Helion's lip curled, a delighted grin as the wolf began to lose control. Its mind flashed back to its fight with Onyx - that had felt fair, equal, two beasts throwing themselves at each other on common ground. But this...with V-Ruby-One towering over the gembound as it writhed in its own black flames, feeling the self-satisfying thrum of chaos filling its stomach like a warm meal, oh it felt powerful. For once.

It couldn't help itself. A curl of its claws and the flames on Esther burned...not brighter, really, but more intensely, resisting their caster's attempts to put them out. "Look at you," it spat. "Can't hold it together. Fucking WEAK."

ROUND 1/?

ATTEMPT: burn esther more
DEFENSE: none
INJURIES: none

@Esther

Esther doesn't fully hear what Helion is saying - claws splaying out in front of them as the flames somehow get bigger, more DANGEROUS. The corruption is taking over, and Esther is doing nothing to stop it. Esther's always gone out of their way to be more-or-less nice to everyone, despite their element. The element does not shape the person - it's what Esther's believed about corruption, and nothing changes that. Not even this situation with Helion.

"FUCK YOU!" they snap, jaws audibly snapping closed as they bring their magic forward on instinct, pulling and pulling - grabbing a spell at random and directing the power of their magic at Helion.

Helion is the weak one, unable to contain their own self-hatred. Esther truly believes it.

The desire to KILL imbeds itself deep into their mind.

@V-Ruby-One

It expected the lash back - oh yes, two chaos beasts getting heated and angry would surely spell doom for one of them - or both, if they were lucky. The sudden crushing grip around its body made it snarl with rage, fighting against the power. The weaker spell only rendered them to their knees, but they could barely move against the chaos that tried to crush them limb by limb. It trembled against it, bones creaking in their effort not to break, but something in it howled in joy at the pain.

Hands braced against the ground, they pushed past the crushing pain in their limbs to hiss at Esther, tensing their muscles, gripping the rock beneath their claws, and feeling a surge of their own chaos go forth at the smallest beckon. It did not need much, it was always there. Ready, waiting, hungry. It didn't say anymore words, just watched, eyes glittering with its starving malice, as black lightning raced through its limbs and shot towards the wolf. It wasn't trying to kill them - not yet. MAKE THEM SUFFER!

@Esther

ROUND 2/?

ATTEMPT: torture with lightning
DEFENSE: none
INJURIES: partially prone

Esther - still burning - feels the lightning hit their skin and snarls. They will NOT DIE here. Esther will not die to the hand of someone within their own group - they can already feel Vargas' disappointment at the fight happening in the first place.

Something inside is coiled around them, pulling and demanding to come out - Chaos has already taken control.

The shadow hasn't been around them for some time - the power instead pulling out at their own magic - Esther uses their own spell to move the flames away from themselves, and hopefully onto Helion to burn it instead. There is no games when Chaos is in control.

@V-Ruby-One

ROUND ?/?

ATTEMPT: Move flames to Helion
DEFENSE: none
INJURIES: Burnt and shocked

No words further were exchanged between the two beasts of chaos. Control was lost or given freely, and Helion relished in every moment of the battle as its own consciousness flickered, body consumed by the flames that had been burning Esther moments before. It knew this cold flame, the first moments of its life had been consumed by it. It snarled, finding a sick joy in its own agony, a scream bubbling from its throat from the pain.

It grasped at the ground, eyes fixed on Esther, all of its hate and rage and pain boiling out of it, like the black oil streaming from its mouth and eyes as the chaos consumed. From the rock beneath Esther, a black tentacle would emerge and attempt to lash its way around their neck, chocking. Hold them there and squeeze until he couldn't breathe.

@Esther

ROUND 3/?

ATTEMPT: choke Esther
DEFENSE: none
INJURIES: partially prone, actively on fire

Just like Helion, Esther has no more words to say. Adrenaline keeps them moving in a fight they would normally flee from, tentacle shooting up to grab them. It hits the mark, gripping Esther's neck with a force that almost makes them come back to themselves.

Alas, it does not work - and when the thing constricts, Esther begins to thrash. With no escape, it almost reminds them of their squabble with Draconua. It's a scary thought, but Esther instinctively uses their magic as a counter regardless.

@V-Ruby-One

ROUND 3/?

