Dancing with the Devil

As the wreckage of both the Genesis and Phoenix armors burn uncontrollably, Vincent pulled himself out from the debris, still encased in his nightmare form. As the Wrath slowly receded back into his body, it became apparent to Xarus that Vincent was different than the man he once was. The crimson Overdrive tracks that previously ran throughout his body were now illuminated a bright, piercing blue as a result of the pure manna now running through his veins. Vincent's hair was also now pitch black in color and his ponytail had been burned away from the excessive spiritual energy radiating from his body.

Grey clouds hung over the sky, almost as if to set the stage for such a foreboding encounter, with small rays of sunlight breaking through as they drifted by, catching and reflecting on a green ornament in Vincent's hair.
It was the hairpin that Azuki had given him.

An irritated smirk formed on Xarus' face as he too pulled himself from the burning wreckage and stepped in Vincent’s direction.

“No matter what power you might have obtained, you’re still mere a HUMAN, born of flesh and blood...you’re SCUM!
I will devour you, and everything in this-"
“Shut up!” Vincent interrupted.

”You take me as a mere human?
I’m the first Melee Meister in a thousand years.
I’m the son of Clough, the first Lord ever created; and original host to the Wrath.
Now running through my veins is that same weapon, a weapon, made from the blood of the fallen Celestial, Lucifer himself.
That power that once sought to destroy us, has now been exorcised of its evil and cooperates with humanity…WITH ME!
I have drunk the very life-force of this planet…given to me by the dragons themselves, who have protected Ryner for aeons.
Xarus, The Celestial’s and The Fallen are no more; sealed away within their realms.
But now...now a new protector has been born into this world.”

Xarus' eye widen as he notices the brace on Vincent's right arm as he summons forth the Diablo Blade.
As it’s massive shape forms, the ground cracks and crushes from the weight the heavy blade being dropped by Vincent’s side.

”You talk big, like all humans do when they want to overcome something that threatens them, but even in that state, you’re STILL beneath the power I’ve obtained. Even now, I’m the Apex predator and you will be devoured by me like so many who have come before you.”

”As for the sword…I see you picked that up and brought it to the fight…thinking it might do you some good”
The Diablo is something I once feared, it’s a Celestial sword that was initially made to destroy demons and The Fallen after all.
But it’s now filled with Lucifer’s madness…it curses and corrupts all who wield it….rendering it not only useless, but a danger to even those who would seek to use it’s power.
”I know you all had such high hopes of that sword being the linchpin to defeating me.
It’s true form has long been sealed away and no longer has the power to even wound me.”

Xarus clutched at the slowly healing wound on his chest, flaunting it as a badge of honor.

”You see? This was your little friends effort with the sword just moments before you arrived…which is who I assume you got the sword from on your way over here after I blasted him into the dirt. Tell me Vincent…just how many pieces did you find him in?”
Xarus uttered as he laughed maniacally and a heinous smile spread across his face from ear to ear.
”There was no surviving what I did to him”
”Humans are weak”.

Suddenly, the spiritual pressure around Vincent changed, almost as if in the eye of a deadly storm.
Vincent’s gaze pierced deep into Xarus before closing his eyes and inhaling deeply.

"Take my blood" Vincent uttered.
Several sharp needles that looked reminiscent to a spiders legs sprung out of the brace and began to wrap around Vincent’s forearm, puncturing into his skin. Vincent’s blood then filled up the vial on the exterior of the brace as the sword began to measure his potential.

The Diablo Blade was once the Celestial weapon of Lucifer himself, which recognized the blood of it’s original master now running through Vincent’s veins. However, as The Wrath had now been purified and exorcised of the negative energy that once plagued it’s former hosts, the blade too began to react.

The straps that once entangled the blades armor shell burst open and fell to the ground, with the red armored segments at the top of the sword, splaying outwards and jarring back, revealing the swords true form. From the splayed armor segments, a dazzling display of pink energy spewed forth and onto the now golden blade underneath, almost as if adding to it’s immense size.

Xarus' legs began to buckle from the seemly limitless spiritual energy now pouring forth from the Diablo Blade.
Vincent then tensed his left arm. A sudden surge of energy passed down and through his left bicep and forearm, making it's may into his fist before dissipating. The blue tracks running along Vincent's body suddenly began glowing brighter than before, as all of the Wrath within Vincent was now focused into his left hand, creating a massive and deadly gauntlet.

“No Xarus", Vincent said with a calm, yet unimpressed confidence.
"What stands before you is no longer human...I am the Vincent Clyne, god of the new world and Lord of the Abyss!"
”This is where you die”.