The void around him shudders as he continues cleansing it, as if it was recoiling from him.
Having no physical form Kitharsis finds it incredibly easy to cleanse the darkness around him. It takes little to no effort to cleanse as much as hours, if not days of meditation would have before. He finds the purified oasis around him growing exponentially around him.
And then, sudden resistance. As if the void was pressing in on him from all sides. Kitharsis strains against it, seeking to cleanse whatever he can before he is sealed away. With the darkness weakened, it will be easier for the Shaman and his companions to be rid of it.
-------
Inside the barriers, the dark form of Kitharsis struggles against the barriers and bindings. He draws upon more and more of the dark energy, slow as it is. It is like breathing through a straw, barely enough to survive, but necessary.
When the other two Tirthandara arrive and begin distracting the Shaman and the others, Kitharsis stops struggling and goes oddly silent and still. He is finally alerted to the presence of the real Kitharsis still lingering. It is of no matter. The dark energy will consume him in time, no matter how resilient he is. Or so he thought.
As the energy begins getting purified from within he gasps. This shouldn't be possible. He is directly tied to the source. If Kitharsis begins purifying the energy now he threatens to weaken, if not destroy the Tirthandara.
Outside of the barriers, the two Tirthandara make their move, setting the companions on guard. The Shaman is distracted, preparing for an attack. The blasted Soul Reaver looks like he was going to rally them together for a counter attack. And then Jharm makes a move. A very advantageous move.
The Seraphim slams his hammer down, producing a bright, blinding flash. Now is his chance!
Even as the barriers press down on him it doesn't take an instant for Kitharsis to rise to his feet, throw his arms wide, and roar as an enormous amount of energy surges through him. The energy overflows his body as it pours out and floods the inside of the barriers. It is impossible to see through the violent mass of power coursing inside. Something large smacks into the side of the barrier before hitting the ground.
The two Tirthandara who had just arrived stop in their tracks. The multiple stout ones stand and cross their arms in front of them, and the taller one simply tosses his head back and laughs.
The energy inside the barrier subsides, and as the dust settles there are two forms within. Dark Kitharsis kneels in the center, a wicked grin planted on his face. He extends one of his arms toward a figure leaning against the side of the barrier.
The figure leaning against the side of the barrier looks exactly like Kitharsis, albeit with tan skin that reminds one of the desert sands. He is clearly disoriented, and having a difficult time bearing the force of the multiple barriers.
The Shaman, in disbelief simply mutters, "How?"
"We've had our eye on that one for a long time." One of the many stout Tirthandara says. "No one should be able to affect our power the way he does. We couldn't deal with him with you bastards hanging around. But once he gave in and stopped his little meditation act we knew he must be desperate." He chuckles, "We knew the real Tirthandara had emerged. And now it looks like you're going to seal both of them away. Tsk Tsk."
A mass of energy blooms in Dark Kitharsis's outstretched palm. It appears that he is preparing to attack the helpless other Kitharsis that has appeared.
The Shaman grits his teeth. Uncertainty wrinkles his brow. He sighs, before looking to the companions.
"Drop the barriers. But watch these two. We must save Kitharsis before he is destroyed."
The mass of energy in Dark Kitharsis's palm swells, threatening to burst and annihilate the real Kitharsis.
"Now!" The Shaman shouts as he dispels all of his runes and barrier. He lunges toward the real Kitharsis, intent on shielding him from Dark Kitharsis's attack.
