Solaris felt the shadows take form in his palm, then the shards moved to their respective locations and rested, merging with the shadows.
Solaris looked at the creation and grinned wildly.
Blood from his missing eye leaked into his mouth, causing him to grimace and spit it out.
You want to rain spears on me, well then I'll just block them with this... I wonder... can I perhaps.
Solaris dodged another few spears, then began to focus on his soul.
Being acutely aware of it, Solaris had noticed that the shards were not just an extension of his body but actually an extension of his soul.
This gave rise to the theory that the shards were much more powerful than Solaris could understand.
It also raised a question about marks: when he had his copper axe, Solaris couldn't harden it or heat it as he could with the shards, nor could he control it like a part of his body; all he could do was use it like any normal axe.
So what made the shards different, and was the mantle more like his axe or more like his shards?
Solaris was going to find out in the heat of battle.
Raising the umbrella, Solaris blocked a spear and dodged another.
The shadows are solid enough to block, for now, but I can already feel the warping around the panels... so I need to try now.
Solaris reached into his soul and began to search.
It was something he had done every time he used his Extramicy. In fact, he was sure everyone did it subconsciously to activate their own Extramicy; however, Solaris did it both subconsciously and actively.
Digging around within his soul was much like searching for something in the dark. He was simply stumbling around in an attempt to find something to grab.
And once he found out where it was, it began to glow, ever so softly.
Solaris moved the umbrella and blocked another few attacks.
And then he found it.
He felt a new part of his soul and then hardened it.
The mantle, which had already been dark, was now pitch-black.
The shadows in his hand, which only had shape when he wanted them to, now solidified.
His soul now had another light glowing softly in the darkness.
Now then.
Solaris turned his body and peeked over the umbrella, seeing Arias throw another spear he had readied and let the glass spear shatter across the surface of the umbrella.
Two shards slid under his feet, then he jumped up, throwing himself at Arias.
The girl's arm shot forward and released another javelin, only for it to shatter and the black surface of the umbrella to grow closer and closer.
One of her wings flapped and sent it to the side.
Solaris passed by her.
His single eye reflected infinitely across her wings.
The opened umbrella closed and shot through the air like a spear being thrust.
The shard at the tip of the umbrella pierced through her stomach, as he stopped the shards on his feet, holding him in the sky.
Arias smiled as blood began to seep out of her stomach and mouth, then she raised an arm and shattered her body.
Solaris, however, didn't care.
His fist shot forward and crushed a piece of glass upon impact.
Arias was sent flying out of it, regaining her balance with her wings.
Her eyes shot up as pain burned in her stomach.
Solaris was already upon her, his fist crashing down on her.
Before she could recover, another and another hit her.
The real her.
She had no way to block, no way to mirror the spots, no way to do anything but take the beating.
Her bones broke; her skin cracked and burned.
Blood poured from all over her.
And eventually she broke.
The wings on her back scattered to the wind as Solaris tore her arm from its socket.
Her eyes began to grow blurry as the two landed on the ground, her body pressing her into it.
All she could see was a blurry green glow that seemed only to grow brighter.
And eventually it all went black.
Arias passed out.
Solaris stood up; his mind only had one thought going through it over and over, as something was slowly being torn away, something that he had worked so hard to keep in check.
i will win, I will win, I will win, I will win, I will win...
Suddenly Solaris felt an urge to laugh; I mean, it was so funny.
He had attempted to keep all his humanity; even in battles with demons, he refrained from thinking that he would win at all to keep it, but now he was losing some of it just to win a tournament.
All to fuel his own fear of returning to hell, Solaris burned away his humanity.
Even if he could possibly regain almost all of it, that tiny portion was gone.
At this moment, Solaris reared his head back and laughed.
No thoughts went through his head; all he did was laugh.
Some people covered their mouths in horror, others closed their eyes, yet one did neither.
A person approached from behind Solaris.
Solaris continued to laugh, his eye closed, the other one missing.
"Alright, Sol, that's enough."
Hearing the voice, Solaris felt a pain in his chest, yet he kept laughing.
"I said THAT'S ENOUGH!"
The man yelled, then punched Solaris, throwing him against the wall of the arena.
That damned giant!!
Ember looked at Solaris, his eyes covered by his brown hair, covering up that his eyes were teary.
Ember walked over to Solaris and crouched down.
"Open your eyes; it's over."
Solaris did not open his eyes; however, his laugh grew dull, and his smile shook.
"Open them now, or I'll tell her."
Solaris gritted his teeth, the laugh disappearing.
Then he opened his eye.
In front of him, Ember had a look of anger, sadness, and a tinge of fear on his face.
Not the look that someone who is scared would give; no, a look of a parent, one who's scared for their kid.
Solaris looked at Ember, his sense of self returning.
His eye drifted to Sami, who had a lollipop in her mouth as she healed Arias back to normal.
Solaris widened his eye, one once bright green in his eye was now incandescent.
What am I doing... I'm such a useless scum, garbage piece of shit... This isn't a life-or-death battle, yet here I am attempting to kill that girl... I'm such a horrible human... No, I'm just a murderer!