CHAPTER 100: CHAPTER 99: COCHYTUS

The frigid cavern felt strangely warm, Bahamut explained however that it was not to be taken as being detached from humanity, but a point of pride he isn’t considered to have committed any acts of betrayal.

"To those free untainted by the sin of betrayal, this cavern is as warm as spring after a brutal winter. It is also a place where Samuel cannot tread, which is why it was safe to bring you here."

"Is it possible for me to grab some of the traitor’s ice while we’re here? Seems a shame to let the chance slip by and Lillim owed me some as favour anyway."

"Unfortunately she will have to fetch it for you still, only one of the crowns can remove ice, a safety measure Samael put in place."

"Makes sense."

"Besides we shouldn’t dally here regardless, between the two of us, we could handle any of the crowns, but we wouldn’t come out unscathed."

Bahamut walked with purpose to specific pillars, then came to an abrupt halt, turning slowly as his aura became denser. "You have grown quite large my son. You can’t hide your presence from your father."

"Hiding and watching satisfying curiosity are two different things, Creator, but I am a son of Samael." The voice echoed all around the cavern then a large dragon snout began emerging from a particularly large pillar.

Carl turned on his heel to stand next to Bahamut, watching in awe as the dragon pulled itself from the ice.

its size was gargantuan, its body only able to move the space because it passed through the countless ice pillars as though they weren’t there.

"Well then sate it fully and ask what you wish to know."

"Why bring a human child to this realm? I remember you stating they were a plague upon all intelligent species."

Bahamut cleared his throat and threw Carl an awkward glance, but Carl just put his hands up and gestured for him to speak his mind. "My opinion remains mostly the same, but I see potential in this one and wish to see it guided."

"Really?..." The dragon growled the word, stretching it to the point of painful tension. "...A human walking here is impressive I admit, but why do I also smell several others? One smell in particular is incredibly familiar..."

Carl realised immediately which scent he was referring to. "I assume you mean my Grandma Lillim? Or Tiamat? Kyubi maybe? Or do you mean Dracula? I don’t think I’ll ever wash the stench of that filth off, the hardest part of that fight was holding in my breakfast when the smell of his sunburnt flesh hit my nose."

"Really? Is that so, little human?"

"My name is Carl, I don’t want to be at odds, but Lillim told me you crowns won’t respect anyone more than they respect themselves; so use it."

The dragon laughed, the sound almost unbearable and reminiscent of a collapsing glacier. "Well then Carl, for one claiming to be Lillim’s kin and the downfall of Dracula, you would surely not mind demonstrating your might..."

"Of course not, as long as it’s friendly and no word of our passing is spoken." While he spoke, he had reached out with his aura and offered the imprisoned creatures guaranteed liberation and a chance at limited revenge against their jailor.

"Carl, don’t underest-" Bahamut was interrupted by his son, who was excited at the prospect of challenging his father’s apparent protege.

"Of course, Carl, then a one-on-o-" While they were talking however, Carl received eager agreement from every creature he touched and interrupted Cocytus just as indignantly.

"Sorry, I don’t like the implication, I’m a creator, why would I agree to a challenge where the height of my power is null and void."

Bahamut became edgy, not because he was scared of the fight outright, but because he wondered if Carl was aware of the power his son possessed. His doubt was erased however when he saw the look in Carl’s eyes and realised his plan.

"I suppose that would be unsporting now, wouldn’t it? I Cocytus, Jailer Of Traitors, challenge you, Carl, to a duel of equals... Would you like some time to create your first meat shield? I won’t let you recover your strength however."

"I accept Cocytus, master of the realm we find ourselves... Activate "Neo Div Creator" on all targets."

[ SIS NOTICE: I SAID THAT YOU CAN STOP CALLING OUT YOUR SKILLS LIKE SOME KID VID PROTAGONIST, DIDN’T I? I’LL ADMIT THAT WAS PRETTY DRAMATIC THOUGH AND TIAMUTAEL IS WATCHING WITH STARS IN HIS EYES, I THINK YOU JUST BECAME THE COOLEST DAD HE COULD HAVE ASKED FOR... ]

The next thing Cocytus knew, he was surrounded by dozens of multi-layered chimeras, many of which were vastly superior to Carl himself in terms of raw stats.

Bahamut chuckled lightly to himself. "Cocytus, I should apologise, seems I passed on whatever flaw allowed him to fool me so easily."

Cocytus was looking around, measuring the creatures around him, but also wondering what happened to the traitors ice they were entrapped in. "I admit, that was a display of almost impossible power of creation, but they are no threat to me and you must surely be exhausted..."

"Huh? Wait, is creation supposed to be tiring? As long as I don’t put tens of thousands of divinity into each one, I don’t feel tired at all... Bahamut, can you explain how creation usually works? I feel like I should have been told this sooner." Carl asked with all the youthful and mortal ignorance he possessed of the display he just showed.

