Board Thread:Role Plays/@comment-5999656-20170521035143/@comment-25389303-20170610214400

Watching the Huntsman stagger forwards, Diaboli wondered whether or not the fatigue was finally catching up to the man. When he then reached for his throat, though, Diaboli knew there was something else at work.

That must be Zanipher's Semblance, Diaboli deduced, still unsure exactly how it worked. Even so, Gren's weakened state made him a juicy target.

Diaboli dashed forward at the signal - whip raised in a predictable overhand strike. Struggling to breathe, it was all Gren could do to raise his bat to block the attack, gambling everything on his ability to withstand the hit.

There was a thunderous crash as the whip connected, quickly followed by the tearing of metal as it tore through Gren's bat and smashed into his shoulder with a sickening crunch. The Huntsman fell to one knee as the bladed metal plates tore into his body, and his head bowed as he last of his energy began to ebb along with his blood.

But before his life drained away completely, Gren suddenly forced himself to his feet in a last surge of defiance. Diaboli easily caught his wrist as he attempted a punch, intending to crush his bones as punishment. But as soon as they touched, Diaboli stiffened.

A thousand volts of electricity suddenly coursed through his body, locking his muscles and causing him to involuntarily snap Gren's arm in two beneath his vice-like grip. The shock was like nothing Diaboli had ever felt - an overwhelming torrent of energy that, without his Aura, would have surely killed him instantly. Even so, he felt the electricity in his body, and with it came excruciating pain.

Thankfully, as quickly as it had began, it was over. A last spit in the face from a Huntsman who had no doubt been hiding his Semblance till the very end, in a desperate effort to kill him. The thought made Diaboli seethe in fury.

''To think I nearly died because of a cheap trick like that... ''

Diaboli took in a deep breath as oxygen returned to the space around him, and looked down at Gren, who was trying his best not to cry out in pain at his ruined arm.

"Nice...try..." Diaboli told him, standing his ground as he recovered from the shock, "...but it'll take more than that...to kill me!"

And then Diaboli's personal brand of 'justice' began, with the rise and fall of his whip and the satisfying crunching of bone alongside pitiful whimpers of pain. Again and again and again, Diaboli lashed him, being sure to hold back so as to not kill him too quickly. True to his promise, he made it so that the suffering lasted.

A solid minute passed before Diaboli stopped, breathing heavily from the exertion. Normally this would have continued, but they didn't have forever before somebody decided that a large explosion probably meant something bad was going on. It would be a while before anyone arrived, but Diaboli preferred to stay on the safe side.

The wicked, slightly deranged grin that had crept up onto his face during the event slowly faded as the vengefulness in his heart ran out, until his usual impassive expression returned.

Diaboli bent down and tore a piece of fabric from Gren's shirt, then took a few steps back and turned to Zanipher.

"You know what? I think I want you to kill him," he decided suddenly, as he began wiping the Hand of Charon on the ground in a futile effort to restore its usual whiteness. "To prove that you are as fearsome as you expect me to think you are."

There was a challenge in his voice. And he was curious as to how Zanipher would react to executing such an opponent.