Synchronized Posted October 4, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 4, 2013 New Chapter, took a little longer than I wanted but I'm actually really happy with it, so that's good. I think it's significant too because the plot is finally starting to thicken. Btw, the final segment was supposed to be very vague, in case anyone was curious about that. [spoiler=Episode 25: Defeat is Not an Option!] he stadium is jam-packed, and with two days having passed since the first day’s events, the fans are full of energy and ready for the action to begin again. The week-long spectacle that is the Grand Thunder Clash is four days in, and with the final ‘off day’ being the one after this, things are really starting to heat up. With the shocking revelation that Hayate Asaki is still very much alive and very much involved, Calle Anden was forced to cut his meeting with the mysteriously wise Hiyoru short in order to return to the others. While he’s updated the kids on the situation to some extent, no one knows what to expect as the second day begins; because they don’t even know who their real enemies are. Episode 25: Defeat is Not an Option! “Ladies and gentlemen, I already know the answer but we need to feel it, who’s ready for some action?!” The MC roared into the microphone with all his might, trying to bring the crowd to life. “We hope you’ve enjoyed the couple of days rest, but now it’s time to kick things into high gear! Today we’ll see the remaining first round matchups, and then in just two days the Tag Team Elimination Rounds will begin! The pressure’s on for the competitors to really kick it up now, but before we introduce the day’s first bout, let’s take a look at the scoreboard!” R-Team : 6 PTS Wind Gear : 4 PTS Blaster Axis : 1 PT Star Gate : 0 PTS Chimera Night : 0 PTS "Although R-Team is currently in the lead, it would only take one victory for Wind Gear to surpass them!" The MC declared, continuing to carry excitement in his voice to get the crowd riled up. "You see, to make things fair for the teams that didn't get much of a chance to participate yesterday, and to spice up the competition just a little bit more, today's match-ups are worth a whopping five points each! That's almost double what the first day's rounds were worth! Of course, that means the pressure's on for Wind Gear, with only one member of their team left that hasn't competed yet, if they want to grab onto that top spot, defeat is not an option!" From their balconies, each team watched the results as they were posted on the scoreboard with angst. Sure, they had been aware of the standings, but seeing it in official context like this really drove the point home. This round was incredibly important. Teams like Chimera Night or Star Gate could easily take the lead with just two victories, and since there were only four rounds throughout the entirety of the day, that didn't leave much of an opportunity. The MC was right; the pressure was on. --- In the dense, isolate woods of Erebos’ least populated forests... The young man leaned against the glass, his nose pressed against it, enjoying the cool sensation it brought over him. It was snowing heavily in the woods around them, the entire forest looking like a giant cloud. Only the very tops of the treetops were visible, and the blissfully cold temperatures were only kept away thanks to the log fire he had crackling in the corner of the room. While the fire provided a sense of warmth, it also served as the room’s only source of light. Combined with the beautiful shimmering of the snowflakes falling to the ground outside, it made for an incredible visual. He was happy to be able to take his mind off things for but a moment and truly take in the atmosphere around him. He sighed a deep, longing sigh; as much as he’d like to stay in this melancholy peace for much longer, he knew there was work to be done. Terrance’s failure had come as no surprise to him, though for the Master, he could not be so sure. The man had been acting rather differently as of late, and he couldn’t quite fathom what was going through the old geezer’s mind. Nearly two months had passed since Terrance had fallen, and they’d made very little progress otherwise. The children, who had once been but a nuisance in the grand scheme to retrieve Beatrice, had now become a very important piece of the Master’s focus. Through miscalculations he could best assume, the power they possessed was far greater than they had originally anticipated. There was of course Calle Anden, as well. The man himself who was not much older than the other children had taken up the role of mentoring them at Beatrice’s request. There was no doubt he was strong, far stronger than Terrance who had proven to be a force as well, but he lacked significant experience as well. That being said, the man was fully aware that assuming it would not require some potential losses to defeat Calle was a naïve mindset; where Terrance had failed, they could not afford to do the same. It was because of this that the Master had ordered them to wait; there was no rush, he said. He had waited sixty years to get to this point, what was a few more months? But still, the man was growing restless. The more time passed, the more senile it appeared the Master was becoming, hell-bent and potentially losing his mind in the process. Perhaps it was time to take matters into his own hands. Hands he’d rather not dirty, but sometimes the situation called for it. There were only three of them remaining now, and with each passing day the reputation that the Four Star Siege seeked to grasp seemed to slip further and further away. He scoffed aloud, intentionally as he sensed a presence at the door. Was she coming to bother him again? No, he decided. It was a much lesser presence. A servant, perhaps. “This had better be important.” “My sincerest apologies, Victor sir.” The voice belonged to a vaych soldier, a scrawny little guy with very little to him other than his armor; he lacked intimidation in any capacity. Despite their ruthless nature, the vaych around here had become accustomed to working under the Four Star Siege’s command in fear for their lives. They were, after all, a group of humans so powerful that remaining on Earth for too long a period of time could cause significant harm. “Do not befiddle me with your insincere remarks, vaych,” he beckoned him into the room. “Close the door, will you? If there’s something you need to share, share it. If not, be on your way. I have much work to do.” Pulling out the chair at his desk, the man sat down and flipped quickly through a pile of papers while the creature fiddled its hands, aware that the information it was about to reveal would certainly change his master’s mood. “Sir, I…” “Out with it,” he snapped taking a sip of warm tea. As he pressed it to his lips, marveled at the fact that it had remained at such a temperature despite the blissful cold, the ratman began to speak. “Sir I haven’t an idea of how to put this, but it appears the mistress we seek to retrieve has been taken hold of,” it said. “She was kidnapped and we’ve lost complete sight of her location at this time. All we’ve been able to trace at this time is that her captors work directly underneath a human of the name…Hayate Asaki.” The ratman cringed upon finishing his sentence, but Victor could not lash out at him. He dropped the clay mug onto the ground as it shattered into thousands of small fragments, tea spilling all over the place around him. Of all the people who could choose to surface now, he was the one person that would prove deadly. And if Beatrice was already in his hands…he feared there may have been nothing he could do. “Remove yourself now, alert everyone, rally all of the forces and get all of the information we can possibly gather. Alert the Master, and Erica as well. This is dire. Failure to comply with these orders will result in the end of your life.” He despised working with the others, but there was not much else to do. One of them might have to return to Earth and solve this themselves. Because none of those brats stood a chance against a human of Hayate Asaki’s level. Oh, how he longed for the calming peace of the snowy forest and it’s ignorant bliss. But that was gone now. --- Houshou Island, Delta Cavern… With four men at his command, Asuma Hitoki took his place at the center of the cavern’s opening. Concealed in the deepest parts of the island, he could speak freely here without fear of bystanders or even intentional “flies on the wall”. From left to right, the four men stood in a line, each of them adjourned in a different color, used primarily as a means of identification. The first, Reishi, was a tall African-American man with a very loud personality. A muscle-bound man with (probably) more confidence in himself than others had in him to begin with, he carried himself like he was king of the world. Still, Asuma found it best to leave him be because when it came time to act, he could get the job done and then some. He’d go as far as to say Reishi was probably the most fearsome duelist at their disposal. Clad in a dark brown vest and white pants made from rare leather, he stood out from the rest on sheer presence alone. To Reishi’s right was a beautiful young woman known simply as Charlotte. Her hair was an ocean blue, flowing with great, dazzling appeal. She always had an innocent look in her eyes, but she was no less devastating than any of the others. Unless the situation called for it, she kept relatively quiet, although when dueling she could become rather obnoxious, to the point where Asuma often preferred to remove himself from the premises during such a time. His tolerance for such things was rather low. Over a long-sleeved white blouse, she wore a blue vest modeled in the same style as Reishi’s, and a pair of black shorts modeled with a water-esque wave design. Carlos stood next to her, a vibrant man of Spanish descent with a fiery personality that modeled his dueling rather well. Though his passion for dueling was great, he often let his passion get the best of him, on rare occasions even going so far as to fail a mission because of his inability to accept retreat as a choice. Once he got going, he’d bring the fight out of his opponent and then some. Continuing the trend, his vest was a bright orange color, joined by a pair of black leather pants that were not all that out of the ordinary, but complemented him well. Asuma saw him as a bit of a risk in terms of his willingness to let his pride get the best of him, but at the same time he often performed above and beyond expectations. The final duelist at his disposal was perhaps the one he could count on above all else, Ytori. To be honest, he wasn’t familiar with the man’s origins, but he had no need to care one way or another. While Reishi was an intimidating figure, Ytori not only had confidence, he was a merciless warrior. His dueling skills were not his strongest quality, but his ability to crush his enemies physically made him a very viable asset. Wearing a silver vest that matched the others’, that was his only conformity, as the rest of him was covered in heavy clothing, something he preferred. The less people knew about him, the better. And as long as he continued to do what was asked, Asuma had no reason to argue it. What made these four such viable assets were the combination of their dueling skills was their mastery of Rakurai. Out of all the prisoners, Master Hayate had chosen the four of them specifically to be led by Asuma in carrying out such a task. As they had all been recipients of Hayate’s experiments in the past, their power far overshadowed that of their enemies, with very few exceptions. Of course at the same time, it was artificial power, and it would only last for so long. Given they would not become the perfect combination of duelist and soldier that Hayate so desperately wished to create, they would make more than ideal candidates to carry out the next phase of his plan. “As you’re all aware, you’ve been granted release because the Master has decided to take the next step of action,” Asuma explained, grasping their attention in the palm of his hand. Despite their strengths, Asuma far out powered them all, and none of them would dare interrupt him or show such disrespect as to not pay complete attention to his words. “With the Grand Thunder Clash in full effect, Duel Monsters is the last thing on anyone’s minds right now. What that means is while everyone’s focused on the battles, the four of you are to go out and use duel monsters – your strongest asset – to retrieve some...specific items.” They looked him with questioning eyes, but dare not say a word. “There are four seals, one of them placed in each corner of the globe,” he said. “Each seal is guarded by a spirit whose sole purpose is to keep it just that – sealed. Defeating these spirits in a duel will be the only way to break their seal; keep in mind they are no longer physical beings, so trying to harm them will accomplish nothing. Each of you have been assigned a seal that corresponds to your element, and I expect it should be no problem at all for you to carry out this simple order of business.” The four nodded in unison. “Once the spirit has been beaten and the seal is unlocked, you are to retrieve the book that corresponds with it,” he said. “As you would expect, there are four books, one for each seal. Master Hayate has demanded that these four books are brought to him at once. In no way should you attempt to open, read, or even fixate your attention on them. Once you retrieve them, simply put them in a safe place and return here. Is that understood?” Again they nodded. “Good,” he said. “Assuming you are able to complete this task before the Grand Thunder Clash comes to its conclusion, you will be given a very generous reward. You see, our representatives in the event have already managed to bring the woman to the designated location, meaning the job is already well on its way. To reward your efforts, should you return the book you retrieve here as ordered,” he paused for effect, “you will be rewarded with your permanent freedom.” --- The stadium's infirmary...just minutes before the day's events are about to begin... Andrea stood over her brother's resting body, covered with multiple blankets to keep his body warm, as doctor's had begun to speculate that the effects of the poison were affecting his natural temperature. His eyes were clapsed shut, but he seemed to have a warming smile about him. Or maybe that's just what she saw through her eyes. It took everything she had to avoid welling up into tears, trying not to break down and stay strong. She...she still hadn't been able to come to terms with the fact that she had forgiven him. In her mind, she still hated him, but in her heart she knew that wasn't really true. All these years she'd blamed him for her father's death when in reality it was out of his control, and yet she wondered the effects it must have had on him. Somehow, he still put her above everyone else despite the cruel way she treated him. She could never forgive herself for that, for how ignorant she'd been. And so her resolve had become a simple one; Damien had spent his life up to this point trying to carry out her father's final wishes of helping her achieve her dream of becoming the strongest. He'd even risked his life to do it on more than one occasion. She held his hand tight, though he probably couldn't feel it in his state. Her eyes began to water and a couple of teardrops fell like slowed rain onto his palm, drifting off onto the ground but not losing their significance in the process. Now that they had found out about Hayate's involvement in the competition, the realization had set in that the real battle was still very much ahead, and she couldn't afford to be weak. Her brother had risked his life to protect her, and now it was her turn to return the favor. They would win this tournament no matter what, and then stop the evil that threatened them and return home where they belonged. "Brother, you put yourself on the line for me," she whispered. "If it means that much to you and father that I become the strongest, then I would be even more cruel than before to give up, wouldn't I?" She tried to smile through tears, embarassed, but relieved that he wasn't seeing her in this state. She could still feel him, with her; he would pull through, she knew it. "There's a real evil out there now, this isn't just a competition anymore. It's the stepping stone to what will be a very real nightmare. But we have to win. I have so much to learn, I'm nothing like you when I'm out there fighting, but I can't let that make a difference anymore. It doesn't matter whether it's the Blaster Axis, Chimera Night, or even another team. I promise you, brother; I will win no matter what. Because I am the strongest." She rested his hand down on the blanket, wiping the tear from her eyes as she headed to join her team-mates outside in the stadium. The MC had already started to get the crowd riled up; the round was going to begin now. She had to be ready for anything. "Be careful, sister..." --- "Your highness, I-" "Shut it, you know I hate that formal crap." "Right," the boy blushed. "Guess I just got caught up, but what is it?" "It looks like Hayate's already started to make his first move. Unfortunately, Calle and the others are tied up at the moment and Calion's nowhere to be found," she said. "So as much as it's frowned upon, I'm going to have to send you to the world of the living." "Oh?" He asked, cracking his knuckles. "So Calion's slacking, eh? I'll have to have a word with him about it," he said with a smile over his light Russian accent. "It's been a while, but I think I've got what it takes to knock a few down." "You're not going to have time for that," she snapped. "There are four of them, each one taking a different seal. They're some of the most skilled duelists at Hayate's dispoal, if not the most skilled. Hayate needs all four books to move forward with the next stage in his plan. You're only going to have time to retrieve one. In other words, we're going to disrupt them - with just three books it's relatively useless. You'll have to take on the strongest one yourself." "Interesting," the boy said. "I always did thrive in these situations. Well, can we just skip the formalities and get on with it then?" She laughed playfully. "Now you're getting the hang of it." To be continued...[/spoiler] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aerion Brightflame Posted October 5, 2013 Report Share Posted October 5, 2013 Ok so I'm not actually sure why I didn't reply after the last chapter actually. So now things are getting a lot more complicated in a very short time frame. Hmm... It might be o much to soon, but I'm not sure. I mean you still need to have the Andrea plot development, have Blaster Axis get there arses kicked, and Chimera Night. And there's the reapparence of One/two old faces. And this new plotline with the 4 books, and the 4 new characters with that. It does feel like an awful lot is happening at one point in time. I'm not saying that's a bad thing... it's just handling it all well becomes a lot more difficult as a result. Just don't let the new stuff happening distract from the character advancement that Andrea and the others do still need. I mean, honestly I thought this chapter could arguably have included more stuff and just been longer. Since even compared to the one before it it was short, and it didn't exactly cover a vast amount of things. (Even ending it on the cliffhanger of who Andrea was going to be fighting would've been better) But it was good non the less. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Synchronized Posted October 6, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 6, 2013 Thanks for the feedback; I can always count on you to comment. (And hopefully Randomflyingobjects once he returns from his hiatus.) Anyway, I actually think this was necessary; adding these plot elements now give us something to build towards, as opposed to random episodes with no meaning. Now we've got the Four Star Siege's resurface, and Hayate (who was established as a serious antagonist and one of the strongest people alive in the first series) making his moves. He briefly appeared the end of Accel I, but now is the time to resolve his plot. The Four Star Siege, while they are important, were designed with the intent of being spread out throughout the entire series, not just one moment. They're meant to act the way they are. Now that dueling is going to play a part, and the tournament's next rounds will begin, it's time for things to really start to get interesting. The character who appeared at the end will be revealed in the next Chapter, but since it's not much of a spoiler, I can say that the woman who was giving the orders was Scarlet, the Queen of the Valley of Souls. More about her will be revealed as the story is continued but maybe that will give you some hints. And I'm sure sooner rather than later, we'll see Calion again, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Firebat DZ Posted October 10, 2013 Report Share Posted October 10, 2013 Wow to think I saw you when you started the first season of this story a year ago. Look how it grew! Very nice to see this, don't stop what you are doing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FakeBok Randomicious Posted October 12, 2013 Report Share Posted October 12, 2013 Wow I love your story. I've been gone a long time from here and have been reading offline. Just wanted to tell you keep up the good work! [spoiler=So, I hope you:]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoxF29RI2Bs[/spoiler] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Synchronized Posted October 13, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 13, 2013 Wow to think I saw you when you started the first season of this story a year ago. Look how it grew! Very nice to see this, don't stop what you are doing! Glad to hear it! I hope you can stick around! I'm getting a few things sorted out with school but the new episode will be posted within the next few days! Wow I love your story. I've been gone a long time from here and have been reading offline. Just wanted to tell you keep up the good work! [spoiler=So, I hope you:]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoxF29RI2Bs[/spoiler] I'll try! I appreciate the feedback and it's awesome to know I have more readers! Don't feel shy to comment on episodes, too! I love reading the feedback! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Synchronized Posted October 16, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 16, 2013 [spoiler=Episode 26: Blazing Storm of the Burning Winds!] The unrest is at an all-time high as the crowd and other spectators alike are waiting anxiously for the first match to begin. Now that Andrea has joined the others on their balcony, the officials can finally get things underway. And with that... Episode 26: Blazing Storm of the Burning Winds! Andrea’s name was the first to appear on the image board, followed by the remaining competitors of all five teams who had yet to compete. Now that they were officially in the mix, it was revealed that Chimera Night was composed of four members in total, with the exception of their leader, who was not present. Two of them were unmistakably familiar—Misael and Arya, the two from the training exam attack; the ones who had been responsible for holding them off while Beatrice was taken. Right on cue, the shuffler stopped. The first picture was a familiar one, the heavyset Russian man whom they’d learned was a master of gravity, Arya, and perhaps one of Chimera Night’s strongest members. The rest of the team smiled in a cocky fashion – in a one-on-one battle, Arya was more than a force to be reckoned with; he was a tank. It didn’t matter who got paired against him, they would be crushed. Both figuratively and literally. There was a gasp of surprise amongst the members of Wind Gear as Andrea’s name was the second one revealed, but the girl herself showed no emotions towards it one way or the other. Calle, too, appeared unfazed by it. The others turned around to wish her luck, but she was gone before they could say a word, making her way down the stairs and into the corridor leading out into the arena. Thanks you guys, I know you’re here with me. She couldn’t act surprised. This was bound to happen one way or the other. With four rounds, there was a good chance she’d get picked and honestly, there weren’t any competitors remaining that would be an “easy” pairing. Time to suck it up and deal with it; this victory was too important to waste time being scared. Today was the only match Wind Gear would get, and she had to win to put them in the lead. “You’re not at all concerned about this?” Skylar notioned to Calle, who kept his hands against the barrier, watching as Andrea made her way into the arena. He replied with a slight smile. “Of course, but what kind of mentor would I be if I wasn’t?” He asked jokingly. “Look, you may not like to admit it, but this girl’s got serious untapped potential. Combine that with her drive and it’s quite possible she’ll even surpass you eventually.” Skylar scowled at the thought, but gave it more than one run-through in the back of his mind. But Calle did have a point. In actuality, Andrea had come leaps and bounds from when they first met. Even though their time together in the facility was short, there had always been rumblings among the others that she was weak, with some going as far as to question why Beatrice would even take her in in the first place. And then Calle arrived, and they were paired up together along with Alistair and her brother Damien, who was far stronger than she was in combat. Her dueling skills were above-average, but that didn’t mean much when it came down to it. Perhaps it would once things with Hayate began to escalate, and she’d definitely be a viable asset there. Still, wasn’t Calle overhyping things just a bit? She’d barely had a grasp on her powers at this point. This was risky, and to let her go out there and think she had nothing to worry about was almost guaranteed to end badly. As the two of them took the field, Arya grinned as he came face-to-face with his opponent, a familiar face. She had embarrassed him once before, but he wouldn’t allow that to happen again. Especially because while they had done their job the first time, that being simply to stall, this time victory was required. He couldn’t let this brat defeat him a second time. “Now that we’re ready to go, it’s time for the fight to finally begin!” The MC roared, drawing in one last burst of cheers from the crowd. “On one side, we have Wind Gear’s one and only member eligible to compete today, Andrea Tistro! Opposing her is debut of Chimera Night, its most powerful member Arya! We’ve seen that Wind Gear is the underdogs of this competition so far, but being that they’re close to approaching the lead, this win is even more important for Chimera Night! I’d like to think all the teams are rooting against Wind Gear in this one folks; it’s all about the victory!” “Now let’s get it underway!” --- “Normally Arya prefer not to dirty hands by attacking woman, but I will make exception in your case,” the Russian said, clapping his fists together and staring his opponent down with cold eyes. “Thanks for the consideration, but wasting your time treating me like a charity case isn’t gonna end well for you,” Andrea remarked, taking the clip out of her hair and letting it fall to her sides. Skylar actually hadn’t noticed it until now, caught up in the fray of the event, but she had changed her attire, too. Clad in a black vest with marks of crimson red and shades of pink, it was a bit more “free” than her previous one, and admittedly a little more badass at that. The back of it was covered with flames, circling around one another in the shape of a phoenix. Well, she looks the part. He thought to himself, still coming to terms with it. But a change of attire isn’t going to do much for her out there. You better not screw this up. "The way I see it, there's two ways to do this," Andrea said, placing the palm of her right hand outwards, taking a split-legged stance. "Either I can stand here and wait for you to attack, or I can take the initiative. Truth be told, that one sounds a bit more my style." The eyes of the crowd were fixated on the two as flames began to build steadfast around her right hand. Arya watched curiously; there was no way she'd strike him with that flame vortex attack she'd used in the woods here. He may not have been the most literate, but his memory was strong. What kind of fool did she take him for? This is the first time I'm trying this and I really only have the one shot, so I hope this works! Fingers crossed, she swiped her left hand across her right, pulling it sideways and extending the flames along with it. With a definite confidence in her step, she sprung into the air and released the blast, a crescent shaped flame, all in one swift motion. "Hidden Attack: Blazing Crescent Stormwinds!" The speed of the attack was rapid, unlike anything Arya had been able to prepare for. Skylar watched with his jaw nearly touching the floor as Andrea fired the attack with a calm, cool hand, not letting her anxiety get to her at all. Alistair stood alongside him sharing a similar expression, but Calle simply shared a smile. He knew she'd be able to pull it off. "Hang on a second here, you don't look nearly as shocked as you should by this," Skylar remarked, getting it together after losing his cool for a second. "I'm with Skylar on this one mate, somehow we're out of the loop," Alistair added. "How in the hell did she learn something like that? Is it a new stage?" "What other choice did I have?" He asked. --- Less than twelve hours prior... "Why did you drag me out here again in the middle of the night?" Andrea groaned, longing for a warm blanket and hours upon hours of sleep. Instead, she found herself in a relatively open patch of land about five minutes away from the tournament residencies. Calle had woken her up in a rush and taken her here, but she'd barely been awake long enough to really process why. "No, seriously. I'm tired. Can't we do this another time?" Her half-joking complaining, which at the same time was completely serious, seemed to have no effect on her mentor's stance. His eyes were filled with a seriousness rarely seen from him, perhaps only once before during the practice exam when they discovered that Beatrice had been taken. Something was wrong, seriously wrong. She didn't know how, but she could just tell. "Save the complaining for later," he snapped. His eyes were fixated on the moon as it's luminous glow was the only light around them; it was probably somewhere around two in the morning, and most if not all of the tourists and competitors alike had gone to their lodgings for the night. He had rushed here as quickly as possible from Hiyoru's hideout, and even then, he wasn't sure if he would be able to do enough to help her in time, before the tournament's next round began tomorrow. "You're going to have to fight tomorrow, and let's just say the stakes have been raised once again." "Wh--what do you mean?" She asked, confused and partially frightened at the same time. Victory had become much more important now that Beatrice had been captured and their only real chance at discovering more information lay in actually winning the Clash, but she got the vibe Calle wasn't talking about just that. Truthfully, she was afraid to ask what he was talking about. "I can't go into detail about it yet, we'll talk once everyone's together tomorrow. Now, I need you to focus all of your energy on learning what I have to show you," he ordered, motioning with his hands, almost challenging her. "You've come a long way since we first met, but the type of competition you'll be up against, they're not fighting for the spirit of competition. Every participant in this tournament has another reason for being here, and if you get paired up against a member of Chimera Night or the Blaster Axis, you're going to need more than your motivation to win. You're going to need the means to do so." "I'm not sure I follow...you're going to teach me a new technique now?" She asked, puzzled. "I thought stage techniques were learned through necessity, that they were something that became available when it was absolutely necessary. How can you just teach it?" He shook his