Trickster Wukong

"You dare…"

"Brontes the Titan. How much of what the world knows about you is true?"

Illian grinned as he stared at the monumental figure who sat upon his obsidian throne, the boy still struggling to stand but persisting.

Brontes listening to the babbling of a human such as Illian was like a Judge putting up with the desperate stories of a criminal, it was meaningless.

Despite this, Brontes couldn't help but stare as Illian spoke the way he did. 

And Illian could see this, making his heartbeat quicken as he continued.

"You see, I know a lot of things. I know you aren't really a prisoner in Tartarus."

"You're here willingly."

Grimnar scoffed as his eyes darted from Brontes and Illian, holding back his laughter as he noticed Illian was serious.

However, Brontes had a different reaction.

"Tell me, do you know why I'm here?" Brontes asked, Grimnar raising an eyebrow, his laughter halting.

Illian stared for a few seconds, quiet.

"I also know Grimnar contacted you on our way here."

"And I allowed him to do it because I wanted you here."

Brontes narrowed his eyes, watching Illian straighten his body and tighten the grip of his staff in his armpit.

"Brontes, I am going to kill you."

Just as Illian said this, he watched Brontes seamlessly raise a single finger.

-BOOM

-CRACK

"KHRM!!!"

Illian dropped to his knees, and the ground below him cracked under the immense force.

'What the hell…is this?'

He thought, his staff dropping to the ground as he writhed in pain, his elbows planted with his knees.

All of a sudden, a crushing pressure dropped onto Illian's shoulders. 

He was unable to move and his breathing had become heavy and rigid.

'Are you kidding me? This pressure can't be from that single finger, right?'

But as if to mock him, his question was answered a second later.

"Pathetic. You can't even withstand the pressure from my single finger."

"What makes you think you can even hope to touch me? The only reason you're still alive is because your body has been tempered by the River of Styx."

These words rang inside Illian's head like a broken record. 

He knew Brontes was strong, but he wasn't expecting to be so outclassed.

A part of him expected maybe he'd grown stronger after all this time. 

And he did, but his limits quickly became evident to him.

He was still a human.

'I knew I'd stand no chance but I was hoping to be more of a challenge.' Illian chuckled inwardly.

'But I can't turn back now. I have to do this.'

Three things.

Demeter had told him three things that would help him complete this quest.

The first was the River.

The second revolved around the figure before him.

"Luckily for me…"

Illian got up on one knee and raised his head, a forced smile on his face as he struggled to raise one of his sickly hands.

"I won't be the one fighting you. Ruyi Jingu Bang, I choose you. Expand!"

-VUAM

In an instant, Illian raised his two forefingers to the sky, yelling as Ruyi now towered over him.

The pressure did not subside even a little but it didn't seem like Ruyi was affected.

It hadn't grown to such absurd lengths as Illian was used to, but it was enough to rival Brontes' size.

"Is this supposed to be a joke?" Brontes asked, scoffing.

However, Grimnar wore a worried expression as if he was remembering an uncomfortable memory, all while staring at Ruyi.

"Lord Brontes, that weapon, it isn't normal. It was able to…"

"Decimate the Dreadscale in a mere second. Yes, I'm aware."

Saying this, Brontes leaned forward, rising to his feet and doubling in size as Illian gritted his teeth.

"But your mistake is comparing the Dreadscale to me." 

Brontes spoke, his voice seeming to grow more sinister with his stature.

A shiver ran down Grinmar's spine as he placed his forehead on the ground, muttering, "Of course, my Lord. Please forgive my ignorance."

"With that being said, I am interested in this weapon. Who forged it, with what material and magic."

With this, Brontes raised his hand, pulling it back slowly as he prepared to strike.

'This is the moment of truth, all the time I put into it.'

There was a reason Illian spent so long in the Dark Forest. 

His control over his greatest asset had been left in shambles after bathing in the River and he still didn't know what transformation his staff had succumbed to.

He needed to fix this before he could even hope to complete his quest.

The result…

'Ruyi…'

-ZIP

Brontes' single eye widened as he watched Ruyi disappear, reappearing before him as it spun.

'Control over Ruyi, better than I had before.' Illian smirked, cutting his finger through the air.

-BANG!!!

Ruyi SMASHED into the side of Brontes' face, making the Titan stumble and almost lose his footing.

"Wha…" Grimnar stammered, his mouth wide open.

"What…is this power…"

"It's called an S-Rank National Treasure, you bastard!" 

Illian cackled like a mad scientist, the pressure upon him disappearing allowing him to stand up straight.

His grin curled so far upwards that his face contorted, making him look almost like a demon.

