reaching even the walled city “Greatings, ladies and gentlemen. Giants, Orcs and Goblins.” He exclaimed for all to hear.

Jeyd looked surprised, a forced effort on her part as she already knew he would come. She also knew and had agreed to what was about to occur. Yet still grimacing as some of the power-drunk Berserkers turned and charged straight at him, a total of nine frenzied Orcs. The ritual was slowly running out and the Orcs would fall on their faces dead-tired at any moment now but until then, they were unstoppable machines of mass-murder.

Or at least that was the feeling that filled them.

Kyle continued to smile as he watched the nine Orcs charge him, eyes maddened and mouths slobbering as they shouted bloody murder. He raised his right hand towards the left most Orc, still several meters away but closing in quickly “Darkfire.” He chanted and suddenly his entire arm burst out a funnel of black-blue flames.

With the feelings of hysteria, anger, fear, confusion and madness that filled the battlefield…Kyle’s Spirit bar was overflowing.

The flames engulfed the first Orc entirely before Kyle moved his arm in a short angle, engulfing the rest and others that stood in the way. As the flames passed over them the Orcs lost their footing and fell to the ground, their entire bodies rotting away as they continued to struggle and scream. Until finally and yet again, only rusted equipment and bones remained.

Jeyd took a deep breath, it was her turn to continue as everyone else on the field was either crazed or too awe-struck. She turned towards the masked man “And who in Odin’s eye are you?” she viciously asked.

Kyle lowered his arm, still ablaze with Darkfire and turned to face Jeyd “Oh I’m glad you ask.” He raised his left hand to his chest and angled his right, aflame arm away as he took a bow “I am the last of my kind here on Chaoz, a race long ago brought to extinction by you Orcs, you Giants and the dreaded Elves.”

He rose, straightening himself before the Horde, the watching Oni and the presumably watching Elves “I am…” Kyle’s eyes glowed a bright blue as his ears and tails exploded out into Darkfire “The embodiment of vengeance.” He opened his left arm now too, both arms laying wide open in presentation “My name is Yokai Soultail of the Fox clan, holder of the Darkfire. Last of the Spirit Beasts of the Crystal Kingdom of Kori.”

He forwarded both of his hands forwards now “As retribution for my people’s demise. I bring the gift of death upon yours.”

Suddenly and just in time as Kyle spoke the last words quicker than he first planned to, the entirety of Akai Bara’s walls burst aflame. Darkfire had suddenly fell from the sky, surrounding a strange white sludge that splattered on the wall’s roof. While soaring over the walls Kyle had created his maximum limit of golems with (Spirit) slime and imbued them to cast (Darkfire) once they collided with anything.

And they did, and it looked spectacular as the walls corroded away to the flames. Oni screamed in agony and panic as their bodies rotted within their armour, as the roof fell upon their heads and floor crumbled beneath their feet.

Kyle continued looking towards the Horde as it backed away from him, as they stared baffled at the crumbling walls of Akai Bara. He watched gleefully as the Horde slowly turned to face him again, their expressions now pale and dumbfounded as the ritual of power ran out of juice.

He quickly scanned through the army of Orcs and Goblins, searching for three specific targets. And he found each one, sensing their Spirit. All three Warlords, the only three Jeyd had told of Kyle’s existence as a Spirit Beast.

Kyle went after the strongest one first, the only one of the three that wasn’t exhausted as he did not partake in the ritual.

Vee jumped back as Kyle suddenly surged straight towards him, eyes mad and lips curved into a wicked grin as Darkfire burst out of his arms. The Hobgoblin was fast, enough to evade both the twisters of flame. Quickly he nocked his bow and took aim but his expression quickly depressed as he saw no sign of Kyle anymore, before sensing movement to his right.

The Hobgoblin glanced to his side just as Darkfire burst out of Kyle’s hand and engulfed him. For long moments Kyle stood there with a maddened grin as black-blue flames breathed out of his right arm, enveloping Vee’s position entirely before he abruptly ended the gushing attack. Revealing before him the skeletal remains of the late Warlord.

Kyle chuckled as he glanced around “Who…is…next?” his fanged grin wide.

At those three words, the entire Horde turned tail and ran. Pride, glory and honour thrown entirely aside, they ran for their lives from the very nightmare told in tales of horror by the campfire. Yet most of them were too exhausted to actually run, stumbling away in their own footsteps as they pushed the very limits of their stamina. Drained by the ritual of power cast on them by the Shamans who pulled up their robes and ran much more quickly than them if not more frantically.

Only three Orcs stood their ground, Jeyd who as Chieftain was not allowed to show her fear and the two Warlords who moved to her side. Both of them also looking pale and exhausted, both still afraid yet clutched tightly to their pride.

Kyle turned towards the three, his eyes widening with his smile “Found you…” he almost sang chillingly as he surged towards them. Appearing before Throk who raised his shield in surprise, his spear lagging closely behind as Kyle touched the shield’s front.