head. "We don't have the time for something like that right now. What I've got in mind is a little unorthodox, but with some luck, it's possible you can pull it off." "And what's that?" "I'm gonna teach you how to command the wind." About one hour later... “Come on, are you telling me you can’t do any better than this?” Calle beckoned, watching the girl get to her feet once again, breathing heavily as she tried to get it together. They had been training for about an hour now, and each attack had the same result. One after another he would attack, with his only instructions being for her to defend herself. Each time his attacks would overwhelm her, knocking her to the ground. She hadn’t been able to land a single blow. It was clear she was growing more and more frustrated with each second, due to both her competitive nature and the fact that she couldn’t get the point of the exercise. All it was doing was draining her energy. Calle’s speed was so much faster than hers that no matter what move she made, he took her down every time. She didn’t see the point in wasting time like this. She ran the back of her hand across her face, wiping the sweat from her forehead. Staring at Calle with burning eyes and through gasps for air, she finally said something. “I don’t...see the point in this...you woke me up in the middle...of the night to bring me out here for a training exercise that...isn’t helping me in any way!” He shook his head, lowering it in disappointment. “I see.” “Don’t give me that look of disappointment,” she snapped. “You can’t possibly expect me to beat you under conditions like this; it’s a completely one-sided fight! You said you were going to teach me to command the wind, not kick my ass for an hour and wear me out before the next round starts tomorrow. All this is doing is tiring me out!” “Perhaps I’m mistaken, then,” Calle acknowledged, sighing heavily. “I simply thought you wanted to win. I thought that as difficult as it is to learn an element that your Rakurai is not specifically geared towards, if anyone could handle that, you would be the one due to your extreme drive to succeed.” She watched him with curious eyes, not sure how to feel about his words but still very frustrated. “I don’t want to win, I need to win,” she corrected him, balling up a fist. “Under all circumstances. And you throwing me around like this is not the way to get there. We’re wasting time and energy!” Who was he trying to fool? You couldn’t learn to use another element, especially not by getting your ass kicked. That was the most absurd training exercise she’d ever heard of. “Funny, I don’t remember you whining and complaining so much when I first met you,” Calle said, rolling his eyes, staying calm at the same time. She would learn this sooner or later; it was one of the few things from his Grandfather’s research that he’d been able to prove true. It had taken him years of practice, but he too had been able to learn another element outside of his own. The extents of his abilities with it were not too high, but that wasn’t the point. “What did you say?!” She asked, growing annoyed with his cocky demeanor and insults. “I don’t care if you’re our mentor or not, I’m not about to let you talk down to me like that!” “Now you’re speaking my language,” he said, challenging her. “Then do something about it.” The key factor in being able to tap into the power of another element was first emptying your body of Rakurai so as to create another vessel in which that energy could be stored. Since the body naturally regenerates Rakurai, it only took a split second of being empty to create a second vessel. Once you created it, you could then tap into its power, although using an element your body was not used to was not an easy task. He’d barely been able to learn it himself. There weren’t others that he knew of who were aware of this ability; it had been one of the few secrets of his Grandfather’s research that had been passed down to him. It all came down to the one moment in which the original vassal was emptied. That’s why he continued to attack her, trying to purposely get her to wear out all of her energy. In a situation where such a defense was necessary, the body would create a second vessel in an attempt to draw whatever remaining power it could to protect itself. Doing so, it would use the nearest element. In other words, he would have to use fire and wind together to attack her at once in order for her body to tap into that power. What is he trying to accomplish... Andrea wondered to herself. This was so unlike him; Calle never used mocking tones or insults to degrade them. He was always honest, but it was like he was intentionally trying to provoke her this time. If he wanted a full power assault, then she’d give it to him, though she didn’t see what it would accomplish. Tightening her right fist, flames began to surround it, with the left following suit. “We’ll see how you like being knocked around! Consider yourself lucky that I got held up during the training exam, because I would’ve beaten you before those Chimera Night guys even got there,” she said, leaping into the air. “1st Stage: Fist Infernal!” Funny, his bluffing technique had worked far more easily than he thought it would. As strong as this girl had the potential to be, her anger would always trump her common sense. This time, he was highly thankful for that. Making a circle with his index finger and thumb, he placed them both to his lips. As she neared him, he closed his eyes—had had one shot to make this count. “Hidden Technique: Dragonfire Hell Stream!” Bright golden flames, whirling forward in a vortex thanks to the combination of wind and fire, encompassed the girl completely, blasting her up into the air. She had no idea what to expect, so when it struck, it knocked all the air out of her, also dissipating her attack. She had used every ounce of energy she had for one attack that he’d hoped would knock him down, but to think he’d use fire against her?! How was that possible? --- She had to do something. The flames surrounding her were so strong, it was like they were fused with the power of Calle’s wind Rakurai and— Wait, that was it exactly. In that second she realized it completely; Calle had baited her out completely; he’d wanted her to throw herself into the air and into that vortex, so she could understand what was going on around her. Her body, she had to use up all of her energy before she could tap into the power of wind. He really had to beat the hell out of me to show me this? She half-joked to herself, starting to realize now that she had to focus more than she’d ever focused before. If she could tap into the power of the wind, she could dissipate the vortex, blow the flames away. She was a fire mage. There was no way she’d let these flames beat her. Especially not because eventually, she was gonna take down Alexandra. And when that happened, her resistance to fire would be stronger than ever. “I can do it, I know I can,” she said aloud amidst the flames. Closing her eyes tight, she focused every piece of her on the center of her body, where she would draw Rakurai normally to create flames. It felt like she was drained completely, but she pushed on regardless, drawing into energy that wasn’t even there. Slowly but surely, she felt a small wind begin to build up inside of her, becoming more rapid by the second. She could feel its power. The wind mixing with the flames, restoring her energy somehow. There was no time to question it now. She had to take advantage of the opportunity. Calle was right. Tomorrow, there was a good chance she would face an opponent far stronger than she was in her current state. And when and if that time came, she had to be ready for it. No matter what the cost, she couldn’t afford to let her team (and her brother) down. She was far from the weak link of this team—she was the strongest. “Hidden Technique: Wing-Break Blaze!” Feeling the gusts rise up around her, she put her hands out to the sides, directly into the vortex’s flames. Letting her instinct take over, she rotated in a circle, combining the power of wind and flame against that very same union. Roaring at the top of her lungs, she gave it everything she had to break Calle’s flames apart, gliding on the forces of the wind to land on her feet across from him. The look on his face was not one of surprise, but rather a smile. She’d pulled it off, and at a higher level than he thought, too. He could sense her energy and it was restoring relatively quickly. For her first time attempting something like this, that was no small feat. After her landing, she began breathing heavily once more. She had created a new outlet for her Rakurai, but at the same time, her body could only handle so much at once. She was near collapsing. “I’m impressed, I knew the girl had strength, but seeing something like that visually is quite stunning,” Tres acknowledged, speaking for the first time since their training had begun. He’d chosen to keep quiet to allow Calle to focus, but he’d be remised if he didn’t make some kind of comment at this point. “/ have to ask, what made you so sure she could pull it off? That was a very risky approach to take, had she failed she could’ve ended up in a critical condition, if not worse.” “The way I saw it, there were only two approaches to take,” Calle answered, not saying any more than necessary. She had pulled it off, but there was still great concern. “Either I put my faith in her being able to learn a technique that even I can barely manage, or I let her go out there and fight against an enemy that would probably show no hesitancy in ending her life.” The second Hiyoru had reached the point in the story of Hayate’s involvement with Beatrice’s disappearance, Calle knew he couldn’t stick around any longer. He knew that if they had any hope of standing up to those guys, he’d have to teach the girl his Grandfather’s technique. “Thankfully it worked. Whether or not she can apply it in battle...well that remains to be seen.” “Looks like no matter which option we take, it’s up to Andrea to produce the results on the field, where it counts.” “Exactly,” Calle nodded. I have no doubt she can do it. Let’s just hope she doesn’t let her emotion get the best of her. --- "Hidden Attack: Blazing Crescent Stormwinds!" Skylar and Alistair looked at one another briefly, then found their eyes fixated back on the field. The visual alone of seeing two elements combined like that was something else, but to see Andrea being the one to perform a technique like that was in a whole different category. Now all that remained was the fight itself. And with a start like this, they had reason to believe she could get it done. To be continued...[/spoiler] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aerion Brightflame Posted October 16, 2013 Report Share Posted October 16, 2013 Now see this is what the training exercise should have been. I think that you handled it well enough, though I'd have prefered that Andrea had worked it out herself, rather than being spoonfed the way of working it by Calle: Having the character reach the realisation themselves can sometimes be better. It would also make Andrea... a bit more special, and elt you use the shock factor of someone else using the the same sort of ability later on. But given that you didn't have Andrea fighting in the training exercise as I was hoping, that's an acceptable way of doing things. I think the only thing that bugged me about the chapter: Nothing much happened. I know that a lot did happen, but... It feels like a tiny chapter of Bleach. The ending wasn't significiant enough as a ending. It was sort of an issue I had with the last arc, in that that the chapters felt really short and that the end of the arc didn't feel like the end of the arch because it still only felt like halfway through something. If that makes sense? I think I'm sorta drowsy (Only at 1 in the afternoon ¬_¬) so I want to reread it later, and then give a decent opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Synchronized Posted October 16, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 16, 2013 Now see this is what the training exercise should have been. I think that you handled it well enough, though I'd have prefered that Andrea had worked it out herself, rather than being spoonfed the way of working it by Calle: Having the character reach the realisation themselves can sometimes be better. It would also make Andrea... a bit more special, and elt you use the shock factor of someone else using the the same sort of ability later on. But given that you didn't have Andrea fighting in the training exercise as I was hoping, that's an acceptable way of doing things. I think the only thing that bugged me about the chapter: Nothing much happened. I know that a lot did happen, but... It feels like a tiny chapter of Bleach. The ending wasn't significiant enough as a ending. It was sort of an issue I had with the last arc, in that that the chapters felt really short and that the end of the arc didn't feel like the end of the arch because it still only felt like halfway through something. If that makes sense? I think I'm sorta drowsy (Only at 1 in the afternoon ¬_¬) so I want to reread it later, and then give a decent opinion. This was my attempt to make up for the lack of character development for her during the training exercise. To be honest, I don't like that I had to dedicate an entire episode to it (more or less), but it was really the only way to do it effectively, so I went with it. I'm somewhat confused with what you were saying there, though. Calle didn't outright tell her anything, he left it up to her to learn it on her own. The part(s) with Calle explaining the logistics behind the technique were not spoken aloud and were simply there so that the reader could understand what was going on and what he was thinking. This is why she continued to get frustrated but he didn't say anything, because he wanted her to learn the move on her own. Once she was within the vortex, she was able to learn the technique because she realized her surroundings and figured out what Calle was trying to teach her - show, not tell. I actually think it came out quite well. I'll give you that not much happened, but it ended up being very lengthy and I know some people don't like to sit there and read super-long Chapters, so I do try to limit the word count for that purpose. I'm aware that quality > quantity, but when you have to lay the foundation for a story, sometimes it's going to take a little longer than you'd like. Still, now that we've established Andrea's character somewhat, I can resolve this fight and then I believe we'll see one more fight from the final round. Two of them I plan on skipping because they will be inconsequential as far as the main characters/villains are concerned, but are obviously still necessary for the sake of getting a point total. Then we can dive into the plot a bit more as there's two days (in story time) so I hope to be able to focus on some of the new characters that were introduced last Chapter and get that plot moving forward a bit. Really appreciate the feedback as always, Barty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Synchronized Posted October 23, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 23, 2013 Just some updates! It's mid-terms at school so I've been somewhat busy with exams and studying, etc. the wonders of College life. Anyway, I do have some progress made on the story and I'm going to try and get another Episode or two done so that I have material to post over the next couple of weeks while I finish the school-work up. The next one, Episode 27 will premiere Tuesday, and I'm hoping to be able to do a Halloween themed (non-Canon) episode too, just as an excuse to get a little duel-writing in because I need some practice before it becomes prevalant to the main story once again. Will post more details as I have them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Synchronized Posted November 1, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 1, 2013 New episode, though it took a bit longer than I would have liked. Hope everyone had a fun Halloween! I'm really happy with the way this one turned out, so definitely looking forward to some feedback! [spoiler=Episode 27: Too Much Pressure!] A combat-based tournament that tests the skills of some of the world’s strongest fighters, The Grand Thunder Clash is the first of its kind, and surely not the last. Since it’s beginning just three short days ago, it has tested the skills of our heroes and taken them to the brink of destruction – and then some. Now, after intense training and the stakes being upped with the realization that Beatrice, their former Leader under whom Calle Anden was working, has been taken by a dark force underneath the sinister Hayate Asaki. On top of that, it’s been discovered that the group responsible for Beatrice’s disappearance is one of the Clash’s participants, creating the possibility that our heroes are being targeted by not one, but two different groups! To make matters worse, Chimera Night, the team who took Beatrice captive, is now officially participating in the tournament and its strongest member, the mighty Arya has been paired up against Andrea! It’s Wind Gear’s only match of the day and a must-win situation! With her new powers of wind and flame, will Andrea be able to pull off a major upset, or are things just going to get worse from here?! Episode 27: Too Much Pressure! The intense heat from the whistling flames struck Arya at once, thrusting him backwards, his feet dragging lines in the dirt as he struggled to maintain his balance, to avoid falling over or letting his opponent get some kind of an advantage by knocking him off his feet. His size, combined with his ability to control the gravitational pull around him, meant it would take more than a strong surprise attack to get him worried. He could sense (and see) the others around him as the watched aghast, unable to believe that the girl could pull off something like that, especially given her small structure and the fact that her control over her element was still very insignificant. While even some of his teammates appeared to be psyched out, he wasn’t going to let it affect him. What he lacked in common dialogue, he made up for with a genius mind. Just because he was a big guy didn’t mean he couldn’t handle himself in a tactical environment. Simply making note of the fact that she might have picked up a few new tricks, he brushed off the attack and regained his footing, bringing them back to a standstill. Reading her reactions, he waited to see if she would respond with surprise, or if perhaps she had expected that her first attack would not work as well as she’d hoped. It was clear that she wasn’t buying into the crowd’s excitement herself; at least she wasn’t a naïve fool who believed one move would be enough to end the match. Still, the first time they’d encountered her, she couldn’t even hold a candle to their attacks; something had changed. More than likely it was her mentor, the one they called Calle Anden. Arya longed for the chance to engage him in combat again, his desire to avenge his quick defeat at the Swede’s hands growing by the day. But orders were orders, and he couldn’t afford to stray from that path right now. Soon, though, they would have their rematch. But first he had to make quick work of this fight. --- “You display very flashy offense,” Arya commented, nodding his head as Andrea’s eyes shifted in his direction, like she had been zoned out briefly. “But Arya’s offense need not look pretty; it looks just as brutal as it is grueling. And this pain you will experience first-hand. You escape with your life the first time we met, but now such promises cannot be made.” He kicked off the dirt, his massive size almost rocking the ground as he hurled himself in her direction. For someone that big, he could move pretty damn fast; Andrea knew her window to actually move was extremely limited. “Gravity Palm Thrust!” She’d seen this one before; using his Rakurai, Arya’s hand took on the same effects as the powers around him, meaning when he struck, the impact was intensified greatly due to the gravitational pull around him. In other words, allowing herself to be hit with that move could cause significant damage to her internal organs because of the gravity’s reverse effect. She waited until he got closer, with the others watching curiously with nail-biting angst; why didn’t she dodge it when she had the chance, they wondered. But against, despite Skylar catching himself ‘worrying’ a second time, he noticed the calm stance of Calle’s face. His emotional range had not changed. So she had another trick up her sleeve. Going in for the kill, Arya targeted her lower midsection, but just as he made contact with her, she was gone in a flash, appearing behind him on the opposite side of the field. He almost tumbled over in his rush, completely baffled, and infuriated at the display. He’d felt her arm; how could she have moved out of the way so fast? “Interesting,” Skylar noted, getting Calle’s attention indirectly. “I was wondering what you’d planned to show her as far as a means of defense. Sure, combining wind with fire can make for some amplified attacks, but there’s not much a windstorm can do against brute force. Still, to think she was able to pull that off is rather impressive.” “She has to stay focused,” he said, acknowledging Skylar’s remarks with Alistair somewhat out of the loop. He hadn’t caught onto it yet. “As long as she keeps calm and doesn’t let her surroundings get to her, she’s still got a hand in this fight. The only thing that worries me,” he trailed off for a moment, remembering the first time he’d seen her fight. “I know,” Skylar nodded. “Someone care to fill me in here?” Alistair asked, cluelessly. Somehow they’d just had an entire conversation using barely any words at all. “Anyone? No? Alright then.” --- In the damp, barren ruins of the former Stadium that once towered over Houshou Island before Lucien Grasciou’s new, more modern and beautifully expensive arena took its place on the island, we find Asuma, one of Hayate’s lead officers and the one responsible for dispatching Element, a group of four duelists around the globe entrusted with the task of retrieving a certain series of rare books. These books are sealed away in vast locations, as far away from one another as possible, and as we’ve learned Hayate desires to retrieve them for his own personal use. While his reasoning is unknown, Asuma is hard at work continuing to develop the next stage of action... Sending out these elite duelists, all captives of Hayate’s massive gathering of men and women to do his fighting for him, they have given them the possibility to gain their freedom. It was a possibility for them to escape the hardships that have brutalized them over the years and begin a new life for themselves. All they had to do was break their respective seal and retrieve the book. Once it was brought to him safely, Asuma would grant them their freedom, if they so chose. However, it was also possible to think that the comfort of imprisonment might be a more fitting feel for them – after being under Hayate for so long, perhaps they would not wish to return to the outside world. Either way, he was cold, but not ruthless. Assuming they did as requested, he would grant them their freedom. Not that it would matter in the long run, since eventually Hayate would reach the point of ultimate power, and the entire world would be at his feet. And when that time came, Asuma himself knew he’d be right there in a position of power himself; he would attain power to the levels he’d never even imagined possible. Of course, there was still much to do. But he had placed full trust in Lord Hayate. He was here of his own free will, and possessed the ability to leave at any time. But his Lord’s goals were honorable and he would do whatever he could to see them through. It was because of this drive that he had come up with the concept that would give them the necessary tools; the Soul band. Nothing more than a small wristlet in appearance, the organization had begun creating hundreds of these devices, equipping one to each member of their massive army. They had yet to be tested fully, but he had bestowed each member of Element with their own, for it would be needed to retrieve the books. In straight combat, it was highly possible that some of them would be outmatched by the forces that would soon oppose them. Neither Hayate nor himself were pretending that there were no problems to take care of; it was clear that they had enemies to remove, but they also needed more energy. The Soul bands solved both problems. Linked with the duelist themselves, the Soul band would initiate a duel with any opponent possessing weaker spirit energy than its holder. In other words, a random citizen with little to no Rakurai in their body could easily be forced into a duel whether or not they chose. On the same account, someone with greater spirit energy could resist it’s power. With each victory, the Soul band would drain the energy and the very essence of the loser. The fact that they were outmatched physically (at least some of them) had now become irrelevant, as they were all top-level duelists. It was this duel energy that would allow Lord Hayate to unlock the power he so desired. All they had to do now was wait. In addition to Element’s dispatch, they would be sending out others to collect Souls. If they were to lose, the Soul band would still deplete their energy, so it was a win-win situation; some casualties would be necessary, but it was all for a greater good. As for the woman, they had already captured her. She was a vital piece of this plan. Not only would she serve as a means to get Calle Anden and the others here in a failed attempt to save her, but her own energy served as a great basis for designing these weapons. Eventually, all the pieces would fall into place. There was of course, still one threat they had yet to locate. The only one with the ability to defeat Lord Hayate himself. Rumors had swirled that he’d disappeared completely, but no one could know for sure. Asuma had made a vow to destroy and eliminate him. Eventually he would show himself. It was only a matter of time. Now to wait. --- “Whoa, what the hell gives?” Misael asked from Chimera’s balcony, the other members wondering a similar thing as the girl had somehow dodged Arya’s full-speed attack. “The girl could barely block a damn punch the first time we fought her, and now she’s able to stop something like that? When Arya goes all out, he leaves nothing in his path. She ain’t gonna get lucky twice.” “Perhaps that’s the goal,” Jamison, a red-haired man somewhat shorter than Misael and another member of Chimera Night competing in the tournament spoke up, observing the battle with great interest. “Inexperienced as they are, Calle Anden is no slouch. He knows what he’s up against, and I’m guessing he’s prepared them for more than just a normal fight.” “I hate that bastard,” Misael spat, still determined to avenge his embarrassing defeat from their first encounter. “He’ll get his alright. Besides, it doesn’t matter, this girl’s got no chance.” "Don't be an idiot, haven't you learned from what we've seen so far in this thing that there's no guaranteed outcomes?" Jamison chimed in, prompting Misael's ire, but the latter was forced to acknowledge it--he was right. "Everything is going the way it's supposed to outside, but Arya needs to hold up his end of the bargain." "Are you seriously doubting his ability?" Misael asked in an almost disbelieving tone. "We've seen him kill endless pests much stronger than this one." "No, I'm simply a realist," he shot back. "Your arrogance is the reason Calle Anden was able to wipe the floor with you without even breaking a sweat. And based on what I hear, Arya wasn't much of a match for him either. The two of you have already disgraced our team's image before the battle began. Don't make things worse." Misael stared at him angrily, but couldn't find the words to reply. Damn you, Calle. I will get my revenge, I swear it. "So, you dodged again?" Arya taunted her, turning around and cracking his knuckles, showing no frustration, just a calm, brute look on his face. "I got all day, run all you want, eventually you tire out and I crush you to pieces." "Hmm," Andrea said. "You'd have to catch me first. And I think you're a few years behind on your cardio. So come on, catch me if you can!" Making fun of him...? How dare she? He had spared her life the first time, but now she was going to get what was coming to her. Enough of the games, he wasn't finding it funny anymore. "You pay for your words, I promise I make you regret them, pest. Gravity Force: Downward Plunge!" His palms pressed together, Arya released a wave of gravitational magic around him, amplifying the pressures in the air, similar to the way he'd done it in the forest during their first encounter. Andrea stood tall, but she could almost immediately begin to feel the pressure working against her, growing stronger by the second. Because of how large Arya really was, it had no effect on him. His own magic, while it slowed down the opposition and anyone else under it, did not slow him down at all. And that's where it became devastating. "Heh, I told you," Misael shot Jamison a look. "He's done playing games, she's done for now." Skylar was the first to address the situation, though there was concern in Alistair's eyes just as well. Calle kept himself distance, watching the fight with unwavering attention. "His gravity is going to cut her speed down a ton," he observed. "She can't avoid his attacks if she can't move." "He's right mate," Alistair added. "You gave her the power to match his speed normally, but the wind ain't gonna do any good when she's being forced down. Even the forces of nature are no match for gravity itself." "Gravity Force: Crushing Palm!" Arya rocketed off again, this time thrusting her right in the midsection with his right hand. Andrea cried out in pain as the attack knocked her back, but only a little--the gravity was holding her in place, making it easier for Arya to hit repetitive strikes without having to waste his own energy chasing after her. He spun around and struck her a second time, alternating hands. She gasped for breath as the attack pressed her entire stomach inwards, draining all her air and then some. She wanted to move, but she couldn't. Arya reeled around for a third strike, this time crushing her with his elbow, thrusting her into the ground. Everything began to blur as she tried to regain her vision, but even grounded, the gravitational force was continually adding pressure. --- "Uh-oh folks, things have just taken a turn for the worse!" The MC declared, though he sounded somewhat uneasy watching the absolute brutality of it all. The fans had gone somewhat quiet, impressed by Andrea's early offense but now in complete disbelief over the Russian man's incredible feat of strength. "Told you," was all Misael said as he grinned hellishly. "Even with Calle's training she was weak." She was bleeding from her left cheek; the gravity's force combined with the speed at which he'd slammed her to the ground had cut her open. Her heavy breathing was barely even that; she was gasping for whatever air she could while still being unable to move. She could tilt her head enough to see Arya still looming over her, but that was the extent. Damn. When learning the two element combo, Calle had showed her the ability to use the wind to almost dissipate her body, sort of. It was more like an illusion trick, but using the wind she could move herself from one place to another at rapid speeds. "Gravity Force: Power Drill!" Swallowing up the energy in the air around him, Arya's energy became a greyish tint, swirling into a pointed spiral hovering above her. This was his ultimate weapon, and he would use it to ensure she would never get up again. "How fitting, I can't think of a better way for Calle Anden to pay for his actions than to watch one of his pupils suffer," Misael remarked with a malicious smile. She could feel the attack being pieced together, and yet her body wouldn't give her the strength to move. But she couldn't lose now, could she? She couldn't just stay down and let the rest of her team down, too. Not after everything they had been through, after everything Calle had done to help her, and most importantly