"Yes Carl, usually it would take a creator week to produce a single slime, Ishtar herself spent roughly a thousand years on Tiamat and I spent a hundred on Cocytus... I also then slept for ten."

"Oh, wow, maybe you just didn’t try hard enough because you live forever?" Carl made the suggestion with all sincerity, but to bahamut’s proud mind it stung with condescension until he saw a slither of wisdom in the words.

"Enough! Let this duel begin if your words are more than immature boasting!"

"Okay everyone... Charge!" The pets, chimeras and multi-layered chimeras needed little encouragement to lash out at the one that had left them with no other chance of freedom. "Don’t kill him though! Unconscious at most!"

As the closest of Carl’s creations got within his reach, Cocytus chuckled and raised his massive claw before dropping it in an attempt to crush the creature.

"Hahaha! Carl, I admire the talent it took to make so many but it would have been more efficient to make one creature from them all. All these creatures will accomplish is staining my realm with their blood!"

As he raised the icy-sapphire claw, his amusement turned to frustration when he saw his supposed victim standing like an ice sculpture. The moment was one of dire revelation and his eyes turned to Carl.

The creature possessed a humanoid form with features reminiscent of both beast and demon, standing about six metres tall.

It stood on two legs, that were reminiscent of a bull’s, from which several boney spikes jutted out. Its torso was more human, but a deep red colour, its muscles both incredibly defined and bulky.

Its head was something feline, covered in grey fur with pitch black stripes and blackened demonic horns a metre long stretched back from behind its amusingly cute, rounded ears.

The moment Cocytus’ eyes fell to the liberator of its some parts, it leapt into action, jumping about fifteen metres into the air and punching Cocytus’ snout with a punch that left a thunderous crack echoing through the cavern.

"I won’t let you harm my Creator." The being growled fiercely, but the only reaction the blow garnered from the dragon was that its eye shifted to look at it.

"What did you do Carl? Why is it they can touch me, but they remain unharmed when I crush them?" As he spoke he came under attack from the entire wave, though they were essentially gravel rolling down the side of a mountain.

"Simple..." Carl gestured to the multitude of pillars that passed through his body before continuing. "...I noticed that your body passes through the ice, I sacrificed a fair chunk of power and gave them the "Traitor’s ice form" skill instead. You can’t hurt these guys if you want to unless you release your intangibility, but then you’ll be skewered."

Cocytus reared back and doubled over with laughter, his body jarring enough to shake some of his assailants off. "Well played, it’s true and though they have little power, they will eventually break me... Even if it takes years."

As he spoke his gaze dropped to the relatively tiny creatures clambering up his body, then jerked to one side violently, sending them flying and crashing into the walls, floor and ceiling.

"A shame I don’t have to attack them to cause them harm... Let’s see if you can survive long enough for them to win. It seems the true form of this duel has been revealed."

Carl sighed, catching Cocytus’ attention and cutting off his excitement. "Tiamutael, can you, Equinox, Omedra, Aldra and Aegis pop over for a second please." The call was answered immediately and the four dragons and Aegis appeared ready to fight and clearly in positions Tiamutael choreographed.

’Buddy, why did you bring them in posing?’

’Auntie Sis showed me and Ki-ko one of those kid-vid shows to explain what she meant... I really like them.’

’Okay Buddy, I don’t mind, but your big sister looks a little embarrassed so you best apologise when you get home.’

’She looked so cool!’ Carl was forced to hold back his laughter at the immature dragon’s response, so instead he returned his attention to his opponent.

"I wanted to make it clear, I am ashamed to say this, but these creations are far from my finest work... I just couldn’t bring myself to grant traitors the kind of power I can bestow."

Cocytus’ eyes narrowed and he backed up a couple of steps, sending the very real danger the newcomers posed to him. In particular, his eyes lingered on Tiamutael. "Did you and Tiamat birth that one, Bahamut?"

"No... Carl, merely claimed our power for his own as he did yours. That is his youngest son, Tiamutael. The girl is his daughter, Omedra. The boy is Aldra and the monochrome man is his first chimera, I believe he made that with a measly ten thousand divinity. Finally, we have Aegis, made from Lillim, Kyubi, Faylorna, Carl’s wife Klaire and laws know what else..."

"Carl, with all due respect, I’d rather not linger here it makes me itch." Equinox spoke then immediately stepped forward and held out a hand. "I am a being of balance and there is far too much order present for my liking."

As he finished, a massive swirling ball of black energy appeared then split and condensed, it was clear Equinox was dragging out the activation of whatever he was planning and Carl realised it was to give Cocytus time to erect a barrier, because he unleashed it the instant he had.

The black balls each shot forward toward Cocytus in a straight line, but at the last second they changed trajectory to encircle him, then disappeared and enraged him.

"You seek to mock me? To shame m-" The moment he started talking he dropped the barrier and the orbs reappeared and struck all at once.