Erebus DefeatJove shot through the incoming smoke, and though the substance swirled around him and did damage, it offered no visual indication of his presence. Jove exited the attack as it finished forming, and as he positioned himself next to Erebus, it was time for him to launch his attack.
The two blows went out in quick succession, a perfectly placed boxers one two combo. The first attack left deep cracks within the helmet. It was indication of what Jove had already assumed, and that was that this defensive equipment had a set amount that it could defend against. There were very few cases of defensive items that were impervious to destruction, and so with that considered a negligible statistic, Jove was comfortable assuming the more realistic worst case scenario. This realistic worst case was that this was a piece of equipment that was forged to near perfection, achieving legendary status. He did not recognize it, of course, and had no way of knowing if that was true.
However, in conflicts such as these with an opponent so well known for their versatility and prowess, it was better safe than sorry.
Besides, had he been wrong, it would have only meant that his attack would have caused even more damage than originally intended. Had that been the case, then the outcome would have remained the same.
Still, there was a sense of pride that welled up inside of him. He could not tell if it was a feeling that had been brought about due to his own execution of this high stakes encounter, to the fact that he had take effective precaution for this sort of unfurling of events, or if it was the effects of Lucifer causing him to find a reason for self obsession through that rather greedy feeling.
Yet none of that mattered now. None of that formed congruent thought, and instead as the left overhand was thrown out and landed flush upon the temple of Erebus, the execution was completed.
His fist impacted, causing an explosion of mana simultaneously. As his fist carried through, landing onto Erebus' temple, the explosion went flush against the side of his face. The combined damage would smash into the cluster of nerves that ran along that fragile section of bone, rocking the enemy mages brain in his skull. It would ensure not only immediate concussion, but also as his body went limp, he would literally turn sideways into the air, before falling to the ground unconscious.
Jove did not merely stand over the body, instead moving as if to continue to attack his enemy. However, he stopped, breath catching in his throat.
Below him, unconscious on the ground, was not a malicious murderer. Not in this moment. He was not an enemy of the state, nor a monster. He was just a young man, barely any older than Bryson, who now lay unconscious on the ground. Jove stared at the unconscious form, and as he saw the non-rhythmic breathing of the fighter, he let out a sigh of relaxation. There was no fight to continue, and brutalizing someone after defeat would be truly cruel.
Jove would lean down and roll the young man to his belly, putting on the magic restrictive handcuffs around the Eternal Nightmare mage's wrists, and then a second pair around his ankles. This would not only completely prevent him from utilizing his magic, but would ensure that when he woke up during transfer that he wouldn't be able to immediately lash out.
Standing up, Jove sighed heavily and looked around. There was no certainty that he was out of the woods yet. For all he knew, other Eternal Nightmare guild members were laying in wait, or were currently on their way to this location. It meant that dropping his transformation right now could very well lead to his own demise. He didn't exactly want to reenter town like this, but there was no other option.
Leaning down over the unconscious boy, Jove would link one arm under his knees, and the other on his upper-mid back. Lifting him this way, he noticed how light the young man was.
I was never suppose to have to do things like this.That is how humans are, Jove. You will not be able to resist getting your hands dirty. Why do you refuse to consider what I have told you?Jove walked towards the town, but he didn't bother responding to Lucifer. He understood the demons game well. The reason he never demanded equal control over the body wasn't because he was kind. It was not due to him taking a liking to Jove, or that the demon had started to change. It was a sick game of his. To see whether or not he could change a human, corrupt someone with a mind of which he had not seen before, with just his own provocations and elicitation.
Truth be told, though it was a moment of morose, it was not as though Jove regretted his actions. That simply wasn't who he was. He would notice it, observe it, make note of how he felt about it, and then move on. After all, this was the life he chose. At the end of the day, things never went according to plan. That would assume one was acting within a bubble.
This was the real world. There were other actors, all of them main stage. So long as individuals had will, and dreams continued to be strove for, nothing would ever go completely according to plan.
So to stagnate because of that would be the same as giving up. To lock in on the past would be the same as refusing to move forward. One needed to learn, to grow, and to continue onwards into the realm of self improvement and self growth.
As Jove approached the town, the guards and Rune Knights ran out to confront him. Jove would call out to them, as soon as they were within range to hear his voice.
"I'm Jove Augustus, Lieutenant of the Rune Knights. I have here Erebus the Unavoidable. I have defeated him in combat, and need a team of knights to accompany me in transferring him to the cells for incarceration. Stand down." As the knights slowly stood down, they all stared in dumbfounded surprise while staring at the man in his arms. They knew of Erebus, and feared him. Their eyes would glance between the enemy of the state and the Rune Knight carrying him, bouncing back and forth in absolute shock, before they would drop their weapons to the ground and cheer. Two ran off to bring about a carriage, while Jove stood at the gates.
Several of the lower ranking knights surrounded him in order to ask question about how it happened, a mix of being impressed by this unknown knight and needing to take down notes for records. Jove answered them all, his level of enthusiasm (or in this case, lack thereof) being one of the most surprising things about this whole situation.
Once the cart was brought around, Jove would load him up and prepare for the transport to incarceration.
I hope you're okay, kid.As he made his way through the gates, one final realization hit the rune knight. He glanced up at the clock, seeing that it was just past 5PM. Sighing, and relaxing his body, he turned away from the carriage and decided to walk away from it. After all, he didn't get paid to work overtime.
[EXIT]
[4,300,000 Bounty Collected]
[S-Rank Fighting Rewards Collected]