Brontes listened to these words, his head soon shooting back as he witnessed Ruyi spinning toward him once again.

-CLANG!!!

Raising his hand, Brontes blocked, Ruyi striking his forearm with so much power it sent shockwaves that made Illian and Grimnar struggle to resist being blown away.

He didn't waste a second in raising his second fist, swinging at blurring speeds.

Usually, Illian wouldn't be able to react to this speed.

But that didn't mean he could see it.

-CLANG!!!

The other end of Ruyi flicked forward, meeting Bronte's attack and clashing with an ear-piercing CLANG.

Illian, his forearm raised before his face, suffered under the intense quakes as the two clashed.

With his knees bent, body leaned forward and tail pushing off the ground, supporting him from behind, he tried his best not to be blown away.

'I can't lose focus. With Ruyi being met with so much force, I'll need to be sharp.'

-CLANG!!!

-CLANG!!!

-CLANG!!!

-CLANG!!!

-CLANG!!!

"Lord Brontes!" Grimnar screamed in desperation, clinging onto a pillar, his body flailing in the winds like a flag.

Brontes and Ruyi clashed at speeds a regular human wouldn't be able to perceive.

They each let out world-ending power yet never showed signs of slowing, all while Illian waved his fingers through the air.

His eyes stayed wide open like a hawk, and he darted around despite the wind.

And as Brontes raised his fist once more…

-FLICK

Ruyi flicked upward as Brontes' fist was met with air, his eye slowly moving up in despair upon realising…

"You're wide open! Expand!"

-BOOM!!!

Ruyi's flat end smashed into Brontes' face, the Titan losing his footing and being pushed back, crashing into the ground back first.

"Shrink."

-VWIP

Illian commanded, Ruyi returning to its previous towering size, silence descending as the quakes subsided. 

Grimnar dropped back onto the ground, dumbfounded as he witnessed a sight he never thought was even possible.

Brontes on his back.

Though dust shrouded everything, making them lose sight of the Titan, he had seen what Ruyi had done.

Because of this, he couldn't help but think…

"Is he…dead?"

"No."

Grimnar was instantly given a reply as he looked back to see Illian staring with a straight face at the dust cloud.

At the same time…

"Hahahahaha!"

The tense air returned as a heavy laugh that made the ground shake caused Illian to narrow his eyes. 

The mere laugh was enough to make the dust scatter as if it were scared, revealing Brontes who was kneeling, his face cracked like glass.

"I am intrigued by this weapon. I want it!"

He roared, rising to his feet as he seemed as though he'd just woken from a relaxing sleep. 

He smiled widely, revealing his stone-like teeth that appeared like stalagmites and stalactites in a cave.

"I am interested in who forged such a weapon. I can tell it wasn't you, boy."

"So tell me, where did you find such a treasure?" Brontes asked without even sparing Illian a glance.

Illian shrugged.

"Some guy I've never spoken to lent it to me. I don't think he's very fond of me."

"He refuses to even acknowledge me. But I don't need him to achieve what I've come for." 

Illian smirked, his taunts not seeming to phase Brontes.

"I see. However, you fail to realise one thing. I am not a fighter…"

-CRACKLE

-SHATTER

-VUAM

In the next second, Brontes raised his hand, the bronze ring on his middle finger cracking, emitting powerful deep blue lightning as it soon shattered.

As it did, black smoke expunged from within it, expanding to half the size of Brontes, forming an outline as Illian could see something come to fruition.

"...But a Blacksmith."

Brontes pulled a bronze hammer from the smoke, pulling it up and resting it on his shoulder.

"As for you…I have no use for you."

A chill ran down Illian's back as he snapped his head back, witnessing the Golems holding the torches tower behind him, raising a grey concrete-like hammer of their own.

-SMASH

The ground crumbled at the force as Illian dived away, rolling on the ground a few times before regaining his footing.

Rising his head, he was only given a second to scan his surroundings. 

In that second, his lips pursed as he witnessed dozens of colossal Golems surrounding him.

'Shit.'

Not only was he currently defenceless in the face of an army of Golems, but this also meant he had to take his focus off of Ruyi.

But he was given little time to worry as another Golem raised their weapon.

-SMASH

Once again, the ground was reduced to rubble. 

But surprisingly, Illian could be seen leaping back, jumping forward as the hammer touched the ground and running up the Golem's arm.

'This is what I prepared for. To not always be reliant on Ruyi. And now, I'm a lot stronger.'

Thinking this, he leapt up, pulling back his leg and swinging with full force in a barbaric manner.

-BANG

The Golem's headshot backwards, its body following right after as Illian cracked the surface of its face with an ear-piercing BANG.