after how much she'd vowed to be the strongest. It reminded her of her father, in a way. The memory was perhaps random, but fitting no less. Growing up she had been more than exposed to bad remarks, jokes, and doubt. No one believed she could make it, what a girl like her was doing trying to pursue a path like this. Her exam scores were always low, she couldn't win the physical competitions at all; dueling was her strong point but she couldn't perform where it counted. And yet her father had never given up hope. Every time she fell down, he was there to help her back up. She would never become the strongest until she accepted her weaknesses, and took the responsibility, the blame for her own actions. She had failed time and time again and placed the blame on everyone else, even isolating her brother and treating him like dirt for years because of her own insecurities. And now they were counting on her to win and she couldn't let them down. It wasn't about overcoming the odds, it was about realizing that when you accept that you've been bested, you can create hope in even the most hopeless of situations. Arya was stronger than she was on the outside, but he would never understand. --- "You get what you deserve, now I crush you in the name of Chimera!" He exclaimed, thrusting the attack down with all his might. Skylar cringed; even he didn't want to watch this. As the drill plummeted its way towards Andrea's fallen body, gusts of wind began to manifest themselves around her. Spiraling from one end of her body to the other, they surrounded her like a cocoon. Her body began to release a series of flames, creating a combination of the two in order to create a blazing windstorm. The flames extended upwards, colliding with the drill and the power of Arya's magic, forcing an arrow of flames through it and dissipating it entirely. "No way, it can't be how could she..." Misael remarked, noticeably brimming with anger. Jamison kept calm. "The fool wasted way too much time, it's no wonder." "Somehow she stood up again," Skylar said stating the obvious, but too shocked to care. "Absolutely incredible. She was able to master the element combination even without the use of her body." "Aye, girl's somethin' else," Alistair added. "Somewhat scary, if you ask me." "I don't know if I believe it, but somehow Andrea was able to save herself from Arya's finishing blow! Make no mistake about it, folks! She's standing once more!" "Power drill is Arya's ultimate move, it takes so much energy to even cast the move that I've never seen someone get up from it," Misael said. "He's always ended it. There's no way that brat could have actually stopped it...because that means..." "That means Arya's out of energy, and it's going to take him more time to recharge than he has available," Jamison finished his sentence for him. "Like I said, a fool. Far too confident for his own good. Power isn't all that defines a man, as evident." "You don't understand it, and I don't think you ever will," Andrea said, nearly falling over as she tried to keep her balance, her body kept standing by the sheer force of her Rakurai alone. She was standing, but she was in bad shape. One attack and she had to make it count. "You might be strong but you don't know your own weaknesses, or even your own limits. What works on one opponent might not work on another, and so on. One day I will be the strongest, and it'll be me who has pity for you! And even though today may not be that day, I still won't let myself lose to you, I can't, there are too many people counting on me, and too many questions unanswered! And for that, I have to fight!" Thanks, Calle. She smiled at him; throughout the entire fight he had never once lost confidence in her ability to win. Even if she had. "You have no strength left to defend my blows while your body recharges, which means there's nothing stopping me from beating you! 1st Stage: Fist Infernal! She sprung across the field, thrusting him in the gut with a flame-covered right hand, followed by a left, alternating shots as she finally knocked the big man into the air. With each successive attack, she got stronger, but Arya's ability to block them worsened. He grabbed her ankle, trying to throw her off, tossing her into the air above him. "Hey, thanks for the boost! Just what I was hoping for! Hidden Attack: Phoenix Fire Hell Spiral!" Swirling herself around repeatedly in the air, she re-created the cocoon of flames, spiraling into a vortex. With Arya still in the air, she rammed into him head-first, following him all the way down to the arena floor as his huge body crashed into the ground, knocking him out completely. She could feel herself fading, too, but there was no mistake about it. She had won this fight. --- "Truly a remarkable comeback from what looked to be a crushing defeat!" The MC roared as the crowd finally came to life, leaving their seats and cheering with admiration for Andrea's thrilling performance - and incredible refusal to lose at that. "With that, Wind Gear moves to first place with a grand total of nine points, and that's their cap for the day! It's highly likely that they'll be surpassed throughout the day, which is why such a win was so important! But wow was it something spectacular or what?!" He surveyed the crowd to an uproariously positive response. "Well then, I suppose it's only fitting we take a brief intermission and then we'll be right back in the action!" --- Calle breathed a sigh of relief, finally letting his sweat-ridden hands release their grip on the barricade's cold steel, closing his eyes for a moment to let his nerves calm down. Despite his calm's appearance on the outside, the tension had been at an all-time high; watching Andrea get decimated and not being able to do anything to stop it made him sick to his stomach, but he knew that the only way she would be able to win was realizing her own faults and making herself stronger as a result. "Looks like they're taking a break to get them off the field," Skylar noted. There was no way Andrea would be able to walk on her own right now, and Arya wasn't much better off. "Indeed, I say we go meet up with her and make sure she's alright," Alistair said, taking off down the stairs to meet her near the outside of the infimary. "Catch ya down there, mate." "Guess I'll go along, too," Skylar sighed. Not that he was becoming particularly fond of this teamwork stuff, but the least he could do after what she'd endured was make sure she got proper care. He turned around, not in a hurry like Alistair but at a slow pace walking towards the stairs. Before he got there, he stopped to face Calle, prompting him. "You gonna come along, too?" "Oh," Calle said, snapping out of a daze. "Right, yeah. I'll catch up in a few." Skylar looked puzzled, but paid it no matter and nodded, taking off towards the infirmary. Wonder what's up with him. Forgive me for asking but, I get the sense something's troubling you. Tres observed, speaking for the first time in a while. Calle had been so zoned out in the fight that it hadn't made much sense to throw him off, so he merely watched along with him. She emerged victorious, and I'm certain she'll be fine in no time. She's roughed up, but if I've learned anything since I've been here, it's that these kids aren't the type to let something like an injury hold them down. Dare I say, things turned out far better than they could have. "You're right, and I'm relieved it's over," Calle replied. "But something isn't sitting right. Since the fight began, I've had a really strange feeling, something I haven't been able to get out of my head. Aside from knowing it's there, I have no idea what's going on, but I'm afraid." I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about, Tres replied sorrowfully. My ability to sense human emotion is not very strong, so unfortunately this feeling you speak of isn't resonating with me in the slightest. Perhaps you're ill? You've been running on very little sleep, your immune system could be-- He stopped in his tracks as the Skylar and Alistair resurfaced, standing atop the balcony in a panicked state. It was immediately after Alistair's next words that Calle felt his stomach sink even further. "It's Damien, he's gone! Someone trashed the...infirmary and destroyed it completely." He tried to get the words out among catching his breath. "We took Andrea from the medical staff and tried to escort her there," Skylar added, even he looking dejected. "As soon as we arrived there one of the staff was badly wounded like he'd been attacked. He said they came only minutes ago. As soon as Andrea found out, she took off after them, but she's got no idea where she's going and there's no way she's in any condition to fight. She'll absolutely get herself killed." "We planned on following her but there's only so much we can do without you there," Alistair said, trying to hurry the conversation. "We have to go while we can still catch up to her!" Calle felt his hands beginning to shake. These kids were his responsibility and his alone now that Beatrice had been taken, and he had failed to protect them. Damien was missing, and in his condition there was no way he would've been able to defend himself, still fading in and out of consciousness. If it was the same ones who took Beatrice, if it was Chimera...or even the Blaster Axis.... He couldn't bare to think. "Split up. We have to find her at all costs. There's no time to waste - I fear this feeling I've been having is starting to come to fruition." To be continued...[/spoiler] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Synchronized Posted November 15, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 15, 2013 Finally got around to finishing Episode 28! There's a lot more to this to come as the next Arc gets underway. [spoiler=Episode 28: Triple-Duel Blockade! We Can't Let You Pass!] "We don't have much time, I worried something like this would happen, but damnit I wasn't expecting it right in the middle of the tournament," Calle said worriedly, running at a steadfast pace through the hallways of the Stadium, searching for the closest exit with Skylar and Alistair following behind him. As much as subtleties would've been beneficial, there was no time to be quiet about it. "Aye, it's like we can never catch a break," Alistair added, running while talking. "I tell ya, I can't wait to finally unload on these guys once we find out who the hell they are!" "For once you and I agree on something," Skylar smirked, his mind racing with fear for Andrea's whereabouts. He'd seen the girl fight and would admit it was impressive, but it had drained her; if they didn't find her in time, she could collapse, or worse. "Don't know how I got stuck in the role of hero all of a sudden, but if that's my fate then so be it. I'm gonna tear these guys apart." Episode 28: Triple-Duel Blockade! We Can't Let You Pass! As far as where they could have gone, they were on an island; that question wasn't easily answerable. In fact, more than fifty percent of the island was desert and yet it was roughly the size of the state of California. They could spend countless days and nights searching and find nothing, and they didn't have that kind of time to waste. Damien was still badly stricken from the poison and while the doctors had presumed he would make a full recovery, that took time. Whoever took him was almost definitely aware of this and more than likely timed it to their advantage. Calle had gone into the desert, albeit briefly when he'd met with Hiyoru the first time, but even then he didn't remember how to get there, it had been sheer luck and relying on his senses. Tres' sensory power was stronger than his own, and because of that he was able to get a slight reading on Andrea's spiritual presence, but only barely. It was almost definitely a guarantee that they hadn't gone into the desert. While it did make up about half the island, the readings he was getting on Andrea's whereabouts where in the complete opposite direction. Long story short, that meant they'd taken off in the direction of the forest - the same place where the training exam had taken place. Now this was an area Calle had become a bit more comfortable with, but still, finding one person in a vast forest would require them to split up, something Calle was not so sure of. "For someone in such bad shape, she's moving awfully fast," Tres reported, not speaking unless necessary so as not to throw off his focus. "She's obviously in pursuit of them, but if they got away before Skylar and Alistair even made it to the infirmary, who knows how long it's been since they took the boy?" "All valid points, but we're on an island and we haven't seen a single flight heading out," Calle replied, starting to slow his path as they reached the entrance to the woodlands, Skylar and Alistair struggling to keep up with him. "There's only so far they can go. It's not about them running away, it's about what happens when they get there." He said, cold, emotion attacking him from the inside. "Alright so we followed your senses here, now what?" Skylar asked, somewhat irritated, though Calle couldn't blame him as despite his cocky demeanor, he had reasons to worry about the well-being of the others. "We don't know a damn thing about this forest, how can you be sure this is where they are?" "I'm gonna be honest," Calle replied, avoiding making direct eye contact. "I can't be sure, not at all. But this is the only lead we have and it's what we have to rely on. Damien risked his life to win the battle but that was sanctioned, think about that. He didn't even have to put his life on the line but he did for the sake of the team, and for the sake of his sister. And she did the same. We owe it to them, except it looks like now we're transitioning from a sanctioned battle to an all-out war. There aren't any judges to stop this one if it gets too rough." "You don't have to explain that one to us, Calle," Alistair said, taking a tone not often seen from him. "These are our friends. No matter how many people out there have targeted us, or Beatrice, or whatever the hell it is they're after, there's no justification for them putting our friends at risk, you got that?" Alistair's spiritual pressure began to rise as his motivation did along with it, and there was no way not to notice. Calle could feel the boy's determination and the truth behind every word. "Besides, I've got a hunch Chimera Night's got their noses in this and I'm still itchin' for a chance to take those guys out." "Heh," Skylar flipped his hair, smirking in Alistair's direction. "What makes you think you get that honor? I've got a bone to pick with them too, loser, and you got smashed around last time. Either way, it doesn't matter. Because there's no way these guys are gonna get away with it twice." "I'd like to share that same sentiment. And as much as I hate to say this, it looks like we're going to have to split up. We've got a lot of ground to cover and not a lot of time to get it done," Calle ordered, trying to mask his fear with confidence. "Let's get everyone back together. That's your mission, you got that?" They nodded, springing off into the woods. Calle couldn't help but smile as he watched them go, taking the middle path himself. To think they were the same goofs trading insults from when they'd first met, even he had trouble believing they'd come so far. Game time. "You ready friend? I'm gonna need your insight now more than ever!" He exclaimed to Tres, not realizing how much truth was behind those words. --- Alistair shook his head briefly before leaping confidently into the woods, and he was off, leaping from branch to branch using the Rakurai to keep his speed much higher than usual. Why would Andrea do something so reckless in her condition? While he wondered it, at the same time he presumed he would've done the same thing if he were in that situation, so he couldn't exactly judge her for it, but still... At least they had been done for the day with the tournament, but more worrisome than that was Damien's condition. The boy might have been the smartest tactical fighter in the group, but if he wasn't conscious, he might as well have been powerless. Whoever took them, whatever it was they were trying to achieve, they had probably taken Beatrice too. And he owed a debt to that woman for giving him the opportunity to join her team and really become something. Even if he found her off-putting and didn't really like her that much at all, he had no choice but to save her. He couldn't get the best reading on Andrea's whereabouts, so he was really just looking for something, anything to give him a hint that he was heading in the right direction. Continuing to leap from tree to tree in what appeared to be an endless forest, he found his search and rescue mission cut short. Because just two trees ahead of him, a figure dropped down onto the branch, blocking his path. Aye, that didn't take long. Guess I shouldn't be surprised they're trying to cover their tracks. He grimaced; he couldn't afford to waste time right now, but it wasn't looking like there would be another way around it. "Aye, I've got no idea what you want but you're messin with the wrong guy at the wrong time," Alistair said, thinking perhaps his threats would cause the guy to move or something. "I don't have time to stand around and ask, so I'll pretend this never happened and be on my way." Stepping out of the shadows, the figure revealed himself wearing a long white jacket adjourned with silver ribbons across the shoulder pads. His jacket had the markings of the Chimera Night team symbol, a fiendish creature with sharp teeth emblazoned onto a small coin-like shape. Long blonde hair flowed down his back, going to about his shoulders, and his eyes though youthful, were devoid of much else. When he finally did speak, his voice was almost as cold as his eyes. "I am not one for introductions, but you seem intelligent enough to know that such a thing is not possible. Let's be honest and not pretend that we're not both up to speed with what's going on. I've been ordered to stop you, it's as simple as that, you're not able to pass any further." Alistair shook his head, almost more frustrated by the boy's blunt remarks. He wasn't even making an attempt to conceal his motives. "Is that so, mate? I can see you're with Chimera, which means I ain't gonna feel bad about knockin' you for a loop. If it's a fight you want, you give me no other choice but to make this a quick one!" It wasn't like the idea of Chimera getting involved had surprised him, though he'd assumed he'd get further into the forest than that. Still, if they were still this close, or at least some of them, maybe Andrea hadn't gotten too far away. Either that, or they'd already gotten to her, too. But he couldn't dwell on it, it wouldn't make a difference if he got his ass handed to him here. He was more than refreshed enough to fight this guy. "Heh, how amusing," the boy cackled. "I wouldn't waste my time fighting you hand-to-hand, you wouldn't stand a chance. Besides, that goes against my orders!" He exclaimed, thrusting his arm out to the side as a duel disk appeared in a burst of light. White and silver like his jacket, the disk activated itself as a small silver wristlet appeared in front of it around the boy's arm. "A duel? Now? You can't be serious mate," Alistair replied. What kind of trick was he trying to pull? There was no way he could afford to waste time dueling right now, he loved the thrill as much as anyone but there were lives at stake. "Oh, I'm extremely serious," the boy replied with a cold smile. "I've been ordered to apprehend and defeat you, and thanks to the powers our Lord has bestowed upon us, I'm afraid you don't have much of a say in the matter!" Before Alistair could react, a silver link shot out from the wristlet, connecting the two of them together by their arms, forcing a duel disk on Alistair's arm thanks to the Rakurai. "What in the world is this?!" He exclaimed, trying to free his arm to no avail. "You're witnessing the very first test of the Soul Band, and my what an honor it is for you to be the first subject," the boy explained, placing his Deck into the slot on the disk as the shuffler activated. "You see, there is a lot more to this story and unfortunately you won't stick around to see it unfold, but I can say this! The Soul Band is an incredible creation that works on its user's energy! The more energy we collect, the stronger we become! And because we have that strength, we can force any enemy into a duel!" Damnit, it looks like there's nothing I can do. He clenched his fist, unwillingly activating his duel disk and placing his Deck into the slot. He had no idea what these Soul Bands were, but he could see clear as day that the boy wasn't lying. If Chimera had somehow implemented dueling as a necessity in their plan, the others could be facing a similar fate right now. "I guess you leave me no other choice but to beat you then!" --- Whatever this contraption is, it’s somehow got us both linked by Rakurai energy. Alistair observed, drawing his starting hand as his opponent did the same. He’d never seen anything like it before, but the comment specifically about “being able to force a weaker opponent” into a duel thanks to its power was a frightening one, in truth. At the same time, assuming that was what these bands could do, Calle would benefit as there was no way any member of Chimera Night could have a spirit energy that exceeded his own. He wouldn’t have to duel; Alistair could take this guy down and Calle could get to Andrea. Once he disposed of him, he’d meet up with him. He’d seen Skylar duel, too; there was no way that guy was going down. “If it’s a duel you want, it’s a duel you’re gonna get! Ha!” Alistair exclaimed, drawing his sixth card and glancing over his hand quickly. Not a single monster card. Figured. “Aye mate, even if your spirit energy exceeds mine, you ought to watch who you pick a fight with! I’m coming at you with everything I’ve got! I’ll toss two cards face-down and pass the turn!” “That’s everything you’ve got?” The boy questioned mockingly. “I’m even less intimidated than I was. How weak. It’s time to see what the power of the Soul Bands can really do!” He exclaimed as he slapped a monster card onto his disk, a warrior clad in golden armor with spiked shoulder pads and wielding a bronze mace materializing from it. “I’ll begin with Star Seraph Enforcer (ATK: 1400)!” [spoiler=Star Seraph Enforcer] LV4/LIGHT Warrior / Effect If this card attacks a monster: It gains 200 ATK, during damage calculation only. When this card is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard: You can add 1 “Star Seraph” monster from your Deck to your hand. This effect of “Star Seraph Enforcer” can only be activated once per turn. 1400/1400[/spoiler] “Prepare to be ravaged!” The boy exclaimed, ordering his monster into battle. “Star Seraph Enforcer, attack his Life Points directly with Brightstar Iron Burst!” Swinging its mighty mace, the warrior leapt across the treetops and – heading straight towards Alistair – swung for the fences. “I may not have been able to make a strong opening play, but don’t mistake me for a rookie mate, I’ve still got a proper defense!” Alistair said, opening his face-down Trap. “Mayhem Magnetizer!” A ripple effect of magnetic force restricted the Enforcer’s attack as the creature cried out in frustration. “Thanks to my Trap, your monster’s direct attack is not only negated, but it returns to your hand as well! Granted, there’s a drawback, as next turn any Battle Damage I inflict to you is halved, but right now that’s a worthwhile save!” The boy simply rolled his eyes as the knight materialized back into card form, reappearing among his hand. “I’m not impressed, you’re only delaying the inevitable. But fine, I’ll set one card and pass the turn. Perhaps you can make a better impression with your second go-round.” Drawing a card, Alistair revealed it, excitedly. Just the card he was hoping for. “Now that’s more like it, check this out, it’s Mayhem Beast Pyro-Lance, and when I draw this little doozy, I can send it straight to the Graveyard in order to draw a new card in its place! Rah!” The Graveyard slot swallowed the card, and Alistair grabbed a new one to his hand. He had a direct shot and he had to make the most of it. [spoiler=Mayhem Magnetizer] Normal Trap Card When your opponent’s monster declares a direct attack: Return that target to the hand. Then, any Battle Damage you inflict to your opponent during your next turn is halved. If this card is in your Graveyard: You can banish 2 “Mayhem Beast” monsters from your Deck; Set this card. You can only activate this effect of “Mayhem Magnetizer” once per turn, and only during your opponent’s turn.[/spoiler] [spoiler=Mayhem Beast Pyro-Lance] LV4/FIRE/Beast When you draw this card, reveal it and send it to the Graveyard. Then, draw 1 card. While this card is in your Graveyard, when a “Mayhem Beast” monster, except “Mayhem Beast Pyro-Lance” is sent to the Graveyard, Special Summon this card from your Graveyard. Then, it gains 800 ATK. 1400/1100[/spoiler] “Here goes! From my hand I call upon Mayhem Beast Bolt-Tiger! (ATK: 1700)” Alistair shouted excitedly, placing the card onto the field as the mechanical tiger, a blue and silver four-legged beast with lightning bolts etched across both sides of its body let loose a fearsome roar. “This feisty little guy’s both flash and force! Watch, Bolt Tiger attack his Life Points directly with Static Fang Flash!” Charging a blast of lightning within its mouth, the creature leapt into the air and released it, straight in the boy’s direction. It struck him relatively quickly, as he somewhat no-sold it’s effects. Chimera Duelist LP: 3150 “Well I’ll give you credit for landing a blow, but I—” He stopped short, grasping his mid-section randomly as the wire holding them together sapped his energy all at once. Damn, what the hell? He winced; this must have been the effects of the Soul Band. But he had no idea it would affect him, too. The Lord had said it would only affect the opposition, not both of them restricted by the chain. “You alright there mate?” Alistair asked, a bit thrown off by the whole scene. He’d seen the wire light up for a moment, but other than that he was admittedly confused. Aye, that’s strange, he suddenly went all weird for a minute. “I’m fine, I don’t need your concern nor did I ask for it,” the boy snapped. “Now back to the duel! It’s my turn, draw!” I wonder if this link had anything to do with his little freak-out there. Alistair glanced at it quickly, trying to examine exactly what it was, but there wasn't much to it. From what he could see, it was literally a link of pure energy, Rakurai he presumed, coming from the wristlet on the boy's arm. He had said something along the lines of forcing an opponent into a duel, but beyond that mentioned nothing about other effects. I got a bad feelin' about this. It doesn't seem like this wire's just for show. If what I'm thinkin' is right, whenever one of us takes damage, that wire saps our life right out of us. They're collectin' energy. That had to be the case, otherwise why would they even bother dueling? But still...why would his own device hurt him? That just seemed reckless. There were a lot of questions to answer, but he hoped the duel would help with that part of the process. “Enough of this nonsense, it’s time to mount a real play, I’m disgracing the name of Chimera by toying around with you like this,” he said, placing a Spell Card into the disk slot. “So I’ll begin by activating the Spell Light Guardian’s Veil!” A bright golden aura surrounded the two of them, its glistening waves of light radiating back and forth through the skies. [spoiler=Light Guardian’s Veil] Continuous Spell Card During each of your End Phases, draw 1 card from your Deck for each “Star Seraph” monster you Summoned this turn with a different name. You can only control 1 “Light Guardian’s Veil”.[/spoiler] “But that’s just the beginning, because now I summon Star Seraph Sage (DEF: 1400)!” A futuristic key-like structure, nothing more than a mass of energy held together by the symbol of a golden star, rose onto the field. “What he lacks in appearance, my Sage makes up for with its his special ability! Now by sending a card from my hand to the Graveyard, I can summon an additional ‘Star Seraph’ monster from my hand to the field! So welcome back Star Seraph Enforcer (DEF: 1400)!” The fearsome gold and purple night arose once more. “Now that I control two level four monsters, I can build the overlay network to Xyz Summon the Rank 4 Star Seraph Sentinel (ATK: 2100)!” As the two monsters merged together in a galactic wave, a new one descended onto the field, a tall, bulky knight clad in golden armor and wielding a battle axe that appeared to be a combination of medieval and futuristic design. [spoiler=Star Seraph Sage] LV4/LIGHT Fairy / Effect Once per turn, you can send 1 Spell Card from your hand to the Graveyard to Special Summon 1 “Star Seraph” monster from your hand. 1600/1400[/spoiler] [spoiler=Star Seraph Sentinel] RK4/LIGHT Fairy/ Effect 2 Level 4 LIGHT monsters If this card destroys an opponent’s monster by battle and sends it to the Graveyard; it gains 300 ATK points. If this card would be destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, you can detach 1 Xyz Material from it instead. 