Chapter 17: The Shadow Moves (Perspective: None)

"We're here," Shuren states as he and the masked man move along the wide path to a historic looking building with unique architect. Their footsteps the only thing that disturb the silence.

The duo had teleported to the headquarters of the Church's Anomaly Slaying Division using the connect reaper technique, Shuren was a former Slayer, so he could jump straight there.

The headquarters were situated in a privately owned area on the outskirts of Rome. A special ward was always active to prevent any regular civilians from entering as well as masking the base's existence.

"Why has no one tried to intercept us?" Shuren asks as he notices the lack of life in the area. Normally specialist exorcists that worked under the Slayers would have been onto them in seconds.

"That man from the beginning was planning on luring you out of the shadows and fighting you himself. He also has things he cannot allow his subordinates to know, so he evacuated them in advance," The masked man explains, "But that does not mean it is just us and him who are here."

At that moment several blue spectral figures hovered towards the duo, weapons of all kinds were in their hands.

"I never knew about these," Shuren states as he engulfs his body in flames and unleashes several fire pillars at the approaching adversaries. Most of the apparition like warriors dodged the attack, but the ones that didn't were destroyed instantly without a trace.

"This ability, as I predicted that man does indeed possess that Soul Slayer," The masked man says to himself as he creates numerous compressed combustion orbs combining the elements of fire and wind.

Boom boom boom! - The blasts ravage the semi transparent warriors, that again disperse without a trace.

"What Soul Slayer? What are you saying? The church should only have seven, Voynich-Caduceus, Gungnir-Mjölnir, Ley-Mistletoe, Muramasa-Masamune, Joyeuse-Longinus, Antioch-Artemis, and Fragarach-Kusanagi," Shuren rebukes, as he shoots his flames at an approaching, well built, spectral swordsman. However the swordsman slashed at the incinerating flames with the large broadsword that was on his back, dissipating the attack.

"What the?" Shuren was struck surprised as the swordsman charged at him and swung a heavy horizontal slash. Shuren jumped into the air to dodge and wings made of fire burnt out of his back keeping him airborne as he sends more fire pillars at his attacker, who dodges again.

"It looks like the small fry have been beat. These two are different from the rest," The masked man states as he dodges a blade aiming for his throat. "As to be expected of Siegfried and Beowulf. Among all the Midgard Einherjar, these two are the strongest."

"Einherjar? Siegfried? Beowulf? Do you mean..."

"Calling forth Einherjar from the nine worlds of Norse is one of the powers that Soul Slayer grants." The masked man supplements

"I never thought he would have a trump card like this," Shuren states as he shoots his flames at Siegfried from above. The Einherjar kicks off the ground and accelerates towards him, whilst dodging the attacks, he swings his sword in a harsh trajectory. The sword slashes Shuren in half and both his upper and lower body fall to the ground. However, Shuren's flames engulf the entirety of his two severed body parts, a few moments later and the silhouette within the flames slowly rises to its feet as if nothing had happened.

"Just like a phoenix," The masked man states as he continues to fend off Beowulf's attacks.

"Correct, I can't be killed so easily. But this is going nowhere fast," Shuren states, "How am I suppose to avenge Nadia like this!" He spits out his frustration.

"Then you go on ahead, I have other issues to deal with now that I'm here. But I will handle these two as gratitude for bringing me here." The masked man offered.

"What are you up to?" Shuren interrogates as he dodges another attack.

"I told you before, you have no need to know. However, if you waste your energy here you will be no match for that man."

"Fine," Shuren gives up and changes his direction towards the base where his nemesis was. The pursuing Siegfried's sword was stopped dead by the masked man's blade of silver that he manifested. The power he received from his encounter with Yuichi Shiro. Shuren continues on and finally reaches the inside.

"Now I can complete my objective without delay," The masked man states as he notices Shuren is out of sight. A huge black orb appears in front of his hand which he shoots towards the two undead heroes. The orb quickly expands and pulls them both within it as he releases more combustion orbs that are also pulled within the huge gravitational ball.

Boom! Boom! Boom! - The explosions further expand the dark orb, which soon dissipates without a trace, along with the two heroes of old.

Shuren continues through the dark corridors taking turn after turn at the seemingly never ending labyrinth until finally reaching an open area where there was a man sitting on a chair that looked like a throne in the furthest shadows.

"To think that you were the one responsible for Enigma, I must say, I am surprised, Shuren," A cold voice echoes from the other end of the room as the silhouette leaves his seat and strides closer to the former Slayer.

"I never knew you possessed your own Soul Slayer, so I guess this has been a surprising day for both of us," Shuren says as his eyes move towards the two blades that are attached together with a long golden chain. One of the blades was emitting an aura of pure white, whilst the other of pure black.

"Correct, this is the most powerful of all the Church's Soul Slayers: Excalibur-Gleipnir-Ragnarok. I kept this power hidden from everyone in case I ever needed it." The man states as the dark room suddenly lights up allowing the man's full profile to be seen.

He was a tall man with a strong build who looked to be in his mid forties, his scraggly unkempt long dark hair and beard gave him the appearance of a barbarian and his piercing eyes gave him the visage of a monster in human form.

"However, even I didn't consider that man to come here. Luckily his objective doesn't appear to be my life, otherwise I doubt I would survive," The monstrous man says as he strides across the room, "But you are a different story, Shuren Azusa. In the name of the Slayers and on behalf of the church I shall remove your accursed existence from this world."

"Accursed existence?" Shuren glared angrily at the man who stood at the top of all other Slayers, his body engulfed in flames.

"My soul is one that desires vengeance."

"Dark, bloody and broken."

"The path of self destruction I walk in the name of my lost love."

"And my malice forever fuels my rebirth." The density of Shuren's flames increase with the enchantment of his Soul ID Lyrics.

"Doesn't the term accursed existence go for you too!? Leader of the Slayers, Human Anomaly, Rasputin Grigori!" Shuren shouts at the top of his lungs.

The battle of the two evils begins.