Chapter 229: Immortal's Demise (4)
A/N: Chapter 9-12 edited.
Fun alternative titles.
Almost entirely rewritten with many useless statements and notions removed.
I hope for better grammar.
Overall smoother experience with a timely explanation on things why he doesn't just start devouring things.
He learns language in chapter 9-10 rather than 11
His encounter with the ghost spector is more fleshed out.
His 'date' with Mitsuko for shopping has gotten better.
***
Ozai turned to look at the stunned Stormbenders and raised his brow questioningly for some of them to gradually find their gaze shift towards Aang itself.
"Loyal till the end, huh?" Ozai smirked derisively, "It matters little now. After I am done killing this Avatar, I'll deal with the lot of you—"
Before he could finish, a grand spike was made out of the rubble underneath that pierced Ozai from his balls to his brain and then under everyone's horrified eyes while the faint projection of a mighty Kyoshi flickered behind Aang, he turned the spike into lava that made Ozai's stifled groan to grow more painful before his body melted and mixed in with the lava. His blood sizzled into vapors and his bone dried alongside the puddle of lava until none remained.
Everyone watched quietly. This was a level of death that nobody would dare dream of but...
"I see... even breaking my body in that manner just forces me to reappear in one of the possible spots I may exist..." Ozai's words rang behind Aang who turned to see a large fist smashing into his face with an audible crunch ringing out.
This time, Ozai was fully clothed. Not to mention the fact that he was wearing more secure and armored robes.
Stopping midway with a gust of wind, Aang moved the elements in quick succession. From the basics to even lightningbending and bloodbending being used to demolish Ozai once again as he let all these attacks fall over him.
Before Aang could let out a breath he'd unconsciously held within, a slight tap on the shoulder made him look back once again.
"Do you still fail to grasp the situation, Avatar... or should I say Raava?" 'Ozai' smiled with his sclera turning pitch-black, "I've bonded with Grim. The both of us are one... and I will live as long as there remains a single possibility out of an infinity of them! I... can no longer be stopped. Be the wise one this time. Kneel. I'll make your death painless. Of course, I want to know where Nik is and that's where you come in."
Even the 'Avatar' couldn't distinguish between Ozai and Grim. As if it couldn't be proven more of what Aang said about the two.
But at this state, Aang was not himself. He knew he wasn't adequate enough to control this state and that's why asking for 'help' from 'them' remained his last resort. For being a host of the spirit of order... this state in this incomplete form only raised chaos within himself. He had lost his staff long ago. Instead, he kicked at Ozai while simultaneously pulling a thin earthen staff from the ground and smashing it against the Phoenix King's head and then promptly lit him ablaze by roaring and breathing fire!
As if this wasn't enough, he stabbed his staff into the man's head and melted it into lava once again!
Yet, through the fire, Ozai's eerie chuckle resounded, "I rise through the flames and ashes, as a Phoenix would. Be graceful about your loss, nomad. This shall be your last warning."
His burnt figure quickly reverting to its original state walked out of the fire while Iroh pursed his lips and couldn't help but feel a little helpless.
This situation... couldn't get any worse...
Defying Iroh's expectations, the Stormbenders who had remained on the sidelines suddenly fell to their knees, "Please... forgive us for doubting you, Great Phoenix King!"
Aang looked back with his glowing blue eyes widened in surprise and then his furious roar echoed, "You dare spit in the fact of traditions that still remain alive? This world is better off without misguided fools!"
Aang raised his hand as lightning crackled around his forearms without needing any extended period of movement and stance to generate it only for the boy to reveal a look of struggle and then he groaned, "Ugh..." The lightning strike blew the nearest rubble to smithereens instead as Aang clutched his head and shouted in pain, "No! Please... I beg you! It's not their fault!"
The boy fell to his knees as Ozai watched everything coldly. Feeling his elder brother's stare, Ozai shrugged, "Now, don't look at me this way, Brother. With all the time in the world... I find myself more amused by others' pain than before. Maybe, before killing you, I might share that cup of famed tea... you named it Ursa, right? After that decadent slut I assume. I've come to understand that she took a man. Maybe, after all this, I'd have the pleasure of meeting him."
Iroh's expression grew weird...