2100/2100[/spoiler] “Well it’s shiny I’ll give it that,” Alistair remarked, marveling at the sight of the new creature that opposed him. But this guy clearly wasn’t playing around, and neither would he. If his suspicions were right, they could all be in some real trouble. “That’s just the beginning, Star Sentinel is the weakest of my three Xyz Monsters, and yet the only one I’ll have to use on you! Now, watch as your Bolt Tiger becomes the prey! Sentinel, attack with Noble Flash!” The creature did as commanded, leaping into the air and firing a blast of golden energy at the tiger, which despite its valiant efforts could not mount a strong enough defense. With the damage done, Alistair cringed, swearing retribution for his monster, as the wire took effect on him this time around. Like it came out of nowhere, a blast of energy struck him from the inside, and he could feel the link physically draining the Rakurai from his body. It was so sudden that he almost lost his balance, but he used the branch’s concave structure to keep himself standing. Alistair’s LP: 3600 “So tell me, how do you like your first taste of the Soul Band’s power?” The boy asked, cackling as something about his eyes appeared to change. “It only gets better from there, this is a totally new kind of dueling! But I hate to spoil the fun, you’ll see for yourself!” “I’ve got no idea how you think forcing people into duels and tarnishing the game like this is fun, but if I have to beat you, best believe I will!” Alistair roared, a gesture shared by the four legged saber-tooth tiger that sprawled onto his field, surrounded by a flurry of flames. “What’s this, summoning a new monster while it’s still my turn?” He asked, noticeably frustrated after his moment of glory was interrupted. “I don’t have time to stand around and play games, but I had a feeling there was more to this story than met the eye, and that’s why I summoned Bolt Tiger fully aware you’d be able to take it down, “ Alistair explained to the ire of his opponent. “Once you destroyed Bolt Tiger, you enabled me to revive Mayhem Beast – Pyro Lance (ATK: 1400) from the Graveyard, and in an effort to avenge his fallen comrade, Pyro Lance returns with a bonus eight-hundred attack points!” “Doesn’t matter what you do, I’ll fulfill my duties and collect your soul,” the boy snapped, growing angry as Alistair’s confidence hadn’t shaken despite the Soul Band taking effect. “I’ll set one card before I end my turn, and now my Light Guardian’s Veil rewards me with three new cards!” He exclaimed, as the duel disk released three cards into his hand and a hologram of a set card appeared at his feet. “Alright then, here goes!” Alistair drew, Mayhem Wreckage, a Spell Card that would offer all of his monsters a simultaneous power boost, only to destroy them during the End Phase. With the attack boost the boy’s monster had gained thanks to destroying a monster in battle, Pyro Lance’s 2200 attack points weren’t sufficient enough to take it down. But with this, he could. Mayhem Beast Pyro-Lance: 1400 + 800 = 2200 Star Seraph Sentinel: 2100 + 300 = 2400 (2 OU) “Here goes the Spell Card Mayhem Wreckage!” He said, thrusting it into the spell slot on his duel disk as the saber-tooth tiger was engulfed with various junk parts, almost re-constructing itself into some kind of strange mechanical abomination. Finding a weapon that suit it, a steel lance with a razor sharp spearhead, it shook the rest of the weapons off, making itself comfortable in its position once more. Mayhem Beast Pyro-Lance: 2200 + 500 = 2700 “Tell me, do you have a name or are you just a blinded puppet working unquestionably under the command of Chimera?” Alistair asked, not intended to mock the boy but rather to get under his skin and try to delve deeper into what was going on. The boy laughed, “You wouldn’t understand a damn reason I do the things I do. Not that it matters, but my name is Lyon Yamaruchi, the duelist of light,” he said, as though that title was a legitimate claim, and he was proud of it. “It’s the last name you’ll ever remember.” “Aye, at least now I can put a name to a face,” he said. “Well then Lyon, allow me to make one thing perfectly clear. My issue isn’t with you directly, but rather with Chimera Night as a whole. You’ve hurt my comrades and taken my friends, and that is something I can’t forgive. I’m gonna put an end to the suffering you intend to cause before it even begins. Taking people’s lives for your own benefit is not the way dueling is meant to be, and there’s no way I’m gonna stand by and let it happen!” Lyon shook his head in ire. “You think you understand suffering? You don’t know anything about what I’ve been forced to endure, and you’ll never understand what it means to have to suffer!” He balled up his fist, nearly crushing his cards in the process as he shot Alistair a look of pure hatred. “You think you know all the answers but the truth is people like you are the worst of them all, your ignorance makes me sick! I will honor Chimera Night for the chance at redemption they have given me, and I will reward them with your very life!” --- Well that escalated quickly. “Look mate I’m sorry if I struck a chord, but this is a duel I can’t afford to lose! Now back to the game, thanks to Mayhem Wreckage, Pyro-Lance gets a power boost in the form of five-hundred attack points!” The tiger roared with anticipation, ready to tear into the imposing knight taunting him. “Pyro-Lance, are you ready?! Send his sentinel back to the scrap heap with Pyral Spear Cannon!” Using its newly equipped weapon, the creature fired a flaming lance across the field, piercing the right shoulder of the Sentinel as the Soul Band took its effects almost immediately on Lyon, a pain he still hadn’t gotten used to. Lyon’s LP: 2950 Star Seraph Sentinel: 2400 ATK (1 OU) The attack had struck, but the monster was still there. It didn’t take a genius to figure out why. “So that’s what it’s overlay units are for,” Alistair said aloud. “You’re not as dumb as you look, when Star Seraph Sentinel would be destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, one of its overlay units takes it place instead.” "Thanks for the reassurance, but I wouldn't get to confident just yet, I had a feeling your monster had some kind of protection ability and that's why I attacked with Pyro-Lance first, so I could activate this!" He exclaimed, revealing the other Trap Card he'd set on the first turn of the duel, depicting a crossfire attack by two of the mechanized beasts. “Wait what, how is that possible?” “Duelin’s a passion of mine, mate, you learn to go with the flow and see these kind of things before they happen when you’re as into it as I am, now watch!” The Trap Card began to take effect, surrounding Pyro-Lance with a refreshed burst of energy. Ready for round two. “This here Trap is known as Mechanized Jolt, and though I can only use it after a monster’s already attacked, it gives that same monster a chance to do battle again and really take its frustration out! Of course, there is the requirement of me sending a card from my hand to the Graveyard to use it, but that’s fine and dandy, because now Pyro-Lance gets to tear into Star Seraph Sentinel a second time! Go, High Voltage Inferno!” “Maybe you missed it the first time around, but thanks to Sentinel’s ability, I can simply send another overlay unit to the Graveyard in order to protect him!” Lyon exclaimed, doing just that as the golden knight took the damage in stride. Lyon’s Life Points: 2650 [spoiler=Mechanized Jolt] Normal Trap Card Activate only by targeting a “Mayhem Beast” monster you control that battled an opponent’s monster this turn. By sending 1 card from your hand to the Graveyard, that card gains an additional attack this turn, but it cannot attack your opponent directly. You can use this effect up to two times during this turn. The effect of “Mechanized Jolt” can only be activated twice per turn.[/spoiler] “Oh no mate, I didn’t miss it, it’s just that patience is key!” Alistair exclaimed, discarding a second card as Pyro-Lance readied for the third and final strike—the one that would get it done. “See, Mechanized Jolt doesn’t just go off once, but twice, as long as I discard an additional card! Meaning Pyro-Lance’s first two attacks served the purpose of removing your Overlay Units, and now it’s third attack can serve the purpose of sending your Sentinel straight to the back of the pecking order! Go, Pyro-Lance, attack him one last time with High Voltage Inferno!” Damn, he pulled a fast one on me. Lyon grimaced, glancing over his hand quickly and contemplating whether or not using the face-down card he’d set now was worthwhile. He didn’t expect the brat to be able to strike him three times in one turn, and yet here he was. Didn’t look like he had much of a choice. “I’m afraid I can’t let that happen, reveal Trap Card Seraph Guidance!” As a Trap Card depicting a sacred shrine materialized behind the golden knight, some of Lyon’s confidence began to return. “With this, I’m able to take a monster card from my Deck and Special Summon it straight to the field. Of course, there’s a cost for it, and a somewhat hefty one as it takes away 1000 of my Life Points, but it does so in exchange for the protection that my Light Monolith will provide!” The boy’s body nearly froze as he keeled over in pain momentarily; the Soul Band’s power was growing as the duel progressed and taking that many Life Points in one hit would take its toll no matter how strong his resistance was. But aside from some heavy breathing, he regained his composure and released his Deck from the slot, searching through for that card that would help to ensure his victory. Lyon’s LP: 1650 Man, that soul band was no joke. Alistair gritted his teeth just watching it take effect once again, wondering how Lyon was able to stand there so nonchalantly after taking that much of a hit. There was no doubting the kid’s toughness, although he couldn’t quite get over how someone would blindly follow orders for a team that would force them to endure such pain. It didn’t matter now, though. He’d tried his best to get the boy to come around, but it was obvious this duel wasn’t going to end until someone emerged the winner. And so now that had become his focus. His turn was over now, but he needed a real play to turn things around next. There was a reason Lyon was keeping that Sentinel on the field, and whatever it was, he feared the consequences… --- “Now that we’ve gotten the fun part out of the way,” he said, laughing almost maniacally as he struggled to maintain a standing position. Even though the branches they were standing on were thick, keeping balance while being that high in the air was difficult, and it wasn’t like the soul band was going to let up. So he figured it was best to embrace the pain, after all he would win for Chimera and be rewarded for his sacrifices. “I can actually use the effect of Seraph Guidance, so welcome to the field Light Monolith!” Light flooded the field as the behemoth rose from a pool of luminescence, resembling almost an elemental spirit but built like a wall. With very simplistic features, the beastly creature simply plopped itself down on the field, taking up a good portion of the open space around them. “Say hello to Light Monolith (DEF: 2100)!” [spoiler=Seraph Guidance] Normal Trap Card Activate only when a “Star Seraph” monster you control is targeted for an attack while your Life Points are lower than your opponent’s; Special Summon 1 Level 4 LIGHT monster from your Deck in face-up Defense Position. Then, you take 1000 damage.[/spoiler] [spoiler=Light Monolith] LV4/LIGHT Rock / Effect LIGHT monsters you control other than this card cannot be targeted for an attack. If this card is Special Summoned (from the Deck): It gains DEF equal to the amount of Battle Damage you’ve taken this turn. If this card is destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard: You can add 1 “Star Seraph” monster from your Deck to your hand. 0/2100[/spoiler] While at first Alistair found the monster nothing more than a giant roadblock, he soon realized why Lyon would choose to bring it out, as it shifted itself into position, blocking Star Seraph Sentinel from all harm and leaving Pyro-Lance confused as its target disappeared. “Uh-oh, this ain’t good,” he muttered. “I see you’re catching on, you see thanks to Light Monolith, my Star Seraph Sentinel and any other LIGHT monsters I control for that matter, are completely safe from harm! In order to get to them,” Lyon explained, “you have to take down my Light Monolith first!” “Alright so it’s a nuisance, but it’s nothing more than an extra turn! Because Pyro-Lance still has an attack, and he’ll use it to take down your Light Monolith instead!” Alistair ordered the creature to regroup and go in for another attack, but as it struck the wall, a flash of light reflected its attack, blasting it back across the field. “What gives?” Alistair asked as the tiger struggled to pull itself to four legs once again. “Your wall should’ve crumbled!” “What gives is that you were so hasty to rush into an attack that you didn’t take the time to examine Light Monolith’s special ability in full,” Lyon cackled. A rookie mistake. “You see in addition to offering protection to all of my monsters, Light Monolith gets a bit of a reward for his valiant defenses! And by that I mean, his defense points increase by an amount equal to the battle damage I’ve taken this turn!” Light Monolith (DEF) = 2100 + 600 = 2700 It kept all those points, too? Alistair shook his head in frustration. He’d fallen right into that trap and allowed his opponent to create the perfect wall. “You’d be wise to call off your attack; at this point there’s nothing you can really do.” Alistair shook his head in frustration. He glanced over his hand for options but they weren’t really there. And because of his Spell Card, Pyro-Lance would be destroyed during the End Phase. His only way to take that Sentinel down was about to be scrapped. “I have no choice. I end my turn with one face-down.” The hologram appeared in front of him as Pyro-Lance let out one last flustered cry before exploding into pixels. “Precisely what I knew would happen, it was of utmost importance that my Sentinel remained intact, and now is the time, I can feel the power bestowed upon me just waiting in the wings,” Lyon replied, placing his hand atop his Deck but taking in the moment before he drew. This was what he’d been waiting for. “I draw!” He exclaimed. Yes, he’d drawn it. His Master had given him the card to use when the time was right, and he presumed that now was just as good as any. There was really no reason for this duel to proceed any further beyond this turn. I don’t like this one bit, the expression on his face just changed completely. Alistair was uneasy, his defenses were low and he had a strong feeling that the reason Lyon had saved that Sentinel was about to be unveiled. “So far you’ve held on through the physical pain but now is when it really kicks into high gear, because my power has not failed me!” He placed the card into his duel disk as a dark aura swept across the clearing above which they were doing battle. “Now watch as I unveil a power that only Chimera Night may command, Nightmaric Time Release!” It shook the trees and rattled the very air around them. Something about this card was different, the magic it was releasing was something more than just a hologram. Alistair could feel it drawing energy from both of them, the soul band’s color beginning to change to a dark green. [spoiler=Nightmaric Time Release] Normal Spell Card Target 1 Xyz Monster you control; return it to the Extra Deck and Special Summon any and all monsters used for its Xyz Summon to your field in face-up Defense Position. This turn, if an Xyz Monster is Summoned using those monster(s) as Xyz Material, it is unaffected by the effect(s) of Spell and Trap Cards.[/spoiler] “Now watch as the very fabric of the world around us is changed, for my Star Seraph Sentinel will return to the world from which he came in order to bring both my Star Seraph Enforcer and Star Seraph Sage back to the field!” The two monsters re-appeared, only this time the golden light which had shone brightly around them had vanished, and the dark magic from Lyon’s Spell had overtaken them as well. “I’ve got a real bad feelin’ about this,” Alistair said. And that was all he could muster. “It’s time, I can feel it flowing through me! I will do my part! I build the overlay network now with all three monsters in order to Xyz Summon and command a power that only Nightmaric Time Release makes available! A force from the past that is now under my command! Come forth, ancient warrior of Erebos, Number 102: Star Seraph Sentry (ATK: 2500)!” The dark waves swept even stronger now as the galactic combination of the three creatures brought forth a tall and mighty warrior, clad in a golden armor but with a very different aura about him. In a bold red, the number 102 was inscribed on it, but it did not feel like a hologram. It was as though the creature was there in the flesh, everything about its existence felt completely legitimate. This wasn’t an effect of the Rakurai, this was something more than that. He didn’t think it was possible but it was as though Nightmaric Time Release had brought this creature to life. And if he was going to face a creature that was brought to life in a real battle, he stood no chance at all. “Understand now that you have forced me to do this, it is nothing personal but I have sworn alliance to my Master and I will now do my part in making his wish a reality! Number 102: Star Seraph Sentry! I am your Master now, and I command you to attack his Life Points directly with Ancient Shining Arrow!” The creature struggled to raise its bow, apparently facing some sort of inner conflict; if it was real, it certainly wasn’t acting on its own accord, it was being controlled by the magic of Lyon’s spell. Unfortunately he didn’t have the time to dive into a history lesson, so he couldn’t do anything one way or another. He stood and tried to brace himself, but nothing could prepare him for the pain he felt as the warrior’s arrow struck him right in the chest, knocking him off the branch as he plummeted down towards the ground. Was this the end? He had lost all control and felt himself spiraling out of consciousness. Alistair LP: 900 --- “Looks like I made it just in time. You’d never expect the forest to be so damn complex to navigate. I could barely keep from incinerating the whole thing.” To be continued...[/spoiler] Just incase anyone was wondering, 29 and 30 will feature the other two duels, so the "resolution" of this episode as well as the other two will not begin until 31. I just like making people wait. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aerion Brightflame Posted November 15, 2013 Report Share Posted November 15, 2013 Hmmm.... That is my resounding thought after these two chapters. I didn't post after the last one because I didn't feel like much was really needed to be said. I mean, it wasn't exactly a bad chapter, but neither was it amazing. This one... Hmmm... The whole them having to go rescue stuff and thus being forced into a duel felt forced honestly. I mean, common one of there own had already been taken... why would Calle not be standing next to him till he recovered? Because well... Watching a fight is not as important as that. The actual duel was good, much better than the ones at the start of the series. Flowed well enough, and the cards involved... were acceptable by te standards of customs. I think your math at the end is a bit off: 3600-2500 =/= 900 So yeah it was good. I mean, nothing fabulous, but nothing terrible either. I mean, aside from the premise feeling forced, it was a great chapter. Glad to see that you're still writing though, I was worried for a bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Synchronized Posted November 18, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 18, 2013 Unfortunately, one of the problems I faced (and part of the reason it took so long for me to update) was that by rushing into the tournament the way I did, I didn't take into account that more important plot points would obviously have to be resolved. With that in mind, this has been the plan for a while and because of that I had to find a way to transition to it (as it's supposed to interrupt the tournament). There weren't many ways to do it in a non-forced way, so my hope is that the actual content will be enough to make the readers say "Well, yeah that's a little forced, but it's still good and engaging". Like I said, I should have paid more attention earlier so that I could have better prepared for it, but it is what it is and even if the next couple of episodes do feel a little forced, I hope the story content will be enough to hold your (and anyone else's attention). In regards to your point about Calle, Damien has been in the infirmary and is making a full recovery, or at least, was, assuming he got the rest he needed. Calle, just like all the other leaders has to be out there to support his team and cheer them on, observe, etc. just like a leader would. Could you imagine going to a soccer game and trying to play but your coach is nowhere to be seen? It's not exactly good for morale. Winning is important because they have to save Beatrice, obviously. But Chimera doesn't want to wait to let that happen, so they've decided to take the next step, which is how we get to where we are now. It's likely to affect the tournament, as well. Thanks again for the comments/feedback! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Synchronized Posted November 27, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 27, 2013 New one, perhaps if you've got some free time over the Holiday weekend you could check it out. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone~ [spoiler=Episode 29: The White Knight] The vast world of Erebos, home to mystic creatures of all shapes and sizes... “You seem to have taken more of an interest in the humans recently. Something piqued your attention?” “Just pondering things. Word from the Elders suggests that the fabric that separates our world from theirs has been tampered with in the slightest of ways. While it could be a coincidental occurrence, they have their fears and rightfully so.” “Strange, I haven’t sensed a thing. Then again, I haven’t bothered to pay attention to it anyhow,” the voice responded condescendingly. “I wonder sometimes why you all spend so much time fretting over those creatures; just let them fend for themselves, I’m not certain they’re worthy of our help.” “Just like you to be so close-minded, isn’t it, Dragulon? Do last year’s events not resonate with you? Perhaps you forget it was the humans who helped to seal away the one Lucien Grasciou, or is your memory just coincidentally fuzzy?” “Please, don’t use that. It was a case of being in the right place at the right time,” the one called Dragulon replied. “Rest assured, if it was not against our ways to simply travel there, I could have done the job myself. Don’t waste your time with such meaningless nonsense when there are things to be done here.” “There is a reason you are not among the Royal Guard, Dragulon.” The words seemed to sting briefly, their intended purpose. Keeping himself under control, Dragulon turned his head to face the horizon. “Whether or not you believe the humans are worth our time is irrelevant. Or perhaps you have forgotten that it was a human who saved your very life all those years ago.” “Enough!” He roared, shooting the High Council a look. “My business is done here; I have no desire to discuss this issue any further.” The High Council sighed, hanging his head. “Very well, Dragulon. Be gone then, but take with you the knowledge that you cannot run from this forever. The time is coming closer for us to take action. The ‘meaningless humans’, as you call them, may be our only real chance of survival. Remember your past, Dragulon. For it might be the only way you survive your future.” The beast offered no words in response, and with a flap of its wings and a strong stormwind, it took off. The High Council sighed once more. He feared the fabric’s shifting was not a coincidence, but the first of many things to come. There were others like Dragulon who shared resentment, but he would need all of them if they were to save their world. That alone was a task he was hardly prepared to solve. Yet he had no other options. The real battle was only just beginning. --- Episode 29: The White Knight Skylar slowed his roll—he felt a presence somewhere close by. There was no mistaking it; someone was following him. He’d since lost track of Andrea’s location, but following in the same direction that she’d gone was sure to lead him there eventually. The forest only spanned a small portion of the island, so there weren’t too many places they could go where the three of them (Calle, Alistair, and himself) weren’t able to cover. Whoever it was, something about their presence felt strangely familiar, and not in a good way. For a while he had been running along the forest floor, finding it faster than leaping from branch to branch and using his Rakurai to increase his speed, he could last longer without growing too exhausted too quickly. While doing so, he could focus his senses on his surroundings. Using Rakurai, he could heighten his senses almost five times their normal strength, meaning he could more or less scan the entire area as he passed through without having to stop and search. At the same time, it meant his senses were extremely sensitive and the slightest movement could completely throw him off. “Who’s there? If you’re trying to sneak up, you picked the wrong guy,” he challenged, standing completely still in the center of a clearing between the trees, not moving an inch. Apparently his follower had the same idea; he didn’t want to wait, either, as a shadowy figure landed on the branch to his right, towering above him. Skylar readied himself for defense while trying to make out what stood above him. “Oh man, looks like I got stuck with you,” the voice said, a snarky, condescending voice sighed mockingly, jumping down to the floor below with grace, landing on both feet. It only took him a second to realize that irritating voice; Misael. “I knew I recognized your spirit energy,” Skylar spat, taking a couple steps backwards while not leaving his stance. Them taking off had been understood given the circumstances, but seeing Misael here didn’t make sense; Chimera was still active in the Clash, and they’d only left after the first round. Why would they send an active member of the team here and jeopardize their chances of winning? “You seem confused,” Misael cackled, cracking his knuckles, showing a slight indifference towards Skylar. “It’s a shame, I was really hoping I’d be the one to intercept Calle Anden. The two of us have a score to settle,” he hissed, cocking his head to the side. “But all in due time, I suppose.” “I could care less about your business with Calle, because you’re already here with me, and I don’t think you’re gonna be going anywhere for a while,” Skylar said, shifting his right arm outwards and preparing an attack cautiously. “I don’t know what it is you Chimera people want, but taking one of our own captive is something I simply can’t forgive,” he said adjusting the bridge of his glasses. “I may not like him all that much, but I owe him one, and I hate owing people even more than I hate interacting with them.” “Aw, isn’t that cute? The antihero won’t admit that he’s just as weak as all the others, it’s alright to care about your friends,” he laughed, a sinister grin on his face. “Because soon enough you’ll all be reunited again!” “You’re too far gone for me to try and ration with, so what do you say we get right to the battle?” Skylar asked, prompting Misael’s attention. “But first, tell me something. How can you so willingly leave your post in the Thunder Clash? Don’t you think people will begin to catch on? If the team disappears you certainly won’t be winning anything.” “You think I care about victory in that tournament?!” Misael roared, thrusting his arm to the side. “I’m following orders, and right now my orders are to eliminate you, just as the others have been assigned to do to your friends!” I knew there was no way he’s the only one they’d send, Skylar remarked, though his question about the tournament’s proceedings went unanswered. He couldn’t afford to worry about that now – finding Damien and Andrea had become their top priority. Damn idiots for running off like that. But that meant the others were going to be engaged as well, which would slow the whole rescue mission. “I don’t have friends, I feel like we’ve gone over this before. I’m sure they can handle themselves, but in the meantime I’ll make quick work of you!” “Hold on there, Skylar, you’re getting ahead of yourself,” Misael laughed again, hoisting his right arm into the air as Skylar noticed a small purple wristlet around it, radiating some kind of energy that felt like Rakurai but didn’t, at the same time. “We know you stand no chance of beating me in a fight, so consider this a blessing in disguise! At least you have the chance to escape with your life! But we’ll be settling things with a duel!” Before he could even retort, the wristlet shot a link connecting his wrist with Misael’s, though they were around twenty feet from each other. He couldn’t break it off or even snap it; it was locked on. “What the hell is this thing?!” “Allow me to introduce you to Chimera Night’s finalized project! The Soul Band!” Misael exclaimed proudly. “It’s the ultimate in duel technology! You see, the Soul Band forms a link between its holder and the opposition, as long as the holder’s spirit energy is strong enough. With each victory, the Soul Band absorbs the life force of both the loser and some from the winner, but that’s alright, because when I win, all of that energy becomes a part of me! The stronger it gets, the greater my spirit energy becomes, and eventually there will be no one who can resist the strength of it!” There was no way it was legit, was it? What kind of trick was he trying to pull? “You can doubt it all you like, but the fact is we’re going to duel!” Misael said, as a duel disk materialized on his arm emblazoned with the Chimera Night symbol. “A duel? Now?” Skylar asked angrily, growing even more discontent with his inability to break the stupid band off his arm. There was no time for this right now; a duel didn’t make any sense!” “I’d say get used to it, but you’re more than likely not going to survive this duel, so it doesn’t make much of a difference,” Misael said, laughing uproariously. “But the Soul Band means we can use dueling to harvest all the energy we need! And then...well, that part’s not important.” Harvesting energy...? For what? “Fine, that’s enough of this! It’s been a little while since I’ve thrown down, but if you duel anything like you fight, this should be a cake walk!” Skylar asked, tossing the cloak that covered his upper body aside as a duel disk materialized on his arm. “Let’s duel!” --- DUEL! Skylar 4000 | Misael 4000 Skylar tossed his Deck into the compartment, pressing a button to shuffle it quickly, before rapidly drawing his starting hand. It had been a while since dueling had even crossed his mind, going back to the night they first met the Blaster Axis, but it wasn't as if he wasn't more than familiarized with his cards. He had the benefit of being just as skilled at the game as he was tactically. "So let's duel!" "I hate to break it to you, but unlike some of the others on my team, I'm not into patience and all that," Misael explained, drawing his starting hand, plus a sixth card. "I don't care about the love of the game, for me it's all about victory and that's why I'm going to wipe the floor with you!" I'm not worried about this guy's dueling as much as I am this link, Skylar explained. Normally, two people who both possess the power of Rakurai who compete in a duel will both feel its effects; their energy is linked between the two of them naturally and thus it makes the monsters and spells they command legitimate. This had to do with the D-Accel, which was the initial implementation of Rakurai into dueling. Something that couldn't be undone, the initial company who had employed this tactic had done so as a way to generate energy from dueling to act as an alternate power source. They wouldn't "harvest" energy by taking it directly from the duelists themselves, but rather the energy generated from the back and forth battles would be collected. In premise, it wasn't a terrible idea, although it was risky as non-Rakurai duelists would have a much harder time withstanding the real attacks. However, literally harvesting energy from the duelists themselves meant that these bands were nothing more than a vacuum. Such technology would never be legal, but it wasn't as if Chimera was going to follow any sort of law, so that ruled out that part. Still, the ability to force anyone weaker into a duel meant that people without the ability to defend themselves would stand absolutely no chance, making them nothing more than an easy target. If Chimera wanted to collect energy, they had come up with the perfect way to do it. That also meant that the duel served as a means of weakening the band's targets, therefore making it easier to drain their energy. He could only hope the others had caught onto this, too. Because it wasn't about winning or losing as much as it was having the strength to continue fighting. If one's Rakurai was drained before the duel commenced, there was nothing stopping the soul band from continuing to sap their energy. "Bring it!" Skylar beckoned, a challenge Misael was happy to oblige. "As you wish, but you're going to regret making such a challenge by the time this first turn is done," Misael said, smiling slyly. "I explained the effects of the soul band to you quite well, perhaps even more than I should have, but oh well." It didn't really make a difference how much he said, after all once the duel was done it was likely this scum wouldn't be able to live to tell the tale, never mind make it to his friends to tell them about it. Chimera's strategy had been brilliantly timed and perfectly executed. "Now watch, I activate the Spell Card Silent Overcast!" Beginning the duel by placing the card in the disk slot, a green card materialized in front of him. He followed suit, placing three cards from his hand into the Graveyard all at once, briefly revealing them. "Allow me to show you what I was referencing. See, since I have three monsters in my hand with the same level, Silent Overcast allows me to send all three of them to the Graveyard in order to fulfill its activation," he continued, having placed Silent Axe, Silent Warrior, and Silent Ghoul into the Graveyard. Doing so, I'm able to inflict damage to your Life Points equal to their combined Levels times three-hundred points." Say what?! Skylar froze with a wide-eyed stare as Misael flashed a s***-eating grin. That's 3600 damage on the first turn! He wasn't kidding about going in for the kill instantly. He plans to use the damage in combination with this band to wipe me out in one shot. "So you see what I meant? I wasn't bluffing." Misael pressed his palm outwards as the effects of his Overcast began to take effect, with ripples in the air around them beginning to collect energy from the fallen monsters. "I sent my level four Silent Axe, level four Silent Warrior, and level four Silent Ghoul to the Graveyard, and that means my spell hits you for 3600 points of damage! I've seen you talk a big game before, but let's see how much you can physically handle at once!" He could feel the air around him condensing and growing tighter as the particles of energy came together. All at once, the ripple released a shock-wave. It felt like it struck him in twelve different points of his body, both externally and internally. He gasped for air and things began to fade before he could even get a grasp of it, falling to the ground and not able to use his Rakurai to break his fall. There was no time - that was how quickly the attack had connected. Trying to scream, he was unaware if he could even make the noises, or if he was just screaming into emptiness. Never in his life had he felt so much pain all at once as he felt the life being legitimately drained out of him, all into the band. Static energy surrounded the link connecting them, an overwhelming amount of Rakurai being absorbed at once, causing the link itself to grow thicker. [spoiler=Silent Overcast] Continuous Spell Card When this card is activated: You can discard 3 "Silent" monsters from your hand with the same Level; inflict damage to your opponent equal to the combined Level of those monsters x 300. While you control this face-up card: You can Special Summon "Silent" monsters from your Graveyard, ignoring the Summoning Conditions. Once per turn, a "Silent" monster you control cannot be destroyed by battle.