Crumbled Ideals - World of Atonement

Taurus

However, Taurus let out a hearty laugh at the spectacle. "It appears that you underestimate yourself, Delta Posterus," he stated. He threw his mighty halberd at the Creature, entangling its body with the chain. Unable to maintain its flight, the Corvus struggled as it and Delta were dragged back into the coliseum. Beneath the sky of dust, Delta had avoided major injury by using the raven to break his fall. Defeated, the Creature returned to the plane in which it had been summoned from. Taurus yanked the halberd back into his left hand, wrapping the chain around his arm once more. "I applaud your effort, Delta Posterus, however the battle had already begun." Cracks appeared beneath his hooves with every step he took. In front of him was a target that he could not allow to escape. Once he was in striking distance, Taurus swung his halberd down.

Delta narrowly avoided fatal injury. The silver axe reflected his freckled face as he rolled away. Slowly, the blade dug into the marble on its way back to Taurus' hand. Delta rushed back as he anticipated the next attack. "Guess there's no other way outta this then," he said. Delta unsheathed his katana, discarding the friendly personality that he showed previously. What remained were eyes fixated on a single target: The Pillar of Taurus right in front of him. Runes bathed in a metallic white light reflected throughout the arena. Delta was at a major disadvantage against the minotaur. His opponent stood at twice his size, and his grenade filled buckler was forgotten in the pub. The bottle hadn't restored its energy yet, so he was unable to summon a Creature at the moment. He was well aware of how foolish it would be to fight him head-on.

Taurus noticed the change in him immediately. Wishing to test Delta's newfound strength, he charged forward. He swung his halberd in large swings against his average height target. Delta chose not to parry the strikes, but to dodge them instead. With light, dance like steps Delta drew closer while dodging by a hair's breadth. Each strike meant instant death, but the young man gracefully escaped it each time. His style was suicidal and self-incriminating, yet held a beauty that matched his weapon. Finally within striking distance, Delta swung his folded sword.

A crimson streak rushed down the katana's blade, signifying that Taurus' blood was the first to be drawn. Delta had opened a slight gash inside of the minotaur's thick hide. Taurus was taken aback for a moment, allowing Delta to retreat to the coliseum's circular wall. "You truly do underestimate yourself, Delta Posterus," Taurus declared. "You are the first person to scar me in three years." Digging his halberd into the marble, the minotaur took aim at Delta. With earth shattering footsteps, he rammed towards his foe.

Ancient runes glowed a mythical color once again with the following words: "Creatures within the precipice of life and death, I call upon thee. Realize my second wish and become temporarily liberated. Release, Canis Blanc." White distortions formed in the shape of a large wolf, summoning the white predator. Blanc had taken the full impact, disappearing without a trace instantly. Delta sacrificed the Canis in order to avoid Taurus' charge. A short distance away, he took his katana by the trigger handle and rested the blade on his arm brace. Uncomfortable with using his non-dominant hand, he stared down the back of the sword. His gaze was locked onto the minotaur's head. Exhaling deeply, Delta pulled the trigger. A loud bang reverberated throughout the arena as a bullet shot out of the thick blade.

Taurus narrowly dodged the bullet, sacrificing a portion of his horn in the process. The tip fell onto the ground, echoing in consonance with Delta's discarded shell. "None have been able to damage my prized horns," Taurus bellowed in glee. "I am finding it hard to believe that your companion is stronger than you." Delta remained silent at the remark. He had only managed two blows while he fought for his life. On the other hand, Taurus appeared to be holding back in order to test his abilities. "There is something that is bothering me, however. Why is it that you fight with minimal regard for your own safety?" Shaking his head, the minotaur retracted his question. "It matters not, Delta Posterus. Your name shall forever be engraved on the plaque outside this coliseum."