Ozai, or to be precise, Grim suddenly seemed infuriated by Nik for some unknown reason...
He may as well stoke the flames. He still happened to be the ruler of the Fire Nation and a tea boiled over the highest flames can produce greater results...
"As your brother... I should mention that the lover you speak of... is Nik himself," Iroh let his voice trail to get as much time for Aang to regain his composure, "And you may be interested in something else, too?"
Ozai took a shuddering heave as his expression already grew terrible after learning the identity of the other man. The king knew that it wasn't the first time Nik charmed someone else's wife. He'd read the reports.
Ukano... Lao Beifong...
And now him.
"What is it?" Ozai growled seeing Iroh didn't outright speak the other thing but waited to be questioned. A pathetic play to stall for time, Ozai saw right through it.
"Nik... has quite the way with ladies. More like me when we were younger... do you perhaps remember Mrs. Kin?"
Ozai frowned, "Mrs. Kin? I barely recall a married woman of that name. One of your cold flames. What does it matter to me?"
Iroh remained patient and guided his younger brother gently, "Then... do you remember why Father was so angry with me at the time?"
"You..." frowning and straining his recollection, Ozai remarked in a hesitant tone, "You also slept with their daughter?"
"Exactly," Iroh smiled widely. Others may call him whatever they want. As an elder, he wasn't supposed to accept Ursa's and Azula's behavior but even if he forgot Nik's status for a moment... Iroh only saw happiness for the youth and those around him. Sure, it made his nephew a little bit jealous but seeing Zuko grow BECAUSE of this made Iroh even more fond of everyone around him. So, he answered, "Well, as I said, Nik is more like me... Ursa is Mrs. Kim in this situation. And... Azula... may have swapped more than just supper with Ursa and Nik... if the boy is anywhere near the charming devil your elder brother was in the prime."
Ozai's expression fell and he issued an enraged roar! Black mist began to ooze out of him once again and his voice distorted and mixed with that of a shrill woman, "NIK!!!"
"Uh... yeah?"
A profoundly confused tone caught everyone by surprise as they found a youth near the rubbles where the door to Zuko's room would have been and where Nik was 'killed'.
Ozai's lips parted in surprise and Iroh's eyes widened. Even the beaten up and tired Aang barely managed to look up while Nik himself glanced at the Stormbenders and found their existence new.
'Red tattoos? Huh... looks cool. Maybe they are Airbender's cousins, Whirlwindbender, or something?'
His gaze then roamed over the incredulous Aang who had definitely seen better days.
And then he finally grinned, "Hey! Others told me they may have given you a bit of trauma... Don't worry. They're all fine. Better than fine, actually. You wouldn't believe who we met, it was crazy—"
Cutting Nik off whose words managed to wholly pull a relieved sigh from Aang and Iroh, Ozai growled, "Shut up! Release Azula and Ursa from your claws and I might—"
"What... are you?" Nik frowned this time. He wasn't idle. The moment he arrived here with Red Squirrel's help once he managed to convince most to reside in his personal space temporarily while a few refused and still didn't believe the situation, Nik used his spirit senses and found other spirits still present but unmoving. It was clear that they wouldn't act unless called for which made things quite a bit easier for now.
Of them all, 'Ozai' looked way too dangerous. But with what he'd experienced and what he'd done in these few hours... Nik wasn't really easily intimidated but remaining cautious never hurt anyone, right?
His glare suddenly made Ozai's body seize up and despite his waterbending mastery and chi reserves that were barely above Ozai, he found that the man was too hard to control with bloodbending and gave a terrible resistance against his skill.
"You killed Reaper!" Ozai shrieked despite being controlled, revealing the lack of extent in Nik's control in the first place. But his words made many things clear.
"Grim?" Nik blinked and then gave a predatory smile. Against other spirits... he may truly have needed to find their weakness all over again and may even die in the process but Grim...
Not this one.
Nik suddenly willed and Ozai's body floated before being pulled towards the youth under the scorned gazes of the red-tattooed individuals. Even Aang looked disheartened while Iroh whispered, "He cannot be killed, Nik... Aang melted Ozai's entire body but he's still alive."