[/spoiler] Skylar's LP: 400 If there was any doubt about the truth behind Misael's words, it had been eradicated. This duel was very real. He could understand, now, why they would take the route of a duel over something like a fight. In a fight, the odds were at least on a somewhat level playing field. Here, with one move, Misael had all but killed him, and there was absolutely no way he could've defended himself. He could barely even stand now, holding onto breaths as long as he could, feeling his body wanting nothing more than to collapse on him. And yet, somehow, he had survived, which seemed to surprise Misael in and of itself. "Do you understand now that no matter what you do, it's futile?! You're pathetic, you're nothing more than a pawn just like the rest of your whole team was! The real reason for all of this was to retrieve the woman, and now that we've done that, we just have to dispose of you brats and there won't be anyone left to oppose us!" He laughed at his own comments, finding them rather amusing, watching Skylar squirm like a little bug. "Let's be honest, this wasn't even a duel--it was simply a massacre! And you took the bait!" Skylar laughed aloud, his hand trembling as he tried to regain control over what little - emphasis there - energy he had left. Misael cocked his head to the side, irritated. "You find this funny?! Have you lost whatever dignity you had left? I can't help but agree with you -- the Wind Gear brat who talked such a big game finds himself kneeling at my feet. My how the tables have turned!" He brushed his hair to the side, getting back to his feet, albeit barely. "Actually, what I find funny is that you act as though taking the bait was an option. Like it was a voluntary choice, as if there was another way we could've gone about this little escapade." He was weak, but he was far from out. It would take more than an ambush like that to keep him down. "The last time this happened, I let Alistair show me up. This time, I can't let that happen. One devastating blow to my pride was hard enough, I don't think I could live with a second one." "How are you-able to stand on your own two feet?!" Misael roared. "Drop the brave act, you don't stand a chance! Your body won't hold up in this condition, I've already harvested the majority of your energy!" "The key word there is majority, and as far as my body is concerned, as long as I can breathe I'll fight, only this time my monsters will do the fighting for me! All I have to do is stay in one piece and that shouldn't be that hard, especially not with you being a one-trick pony. After all, you got rid of almost your entire hand to make that one play, so what now?" In truth, he hadn't thought that far. He didn't expect Skylar to still be breathing after that, never mind wanting to continue the duel. What kind of fool was he, simply walking into his own death? Well fine, if that's what he wanted... --- He'd set one of the two cards he had left, and that would be more than enough for now. Next turn, he'd be able to attack for game and finish it. "I must admit I didn't think you'd live to take a turn, so I'm looking forward to this." Skylar paid his insults no attention, and simply focused his energy on staying calm. He didn't have much to work with on that respect, his body was barely holding up. "Alright, here goes I draw!" Six cards in hand, and not setting up some kind of defense was out of the question. If he went recklessly through this turn, he would more than likely find himself beaten as soon as Misael got his next chance to go. He could build up a counter-attack, but it seemed wise to lay the foundation first. "I'm glad you threw away most of your hand, because I'm not all that worried about being able to dish out some punishment right back. "Feel the might, White Knight Lancer (ATK: 1500)!" In a grand entrance, the white armoured knight spun onto the field, a long mane of dark red hair flowing behind him as he readied his dual-edged lance for battle. "Before I do anything else, I'm gonna take this opportunity to inflict some damage! White Knight Lancer, attack his Life Points directly with White Impale!" Despite the weapon's size, the knight's bulky muscular structure made it an effortless chore, hurling it across the field directly at Misael. Despite his efforts to maintain complete calm, the Chimera duelist couldn't help but clench his lower torso as the effects of the Soul Band began to take their effects, leaving him with an almost twisted look on his face, like he was somehow enjoying the sadistic pain. Misael's LP: 2500 [spoiler=White Knight Lancer] LV4/LIGHT Warrior / Effect This card inflicts piercing Battle Damage. 1500/0[/spoiler] "I sure hope that wasn't the best you...had," he said, losing himself a bit on the last word as he fought through the pain. With that much more life absorbed, the wire began to statically charge again, continuing to grow little by little. "Because that was pathetic!" He said in a fit of laughter. Skylar could feel the inside of his body suffering from the effects, but he had to hold out. No matter what, he wouldn't let this guy show him up. He had plenty left in him. "Was that all I had, you ask? Not even close." He grinned, taking the five cards remaining in his hand and setting them all on the field, each in its own slot as a horizontal wall of backrow appeared behind the glimmering white knight. "Five face-downs at once?!" Misael asked, noticeably irritated for a moment, at least. Talk about going all out from the start, damn, he's probably trying to bluff me. But he wasn't about to fall for it. "You can create a visual wall behind your pitiful knight all you want, but that's not going to change the outcome. Since you have no plays left, it's my go!" "Draw!" He exclaimed, drawing a card, increasing the total in his hand to two. "Brilliant. First, I'll kick things off by revealing my Trap, Silent Rebirth!" The hologram flipped up, revealing a fallen spirit being pulled out of the ground and restored to life. "Normally, 'Silent' monsters can't be Special Summoned from the Graveyard, but since I have Silent Overcast in play, that condition is nullifed. So Silent Rebirth will bring my Silent Axe (ATK: 1100) back to the field!" The apparition of an iron-axe wielding beast-man was whisked up onto the field, hovering in the air as it held its axe at its side. "While he may not look like much, Silent Axe has a very helpful special ability, see when he's Special Summoned, I can add another "Silent Axe" from my Deck straight to my hand!" [spoiler=Silent Axe] LV4/WIND Warrior / Effect Cannot be Special Summoned (from your Graveyard). When this card is Normal Summoned, if it is the only card you control: Draw 1 card. When this card is Special Summoned: You can add 1 "Silent" monster from your Deck to your hand. 1100/0[/spoiler] Snatching the card with two fingers as the duel disk spat it out for him, Misael slammed the card onto the field, as a second copy of the spirit warrior appeared next to the first. "So now I'll end this! I build the Overlay Network with both copies of Silent Axe in order to Xyz Summon the Rank 4...Silent Blaster (ATK: 2400)!" The air around them thickened, vicious winds ripping through the clearing, so powerful in nature that they themselves cut the body with contact alone. As the two apparitions vanished into the air, a new, futuristic creature with a bright red aura surrounding it lowered down onto the field. It had two massively burly arms that - at their halfway point - melded into cannons. Its eyes appeared soul-less; it was a blindly loyal creature simply serving its master, almost a direct representation of Misael itself, Skylar noticed. [spoiler=Silent Blaster] RK4/WIND Fiend / Xyz / Effect 2 Level 4 "Silent" monsters Cannot be Special Summoned (from your Graveyard). Once per turn, during each of your End Phases: You can add 1 "Silent" monster from your Deck to your hand. While this card has Xyz Material: Your opponent cannot declare an attack. Each time your opponent Summons a monster(s): Detach 1 Xyz Material from this card. 2400/0[/spoiler] "With more than enough attack points to take your White Knight Lancer down, this duel is all but over!" Misael beckoned, smiling with confidence. In just two turns he had beaten him, which admittedly Had taken a little longer than he would have preferred. Oh well, it was irrelevant now. “Silent Blaster, wipe his knight off the board and end this game with Dual Silencer Cannon!” Crossing its arms over one another, the Blaster leapt into the air and fired a series of cannon shots, about five in total, at Skylar’s knight. Should this attack connect, it was all over. Skylar didn’t have much time to think; he had to do something now. But which card to play? “You can’t seriously attack into a field of five backrow and not expect some kind of response. Even you aren’t that bad.” Skylar scoffed, pressing the button to reveal the third card. “Reveal Trap, White Synthesis!” A cloak of white radiance engulfed both the knight and Silent Blaster, with the knight appearing to thrive from its efforts, while the Blaster appeared disheveled. “Check it, with my Trap when a “White Knight” monster battles against any of your monsters, White Synthesis takes the liberty of combining our attack points together, and then splits them down the middle so both monsters have the same!” “It’s gonna take something better than that to get past me, from my hand I cast the spell Xyz Guard! My spell nullifies your Trap Cards that would affect any of my Xyz monsters this turn and makes them useless!” [spoiler=White Synthesis] Normal Trap Card When a “White Knight” monster you control is targeted for an attack: Target both that monster and the attacking monster; the ATK of both monsters becomes equal to their half their combined ATK.[/spoiler] [spoiler=Xyz Guard] Quick-Play Spell Card Target 1 face-up Xyz Monster on the field; that target is unaffected by the effect(s) of Trap Cards during this turn.[/spoiler] That was the last card in his hand – my plan might have worked! Skylar smiled, pressing the button on his disk a second time. Getting Misael to use up every one of his resources to protect Silent Blaster meant next turn he could go for a big play without much recourse. It was risky, but he had to pull out all the stops if he had any chance of winning this. “That shouldn’t change things, because I had a feeling you’d use something to protect it, which is why I waited to trigger this, the Trap Card Prideful Roar!” “Another Trap?!” Misael asked, outraged as Silent Blaster’s own frustration grew, unable to complete its attack as the Lancer stood tall. “Too bad it won’t work, or did you miss what just happened?!” “Heh, I never said I was using Prideful Roar on your monster,” Skylar explained as the Lancer’s lance was replaced by a jeweled longsword. It appeared unfamiliar with it at first, but quickly adjusted its stance and readied for battle. White Knight Lancer (ATK): 1500 + 900 = 2400 + 300 = 2700 “My trap has no effect on you, but it does make it so White Knight Lancer’s attack points become equal to yours, with the added boost of an additional three-hundred points!” The Lancer took to the skies, holding the sword high as it deflected all the cannon blasts, slashing Silent Blaster right across its right shoulder blade. Misael’s LP: 2200 No way…he struck me! The boy cried out as the soul band began to take its effects, once again, sapping some of his energy. The smoke cleared as the Lancer settled back into position, revealing that Silent Blaster was still alive. “So it stuck around, huh?” Skylar asked, somewhat unsure about how. “You didn’t think my monster would fall so easily, did you?” Misael mocked, not sweating the mediocre counter-offensive. “Thanks to my Silent Overcast Spell, the first time a “Silent” monster battles during each turn, it’s safe from destruction!” “That’s well and good, but there’s something you’re not thinking about now,” Skylar flashed a smile, observing the field briefly. Misael had nothing but his monster and Silent Premonition in play, with no cards in hand and no effects that could activate inherently from the Graveyard. A quick check of the card analyzer suggested, too, that Silent Blaster’s ability would prevent him from declaring an attack as long as the monster possessed an overlay unit. “Trust me, there’s nothing I haven’t taken into consideration!” Misael snapped in response. “I may be out of cards right now, but that doesn’t make a difference. The combination of my Silent Blaster with Silent Overcast in play eliminates any chance you have at striking me directly, and that means it’s going to take nothing but one final blow next turn to finish you off,” he growled. “This duel’s already gone on longer than it should have; I’m furious with myself for allowing that to be the case.” “You’re about to be even more furious then.” Before Misael could respond, Skylar drew. Just one card in hand, and it was a good one. Damn! A strong jolt of pain shot through his body, particularly his lower torso. The draining of energy was beginning to catch up with him, his Rakurai was running low. But he had to hold on, no matter what. --- Who was this person he’d become? What was his motivation? He had wondered it, many a sleepless night spent tossing and turning, fighting with his inner drive to shut the world out and his heart telling him to fight a battle he couldn’t reasonably understand the need to fight. What had happened to the cold-hearted, independent Skylar who cared about only himself and no one else? What was it about Calle and the others that had somehow changed him without even realizing it? He couldn’t seriously consider these people friends...but somehow he couldn’t bring himself to not fight alongside them. Was it her? After all, she had been his reason for joining Beatrice’s development in the first place. It had been four years now and he still could never forgive himself; it should have been him who went that day, she didn’t deserve to die and he wasn’t worth her sacrifice. For years he had convinced himself that his life had no meaning now, stricken with the guilt of her sacrifice when it wasn’t worthwhile for her to die. She had so much to live for while he had done nothing but reject the world. Sometimes his mind would flash back to those words, the last words she spoke to him as he watched her life fade away, unable to do anything to save it. She’d said; “I prefer it this way, Sky. I’ve realized the joys that life has to offer because I met you. You have so much more to offer than you know; you’re the most incredible person I’ve ever met and I could never...let you be the one to go without seeing the wonders that life has to offer.” He remembered vividly the tear in his eye as she smiled at him one last time; it was the only time he’d ever cried in his life. She believed in him more than anyone else ever had and to this day, he could never understand why. Then why was it that...why did he feel like the others could see something in him, too? They accepted him, they continued to push for him and fight alongside him despite his efforts to reject them. He'd never told anyone about her; he couldn't forgive himself for letting it happen so how could anyone else? But maybe, he thought, maybe he could. Maybe instead of pretending it had never happened, he could embrace what he'd gained from their friendship and use it to fight for her honor. He still swore he'd get revenge one day, he would avenge her, and find him. If he was going to do that, though, he couldn't die here. Not yet. Not until he could discover those wonders she'd wished so badly for him to see. They had to be out there, after all. --- "Alright Misael, it's time to show you what I'm capable of, you bastard," Skylar stared cold, almost right into his soul, and even Misael felt himself dis-positioned by the calculating stare. "From my hand I activate the Spell Card White-Out!" Skylar placed the card into his duel disk with purpose as blizzardous conditions swept the field, annihilating the cards on his field without even a second thought. Both duelists felt the chill in the air as they struggled to keep the freezing winds out of their faces in already rough conditions. "What kind of comeback speech is followed with wasting your only remaining card to completely destroy yourself?!" Misael questioned uproariously, shielding his face with his arm. He wasn't going to buy into Misael's attempts to bait him, so he simply ignored it. "White-Out, upon its activation, creates a blizzard that wipes my field clean, but that's only one of two things it's capable of producing," he said. "Because once the storm settles, I can draw one new card for each Spell/Trap that was destroyed by its wrath!" Misael watched in horror as Skylar drew three new cards from his Deck, appearing very confident while doing so. In just one play he'd completely turned his set bluffs into card advantage, and with an (almost) brand new hand, Misael himself had no way to stop his plays. The duel wasn't supposed to be like this; he'd been promised a completely one-sided approach! Skylar glanced his cards quickly, and it all became clear. In order to attack this turn, he had to not only use up both of Silent Blaster's overlay units, nullifying its effects, but also nullify Silent Overcast. He could do both, but it was going to take everything he had to stay in it. As much as his body wanted to collapse from the continuous pain, he had no choice - he would fight. "As much as I'm not the type to make friends, nor care about others, I have a mutual respect for the rest of my team because they have earned that respect and I consider them my equals," Skylar said. "Chimera Night and therefore you indirectly have brought harm to them, and that is something I cannot forgive. The law of nature suggests that its survival of the fittest, and there's no room there for cheap tactics. I'll defend the honor of those who have bested me by preventing you from joining that class. You're nothing more than a smokescreen with a cheap bag of tricks." --- "So here goes nothing, it's time to make my comeback! First, I summon White Knight Soldier (ATK: 1900)!" He declared emphatically as a knight clad in snow-white armor rose onto the field in a flurry. "And then, since I control a "White Knight" monster already, I can also summon White Knight Mage (ATK: 1100) to the field!" clad in white robes, a petite female mage rose up alongside him, holding her staff ready, though not the strongest, she was still prepared to fight. Silent Blaster released a frustrated cry, as the two white knights sapped both its overlay units in one swift blow, eradicating them. [spoiler=White Knight Soldier] LV4/LIGHT Warrior / Effect When this card is Normal Summoned: You can Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower “White Knight” monster from your hand. This card inflicts piercing Battle Damage. 1900/0[/spoiler] [spoiler=White Knight Mage] LV4/LIGHT Spellcaster / Effect If this card is sent to the Graveyard after being Special Summoned by the effect of a “White” card: You can add 1 “White” Spell/Trap Card from your Deck to your hand. You can only activate the effect of “White Knight Mage” once per turn. 1100/0[/spoiler] “That’s two overlay units down in one swoop, and somehow your Silent Blaster is looking a little bit flustered,” Skylar grinned. Time for step two of three. “Not exactly the ideal way for a monster to call itself a “blaster” to represent itself, now is it? That’s alright though; it just so happens I’ve got just the solution. Heads up! I build the overlay network with Soldier and Mage in order to Xyz Summon the Rank 4, the brigadier of the frozen tundra, the ultimate knight, White Knight Majesty Blaster (ATK: 2600)!” A vivid light struck the field in a clashing burst, revealing the galactic combination that the two royal knights had brought forward. Its armor made of a bright white, lined with shimmering golden radiance along its sides and wielding a pair of metal cannons, one on each shoulder, the mighty knight descended upon the field in a confident posture. The soul band’s activity began to kick up once again, and Skylar felt his body weaken even further as the mass of energy within the air began to thicken, generating more energy than ever before with the appearance of a new monster. Fading in and out of consciousness, he forced himself to power through it, gasping for air and trying to maintain a simple footed position, hanging on with pure adrenaline at this point. He was close now, all he had to do was finish it off. [spoiler=White Knight Majesty Blaster] RK4/LIGHT Machine / Xyz / Effect 2 Level 4 “White Knight” monsters When this card is Xyz Summoned: Destroy all face-up non Xyz Monsters on the field. If this card battles an opponent’s monster: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card; it can make an additional ATK, and gains 500 ATK. During the End Phase of the turn this effect was activated: Set this card. 2600/0[/spoiler] Damn, the power of the band is growing to exponential rates, I have to end this quickly before things get worse. Misael noted, beginning to panic. The problem was, it was all reliant on his next draw. There was no way his monster would be destroyed this turn. He’d take a little damage but he would power out. “I admit that’s a marvel, but it won’t make a difference! Look at you, you can barely stand-up, how are you going to sustain yourself with all the energy that would be released from an attack?” “I...I will do what I have to do to stop you, mark my words.” The tension was high, both physically and literally. It all came down to this. He had to make it count. “White Knight Majesty Blaster, attack his Xyz with Glorious Photon Cannon!” Nodding on command, the steel-bodied knight raised its cannons and fired, causing dual explosions on contact. Misael’s LP: 1300 Misael cringed at the pain, but smiled as the smoke cleared to reveal his monster was still standing. “But how?!” Skylar tried to rationalize, but the kid had no cards! Unless... "You seem surprised, but I'm not," thanks to Silent Overcast, Misael was able to save his monster from being destroyed. Looked like fatigue was beginning to catch up with his opponent, he thought with a grin. "That's right, in all the adrenaline of the moment it slipped my mind for a second," Skylar admitted. "Oh well guess I'll just have to activate Majesty Blaster's special effect! By detaching an overlay unit, not only does it gain an additional five-hundred points, but White Knight Majesty Blaster gets to attack you a second time!" White Knight Majesty Blaster = 2600 + 500 = 3100 Absorbing one of the overlay units swirling in the air around it, Majesty Blaster’s cannon began to power up again, preparing to fire, this time with a bit more oomph. There was no way for Misael’s monster to dodge the attack, so it took the blast in stride, but the cannon’s strike didn’t only annihilate the Xyz, striking Misael directly too. Misael’s LP: 600 Skylar felt himself beginning to crumble as the soul band got active once again. It was increasing at rates neither of them could have expected, and it was more than ready to finish off one of them. He dropped to one knee, growing furious with himself and his body for being unable to keep up with him. He still had to...NO… It was like something had stung the inside of his body, completely swallowing whatever energy he had remaining. His vision started to blur as his White Knight Blaster became smaller and smaller, his consciousness fading. He couldn’t bring himself to stand; though Misael had been weakened, it appeared he had enough strength to hang on. Was this the end? Was he really going to fall to this guy? He searched inside him for the strength to stand up and fight but it was gone, his mind wanted to fight but it had become too exhausting, he may have damaged his body beyond repair by trying to stay in it as long as he had, and yet he couldn’t bring himself to admit his failure because he had the victory right there. All he… “Looks like I was right after all, wasn’t I?” Misael mocked him, and though he did, he couldn’t deny the pain he was in, even standing had become a challenge but he wouldn’t allow this brat the satisfaction of seeing it. He’d accomplished his task, it didn’t matter know whether or not the duel ended because the soul band could now overtake Skylar with ease. His energy had been completely wiped out. “It’s over for you, you weren’t strong enough after all! However if it makes you feel better, I’ll promise that your friends will meet the same fate! You’ll all be reunited soon enough! Now allow your soul to become our harvest!” Misael grasped the band, fighting through the powerful surges of energy that came along with it, as he prepared the final strike. The green aura radiating from it began to take a different form, almost repealing within itself. What energy had not been absorbed began in Skylar’s direction – it would consume what remained. He noticed something strange at the last second. For some reason, the band’s progression stopped. The green aura was swallowed by a dark, shadowy substance, as though it were overpowered, and then cracked. The link, it broke! Misael noted, enraged, but also aghast at the possibility as Skylar collapsed to the ground. That same substance which had broken the link now engulfed the boy and carried him about five yards back, placing him out of the range of Misael’s attacks. He heard the sound of soft footsteps, walking with a calm presence that certainly wasn’t Skylar’s. Until then, he hadn’t noticed it at all, but almost like a straight slap to the face a massively drastic amount of spiritual pressure swept across the clearing, They had each been assigned to track down and capture members of Wind Gear; there was no way they could have escaped already. Even on the off chance that one of them could win their duel, they would be exhausted from the band’s effects and they definitely wouldn’t have power at this level. No, this guy was different. This wasn’t part of the mission. “I prefer not to dabble in the business of others, but in this case I must make an exception. People, to me, are insignificant in one way or another. We all have our flaws and I do not believe there is a discernable line between “good” and “evil”. That is why the shadows are such a strong representation, for they are neutral. They hide both the light and the dark, there is no bias. Often times people have a reason for their actions and if they believe such reasons to be just and necessary, who am I to oppose them? But in your case, and the case of Chimera Night as a whole, I see nothing but maliciousness for the sake of maliciousness, and that...well that gives me an uncomfortable feeling. And I’m not a big fan of that.” I don’t understand...this guy’s power was enough to completely separate the soul band…we’ve absorbed plenty of energy but that brat will survive... “I don’t know who you are, but if you want to mess with us, you’ll pay for it!” Misael challenged; he’d just take this guy’s soul too. He was more than powerful enough to force him to duel. He held up the wristlet, firing the link. But it faded as soon as it got within range. “Sorry, but your little trick won’t work on me,” he said. “In your current state, you don’t possess even a tenth of my power. I’d presume in your full state, you’d possess somewhere around that much. In other words, this little charade ends here.” To be continued...[/spoiler] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Synchronized Posted December 11, 2013 Author Report Share Posted December 11, 2013 Seriously? No comments? :( Hopefully a new one will be coming soon! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Synchronized Posted December 19, 2013 Author Report Share Posted December 19, 2013 So, after giving it a lot of thought, I think there are a lot of things I have done with this story that I do not like, and it really strayed off the path I wanted it to stay on. What I want to do is completely re-start the second part of the story and write with a much clearer focus as far as things go. With that in mind, I'm going to be requesting that this story gets a lock and I'm going to be re-launching Accel II completely, probably under a different title. I think the introduction of so many new characters when there were so many characters whose plots needed resolving already was a bad idea, as well. So within the next couple of weeks the new series should premiere. I'll leave this up for those who want to read it, but it won't serve much relevance to the story, unless you want to think of it as a side plot or something. Please lock...discontinued! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Synchronized Posted May 19, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 19, 2014 Here we are again... It's been more or less six months since I discontinued this due to a severe case of writer's block. For some reason, I had decided that things had veered way too far off track and that the story wasn't going where I wanted it to. In that time, I tried my hand at writing three separate projects, including a re-branding of this one, and none of them took off. After thinking about it for a while, I realized I just needed a break from writing in general, and then I began to wonder whether or not it was the story itself that I didn't like, or if I was just completely burnt out. So I'm back. And I've caught myself up with the story again and realized that I've invested way too much into these characters to just start over. There are a few plot elements I do need to get in order, but I think with a few slight modifications I can do that, rather than having to write an entirely new series. We're over 100 episodes into the Accel story as a whole and I'd like it to be able to conclude the way I always meant for it to. With that being said, I welcome you all back--to the world of Accel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Synchronized Posted May 21, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 21, 2014 [spoiler=Episode 30: Why Do You Fight?] Chapter 30: Why Do You Fight? “Your name is Skylar, I believe. I watched your battle against Tenjo Ikaruma in the Clash’s first round. Not many people know this, but his skills are world-renowned. His speed is unparalleled and I would consider him one of the most interesting human beings I’ve ever laid eyes on.” Skylar could barely move, his body was shaken to the core and even trying to lift his head off the ground enough to make out the figure that was speaking was a near-impossible task. “Personally I find it rather amusing. From the moment I saw you, I knew you were more powerful than anyone gave you credit for. Not just you, either. It would appear that the entirety of your team possesses an incredible amount of strength. But your strength, it doesn’t come from physical power or even Rakurai. No, it seems your strength comes from an entirely different place.” He could hear the words, each spoken softly and with serious conviction; it was like the voice was a combination of observation and admiration. Fighting to keep his eyes open, he tried to sustain his head just long enough to look at the man. Through the blurred vision, the image began to come together. As it did, he found himself questioning whether or not he had lost his mind. But it was real, it had to be. As Misael had lowered himself to the ground, the figure standing across from him was one of the very men they had believed to be their most serious threat—Shadow. He couldn’t understand why a member of the Blaster Axis would come to his rescue? Was it perhaps because they wanted to finish the job themselves? No, that couldn’t be it. He wouldn’t have severed the Soul Band and put him out of harm’s way. “Why...why have you...” He couldn’t get out any more words. Pain jolted through him again and he collapsed back to the ground. “There is no need to speak,” Shadow commanded, turning his head ever so slightly to acknowledge Skylar’s efforts. “Less than five percent of your Rakurai remains within your body; that’s worse than critical condition. The fact that you can even move at all only goes to reinforce the very point I was about to make.” A blackish aura surrounded him, the very embodiment of shadows themselves. Misael could feel his power and then some. Even Skylar could feel it, simply because of the pressure in the air. “Your power comes from your will to fight. And that is why you are stronger than this enemy, even if you have lost.” Misael shuddered, suddenly becoming enraged, although his body was still quite weak. “How dare you suggest he’s stronger than me?! Have you not seen the end result of this battle? You’ve saved his life for a moment but even then he’ll still die!” Shadow hung his head, disappointedly. “I’m afraid the true nature of battle is pointless to explain to someone as weak as you are,” he said. He broke their eye contact, turning around to face Skylar now. “My mission was to ensure his safe return. I have no desire to fight you; it’s not worth my time. So go.” “You think I’ll just leave?!” Misael cried out uproariously, his fists shaking with fury. “That isn’t how this battle ends! I was ordered to drain all of his energy and as far as I’m concerned, until I do so my mission is not complete!” Shadow stopped in his tracks and turned around to face Misael once more. “You are a human being with independent thought and still you choose to blindly follow orders. You fight because you enjoy hurting others. That is not a real reason to fight. Tell me something. Are you truly that insecure that you still feel the need to kill a helpless opponent, one you’ve already beaten? Are you that unsure of your own power that you need to boost your own ego by taking his life?” Misael laughed, shaking his head. “I’m afraid you don’t understand at all. His life has absolutely no meaning to me. I’ve already proven myself! As far as I’m concerned, I’m just following the orders that my master has entrusted me to carry out! And no one, not even you can get in the way of that!” Shadow paused, staring at the ground for a moment. Skylar could still hear their exchange, but that was about all he had the strength to do. “It’s a shame. I did not wish to fight you, for doing so is hypocritical. Entering into a fight against an opponent that poses absolutely no threat to me even at full power is no different than kicking someone when they’re down. However, in this case, I must make an exception to my own rule. You see, my mission was to ensure the boy’s safe return, and since it would appear that your mission directly contradicts my own, I’m left with no choice but to take action.” “I don’t know who you are, but that doesn’t mean a damn thing to me! I’ll kill you!” Misael exclaimed, a determined grin on his face. Sure, he could sense this guy’s power was incredible, but he still had a trick left in the book that he hadn’t used. The Soul Band, even though it had been disconnected, had collected almost all of Skylar’s energy throughout that duel. Although he was supposed to return that energy to headquarters, if he wanted to survive this fight he would have to use it for himself. With the power he’d gain from doing so, he could take the Rakurai from anyone else on this island to make up for it. He smiled—there was no way he could lose. What’s this? Shadow observed, prepared to take a fighting stance although in truth he had no desire to fight at all. He watched curiously as his opponent drew strength from the wristlet on his arm, merging the energy that he had collected with his own. His body began to expand, growing somewhat more muscular, his veins almost visible through his skin. There was a look on his face more twisted than the one he had before, symbolizing an influx of power rushing into his body all at once. He’s using the very energy he was supposed to collect. Interesting. “That smug grin on your face,” Misael remarked, “I despise it!” His body’s transformation was complete, resembling something almost inhuman. Ingesting that much energy at once was more than his body was physically capable of doing, resulting in a bizarre outcome. “Certainly not what I was expecting,” Shadow said calmly, observing as Skylar tilted his head upwards just enough to see what was going on after feeling the drastic release of energy into the air. This isn’t good, Skylar thought, furious with himself for allowing things to get this bad. He had no idea why a member of the Blaster Axis would come to his aid, but even if that was the case, Misael’s power levels had nearly doubled from ingesting that energy. There was no telling whether or not it would have its aftereffects, but for the time being, he was crazy strong. “Such power...this is incredible!” He exclaimed, his voice sounding twisted and morphed, much deeper than before. “Allow me to kill you for interfering!” His speed had increased substantially too, kicking off the ground just once and being within Shadow’s proximity in a split second. With just the strength of his fist, he thrust Shadow in the chest, then kneed him straight in the head, causing him to capsize and collapse to the ground as Skylar watched in horror. Misael, who had once appeared at least somewhat human, had been completely overwhelmed with energy. To think he had the strength to take Shadow down in one blow? Laughing wildly, he stomped on the fallen warrior’s chest multiple times, his power still growing rapidly. After a moment, he looked down at the ground to discover that Shadow’s body was no longer there. He felt a strong presence behind him. “So, you managed to escape? A noble attempt, but pathetic! You can’t hope to match my speed now, running away will do nothing but delay the inevitable!” Shadow offered no words in response, but through the dark auras surrounding his body, Skylar noticed a very vague smile across his lips. That’s when he figured it out. “If I were trying to escape, wouldn’t you have to hit me first?” Shadow asked. “What is that supposed to mean? I just pounded you into the ground you scum!” Misael exclaimed, refusing to be off-put by the enemy’s mind game. But at second glance, he noticed something—there weren’t any signs of battle at all on Shadow’s body. “It appears you’ve figured it out.” “I’m not falling for your stupid tricks, you’re just pretending!” Misael declared, kicking off once again and striking Shadow straight in the face this time, knocking him back into a tree. He followed up, charging after him and driving a knee straight into his midsection. I get it now, he’s not faster per se, he’s using an illusion magic. Skylar observed, trying to fend off the pain. His magic makes it seem as though he’s still there, when in reality he’s already teleported himself somewhere else, like a substitution. Misael’s movements were so reckless that it took almost no thought to pinpoint them. Even as fast as he was, the second Misael’s foot had kicked off the ground, Shadow’s magic had already taken effect. That was absolutely brilliant. But even then, once Misael figured it out, it wouldn’t work nearly as well. Unless... “In battle, every move you make is important. The term “no wasted movement” isn’t just a saying, it’s a necessity to achieve ultimate success,” Shadow’s body vanished again, and this time Misael felt something above him. Looking up, he found himself unable to move in time as Shadow had leapt into the air, hovering above him directly. Unless he plans to finish it in one blow. Skylar noted, amazed by the movement of Shadow’s technique. “I dislike fighting as it is, so I prefer to keep things short,” he said, charging a pulsing wave of black energy around his wrists. “Nightmare Slash!” Swinging his arms in a crossed downward motion, he released the charged energy all at once in a criss-cross formation. Misael tried to block it, but the power of Shadow’s spell easily overpowered him, driving him to the ground. “Is that all you can do?! Pathetic!” Misael said, although he’d managed to keep standing, his feet had left their prints on the ground, and the attack had pushed him back a good amount too. It was only after his taunting words that he realized the true nature of Shadow’s power—he combined the teleportation technique he’d been using with an attack spell. “Incredible...” Skylar noted. “Just as he launched his Nightmare Slash, he used his teleportation magic. By the time that body substitution finished the attack, the real Shadow was already prepared to deliver a second one—a two-in-one finishing blow. “Nightmare Crosswing!” Spiraling around with the added momentum from leaping into the air, he crossed his arms and slashed Misael on both sides with his charged magic. --- Misael dropped to his knees, attempting to grab both of his sides to stop the blood loss. Shadow landed calmly on the ground, showing no sign of respect for his opponent. The half-cape hanging from his back blew gently from the scuffle, but other than that he was completely unscathed. Skylar’s eyes were aghast from the sheer display of power. The Blaster Axis were so highly regarded and feared for a reason; that was for sure. “Tell me...” Misael said, barely able to speak as his wounds worsened by the second. With Shadow’s attack taking its full effect, his body had begun to return to normal; whatever energy he had absorbed was being released. “Why would...why would the Blaster Axis, the most revered team in the world, waste their time trying to save pathetic scum like him?” The man sighed, and Skylar’s ears perked up as well—he was wondering the exact same thing. From the first time the teams had met back before the GTC had begun, it was like they were immediately rivals. But maybe that had just been the rookie side of them automatically assuming they were an enemy. He absolutely hated to admit it, but if it weren’t for Shadow just now, he wouldn’t have survived. “While it may be true that in the competition, they are our enemies, outside of that I find them to be extremely interesting people,” Shadow explained. “So young, and yet so much potential already. They are strong because they have a purpose for which to fight. You have no will or emotion of your own—all you fight for is power. When you fight for power, you fight a battle that you have absolutely no chance of winning. Because when you finally get strong, you only want to get stronger. It’s a never-ending cycle that will cause your own destruction. That is the difference between you and him, and all of them, for that matter. And besides, we owe them a debt.” The last sentence lingered for a while. Skylar had no idea what it meant, but it was the last thing he expected to hear. Finished talking, Shadow turned to make his exit. “I won’t...I won’t thank you for this...” Skylar said, his willpower the only thing helping him to remain conscious. “I...” Shadow nodded. “I do not care for such things as gratuities. Nor would I expect anything less,” he explained. “I didn’t save you because I wanted you to praise me, as I said I simply had a debt to repay.” “What debt? What do you mean by that?” “It’s not important now,” he said. “Worry about your friends. The rest of our team has gone out to assist the others, but we can only go as far as eliminating the members of Chimera in this forest. Once that’s done, the rest is up to you. So get your strength back quickly and catch up with them.” The rest of them...he breathed a sigh of relief, though still unsure. Calle and Alistair, they would surely be approached by members of Chimera as well and if the remaining Blaster Axis members were coming to their aid, at least there was hope. He couldn’t lose hope. As much as he despised the idea of having to work with an enemy... “I’ll be there soon.” To be continued...[/spoiler] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Synchronized Posted May 27, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 27, 2014 [spoiler=Episode 31: Flames of Rage] Episode 31: Flames of Rage Just as the Sentry’s arrow struck, sending Alistair out of the tree and into a freefall that he surely wouldn’t be able to survive, he heard the woman’s voice. Still in mid-air, he had to rub his eyes to make sure what he was seeing was legit; the Crimson Maiden, Blaster Axis’ Alexandra. He hadn’t seen her since the tournament had begun, but he certainly wasn’t expecting to see her now. Was she working with Chimera Night somehow? Argh, he had to somehow break his landing, but he had no strength left. “Searing Firewall!” The woman exclaimed, sweat dripping from her forehead as she’d rushed to get here as quickly as possible. Flames shot up from the ground around her in a geyser-like formation, striking Alistair. He had no idea how to defend himself, but when the attack struck, he realized it hadn’t been an attempt to hurt him, but rather to break his fall. The flames were intense, but as he neared the ground, she dispelled them and he landed safely. Why had she saved him? Meanwhile, Lyon had sensed her arrival and did so with great distaste. “Perhaps you’re lost, but I can’t help you right now; we’re in the middle of a duel,” he said mockingly, as though he was completely disgusted to even see her there. “Oh damn,” she said. “Well, it’s a good thing I didn’t ask for your help. I hate to break it to you, but this duel’s over.” “Excuse me?” He spat. “This is no business of yours, but since there’s nothing you can do to stop me, I might as well enlighten you. Once a duel using the Soul Band has begun, there are no means to stop it until there is a winner.” He was right, Alistair noticed. Even as he lay on the ground barely conscious, the link was still connected between the two of them. He didn’t have the strength to fight anymore. But if he could just stand...even without the strength he... “If you ask me, I don’t see why we’re wasting our time defending these kids, but orders are orders and so be it,” she said, turning to face Alistair for a moment. Even though she had no desire to be out here, she couldn’t help but respect his tenacity. “Besides, I can’t let the rest of the team show me up, can I?” “What are you talking about?” Lyon asked, growing frustrated. “Stay out of this! Boy, stand up so we can resume our duel! Or do you want to surrender? After such talk, you’re a pathetic heap!” His body is literally falling apart...She observed, contemplating the best plan of action. How, in such a condition, could Alistair even be trying to stand? The tree that she’d placed him next to was the only support system he had, and yet he’d gone from flat on the ground to standing on one knee. That alone was incredible, since almost all the Rakurai had been drained from his body. “Just because I don’t have the strength to fight anymore doesn’t mean I’ll stop fighting! I made a promise to save my friends, and Beatrice too! Whether I like her or not, I’m in her debt, and until I fix that, I can’t die!” In her debt? Alexandra wondered, focusing on those words specifically. They were the same words that Shotei had used when assigning their mission. She didn’t know the full story behind it but apparently, Shotei felt they owed it to these brats to save them. Whether she agreed or not was irrelevant; she could see the determination in his eyes and on that basis alone, had decided to take the mission. It was out of character, but she hadn’t taken the time to really assess her decision. Too late now. This Chimera punk wanted to talk to her as though he was her equal, and she couldn’t stand for that. “Stand down...Alistair, right? Listen I’m not any happier about it than you are, but this guy’s an enemy to us both. You’re only gonna get yourself killed if you keep trying to fight, so leave this guy to me! If repaying your debt is so important then don’t be a fool and die!” With her right palm gripped to make a fist, a flame whip appeared in her hand. She stood still for a moment, gathering and focusing her power, before leaping to the skies and swirling it in the air, then directly into the link that connected the two duelists together. “You can’t possibly be attempting to break the link?!” Lyon exclaimed, laughing maniacally. “Did you not listen to me the first time? There is nothing that can break this band—not unless it was done by someone stronger than the one who initiated it!” “Precisely why I was the one sent here to do so,” she grinned, touching the ground again. Lyon continued to stare at her confusedly for a moment, until flames began to consume the energy link, disintegrating it on both sides. Eyes-widened, he cried out. “But how is that possible?! The link—it’s being destroyed by the power of her flames!” Whoa...Alistair watched on as the flames tore the link to shreds. She was obviously strong, he could feel it. He was just glad she was on their side, at least for now. Trying to question the alliance wasn’t even worth it right now. “My mission was to ensure the kid’s safety, but I was told that if I wanted to fight you, that was okay too,” she said, grinning from ear-to-ear. “I can tell you’re perhaps even more conceited than I am, but I’ve got the skills to back it up. So come on tough guy, why don’t you try fighting someone stronger than you!” She destroyed the Soul Band’s link with just one basic attack...Wait, he recognized her now. She was Alexandra of the Blaster Axis, widely recognized as the strongest team in the world. They were also part of the GTC, but as far as he knew had no connection to Chimera’s plans. “Well well, the opportunity to do battle against a member of the Blaster Axis, huh? Sure, it’s not officially sanctioned, but I guess in that case I can’t be held responsible for what I might do to you.” “Those are some tough words for someone in your position,” she said. “You had some pretty solid control over that duel I’ll give you that, but if you’re looking for a real fight, I’m gonna give you that and then some.” “I’ll be revered amongst the Chimera ranks for taking the life of such a powerful mage.” --- Aye, they’re gonna duke it out right here? This could get ugly fast. As much as he wanted to do the fighting himself, there was no way his body would hold up. He was going to have no choice but to let Alexandra fight this guy. Using whatever strength he could muster up, he tried to pull himself out of the line of fire, while still being able to get a first-hand view of the fight. Lyon hadn’t shown much reaction one way or another during their duel, but the way he was reacting to her challenge suggested he wasn’t as intimidated as one should be staring down a member of the Blaster Axis. This wasn’t the time nor the place, but since he had no other choice but to let his body rest, he had to admit, he was looking forward to seeing this fight. “Come at me with all you’ve got!” Lyon beckoned, not moving from the branch on which he stood. “That’s a challenge you’ll regret making!” Alexandra wasn’t worried, though. Thrusting upwards into the air, using her Rakurai as the driving force behind her movements, she met him face-to-face and struck him, to which he rebounded with one of his own. Clashing into the air, the two traded a series of kicks and punches, appearing evenly matched. They both dropped to the ground, landing safely on their feet, neither one of them appearing very worked up at all. Heh. Alexandra scoffed. So perhaps this guy had a little credibility to him after all. But they were only just starting. She charged him a second time, using a similar stance as the two traded blows once more. Only this time, she caught him with a solid kick to the gut, knocking him back a bit. Trying to follow up, she flew after him, but the boy blocked her attempted attack and forced her back. It took no more than half a second for her to regroup, pursuing him once again. This time, as she got close, Lyon baited her out and kicked her straight in the head. Damn, he actually hit me! She tried to steady her landing, dusting off the ground and rolling back into a standing position. “Please, tell me that’s not all you’ve got, because if so this entire thing has sorely disappointed me,” Lyon mocked her, still hovering in the air waiting for her to make her next move. “I’m not even trying!” “You either?” She flashed him a half-smile. “Color me impressed. I’d rather not get all dirty wasting my time in a fight with someone like you, but since you’ve challenged my legitimacy, I’d look like a total bitch if I were to back out now.” What was the best plan of attack? Clearly, hand-to-hand they’d be evenly matched. If they kept fighting that way, eventually they’d both get tired out physically. It would serve no purpose other than to delay the battle, which was the last thing she wanted. Once she beat this guy, she was free to go; this kid was on his own after that, as far as she was concerned. Don’t get the wrong idea, kid. I saved your life, but I’m not fighting this fight for you. “So don’t worry, I’ll start trying now!” In her right palm appeared a flame, which at her command transformed into a fiery whip once more. She grabbed its handle, a chrome-esque holster emblazoned with the mark of her team. “Take this!” She exclaimed, striking his right arm with the whip, which extended upon her swing. It struck him, but only barely as Lyon retreated to higher ground. She jumped up after him, swinging a second time and completely destroying a couple of large tree branches in the process, the likes of which Alistair was nearly crushed by on the forest floor. Her flame whip...that’s the same thing Skylar told us about when they had their first altercation. Alistair noted. Apparently she’s able to modify its size based on the amount of energy she released from her body. It’s fire alright, but it acts as a controlled weapon because of the way she utilizes it. This guy’s dodging it effortlessly, though. “And there you go lying again,” the boy said, moving out of the way with each strike with ease. “You can’t even land a blow!” Each time she tried to swing, he just jumped to a higher branch. There was only so far he could go, but once they were in the open above the treetops, she had a lot less range. And then he could make a counter attack. “She’s gotta be careful!” Alistair shouted, though Alexandra was too immersed in her relentless striking to hear him. “It looks like she’s running...right into a sneak attack!” They broke the top of the trees, Alexandra still swinging. As the sky was behind him, Lyon grinned. This was more like it. He stood still, as she swung at him again. Only this time, as she tried to hit him, he simply grabbed the whip with his right hand, flames and all. What in the! She exclaimed, not sure how to finish the thought. Lyon grabbed the whip and didn’t seem at all affected by the flames. How was that possible?! “You alright there, girl?” Lyon asked insincerely. “You couldn’t possibly have thought your measly whip would do anything to me. Especially not when the fire you possess...is nowhere near the level of mine!” He exclaimed, not giving her time to react as his grip on the whip tightened, eventually shattering it completely. Flying across the sky, his fist became engulfed with a blue flame as he struck her straight in the chest, then a second time, and finally once in the side of the head to send her tumbling down through the trees. She cried out in pain, but that didn’t make it hurt any less. No way...this guy’s for real! I didn’t sense any kind of power like that from him during our duel... Alistair watched helplessly as the only one who had been able to save him plummeted to the ground in front of him, in a very similar position now. Lyon had destroyed her weapon like it was nothing and his flames had completely struck her down. Alexandra tried to stand, but found herself still weak. Her opponent had landed now, towering over her and mockingly stomping away at her. “That was the best you had? A few wild swing for the fences attacks and then my simplest attack causes you to collapse in a fallen pathetic heap? I truly would have expected more. If we knew Blaster Axis was so weak, we could have simply targeted you for the Soul Band collection process!” “Aye mate, that’s enough!” Alistair called out, much to the surprise of both Lyon and Alexandra. He still couldn’t stand, but there was a look on his face that suggested he wasn’t about to sit there and watch this happen. “If she’s lost, she’s lost, don’t be a coward, the fight’s over!” “Who are you to give me any sort of lessons on valor?” He asked. “You can’t even stand up, she had to save you and look where that got her! I’ll kill both of you; two birds with one stone.” “Shut it, kid,” she said, staring at Alistair with gritted teeth. “I don’t need your help, stay out of it. And as for you, this fight’s far from over!” She grabbed Lyon’s boot, blocking his next stomp. “As a member of the Blaster Axis, we like to adhere to a certain style of fighting,” she explained. “You see, this group’s origins are nothing like what it is now. The original Blaster Axis was formed as a way of keeping tabs on those who’s power was too strong for them to act independently, so limits were placed on their power and they were forced to join the group so they could be kept under constant watch.” “They were sealed with a magic called Overdrive, which compressed about seventy-five percent of their power away, only accessible if the one who had cast the spell to place the seal there in the first place were to remove it. Over time, the group began to change, and as it slimmed down and through the realization that the group’s origins were flawed, this principle was abandoned entirely. Now members of the group, provided they are strong enough to join, are free to do as they please. However, the Overdrive magic still very much exists.” “I fail to see what any of this has to do with you,” Lyon exclaimed, pulling his foot away. “Stop delaying the inevitable!” “I wouldn’t be so rash if I were you,” she said. “It does concern our battle because what I meant was, even now that the Blaster Axis has been slimmed down to a grand total of three, we still adhere by the Overdrive principle. But not because we’re forced to—rather because operating with only twenty-five percent of our overall power at all times is a way to test our discipline and increase our strength.” Hang on a second...she can’t be suggestin...Alistair trailed off, wanting to hear the rest. “So why not...I never thought I’d have to go to these lengths against someone like you, but it’s been some time.” She closed her eyes for a second, and a symbol on her right arm that matched the emblem of her team began to glow, before dissipating completely. At that moment, an incredibly huge surge of power swept across the clearing, causing a near-explosion as Lyon was sent flying, and Alistair too. --- “Did you feel that just now?” Calle asked, still searching but having no luck of finding anyone. All at once, he stopped in his tracks—that energy wasn’t normal. I did; I’ve never felt anything quite like it. Such a massive surge of energy all at once...Tres replied. I have no idea what it is, but I hope it’s on our side... --- “What the hell is this?!” Lyon asked, trying to catch himself in mid-air. He thought maybe she was bluffing, but there was no denying the release of power into the air. “The sheer release of energy is making it impossible to break my fall! I have such restricted movement!” Everything around him had been almost locked into place by the massive release of energy. The explosive force around him was so powerful that it had almost taken on a visible form, but as the girl started to stand, it began to subdue. The mark that had been on her right arm was no longer visible. “I hope you enjoyed your moment, hotshot.” “Aye, be careful not to get too close to an open clearing!” Alistair yelled out, and almost immediately she shot him a menacing look. “You may not want to hear it or not, but even with a boost in power, if his flames are specifically designed to overwhelm regular fire, you could be in serious trouble!” “I suppose that’s a valid point,” she said, in the least-expected reply. Where was the anger, the snotty remarks? Even with her change in tone, it became obvious she had no intention of listening to reason, materializing the flame whip in her right hand once again. Although this time it was bigger, that didn’t really make much of a difference. Alistair watched uncomfortably, waiting to see how it would end up. Lyon smiled, seeing the same pathetic attack again. “You may have thrown me off for a second, but resorting to a larger version of the same move isn’t going to make things end any differently! Azure Flamestrike!” With his palm radiating blue, he struck her whip directly, covering it with blue flames. She stood strong, prompting Lyon to speak once more. “My Azure Flames are specifically modeled to counter flame-based attacks. Think of them as anti-flames, if you will. The size of the fire is irrelevant—I can still force it to dissipate with absolute ease! Of course, on my command they can function as real flames as well. This is the ultimate strategy, you see? A perfect blend of offensive and defensive magic!” He paused for a moment, then smiled and resumed speaking, “When constructing his team, our Master was careful not to select any two individuals with the same levels of power. Every member of our team is of a different strength and talent. You see, this becomes necessary when battling enemies of similar structure. In order to achieve our Grand Design, we have to go through more than just one band of weaklings. And so, when we’re given our missions, we are assigned to eliminate opponents of which someone at our skill level is more than able to dispose of with ease.” “What is that supposed to mean...” Alistair growled. “Are you...implying you’re stronger than me?” “Does it even have to be said?” He asked. “But yes, our Master finds it that while overall you pose no significant threat to us, your true strength lies in your physical ability. This is why I was ordered to eliminate you in a duel—because it ensured there was absolutely no chance of things going astray.” Hang on a second... Alistair noticed something, and he’d only just caught onto it now. Alexandra’s power was still exponentially great, but her flames were locked in place because of Lyon’s magic. Yet, it appeared while Lyon was restricting her magic, he couldn’t follow up with an attack of his own. It was one or the other. He couldn’t defend and attack her at the same time. “Damnit, even with my overdrive broken, I still can’t free my fire from his seal!” Alexandra said aloud, frustrated. She had hoped that Alistair’s brief distraction would give her enough time to overpower it, but no luck. Magic like this, all it did was delay things. Once she broke free, she’d be able to hit him. I barely have enough strength left in my body to breathe, but I can’t let this be my final resting place. There’s still...something I have to do. And even if I’d rather not...work with someone like her...we’re on two sides of the same coin right now. He forced himself to stand, feeling every ounce of his body in great pain as he did. Lyon and Alexandra were both shocked at the sight of his beaten and tattered body leaning against the tree, breathing in and out heavily as he tried to maintain just enough strength to stand. “You still have that much energy left in you, do you?” Lyon asked, grinning. “Perhaps it...” “You idiot, what the hell do you think you’re doing?!” Alexandra exclaimed. “You’re only going to get in the way—you don’t have the strength to fight! I don’t need the help of anyone else to beat this guy! I was sent here to save you, if you get yourself killed all that means is this was a giant waste of time!” He laughed playfully, trying to force a smile. “Aye, yeah, thanks for that. Yeah, I guess I ain’t really the type to like havin’ to rely on anyone, but the way I see it, if it means my friends are safe then I can’t really complain, now can I?” She looked into his eyes for just a moment, seeing some kind of determination that she just couldn’t explain. It was the same look he’d had in his eyes in his fight against that guy in the first round of the tournament. He knew he was going to end up being defeated, yet he never quite gave up. “Why?” She asked. “Why is it so important to you to fight for everyone else? How can you so effortlessly put the lives of your comrades before your own without even giving it a second thought?! What kind of crazy are you?!” “You said you guys were repaying a debt of some kind?” He asked. She kind of nodded, her eyes still perplexed. “That ain’t any business of mine, but let’s just say I’m in a similar spot. Sometimes the people who become your reason to fight are the ones you least expect, but there comes a moment where you just know that it’s worth it to put everything on the line and then some. And besides, this guy insulted my friends, our team, and everything we’ve worked so hard to try to do! I could never let that go!” He began advancing towards Lyon, swaying from side to side and barely able to walk. Alexandra almost felt pity for him; she couldn’t understand his words and she had no care for him personally but, it was almost like she couldn’t bear to just sit there and watch him walk into his own death. On the other hand, Lyon found it amusing. “Do you actually think in your condition you can even lay a hand on me?! Please, don’t make me laugh! Look, this whole thing has been fun and all but it’s about time we put an end to it. And I think I’ll do away with you first!” Alistair grinned, and the girl caught onto it just at the same moment. Lyon’s fist balled up with a sphere of blue flame, and all at once he struck Alistair straight in the chest. “Azure Flame Bullet!” She almost swore aloud, but something kept it under wraps. The moment the boy’s hand struck Alistair, the blue flames surrounding her whip began to dissolve. He sacrificed his own body, knowing that the flames would break. How, without even being in the fight was he able to figure that out? There’s something about this kid that just...argh... “Do it now!” Alistair exclaimed, falling to the ground. By the time Lyon turned around and figured out what was going on, Alexandra had already leapt into the air, spiraling the whip above her head in a repeated circular formation. She was just out of his range, but the gravitational pull of her energy release was holding him in place. Instead of using the whip as a direct shot, she had created a “raincloud” of flames above his head. “You can talk all you want about how strong your flames really are, but in this case, there are countless reasons I can’t let a pathetic excuse for a warrior like you win! Feel the power of my overdrive! Spiral Flame Storm!” Combined with the gravity, a giant funnel of fire began to fall down directly on him, consuming him almost entirely on all sides in a perfect cylindrical formation. He tried to use his flames, but they were consumed by the might of her power. “I can’t...I can’t move! There’s too much power for me to break it apart now!” I can’t believe I fell for that brat’s distraction! He had no intentions of ever trying to fight me, all he wanted to do was get me far enough away from her that she could free herself, and I walked right into it! “No! I can’t! I won’t lose to these weaklings!” Her power really is remarkable, huh? Alistair asked himself, smiling. He could feel himself slowly fading in and out, truthfully with no idea whether or not he would even be able to stand again. But one thing was for sure, this battle was over. To be continued...