The Mind World And The Outcast Hero

Scorpio vs Nathan

 After the deal had been made, the graveyard began to disappear in an abundance of black and white flashes. Slowly, Nathan then opened his eyes to find himself sprawled out on the ground. However, he also noticed that his appearance had changed significantly.

He had a single dark flaming wing growing from his back, dark flaming eyes, and sharp black fingernails. It was as if he had turned into a mixture of both human and angel.

Nathan was amazed that this was only 3% of Death's power. He could feel enormous amounts of Death Energy pulsating through his body. He had never felt such power in all his life. He was sure that with his current strength, he would be able to give even a Clique commander a run for their money.

"Hey, brat!" Suddenly called Death's voice from within him. "Be careful with how you use my power. It is not the strength of my power that you should be afraid of but the abundance of Spiritual Energy that it releases. With such a feeble body, you could easily explode if you're not careful!"

"Don't worry..! I think I can handle this!" Replied Nathan boldly.

Nathan then looked over to Sindy who was laying unconsciously before him. Her face was stained with tears and she was quickly losing blood. He then glanced at both Andrew and Isabella only to notice that they were in the same condition. If he didn't help them soon then they would all die.

Hurriedly, Nathan then kneeled to see if he could heal their wounds. However, this was when a black aura began to formulate around his body. This was followed by a very painful sensation that zoomed through his body. 

Nathan screamed in agony before falling to his knees. He didn't understand why he was suddenly feeling such a terrible sensation. It was as if his body was about to explode.

"What is this, Death?!" He asked in agony.

"My power is settling itself within you. The pain will dissipate in a few seconds."

By this time, Scorpio had noticed that Nathan was still alive. He had also realized how differently he now looked. Nathan's appearance concerned him quite a bit.

"What the hell are you?!" He asked.

"I'll deal with you in a moment! Wait until I'm done!" Replied Nathan as Death's power settled inside him.

Following this, Nathan's katana became engulfed in black flames, completing his transformation. The pain had also receded, giving him complete control over his body. Finally, he then set himself down as he prepared to heal his friends. 

"Hey, brat!" Suddenly began Death. "My healing abilities aren't magic. To heal someone from a fatal wound, your Life Energy is required."

"My Life Energy?" Asked Nathan.

"Yes, there are two main types of energy in all living beings. One is Spiritual Energy and the other is Life Energy. Spiritual Energy is the energy you use to wield Art Styles and can be renewed over time with rest. However, Life Energy is different. It is the energy that keeps us alive. The amount of Life Energy someone has is directly proportional to their life expectancy."

"Okay, big words there... Not that I don't completely understand but could you break it down a little just to make sure that we're on the same page?"

"I thought you'd be smarter than this... Fine..! For example; I can deduce with my power that you have a total life expectancy of 90 years if we only take into account death from old age. That life expectancy of 90 years also means that you have 90 years of Life Energy. Out of that 90 years, you have already used up 15 years of Life Energy."

"Okay, I appreciate the example but couldn't you have used a different one? No one wants to know how long they have left to live!"

"What I'm trying to say is that there isn't any specific way to renew your Life Energy. Unlike Spiritual Energy, it can not be replenished when used. So if you wish to heal your friends, you must be prepared to sacrifice at least 20 years of Life Energy."

Nathan froze. Expending 20 years of his life was a major deal. Healing his friends meant that he would only have a maximum of 55 years left to live.

"Wait, you healed me back at Mind Mountain without the cost of any Life Energy! What's the difference between now and then!?"

"The difference is that I was in control of your body. As an angel, I have unlimited Life Energy. I can only die from unnatural causes. This allows me to use my ability as much as I desire. However, right now, you've simply borrowed my power. This means that the Life Energy being used is yours."

Nathan clenched his teeth as he looked at his friends. He would be losing 20 years of his life if he healed them. However, Nathan cared more about his friends than the amount of time he had left to live. His friends were a major part of his life and Isabella was the one who had sacrificed herself to save him. 20 years was a small price to pay compared to all they had done for him.

Hurriedly, one by one, Nathan began healing them. He could feel his Life Energy slowly being sapped away with every second that passed by. It almost felt like his body was growing older.

Fortunately, a few seconds later, Sindy, Isabella, and Andrew were all healed. Their breathing stabilized and their heart rate calmed. They were now sleeping soundly with their lives out of danger.

"Impressive..." Mumbled Death. "You've completely healed them and it seems it only took 15 years of Life Energy. That's 5 years less than I had anticipated..."

"Well, I saved their lives... That's all that matters. All that's left to do now is to defeat Scorpio!"

By this time, Scorpio's gaze was fixated on Nathan. He had never witnessed such an odd phenomenon in all his life. Feeling threatened, he armed himself with his hooks, preparing himself for battle.

"What is this..?! Where did you get such great power?!" He inquired unsteadily.

"It ain't mine..." Muttered Nathan as he turned himself around. "But that's exactly why I hate it..."

"So I take it that you won't just let me walk out of here alive, even though I explained my reasons and goals to you?"

Before responding, Nathan rose his dark-flaming katana with a look of remorse in his eyes.

 "I'm sorry, Scorpio. I understand your pain and the reasons for your actions. However, I have my own goals, dreams, and people that I must protect! That is why I must stop you here... I have to kill you..!"

Nathan then flew towards Scorpio with the aid of his dark-flaming wing. However, Scorpio was ready to defend himself. He quickly activated an Art Style, hoping it would be enough to at least seriously injure Nathan.

"Poison Art: Toxic Cut!"

Unfortunately for Scorpio, this was not enough to defeat him. Nathan easily blocked the attack with his katana before countering with a powerful kick to Scorpio's jaw. The kick sent Scorpio spiraling aimlessly through the streets, but Nathan was relentless.

Due to Death's power, Nathan's physical ability was enhanced significantly. This allowed him to catch up to Scorpio before his body even touched the ground.

Scorpio yelped in pain as Nathan shadowed him from above. It would be impossible to dodge his next attack. Nathan then grabbed Scorpio's head before brutally dragging his face through the asphalt. This resulted in the road being ripped apart while pieces of Scorpio's face were chipped away by the intense friction.

Wailing in agony, Scorpio then grabbed Nathan's hand in a desperate attempt to free himself. Regrettably, this was not enough. Nathan had an iron grip that was near impossible to break free from.

Following this, Nathan flew high into the air before tossing Scorpio violently into a nearby building which collapsed atop him upon impact. Dust and debris clouded the air alongside the sound of a huge crash.

A few seconds later, Scorpio emerged bloodied from the rubble. He coughed intensely, gasping for air as if his lungs had been punctured. It was a miracle that he could even stand.

"I'm sorry, Scorpio..." Began Nathan with a bit of sympathy in his voice. "You have my sympathy for all the pain that this world has put you through. However, you've killed far too many people, hurt my friends, threatened to destroy my home, and you almost took my life. Because of this, I will show you no mercy."

Nathan then took a deep breath as he extended his sword towards Scorpio. He was ready to deliver the final blow. Scorpio then looked up at Nathan ready to beg for his life. However, this was when he noticed that his throat had been crushed. He couldn't even speak.

"No matter how much pain or suffering you encounter in life, you should never use it as an excuse to kill innocent people. This is it, Scorpio... Death Art: Nightmare Slash!"

Finally, Nathan then activated his Death Art which summoned a blade of darkness that cut Scorpio into two separate halves. Blood gushed out like a flood as his lifeless body fell atop the rubble. The battle was over. However, this was just the beginning of something even bigger.