Aku may have been a more intimidating force than Gaster, and he may have been around longer. But that didn’t mean Gaster was any less of a threat. From behind Aku came a sound like a rushing of wind and a crackling of energy.
Just behind the demon, the monster had reappeared. In his hand was a ball of dark, powerful energy, which he flung in the direction of Aku. If Aku wanted to dance, then gaster was more than happy to oblige.
At the sound of crackling energy behind him, Aku twisted round to face his foe in time to see the dark glow hurdling toward him. A clawed hand rushed to block its path and resulted in an explosion of pain in his palm.
“Graaarghk—!” he winced. As he raised the hand before him, he saw there was a hole in his palm. But in no time it was quickly filled in with darkness. Gaster’s magic was powerful but it was aligned with darkness rather than light and therefore did not impede his speedy regeneration process.
Needless to say Aku was annoyed. But physical pain, at least, was familiar and much more easily dealt with. “Foolish Doctor, you will rue the day you crossed AKU!” promised the demon.
Making good on his word, he raised his claws to the sky. As he did so, the ground gave a tremendous lurch and split apart in all directions. Masses of black tentacles the height of buildings burst forth from the broken earth as if the spawn of Cthulhu had arisen.
The tendrils, all lined with sharp bladed suckers, thrashed wildly but not mindlessly. They surged for Gaster, some trying to crush him while others sought to grab him and run him through on their thorny spikes.
The distance that was covered to travel from one reality to another was vast, but it meant nothing to one that many would consider to be a true outsider.
The visitor in question was a green-skinned, pointed eared humanoid of a fair build, his attire elegant, giving him somewhat of a divine position. A white mohawk adorned his head as his eyes were slick and streamlined, with a look of intent.
“Come forth, Lord Aku. I have been searching for you.”
He stood solemnly in the main fiery vertical corridor of the Pit of Hate, looking down at the dark, nigh bottomless pit below him.
There came a tremble through the ground underfoot some moments later as the great demon lord rose from the abyss. Soon he towered massively over the humanoid below and pinned him beneath his cruel and fiery gaze.
“Who dares to summon the Mighty Aku?” His godly voice reverberated through the vertical shaft. “What is it you seek from me?”
Working on a new art now – here is its part, work in progress.
The finished piece will be posted this week
UPDATE
My Profile Page has received some much needed updates and is 100% more useful. I can finally stop feeling ashamed of myself! My Rules page has also seen some minor updates, now with 50% less clutter.
“Your personal assistant?” Aku repeated to himself. “Yes, I know of whom you speak…”
Miss Azura… He couldn’t say he has had many interactions with her, but Aku was well aware of her, and was well aware that she and his other self were quite close. Erm… Not in the romantic sense. Of course he could be wrong, but it wasn’t any of his business.
“Who is this… Entity who would dare claim something that belongs to Aku?”
At least he didn’t laugh. For that, Aku was quietly grateful.
“He is a creature not of this world who seeks to use Azura in his experiments to destroy humankind. Something about her soul draws his attention. I attempted to destroy him but he is made of a substance like our own and he slipped out of my grasp. I fear what he will do to her next.”
Ashi’s eyes suddenly popped open as she heard a voice. She scooted away in fear till her back was pressed against her pillow. Her body was covered in sweat, and her heart was pounding so hard, she thought it would beat out of her chest.
“F…Father?” she whimpered as she realized who the intruder was. Slowly, her body relaxed, and more tears began to leak out of her eyes. Suddenly, she tackled her father in a hug (something she had never been bold enough to do), and cried quietly into his chest.
Aku had never seen Ashi so terrified before, not even in her close encounter with the lizard beast in the forest. Nor had he expected Ashi to fling herself into his arms so desperately. Being physically clung to was not something Aku had ever experienced before. Nevertheless, he wasted no time gathering her up into his arms and holding her close.
“Yes, Ashi. I am here, I am here,” he assured her softly. What had terrified her so badly? he wondered. Had it really only been a nightmare?
Picking her up out of bed, Aku sat at the edge of her bed and held Ashi as she cried into the soft, red fluff of his beard. There, he sat patting and stroking her back as he spoke. “What happened, child? Was it a dream?”
“… What troubles one Aku will trouble another. What is it that plagues your mind?”
“…”
Aku scowled in silence, his back still turned to his alternate. Admitting his problems, his weaknesses, wasn’t easy. Worst of all was admitting them to himself. After a deep sigh, he finally turned and uncrossed his arms.
“It’s my personal assistant,” he said tiredly. “She has become the target of a void creature hellbent on claiming her as a test subject. He has marked her soul with his essence and threatens to destroy her should I attempt to retaliate.”
“… Does the mighty Aku require assistance from the mighty Aku?”
“Mhhh— NO!”
He turned his back to his other self and folded his arms tightly. It was clear there was something bigger that troubled him. Something more than the mug. But it was just so… personal. And downright embarrassing to talk about.
His eyes rolled in their sockets to glance behind him over a bladed shoulder.
The Shogun of Sorrow 