But because of this…

-CLANG!!!

Brontes took a deep breath, pulling back his hammer and swinging, Ruyi doing the same as the two weapons clashed, sparks so hot it turned blue flying off the two weapons.

However, Ruyi hadn't even lasted a second before it was sent shooting back, crashing into the walls.

Brontes grinned, almost as if to mock Illian's frown as the boy desperately dodged the flurry of attacks coming at him from the golems.

He was outnumbered and at a crippling size disadvantage, made more evident as the Golems closed in on him, giving him little space to dodge.

And before he could recall his staff…

-CRACKLE

-SHATTER

-VUAM

Brontes raised another one of his hands, the pink ring on his pinky crackling with blue lightning and shattering.

But rather than the black smoke that arose earlier, three grey disks with pink outlines shot out, darting toward Ruyi in a triangular formation.

-CRACKLE

Pink lightning danced around Ruyi as the disks floated around it, clinging onto it like ropes.

'What the hell? It won't move.'

Illian noted. No matter how much he recalled his staff, it wouldn't move. 

It was trapped.

And it seemed like Brontes knew this as he walked toward it leisurely.

"What did you call it? Ruyi Jingu Bang? I shall give it a new name once I discover how to sever the connection you have to it."

'A little more…'

Illian darted his eyes toward Brontes from time to time while he slowly realised he no longer had anywhere to run.

"You are not worthy of such a weapon…"

As Brontes went out to reach for Ruyi, Illian's eyes practically sparkled.

'Now!'

Bending his legs, Illian shot into the air like a firework, the Golems never letting him out of their sight as the closest one raised their hammer.

But rather than doing anything to dodge, his foot made contact with the nearby Golem, shooting off and landing on the swinging hammer before it could fully extend.

"Ruyi!"

Illian yelled, the staff shaking a little at his voice. 

Before he could say anything else, he was catapulted by the hammer, shooting through the air horizontally as his eyes locked on his weapon.

"Expand!"

Ruyi's shaking increased but failed to move or grow as Brontes' grin widened at the sight.

"It's futile. Even Zeus himself would struggle to escape those…"

"Expand, expand, expand, expand, expand!"

With each word, Ruyi's vibrations worsened till its violent vibration caused the ground to shake and Brontes' smile to slowly fade.

'It's…impossible…'

Before Brontes could finish his thought, a yell echoed in the hall.

"EXPAND!!!"

-BOOM!!!

Illian hit the ground feet first, skidding a few feet before coming to a stop. 

As he did, he looked up, grinning as he witnessed the titanic black pillar that appeared, piercing through the ceiling and tunnelling through the ground as though it were butter.

Brontes gawked at the sight as the grip on his hammer almost slipped. 

It was only when a voice entered his ears that he snapped out of his trance.

"Ruyi, fall!" Illian yelled, making a pulling motion with his hands, veins bulging in his neck and forehead.

-RUMBLE

At speeds that almost seemed impossible for its size, Ruyi tore through the ceiling and earth as it started to tip in Bronte's direction.

Seeing this, Brontes widened his eye.

'If that hits me…'

Thinking this, he grits his teeth.

"Do your worst!" He yelled, pulling back his hammer as he prepared to swing and clash with everything he had…

"Shrink!"

Ruyi shrank to the size of a car, leaving gaping holes in the ceiling and ground, as well as the carnage it had created, shooting toward Bronte's face like a dart.

But to this, Brontes grinned.

"You really shouldn't yell out your next move. I can feel your bloodlust from here."

He grinned, defensively raising his hammer while raising his opposite hand and brandishing a green ring.

But before he could do anything else…

-VUAM

Brontes watched Ruyi shrink to the size of a pencil, looming over his chest.

With his eyes widened and brain lagging, all he could do was follow with his eyes, tensing his body for the attack to come.

But surprisingly…

-SNAP

-VUAM

Ruyi shot toward Illian as the boy grabbed it with his teeth. But that wasn't what Brontes was focused on.

No, instead he stared at his neck, noticing the absence of an accessory. 

The petrified look never left his face, he slowly looked up, staring at the boy who held his staff in between his teeth but also a familiar gold necklace in his weak hands.

"Finally. With this…I'll be able to complete my quest."

Illian grinned as he stared at the black storm within the necklace's cages, a muffled rumbling exuding from it.

Seeing this, the necklace in such a vulnerable state, an overwhelming feeling rose from within Brontes.

One that felt nostalgic but in an unpleasant way.

"That is…going to kill us all…"

Illian stared at Brontes who seemed as if he'd seen a ghost.

But without needing an explanation, Illian grinned.

"That's right. And it belongs to me now."