"He did?" Nik frowned, more concerned about Aang for his act of killing than Ozai's immortality. Every spirit he'd faced boasted it until their husk was in his hand. Even if he didn't want to feel arrogant, it was hard NOT feeling confident at all. And Nik didn't try to curb this confidence. Spirits knew he needed it.
As Ozai remained floated in front of Nik, he chuckled, "You heard brother. Release me. Release that whore and my daughter, I will let you—"
"What about Zuko?" Nik questioned Iroh.
"He's... physically well..."
"I see..." Nik sighed and then glanced towards Kei Lo whose lower body was crushed into the rubble. In fact, many died...
Sighing once again since Azula wanted to be the one who killed him with all her heart... Nik knew she'd get every bit more frustrated for a few days.
"Heh, I'll have you tortured before killing you by piercing you with flame-kissed pikes!" Ozai chuckled.
'At least... when she is annoying, she can be cute. Good thing Ursa managed to balance the genes...'
Idly, Nik retrieved a tiny sickle and Ozai's eyes widened.
A spirit leaves a husk after its death. This husk, by itself, is the chance for the spirit to regain its life unless it is consumed by another spirit. Even a primordial spirit like Dhi valued Koh's husk. The library in Nik's mind came from a husk of a spirit, too.
Now, Nik tried to find ways to use this husk. To absorb it somehow. Fortunately, the good deed of him taking out Reaper didn't go unnoticed and the Red Squirrel of Destiny was kind enough to inform him about the tiny finger-lengthed sickle in his hands.
To put it briefly, a few husks can be absorbed and a few husks are wielded and worn— like equipment of some sort. This sickle was of the latter category and alongside the [Death Eater] skill, this sickle fully comprised the use of Reaper's ability.
The moment Ozai saw the tiny sickle pinched carefully between Nik's index and thumb, his eyes widened in horror.
"You couldn't—"
"Your weakness is your brother. Like the tight knot, you two were," Nik smiled and Aang's eyes widened as he recalled Grim's weakness from the squirrel.
"I've unraveled the knot, and none of you will remain."
Nik brought the 'blunt' sickle against Ozai's neck as he struggled harder and black mist began to ooze out of him but Nik finally channeled his chi into the sickle and the dull black weapon grew resplendent to a certain extent. Unimaginably sharp, too.
It dug into Ozai's throat as Nik's eyes flashed violet, "Stay!" He commanded with even more force in his bloodbending while blood began to flow out of Ozai's freshly slitted throat. The man gurgled with despair and horror. His eyes begged for help from Iroh.
Alas, Iroh released a sad sigh that matched Ozai's stare with a desolate look, "I know... who really killed our father. Brother... rest."
Ozai's eyes grew black, too. His blood turned a notch darker and it tried to turn into vapors but the mist-like blood turned into liquid and dropped onto the ground soon enough.
Until...
Nik, Iroh, Aang, and an old bender from the stunned group saw two pieces of the mist-like orb— one red and the other white, enter Nik's mouth as he revealed a somewhat amazing reaction.
Finally, Nik crouched over Ozai's corpse that never did return to life and observed it carefully until...
He found a thin red thread laying on the bloodied slit itself.
Grim's Husk— A Red Thread of Fate.
Meanwhile, he and Iroh also felt many other spirits leaving this castle at a quick pace.
"It's... over..." Aang whispered with a dazed expression.
"Far from it," Nik walked over with a smile, "We're just getting started, right, Avatar? Much to learn. Much to eat. Many to do!"
'Don't you mean much to do?'
Aang questioned but found it wise to remain silent as Nik healed Aang while also starting to bring others out. On the other hand, the group of red bald benders left without a single word with Aang assuring that he wanted to be the one to take care of it.
But as Nik said...
It was only the beginning.
He just completed the mission and the notifications certainly pleased him!
***
Alternate Title: Spiritual Nut Cracking Messiah
***
A/N: Ooooookkkkkkkkk! Damn, all this while, I was honestly quite conflicted. A part of me wanted to drop this because I felt I made a mistake stretching Avatar this long. But the other part of me that wanted each arc to also act as a standalone won. I won't lie. Many have lost interest in this novel because of this decision but I have other novels for that. Those who remained till now, I thank you all! Love you!
Now, it is the final book: Book of Bonding.
As you may expect, it's time for Nik to remain true to his earlier promises to the girls.
***
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