ATTEMPT: Crush Helion again
DEFENSE: none
INJURIES: burned, being choked

The continued pressure around Helion began to take its toll. Its limbs could not stand for much longer and there were sickening sounds of breaking bones as a rib collapsed and one of its arms fractured. It snarled through the pain, almost a chuckle. Its world was devolving into PAIN PAIN AGONY DEATH DESTRUCTION and it could barely think anymore. The chaos was a fire out of control. The fire was out of control. Everything was out of control.

It couldn't see. Not through the fire, not through the crushing grip that was making black spots appear in the corner of its vision. It collapsed to the ground, trying to push the flames back to their source, but it only made it worse. The fire was spreading across its entire body, now utterly consumed by toxic black and violet flames. Even the stones beneath its claws were catching ablaze.

It snarled and hissed like a rabid animal as its claws scratched the ground in its agony, oil dripping from its eyes and lighting on fire from the flames consuming it. Yet it clung to consciousness, to life, because I'M NOT DONE!! I'M NOT DONE!!!!

@Esther

ROUND 4/?

ATTEMPT: move the fire back to esther
DEFENSE: none
INJURIES: broken arm, prone, actively on fire. very on fire

Esther feels the tentacle start to loosen a little bit as Helion tries to cast something - only for the fire to get bigger. They finally wiggle free, watching as the purple fire expands. The ground is casted in flames - Helion looks worse for ware. Something inside tells them to leave it - it's hurt enough - but something else.... BURN

It's in their head, demanding Esther let the fire play out. The fire has always been Esther's affinity - it's always called out to them.

But they do not pull their own flames out, the pressure has become another new favorite. Esther cackles as they bring their magic forward once more, aiming to finish the job. There is nothing left inside except for DESTRUCTION the need to KILL.

Perhaps Helion was right, Corruption makes you a monster. Here they are, attempting to prove the hybrid right.

@V-Ruby-One

ROUND 4/?

ATTEMPT: Crush MORE
DEFENSE: none
INJURIES: burned, shocked, windpipe hurts

It fell completely to the ground, the pressure was popping its ears, the fire was destroying its senses. Every atom of its body was pain. Its mind had gone utterly blank. There was barely even room for chaos anymore when it was so filled with agony.

Its last effort was to just. Stop the fire. It wanted to move it to Esther, move the pain over, but it didn't have the strength to do it anymore. All it could do was put it out. At least it was no longer burning alive, but the pressure on its body was too much. It was collapsing.

It could barely breath against its own ribs crushing down and around its body. They'd all probably broken at this point, it couldn't tell. Time seemed to have slowed down for it, but it had also skipped a little bit. It didn't remember their tail becoming so crushed it might as well have been amputated. It didn't remember losing all feeling in both their upper arms from the amount of breaking they'd suffered. But suddenly everything was slowing down.

The cackling from Esther was an echo, because something in its mind was cackling too. With them. At them. Because of them. Or maybe it was just their mind taking too long to comprehend noise when its eardrums had ruptured.

It lay defeated before the maned wolf, eyes rolling up. What beast had been there mere seconds ago had been choked out by the fire and the pressure and now it was just. V-Ruby-One. Waiting.

"Kill me," it choked out. Oil dripped from its jaws.

@Esther

ROUND 5/?

ATTEMPT: just put the fire out
DEFENSE: none
INJURIES: lots of broken bones

When Helion collapses, it's all over. Esther comes back to themselves, the fire is gone. There's pain sweltering all over, singed fur - electrified skin. They hurt. Esther hasn't felt this much pain in a long time. Even when they got eaten by the dinosaur lesser, there was no pain - just darkness.

The skin on their wings is toasted badly, but the skin on their body has it the worst. They step forward when they're sure the fire is completely gone, wanting to say something. Instead they just huff down at the crumpled form of Helion.

It's oh so tempting to leave Helion there to suffer, to chrysalize on its own. Perhaps the hybrid will think about its actions while it waits for everything to be over.

The good side of them says to just end it. Esther wouldn't wish this kind of pain on their worst enemy - and they suppose right now their worst enemy is Helion.

So they bring a clawed hand up - it hurts - and smash it down as hard as they can.

ROUND 5/?

ATTEMPT: kill
DEFENSE: none
INJURIES: burned, electrified, throat hurt

@V-Ruby-One