Darkfire burst out of Kyle’s palm engulfing the wooden shield, it’s materials unravelling before him as he raised his other palm towards the now defenceless Orc “Two down.” He creepily counted before a single blast of concentrated Darkfire shot out of his palm. The ball of black-blue flame burst through the bare-chested Orc and dissipated as it exited out of his back leaving a quickly rotting hole where his organs once lay.

Kyle stepped away as Tellin’s blades slashed through where he once stood, as Throk’s corpse fell back the other Orc had taken the opportunity to begin her attack.

Tellin entered a combination of slashes, strikes, kicks and stabs. Like a flurry of blades each attack took to another, each one evaded as Kyle made use of [Quick Surge] to back off from each attack. Right up until he surged to the side and decided to try something new, making sure she was within range he stared right at her as he chanted “Devouring Visage”.

Suddenly Tellin stopped in her tracks as her eyes widened in horror, dropping both of her daggers the Warlord fell to her knees screaming in agony as Darkfire burst out of her body. Her skin boiled black before bursting like bubbles into explosions of black-blue flames, the rest melting off as the flesh below quickly rotted away.

Jeyd only watched on horrified and disgusted at the sight of the two deaths, Throk living through and crawling with a wide open chest and back before falling dead and Tellin bursting into black flames as she screamed. She was sure she’d have nightmares tonight.

Unwillingly flinching even as Kyle turned to face her, Orc blood slowly dripping from his mask as his maddened eyes met hers “Will you…be next?” he suddenly asked, causing her to step away in true fear. This wasn’t part of the plan, he had caught her off-guard thinking he was actually going to kill her too.

But Kyle only smirked as he turned away from her “Found you too…” he announced having sensed his main audience. He surged away, leaping over the river as Darkfire trailed behind him. Kyle landed with taking a couple steps into the corroding rubble that was once a mighty wall of red stone. Smiling widely as he sensed them backing away now that their position was ruined. Kyle had destroyed the wall for several reasons, one of them being to give them ‘cover’ as a bait to step into his sense’s range.

And now he was too close, to let them get away empty handed. Knowing exactly within which shadow they hid in, Kyle lunged at the pile of rubble. His arms bursting afire as he swatted the rubble aside, revealing the three shrouded Elves that snuck behind it. “Caught you with your pants down.” Joked Kyle as he approached the surprised Elves.

Each Elf turned to run but Kyle had already raised both his arms, funnelling his flames onto two of them before they could turn tail. The third didn’t turn back, even as he heard his comrade’s screams of agony he ran. Through the streets and side streets of the giant city he ran, taking every turn he could without changing direction he tried his best to escape.

Until finally, out of breath and mana he barged into an over-sized door. Pulling aside the curtains behind the door he rushed into the single room within, candles lighting the entire room he was met with four familiar faces. Another four Elves, three wearing dark leather same as him and one a mage’s greenish cloth robes.

The four Elves turned to their panicked companion, but before a single word could be said the escapee’s expression drained of all colour as he saw Kyle appear behind them.

“Hope you don’t mind if I make myself at home?” sneered Kyle, causing each Elf to flinch and turn towards him “Devouring Visage” chanted Kyle as he stared at the mage, raised his right hand towards the two at the table and his left at the one reaching for his bow in the corner.

The surviving Elf watched paralyzed by fear as the mage burst aflame like Tellin had, as the other three were engulfed by Darkfire like Vee had. Kyle approached the last Elf, as the four lay as rotten skeletons behind him. He stepped close, his mask mere inches away from the Elf’s face. His glowing blue eyes fixed staring into the Elf’s shaking browns.

Kyle spoke in a cold whisper “I have a message for your employers, Alf.” Kyle even used the Elves’ ancient name as Durin had suggested.

The Elf could only whimper in question, hypnotised with horror as he stared back into Kyle’s eyes.

“First was the Champions, second will be the Frost Court, third will be the Night Court then fourth will be the Forest Court. Until lastly will come the Elders.” Whispered Kyle in a dreadfully furious tone that made the Elf wish for death “From your leadership and down to the very last of your kind, I will bring upon you the very extinction you brought over my people. I will be merciless, I will be unstoppable. All Alfs will die.”

Kyle suddenly backed away and tapped the Elf’s left cheek with his palm twice “Be a dear and tell them for me won’t you?” he asked with a wicked smile, before quick surging his right fist into the Elf’s face.

The Elf flew back, flipping over twice before coming to a stop at the door. Brought unconscious from the sudden Spirit imbued punch.

“Hm, hope that was held-back enough not to put him in a coma. Oh well, the other group got away as planned so it doesn’t matter.” Kyle mused as he pushed open the door and stepped over the Elf, walking out of the over-sized building and into the over-sized streets. He glanced around seeing and sensing nobody out of place or watching him “Guess I’ll burn down a few random buildings too.”

And like so, the name Yokai spread through Chaoz like Darkfire through an Oni city...