[/spoiler] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Synchronized Posted June 3, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 3, 2014 [spoiler=Episode 32: Keep On Keeping On!] Episode 32: Keep On Keeping On! In a somewhat dark room, lit by the radiant glow of almost a dozen television monitors lining the walls, the man who calls himself Chimera Night’s Leader was positioned in a chair, his eyes gazing back and forth from one screen to another. On a couple of televisions were news channels, but on others were vision links, established by the power of his own magic. He had been watching the battles between his own minions and the targets they were to seek out as though it were a television show of sorts. And so far, the results had been far different than what he’d anticipated. Rather than be angry at the unexpected turn and defeat of two of his strongest men, he was amused by the developments. Never in a million years would he have imagined that the Blaster Axis, a team whose power even he could not deny, would get involved with their operations. The woman, Beatrice, had been his true target, but their research had lead them to formulate the conclusion that perhaps some of the students working under her, as part of her Wind Gear team, could actually be of some use to them. To ensure that things had gone smoothly, especially with so many eyes watching the Grand Thunder Clash, he had carefully chosen each assignee wisely; there were many among Chimera’s ranks and some were far stronger than others. Misael’s defeat did not come as much of a surprise. While the boy’s dueling was excellent, his arrogance caused him to be sub-par at best, and he was generally regarded as one of the team’s weak links because of this. Lyon, on the other hand, was one of his strongest men. His calm, collected state and very unique powers made him an incredibly viable asset. To see him defeated by such a cheap tactic actually came as a surprise. The truth was, things were just beginning to get interesting. This game of cat and mouse had just begun, and he was eagerly anticipating the next developments. --- Meanwhile, in the western region of the forest where this pursuit is taking place, Shadow has said his parting words to Skylar and left him to his own devices at the boy’s request, but not before lending him just a little bit of energy to help him get back on his feet. Taking things slowly, Skylar is using just enough time to get enough feeling back in his body to be able to move again. He had to keep going—it was obvious there were more enemies out there and if the rest of the Blaster Axis had gone in to help as well, he might have been able to take advantage of that fact and purse Andrea and Damien directly, which would then lead to Beatrice as well. His body was in very little condition to fight, but hopefully through perseverance and determination, he could muster up enough strength to keep going. Being saved by someone he considered an enemy, although things had shown that their perception may have been slightly off, hurt his pride, but he had no choice but to admit that it was the only reason for his survival. With that in mind, it was the only time he would rely on the help of others; this time it was up to him to return the favor and rescue them. --- On the contrary, in the forest’s eastern region, Alistair is barely able to stand on his own accord. What little power he had left, he’d used it and then some to allow Alexandra to deliver the finishing blow against Lyon. Begrudgingly, the girl had hoisted his fallen body onto her shoulders and was preparing to return to the tournament grounds. Her mission was simply to save him, but much to her own frustration, the fact that he’d risked his life to save her was making it hard for her to just leave him there to die. Just as she’d picked him up, hurt but not that badly herself due to the remaining energy from her overdrive restoring her wounds, he began to speak. “Aye...thanks for the lift, but I’m afraid you’re headin’ in the wrong direction,” he said with a half-hearted smile. Without a moment’s notice, she froze in place, stunned by the words without any further explanation on his part because she knew what they implied. And somewhere inside her, the moment he said them she knew she couldn’t retreat. It was a paralyzing range of emotion that she couldn’t really explain, but after seeing what this kid had put himself through for his friends and even to help her despite her demands to stay out of it, it hadn’t come as much of a surprise. But still, she tried to protest. “Don’t even think about it, kid. It’s bad enough I’m going against my own motives to get you out of here. If you think I’m gonna carry you right into the fray of battle, you couldn’t be more wrong,” she scowled. In that instant their eyes met one another, and he smiled a genuine smile. At first, she didn’t know what to make of it, but then he said, “That’s alright, mate. Despite our differences I owe you for savin’ me, but more importantly for leaving me with enough life left to save my friends.” He couldn’t be serious, could he? That was absolutely crazy to even think he had enough strength to go on his own. And yet, his eyes had never told a more serious story. “What is it with you?” She asked rhetorically. “I don’t get it; this importance that you place on everyone else, like that’s where your strength comes from. Even when you stood with almost no power left, you took that attack and survived, I don’t understand! Why is your power so different?” “I never really think about it much, really,” he said. “Never really want to, either. There’s some times you just get a feeling and you know you have to follow your heart. Physical thought has nothing to do with it, then. It’s not about common sense, because I don’t fight to win, I fight to protect. I wouldn’t expect someone like you to understand that.” I don’t fight to win, I fight to protect. She could have sworn she’d heard those exact words before; a literal déjà vu as he said them. From the moment she’d arrived on this island, her focus had been winning the GTC and being the best. But she’d never really thought about what happened after that. It was obvious, too; Shadow and Rais, they were fighting for something. What it was, she didn’t know but it was more than clear through their words and actions that they had their own reasons, and none of them would dare question another. But she didn’t have any. Just to be the best—because that was her destiny. So why now was the foolishly heroic actions of this one kid causing her to rethink everything? “Listen, Alistair,” she said calling him by his name for the first time. “I guess I can say I admire your courage but even if you wanted to keep going and find your friends, you can’t even stand. What help will you be to them dead? What help will you be to them with absolutely no Rakurai?” “You’re right,” he said hanging his head as shadows cast over his eyes. “With no power I can’t do much of anything.” “It’s futile to try, which is the re—” Alistair’s feet touched the ground as he slipped out of her grasp. A whitish glow surrounded his body, vaguely resembling some kind of healing magic, although his energy levels remained the same. Regardless, it appeared this magic was allowing him to stand on his own two feet without collapsing. She could see it in his eyes, too. What kind of power was this? “If I don’t have the power, then I have to force it out. My Earthbound magic lets me utilize the natural environment around me to fight; I’ll take an advance.” “Are you crazy?! Trying to draw power even from the source of your magic, on the crazy chance that it might work, would take an extreme toll on your body!” The situation was worsening by the second, she thought. He wasn’t even thinking rationally. “I don’t think you understand that it doesn’t matter!” He exclaimed, continuing to grow his concentration as the white aura around him began to expand. She felt his power levels beginning to rise once again, but all the energy that his body had lost from that Band had left his body with no proper way to allow the magic to settle itself in. When a human body infused with Rakurai recharges magic energy, that energy that they take in blends in with the remaining energy in their bodies. In essence, it acts as a coating to ensure that the body isn’t being overwhelmed by the magic, which is not a natural element. But because all of his magic was drained, he’s drawing in this energy with no way to allow the body to adjust to it. He’ll get a temporary boost in strength but when that wears out... She hesitated. This was only going to go one of two ways. Closing her eyes, she thrust him straight in the cut with the hardest punch she could muster up. He had no way of seeing it coming, but it sent him flying and the aura around him disappeared, but only just barely. If she had waited even a second longer, his body would have started to draw in that energy and it would have been too late. The smart thing to do, what she knew she should do, was take him back to the city. But then again, if she had done the smart thing, she would have left immediately after the fight ended to avoid any of this. So what was one more reckless decision? --- “Remind me again why we had to take this detour?” Three men donning off-grey robes were making their way through the forest at a rather rapid pace. All three of them, Chimera Night members operating under the orders of Chimera’s Head Master, were collectively referred to as the “Chimera Brigade”. What made them unique was the fact that they always operated and battled as a team. Their leader, Rawley, was the one responsible for offensive combat. Taylor, the only female in the group was in charge of defense. Rawley would focus on attacking the enemy while she backed him up and kept him safe from a distance with defense spells. And finally, Meo, their third and perhaps more diverse member, was responsible for supplementing both of them with spell modification. Never a close range fighter, Meo’s spells would boost and strengthen both attack and defense spells to ensure a three-man combo that even the strongest of enemies would be unable to break through. Rawley was the one to respond. “Master finds it amusing to make the enemy come to us. Don’t ask why; I’d prefer to finish things quickly, but I don’t make the orders.” “It’s just such a waste of time,” Meo said, annoyed. “I was looking forward to an easy day’s work and a relaxing evening, but now as best I can tell this day is going to drag on.” “Oh shut up and stop complaining,” Taylor snapped at him. “Our target is very much still a threat.” “You expect me to think that one person could even possibly lay a scratch on us?” Meo asked, laughing; what kind of nonsense was she spewing? Rawley shot him an angry stare. “If you think for a second that what she’s saying is wrong, you might as well just take your own life where you stand,” he said. “Our enemy is the leader of one of those damn teams and although his protégés are weak, he’s one of the men responsible for the defeat of Lucien Grasciou. Need I remind you of anymore?” “No...” Meo swallowed uncomfortably, lowering his head shamefully as they continued onwards. Rawley nodded, his face stern. “Good. Then let’s stick to the plan and keep moving. All of this needless talking is starting to annoy me.” --- Since they had first broken the forest’s walls, a dark energy had slowly been creeping up upon them, creating a great discomfort in the air. Skylar had felt it, too, but paying any attention to it would do nothing other than act as a distraction. If he was going to survive, he had to keep focused and try to rebuild his strength while still exhausting himself at the same time. A Catch-22 if he’d ever seen one. Even though his body was weak, he could still sense the presence of enemies. None were too close, but there was no telling what he’d run into as he scrambled farther into the woods. Eventually, the woods would end and they’d reach the island’s shore, but there was no telling if the enemies would have gotten away by then. Still, he couldn’t help but wonder why they would have taken Damien. Beatrice, she was in a position of wealth and power; it was reasonable to assume that maybe they saw potential gain from using her for...something, but with Damien who had been barely hanging on due to the poison from Rais’ blade during their battle, would be of very little use in his current condition. The doctors had speculated, he’d been told, that Damien would eventually recover, but whether or not he’d ever return to full strength was impossible to predict. “It’s like with every answer we find, two more questions pop up.” He swore under his breath, inhaled slowly, and took off to continue searching. “I’ll be surprised if we make it out of this fight without any casualties.” --- Tres’ senses perked up quickly. I can feel something approaching. Calle wasn’t far behind; he’d picked it up just a second later. “I just noticed it too. I don’t think it’s something, but someone.” Do you think it’s the source of that strange power we felt earlier? “No, it can’t be. This is different,” he said. “That release of power felt like an attack of some sort. It was only around for a few minutes, then it completely disappeared. It wasn’t spiritual pressure as much as it was a widespread utilization of Rakurai.” I suspected that as well, but you can never be too sure. It appears we have more than one enemy in this foray. I find myself questioning what interest they would have in the children, though. Or Beatrice herself, for that matter. “There sure are a ton of unanswered questions, but perhaps our new friends will be able to help clear things up.” He had stepped into a clearing, which seemed strangely out of place in this part of the forest, but interestingly enough he recognized it. “What an interesting coincidence. It would appear that the site of our little scuffle is the same place where those two Chimera guys attacked last time.” Coincidence or an enemy with a strong knowledge of the area? Tres asked, noting that their enemies had appeared to use the forest as a “hunting ground” more than once now. If they were trying to make time for the others to escape, it only made sense that they go through an area of which their knowledge was vast, giving them a significant advantage. “I’m not sure, but I think we’re about to find out.” Calle placed his hand on the sword at his side as three individual footsteps touched down on the forest floor around them, hiding amongst the natural shadows. You appear rather calm; it’s quite unlike you. Knowing the desperation of the situation. “Not calm, just not caught by surprise either. It was obvious that we weren’t going to be able to run through the forest and avoid any sort of confrontation. I imagine Skylar and Alistair have faced similar challenges.” And you’re confident in their ability to survive in a weakened state? “What other choice do I have? The bond those kids have built with one another is stronger than any of us could have imagined. I believe it’s gonna take more than a few dark mages to get them to stay down.” Interesting...Tres observed, noting that Calle’s entire outlook on things had begun to change. Whereas before, he was sheltering the kids for fear of them being hurt on his accord, now he was confident in their own ability. It does appear that when it comes to these children, predictability is a useless tool. Calle nodded. “So then, are you ready for this?” To be continued...[/spoiler] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Synchronized Posted June 9, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 9, 2014 Really didn't wanna drag this fight out another Chapter, but you know, backstory and the sort. [spoiler=Chapter 107: The Determined Rawley!] Chapter 107: The Determined Rawley! There were three of them, and from what Calle could tell they were all relatively close in power. They had landed in a triangle formation, standing about the same distance from one another, an obviously choreographed ambush. That didn’t really matter, but his first instinct was always to analyze his surroundings as quickly as possible. He was standing in an opening, obviously within range of all three of them; a standing target. But he had no idea what to expect; it was quite possible they weren’t long-range fighters at all. “If I had to guess, I’d say they’re stronger than our previous opponents, but I’m not sensing anything off-the-charts.” Tres chimed in, having done a little “taking in the surroundings” himself. When they last did battle against Chimera, it was against Misael and Arya, two relatively novice fighters that Calle was able to dispatch of with ease. Just a simple reading of their energy made it more than clear that they were far stronger than both Misael and Arya, but there were three of them. “Can’t afford to take this lightly,” Calle replied. “Whatever reason they’re targeting us, if they know how easily we were able to defeat the last guys, they probably took better precautions this time around; it’s only logical.” “Oh, I’m in complete agreement with you there,” Tres said, prompting Calle’s next thoughts. “But even so, what is your plan of attack? If you’re going to make a move, you don’t have much time.” “Let’s stop wasting time, shall we?” Calle asked aloud, purposely making his voice heard by their attackers. “If you’ve come here to fight me, then stop hiding in the shadows and show yourselves.” Well, that was one way to do it, Tres thought. Not that he expected anything different. They weren’t going to keep him waiting, either. A tall, scruffy-faced man wearing a long purple overcoat was the first to reveal himself from the shadows. There was a metal silver staff at his waist, and it appeared to be his weapon of choice. Across from him was a smaller man, this one far more heavyset and dressed in a lavender colored suit that was a few sizes too small for him. Finally, a young girl with dark orange hair and crystal blue eyes made herself known, and it was impossible to deny her beauty. She didn’t carry a weapon, although there was a moderately small blue shield at her waist, no bigger than the palm of her hand. They had only a moment to try and analyze their opponents, so focusing on the key points was really the most effective idea “So I find myself wondering whether or not the stories I’ve heard about you were true,” the bearded man said. “Calle Anden, live and in the flesh. The human-spirit fusion, is that right?” Calle didn’t respond one way or another, but he did tighten the grip on his sword. “Ease up, I’m just chatting. The name’s Rawley, it’s interesting to finally be able to meet you for myself.” He laughed to himself and pulled a cigarette out of the pocket of his coat. Using the palm of his hand to create a flame, he lit it and took a quick drag, letting the smoke roll off his tongue. He’s a fire mage, Tres noted. “This here is Taylor,” he said pointing to the girl. “And that’s Meo. Personally, he’s not my cup of tea, but I suppose he does fill a role.” The fat man scowled at him as Rawley took another drag from his cigarette. “You’re Chimera, aren’t you?” Calle demanded. Meo prepared to speak, but Rawley shot him a look and he shut up quickly. “I am, yes. Collectively we go by the Chimera Brigade. Our Master has some kind of obsession with titles and gimmickry, but personally I prefer the low-key approach. I’m a man of reason.” “That’s all well and good, but you’re not here for pleasantries,” Calle shot back, already getting frustrated with this man’s approach, and trying to keep his guard up at the same time. Rawley nodded; he knew Calle was a smart man. “I suppose we both know that. Forgive me, sometimes I enjoy the pleasantries.” Taylor and Meo had glanced at him a few times now as if to say “what are you doing?”, but he had a plan. And if his plan was to work, this could be a lot easier. “Let me make it known that I have absolutely no qualms with fighting,” Rawley explained, taking another drag. “But we’re both men of reason here, and if a fight does break out, it’s safe to assume there will be multiple casualties to both sides.” “Are you forgetting it’s three on one?” Meo asked again, his face crunched into a scowl. “Would you stop wasting time? I’m hungry! I’d rather not draw this out any longer!” Calle didn’t say it aloud, but he was wondering the same thing. They had the advantage in numbers alone, so why not try and attack all at once? What was this Rawley guy trying to pull? “I think I might understand what he’s saying.” “Clue me in? Because I’m completely lost,” Calle requested. “Take a look around—there’s three of them, but only one of them wields a weapon, Rawley himself. The girl has a shield, which would suggest she’s a defensive fighter, and to be honest, though I’m not one to underestimate an opponent, I don’t sense that the other one’s much of a threat at all.” “Please, forgive his hostility,” Rawley said insincerely. He despised Meo and found him to be nothing more than an annoyance, but the Master insisted upon him being a part of their team. The man was whiny and his support skills in battle were all he had to offer. While he could be a viable asset on occasion, the reward was marginal at best. “But I do suppose he’s right, time is of the essence. So allow me to get to the point. This fight is rather futile, you see. Chimera’s target is the woman, Beatrice. She has very little connection to you, and even the children. Think about it, do you believe she truly cares about any of you? You were brought in to work for her, just as the kids were. What difference does it make to you whether or not she lives or dies?” Calle took a moment to answer, but in truth much of what Rawley said was true. There had always been a disconnect of some kind between Beatrice and the team, even in the short time they had been working together as a cohesive unit. When he first began training, she had been so focused on significant progress in a short period of time and seemed unwilling to allow the children more time to train. Of course, when he started working for her and agreed to teach these kids, he didn’t expect to forge a bond with them, but it happened that way. So he had resolved to himself that in order to make sure the kids were kept safe until he could find out exactly what Beatrice’s intentions were with them, he would stay on her good side. Once the invasion of the Four Star Siege started, everything got flipped upside-down. The GTC had been their first opportunity to really get back to fighting and training, learning to use their powers and develop their skills, but that had some with some far more serious consequences. The kids had made significant improvement because they were forced to. It was either get stronger or die at the hands of an enemy who didn’t care for their well-being. There was the Blaster Axis, and now Chimera Night, and the other teams in the GTC came together to create a very confusing picture, one in which he didn’t know who his allies were, and who his enemies were. “Truthfully, you must know what I’m saying isn’t fabricated?” Rawley asked legitimately. “I’m not trying to play any games with you here; I’m simply saying you’re getting involved in a battle that has absolutely no relevance to you. We can go our separate ways without a fight, there is no need to immerse ourselves in pointless killing.” “You’re right,” Calle nodded. “There’s truth in your words. Beatrice and I aren’t friends, and to be honest she’s not the reason I’m here. Although I do have an obligation to fulfill, if she was the only reason I was fighting this battle and bowing out would ensure the safety of the rest of my team, then I would do so.” “So then what’s stopping you?” “Don’t play dumb,” Calle snapped. This guy’s smugness was irritating him. “Your team crossed a line when you kidnapped a member of our team, especially a defenseless one at that.” “Kidnapped one of your—” Rawley’s eyes wandered off into the distance for a moment, a moment of genuine shock. As far as he’d been told in the mission briefing, the woman was to be captured and taken off the island, but there had been no word of taking any of the children. “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he said honestly. “You said it yourself, we’re both smart men here, so why try to play mind games?” Calle asked. “Do you really expect me to believe that?” “I can’t believe I’m saying this, Calle, but I think he’s telling the truth.” Tres chimed in. “The moment you mentioned Damien’s kidnapping, his eyes dropped; that was a look of pure suspense, a type of fear one can’t just fake.” “You can’t be...but why would their Master give an order like that and leave the rest of the team out of the loop? Just what the hell is going on here...” Rawley looked to Taylor, who then glanced at Meo, and they all looked back at one another. Admittedly, he had hoped that he’d be able to persuade Calle not to fight. Even with the odds in their favor, he was far from weak and this was by no means a guaranteed victory. And now, having discovered that the Master wasn’t being completely up front with them, he worried that they might have awoken a sleeping giant. If one of the kids had been taken, there was no way of convincing Calle not to fight. --- Chimera’s Master was a man by the name of Zeonis. Much of his biography aside from the name of which he was to be referred remained unknown. Very few had actually seen him; aside from those to whom he gave specific orders, many of Chimera’s soldiers were communicated with via telecommunications. He had learned that the best way to ensure his own safety was by revealing as little as possible. Watching from his dormitory, he found it quite amusing to see the confusion and chaos amongst his underlings. This same principle of not revealing everything was applied in his battle tactics, too. By not telling Rawley and the others every little detail, he still had them under his control, see. It was obvious that they would try to maneuver their way out of fighting with Calle, and rightfully so. The boy was a very threatening opponent. But he had played both sides perfectly, and now he was going to indulge himself in what looked to be a violent brawl. “As I move just another chess piece into position, it’s time to see how this next one will play out.” --- “I must say I can appreciate your brutal honesty,” Calle said. “It’s refreshing to see at least someone on your team has a little bit of human decency. With that being said, it doesn’t change anything.” The two men locked eyes; both of them knew there was no way to avoid this situation, so pretending there was something they could do to change it was rather pointless, Calle figured. “It does seem as though things have just gotten far more complex,” Tres said worriedly, or as worriedly as his monotonous voice could convey. “Assuming that he’s being honest about not knowing where Damien was taken, then getting these answers may not be as simple as we’d hoped. However, if we can figure out what they’re planning to do with Beatrice, that may at least lead us in the right direction.” Rawley pondered his next move; why would the Master have not filled them in on the full plan? The idea that he would do something like that was just low! Was he toying with them? Knowing that they had put a plan into motion, only to watch it crumble? They were his own men for crying out loud. He’d done some low things but this one took the cake. “It looks like you’re right, Calle Anden,” he grinned. “We’re going to have to fight after all. I won’t waste any time further persuading you because you’ve made it explicitly clear that doing so would be such a waste of time. But hey, if the Master wants to play games with us, two can play at that. Taylor, Meo,” he addressed his allies. “Stand to the side for now, let us duke it out. I’m interested to see just what this guy’s made of.” He cracked his knuckles with a prideful grin. “No way, I ain’t about to-” Meo started to complain, but Taylor cut him off. “Shut up and do as he says,” the girl ordered, causing the heavyset man to stumble back on his words a little bit in embarrassment. “This has the potential to be very interesting.” “One on one, eh?” Calle asked. I’m not sure what he’s trying to pull now, but if he wants to go at it one-on-one, might as well take advantage of that. “I agree,” Tres said. “You don’t know how long you’ll have before the others interfere, so let’s at least try to do some damage.” Rawley unlooped his staff and spun it around in his hands, beckoning a challenge. “Come on then, Calle Anden! Let’s see if you’re as tough as they say!” Calle hung his head for a moment, then unsheathed his sword. Running his fingers along the sides of the short blade, he took in the energy of the winds around him. “As you wish.” The two clashed in the center of the clearing, Calle’s blade against Rawley’s staff. There was a loud “Clank” of metal as the two found themselves on even footing, both trying to overpower the other with neither willing to give. “Your movement...it’s quite impressive,” Rawley acknowledged, withdrawing his staff and jumping back. “Let’s see if you can keep up with this!” He swung for Calle’s shoulder, only to meet the back of the blade. They both shifted positions, keeping up with each other’s attempts to land a blow as the others watched from the sidelines. “This guy is holding his own against Rawley with nothing but that puny sword,” Meo said, disgusted. “What gives?” “They say Calle Anden’s true strength lies in the mastery of his magic. He’s of the wind element, which in some ways makes speed his greatest asset. The ability to use the winds around him to adapt and fight in combination with his genius mind is what makes him such a viable opponent.” Both men met in the air with another clanking of weapons. Rawley began to muster up the strength to overpower him, trying desperately to get him to let the blade slip, but Calle held on. He’s strong... Calle withdrew his sword for just a brief second, then tried to swing directly again. “You won’t get me with such a novice trick my friend!” Rawley exclaimed, blocking the attack with ease and this time knocking the sword out of Calle’s hand. The wind mage hadn’t seen it coming, and as a result was unable to block the direct shot from the staff to his shoulder, which sent him plummeting. “Now that’s more like it!” Meo exclaimed. “Calle, are you alright?” Tres asked. His defensive magic could certainly have protected him, but he got the sense that at least at first, Calle would have preferred to go it on his own. If he truly needed to intervene, he would. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just trying to get a sense of what he’s capable of,” he said pulling himself up. “But man was that a hard shot.” He rubbed his shoulder as he went to retrieve the blade. Surprisingly, Rawley simply stood and allowed it. “I know you’ve got much more than that in you, so come on, let’s amp up the intensity!” “You have to be careful. I’m not one for arrogance. Regardless of whether you fight for good or evil, many people have the tendency to over-rate their own strength. Rather than pretend I’m stronger than I am, I simply realize and acknowledge the level at which I am able to fight.” “Am I supposed to take something from that?” Rawley asked unconvincingly. “It sounds like you’re just spewing a bunch of nonsense to me.” “No, nothing I’d expect you to be able to absorb. As much as you do appear to be an honorable fighter, the ideals for which you fight are still in direct contradiction with my own. And because of that, the time to sit here and talk is over. Calle stood up, having grasped his sword. He steadily allowed his body to release energy, having used only a slight amount before now. The technique he was about to use, he’d only used once before. All the studying of Rakurai had shown that in order to learn new techniques, you simply had to have the drive. It was something you unlocked from within, in a time when you really needed it. At first, he had to wonder whether or not that was at all possible or if it was just some kind of fluffed up explanation, but he learned first-hand in the battle against Terrance and the Four Star Siege that such was not the case. “Heh, now that’s what I like to hear! Bring it on!” Calle held his sword at eye-level, slowly focusing his energy and releasing Rakurai into the blade itself. At his command, the iron-forged blade began to vanish, leaving nothing but a barely visible shell of what had once been a sword. The Rakurai, taking a transparent style began to blend together in a sword formation, point and all. “Lend me the power to defend those close! Wind Blade of the Sky Protector!” “Whoa, what the hell did he just do to his sword?” Meo asked, his mouth hanging wide-open. “I don’t know, but I don’t like this feeling.” Taylor said discernibly. I hope you know what you’re doing, Rawley. It was unlike him to suggest they fight outside of their proven-effective battle formation. I can feel the power flowing through me—my connection with my sword. Calle closed his eyes, letting the world around him fizzle out of view for now. He had but one target. I will learn to master its power. But now, I must use it to defeat my enemy. “You may be strong, but I’ll be the one to determine that.” To be continued...[/spoiler] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Synchronized Posted June 24, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 24, 2014 Chapter 108! (Technically 33 of Series 2, not that anyone's reading this anyway.) [spoiler=Chapter 108: The Battle Lines, Part One] Chapter 108: The Battle Lines, Part One “You’ve got some serious skills,” Rawley nodded his head, brushing the hair out of his eyes. “Funny, you wouldn’t think someone who specialized in research would be such a force in combat.” “I could say the same thing about you, being as skilled as you are and working as a puppet for the mastermind of an evil organization,” Calle replied, grasping his newly-transformed sword tight. It was clear he’d struck a nerve. “I’ll let that one go, I have no need to acknowledge things you wouldn’t understand. Now like you said, the time for talk is over. So, Calle Anden, show me exactly what your magic is capable of!” The man planted his feet in the dirt, focusing his magic energy until it became visible. To resort to the sword immediately, I guess the time for testing the waters really is over. Despite sharing a body with the man, Tres was unable to sense Calle’s thoughts. However, they were both able to sense one another’s feelings, and the feeling of determination coursing through Calle right now was intense. The only time he’d seen Calle bring out the power within his sword was during the Four Star Siege’s first attack. Upon their arrival, the dragon-esque aethelis, a fearsome creature from his home of Erebos, had attacked and – supposedly – devoured Calle in one piece. He had vanished and the kids were under the assumption that he’d been killed. That should have been the case, but Tres’ defensive magic had saved them at the last second. It was the first time he’d ever been that close to an aethelis, but not the first he’d heard of them. They had certain weak spots that made them vulnerable to attacks, and the only way to offset their terrifying power. Having survived the initial encounter, their focus became actually slaying the beast, trying to keep it from hurting the children. Even with Tres’ spells, Calle grew weaker with each attempt to take it down. Just as it appeared they were going to run out of Rakurai, Calle foolishly got to his feet and charged the beast with nothing but his blade. It must have been the right moment, too, because the universe responded by allowing him to unlock a new power—the Blade of the Sky Protector. What made the sword so special was not necessarily its size, but a combination of things. It doubled, almost tripled his speed. Plus, it increased his ability to interact and draw power from the winds around him, strengthening his natural element. Not to mention, being made of air itself meant there was almost nothing the sword couldn’t cut through. Though using it had drained almost all of his power, Calle went from being the next thing on the menu to decapitating the dragon as though it were nothing more than a bird. They hadn’t told the kids what really happened, and no one had asked. The scars from the dragon’s attacks were very real, but once the fight was over and everyone was alright, there was no need to push it any further. It was this experience, though, that made Tres realize for the first time the true power of a human spirit. Some things, you just couldn’t apply logic to. Calle had kept his calm so well—he hadn’t shown any overwhelming signs of emotion. But Tres put it together now. With each passing second that the kids were out there in danger, Calle’s resolve to protect them grew stronger. If he had mustered up the power to use his Weapon Stage already, the odds of his opponent’s victory were very slim. And he was about to discover that first hand. Calle didn’t say a word. As soon as his foot kicked off the ground, his sword had already slashed through Rawley’s right shoulder. By the time the man noticed, his left shoulder had suffered the same fate. With movements so fast even Calle himself could barely control them, he cut him three more times, twice across the back and once on his right arm. It wasn’t until he’d hit the final strike that Rawley even began to feel the pain. That was how fast the strikes were. “I can’t...move...” Rawley’s reaction wasn’t even that of shock—it was beyond that. To even comprehend the pain he was feeling seemed out of the realm of possibility. He dropped to all fours as the pain shot through his body all at once like a bullet. “Where did your...movements come from?” He stopped to spit up blood all over the place. “You weren’t even close to that...fast...” Taylor’s horrified stare told the entire story. She had been prepared to step in with a defensive magic if things had gotten out of hand. Even with Rawley’s intent to fight man-to-man, they still had a mission to uphold. Her defensive magic combined with Meo’s amplification was what made their combo so strong. But she hadn’t even seen Calle move a muscle. It was almost like he teleported from one spot to another, striking repeatedly in the process. That wasn’t the case, it was obvious whatever transformation he’d done to his sword was what really gave him such incredible movements, but either way she was completely helpless. “Don’t just stand there you idiot, do something!” She commanded Meo. “Cast a healing spell, now! Heal his wounds! With that many cuts if you leave him there he’ll die! And if he’s dead, we’re as good as useless!” “Uh...right!” Meo replied, ashamed that he’d let himself get distracted but he’d never seen Rawley in that kind of state. He pressed his palms together. “Healer of the Wounded.” His spell began to take effect, but Calle wasn’t about to stand around and let it happen. Just as swiftly as before, he charged with Meo in his sights, but Taylor activated her shield just in time. “Forcefield Blue Level 1!” The once pocket-sized shield multiplied in size within her hands, just barely stopping Calle from making contact. Still, the force coming from the sword was unbelievable. “That ain’t enough!” Meo exclaimed, berating Taylor. “If I can’t maintain my focus, I can’t keep healing him! You gotta do more than that!” She swore under her breath, but he was right. “Alright, alright! Forcefield Blue Level 2!” She exclaimed as the sword began to take on a different, somewhat larger shape. Only this time, it was surrounded by a layer of Rakurai along the outside. Calle struck it with his sword, but found his attack being stopped. To think I’d have to go to Level 2 already...within seconds against this guy. Taylor was breathing heavily, having used quite a bit of energy just to transition. Calle fell back, regrouping but knowing that the more time he wasted, the more time he’d allow his enemy to heal. “Calle, you might want to re-think your approach to this. Her shield appears specifically designed to stop any attacks that come into contact with it.” Tres said, warning his partner who had already begun to formulate a different plan of attack. “I know, but I think it’s more than that. I think her shield gets stronger with each attack she blocks, like it takes part of the Rakurai from the force of the attack and reinforces itself,” he replied. The girl nodded, impressed that he’d figured it out so quickly, but not surprised. “That’s precisely what Level 2 does. This layer of energy along the outside of the shield not only makes it easier for me to defend against attacks, but it further solidifies my defenses with each blow. You couldn’t have possibly thought you’d win this so easily.” “I had a bad feeling that the other two wouldn’t stand by for long. Your power with that sword is incredible, but you must have used up a significant amount of energy to move at those speeds.” The spirit said worriedly. “Yeah, no kidding,” Calle said, panting. “I’m not out, but I was hoping to finish that all in one burst. And now that I can’t stop him from healing Rawley, I’m not sure this fight is gonna be that simple.” “That’s more like it.” Rawley grinned, getting back to his feet as the wounds on his body began to close. “I feel completely refreshed! But man, was that a close call.” Rawley’s body was still in rough shape physically, as Meo’s spell couldn’t heal it completely, but any serious wounds he’d suffered were completely replenished. There was a dark stare in his eyes now, and if he wasn’t taking this fight very seriously before, he had every intention of doing so now. There was nothing quite like coming close to death to really rile up the will to fight. “I should thank you for that, Calle. That was unreal! Pain beyond anything I’ve ever personally experienced!” “It’s safe to assume the others have fully immersed themselves in this fight now,” Tres said. “We need a strategy of some kind. You have to be careful not to use up all your Rakurai.” Calle steadied his sword, which had reverted to its original form. Standing there and trying to maintain it otherwise would have been a waste of energy. If all three of his enemies were on the same page now, he would have to re-evaluate his approach. “What’s the matter? You look lost,” Rawley beckoned him to make a move. “Come on, you couldn’t possibly think that would have been enough, could you? I told you before our fight began that there would be some casualties to both sides. You haven’t had yours yet,” he laughed as Taylor and Meo moved into more effective positions, with the latter distancing himself from the battle. His purpose was to enhance the others, so it made no sense to stand there where he’d be getting in the way. Plus, with Taylor and Rawley taking front and center, there was no way Calle could get to him. “I’m enthralled! Let’s fight for real this time!” Rawley took charge, blasting Calle with his staff right in the gut. Calle’s reaction time was slowed, but he managed to block it for the most part, taking only minimal damage. He swung with his sword in a rebound attack, but Rawley shrugged it off and struck him with the metal a second time. His strength was greater than before. Either that, or Calle’s energy just wasn’t as fully-charged. Neither scenario was a good one. Calle’s body was still in good shape, but he wasn’t able to move at the same speeds, which meant physically keeping up with this guy took effort. Two more strikes to the gut and kick to the shoulder sent him spiraling down towards the ground again, as Rawley was showing no signs of wear at all. Even if the magic hadn’t restored him fully, this guy wasn’t missing a step. “We have to do something before he builds too much momentum!” “What happened, Calle? Have you tired out already?!” Rawley beckoned, grinning from ear to ear. “That flash show was impressive, but if that’s all you have to show for yourself, then perhaps I gave you too much credit! Part of me actually feels pity for those children, because if their leader is nothing more than a one-trick pony, they have no hope at all. Pathetic,” he spat. “Enough talking, Rawley,” Taylor snapped at him, her ire growing. “I don’t feel like wasting time anymore, end this fight already.” She was frustrated, both at the time it was taking to end this guy and at the betrayal of their Master. But she would worry about that once the mission was complete. Right now, their pride was at stake. “Fine,” he scoffed. Damn girl and her attitude. “Ethereal Flame Spear!” The staff in his hand became engulfed by flames, a razor sharp point forming at the top. Calle saw the attack coming and tried to regroup, but he wasn’t sure his sword would be enough to block that attack. The spear was flying at high speeds. He tried to dodge just as it made contact, and a fiery explosion formed around him. But as the smoke cleared, Calle stood, rattled but relatively unscathed. “You took that attack head-on! How are you still able to stand?!” Taylor cried out, outraged. That was a close one. Thanks, I owe ya. Calle nodded, and Tres said nothing in response; he didn’t have to. He’d resolved to step in when the time was necessary, and casting a defense spell to protect Calle from the attack wasn’t all that hard. However, that had been their one element of surprise. And next time, they wouldn’t have an ace in the hole. “Rawley, are you losing your touch already? That attack didn’t even phase him!” Meo yelled out ,his stomach growling shortly afterwards. He needed a meal soon. “Quit wasting time already!” “Would the two of you just shut up and let me focus?” He growled at them and their lack of knowledge. “It was my fault, but it has nothing to do with my power. In the heat of the moment, I forgot the very same thing I pointed out when this began. Calle Anden isn’t just human, he’s part spirit as well. The “human spirit”, they call him. One body but two minds. They say the other part of him is one of Erebos’ strongest defense wizards.” “Two people? What the hell kind of trick is that?” “I’m afraid it’s no trick at all. It sounded farfetched to me, too, but I never doubted the legitimacy behind it. If this guy played a part in beating Lucien, it only makes sense that he’s something special. He doesn’t have to worry about defense. It’s like the battle just went from 3-on-1 to 3-on-2. This isn’t like the battles we’ve fought before.” “Are you ready for this? I fear the worst is yet to come. And time is running out.” It doesn’t matter if I’m ready or not. We have no choice but to keep going. Calle clenched his sword in frustration, and then threw it to the side, prompting Rawley’s surprise. But Calle knew what he was doing—that thing was of no use to him now anyway. He didn’t have enough strength left to activate his sword and it would only weigh him down. My Grandfather taught me many things. Hand-to-hand combat was just one of them. --- Still seated at his helm, Zeonis grinned as one of the guards brought him a fresh glass of wine. He pressed it to his lips and took a sip, taking in the moment around him. Everything was going just as he’d hoped. This game of chess had taken some interesting turns, but the final part of the mission was about to be completed, and now there was just this last fight to play out. He had bought enough time now, so the result of the fight between Calle and his own men was really not that much of an issue. It would be more convenient if Calle were to lose, but it wouldn’t matter now. “Sir, anything else I could do for you?” The nameless servant inquired with a bow. “No no, you needn’t worry. You’ve been just delightful,” he said. “Why don’t you take the rest of the day off?” Zeonis ordered with his eyes still fixated on the monitors. “Do me just one last thing, would you? On your way out, ask the others to ready my chambers. It’s about time I get prepared.” “Of course, sir,” the servant nodded and saw himself out. Zeonis couldn’t help but smile at his own reflection in the monitors. The time for change was near. --- With a swipe of his hand, Rawley retrieved his staff and the two resumed stances. Calle leapt into the air and swung for him, weaponless, but Rawley quickly deflected his blow with the staff. “Imperial Flame Strike!” He commanded, releasing a steady flow of magic and striking Calle with a flame-warped staff. “Meo, make yourself useful and amp up the power levels!” “Right,” the bulky man nodded. “Increasing power levels!” More magic energy began to circulate around Rawley, his power growing even stronger as a result. “Sorry, I don’t have time to play anymore! Reza Ayori!” Calle exclaimed as a small gust of wind began to generate in his right hand. With each passing second it grew more intense, a razor-sharp condensed wind taking a physical form right in his palm. Rawley blocked it head-on with the staff, but Calle’s spell tore through the steel like it was nothing, breaking it into pieces. “Forcefield Blue Level 3!” Taylor cried out of nowhere, thrusting her shield between the attack just before it made contact with Rawley’s torso. Her shield, which had gotten larger, held up against the force of the attack but not without difficulty. She found herself planting her feet into the ground to resist such a small attack. With the third level, she shouldn’t have had to move a muscle, but this was pushing her to the test and then some. “It shouldn’t be taking this much...force to...hold off his attack! Meo, do something now!” “Alright alright, enough with the orders!” He replied. “Sheesh, you think I’d get a bit more respect around here!” His hands together, he strengthened up her shield, nullifying Calle’s attack. “You’re not gonna be able to break through her defenses with that much solidification, but I’ve got an idea.” Tres said, as Calle tried to create some distance. “It looks like in order for them to keep up with your attacks, the one in the background has to alternate between strengthening defense and strengthening offense. He can’t do both at once.” Wait, you’re right. Calle replied, taking in the scene. Caught up in trying to land a blow, he hadn’t paid close attention to Meo’s actions in the background, but he had to strengthen just one of them at a time. In other words, if Taylor was going to defend, Rawley’s power would be weakened. And vice versa. Rather than take out Meo first, he would have to take out Taylor first. And the only way to do that was by taking one of Rawley’s attacks directly. If I can take out the girl first, there’s no way for them to defend themselves against my attacks. By alternating like that, they were able to get the upper hand. It’s a smart strategy, but I think we can do better. Let’s hope you’re not rusty. He joked. “It’s been a while since I’ve been in a real fight. But I just so happen to know a thing or two about working as part of a three-man team.” A defense mage himself, often times his position under Lucien Grasciou saw him being the one to protect his team-mates. But he was a different person now, fighting for different reasons. He had only grown stronger. Tres had never imagined himself being in this position. To be fighting alongside humans, to be fighting based on what was right instead of what was ordered. Calle Anden was nothing like him, and he began to realize that this was the reason the universe had drawn them together. In ways, they made each other stronger. They still had no idea what or why their partnership was, but rather than question it they resolved to take it as it was and move forward. In doing so, Tres had learned some things about the humans that made them...different. His perception of this world as a whole had changed, and he was beginning to realize the importance of bonds. For that, he had Calle and the rest of their team to thank. And the only way to truly repay them was to give it his all. The least he could do was provide the strength to get through this battle. If Calle could stand up and fight even when he was beaten, then Tres had no excuse not to be able to do the same. “I’m not sure what this feeling is, but I believe it’s what humans would refer to as annoyance. I personally find these three to be just that. I’ve grown quite irritated. After all, who are they to threaten the lives of innocent beings? I simply can’t allow that.” To be continued...[/spoiler] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Synchronized Posted July 3, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 3, 2014 Chapter 109/34! Yay! Still no comments. [spoiler=Chapter 109: The Battle Lines, Part Two] Chapter 109: The Battle Lines, Part Two “So all of that was just a distraction...I have to get to them, and fast! We can’t stall anymore!” The hooded figure leapt through the trees as a rapid pace. Time was running out. --- Calle and Rawley were locked in an intense stand-off, with Taylor standing on the sidelines, defense at the ready. Rawley was breathing somewhat heavily, but his body was still in relatively good condition and he was ready for a fight. With Meo constantly refreshing his energy, he could fight for a long time without getting significantly winded. Calle, on the other hand, was running out of power; he wouldn’t be able to keep fighting at such a high level for much longer. “This fight has been a lot of fun; I haven’t had to be pushed to the limits like this in some time! You know, we have a three-man team, but more often than not, the others aren’t even necessary. Most opponents can’t withstand the heat,” Rawley said gleefully, and he wasn’t bluffing. There weren’t too many opponents he couldn’t handle, and the others would usually just stand aside and let him duke it out. Of course, there had been a few, but there were exceptions to every rule. “I can’t fault you there,” Calle nodded, remembering his own experience with a three-man team, during their battle against Lucien. He had almost beaten them, but the numbers game and their determination to win at all costs had been their advantage. “It’s not often that one man can take down three. But, often has never meant always. And there’s one critical fault in your team.” “Oh, is that so? I’d love to hear it!” Rawley challenged him. What nonsense, the Brigade was a perfect unit because of how well they played off each other’s strengths and weaknesses. “Because if there was a fault, don’t you think this battle would have already been over? That you would somehow have found a way to win? But instead, you stand here taking deep breaths and trying your best to stay in it!” Taylor chimed in with a sinister smile. “He’s right. That’s why we’re Chimera’s most dominant force, and the ones who were entrusted with eliminating our strongest adversary.” “Valid points, all of them.” Calle replied. He closed his eyes for a moment—putting the final images of his strategy in place. “But until I noticed that critical fault, I stood no chance of winning.” The Brigade’s eyes peaked. What was that supposed to mean? Ready?! Calle asked his partner. “Indeed.” He rocketed into the air, heading straight for Rawley, who simply no-sold it, waiting for Taylor to step in. But before she had the chance, Calle changed direction, aiming for her directly. “Reza Ayori!” The wind-charged sphere filled up in his right hand, and Taylor readied her defense. “Didn’t you learn your lesson last time?! Your attacks only make my defenses stronger!” He didn’t answer though, and Meo performed his duty next, strengthening her shield. But Calle kept on pressing, trying his best to get the wind to cut through. “Crucial mistake, diverting your attention!” Rawley exclaimed, preparing his spear for another attack. “I’m your biggest threat, wasting your time with her serves no real purpose! Ethereal Flame Spear!” The attack was even stronger the second time around, with Rawley putting as much firepower into it as possible. But as Taylor continued to fend off Calle’s attack expecting him to move to defend himself, she found herself disappointed. “Are you mad? You intend to take his attack head on! That’s just suicide!” “Erghhhhhhhh-aaahhhh!” He screamed unintelligibly, forcing his attack into her shield with every bit of force he had as the spear neared closer. “This guy’s actually just gonna let himself die!” Meo cheered on. “All this time wasted for nothin’, hahaha!” But as Rawley realized the true intent of Calle’s actions, it was too late. “Holy Nova Veil!” Tres released the spell, as a barrier of yellowish Rakurai surrounded Calle and Taylor within it. Rawley’s attack struck just as the barrier launched, but it was unable to penetrate through. They were too late—Meo had already alternated between powering Taylor’s defense and strengthening Rawley’s attack, meaning the shield was at it’s weak point. “Meo, you fatso, do something already!” Taylor exclaimed. Meo began to panic, sweat dripping from his forehead. “I can’t! That barrier is blocking my magic from the outside! You’re on your own with this one!” And as Calle gave one final push, the shield shattered down the middle, from a simple crack that his first attack had made. Even though she’d blocked it and reinforced the shield with energy, that crack was still essential. It shattered down as Rawley’s attack dissipated, and his Reza Ayori struck Taylor right in the chest. She collapsed forward, spitting up blood in the process as her body dropped to the ground with the remaining pieces of the shield. --- Though she tried to catch herself to break the fall, Taylor’s body had given out on her. Her shield wasn’t supposed to be able to be broken by magic based attacks; the spells she used were directly intended to not only reinforce it, but also increase its defense against magic power. With Meo’s support spells on top of that, there was no way this guy should have been able to break through her defense. But there she was, helpless on the ground, her body almost numb from the pain of the thousands of cuts inflicted at once from Calle’s attack, and her shield was no more. Breathe in, out. In, out. Calle’s breaths were few and far between, as almost all his Rakurai had been used up in going for that final blow. Tres still had some power left, but casting and maintaining his spell against Rawley’s attacks hadn’t been easy, either. These guys may have been misguided, but that didn’t mean they weren’t strong. I can’t believe it, he actually broke her shield? Rawley actually found his hands shaking, but he caught himself, stopping before anyone noticed. I thought he was bluffing when he said he discovered a crucial weakness. It’s true Chimera Brigade is a perfect match because we each specialize in a different type of magic, but that same advantage can also be a downfall. “The true downfall of Chimera Brigade is one I’ve never had to acknowledge personally. For most, the idea of fighting against three-on-one odds is intimidating enough that the mind dwells on what is certain to be defeat—there is no time to analyze and figure out an effective strategy to win,” Rawley explained, as Calle and Meo both listened on. “The true downfall is that we’re only stronger than our enemy as a team. Though I’ve long-since trained in hand-to-hand combat, Taylor has no attack strength and Meo’s abilities lay solely in his ability to enhance the magic of others. Without someone on the offensive, they’re nothing but useless tools.” Meo flashed an angry face, but he couldn’t deny the truth. “We’re as threatening as we are because our entire strategy is coordinated as a team. But when three pieces hold a puzzle together and absolutely no other pieces fit, that puzzle can easily be destroyed. It would appear you figured that out.” Calle nodded his head, though his body was having trouble keeping up with him. He was surprised to see Rawley blatantly come out and admit it, but at this point they were both fully aware of the situation around them. “I told you, Calle, that if this fight were to happen there would be significant casualties to both sides,” Rawley said. “I may not be a nice guy, but I sure as hell have no reason to lie about a damn thing. You’re not looking so hot yourself, and one of my team members is likely dead. So the question is, where do we go from here?” “It is a very good question indeed. You don’t have much strength left.” Tres said, much to Calle’s dismay. But he was right. “Let’s face facts, at this point, if we continue to fight there’s absolutely no point.” Rawley said, taking another drag from his cigarette. “Are you crazy?!” Meo berated him. “This fight’s over, go in for the finishing blow! You can take him now more than ever, why would you walk away you idiot?!” “You wouldn’t understand. We’re not fighting as a team anymore; Taylor’s been rendered useless.” “What the hell difference does that make?” Meo exclaimed, still sweaty and gross. And hungry, as he felt his stomach continue to growl. “We have a mission, and I don’t think Master is going to be happy about the fact that it took this long, never mind if we let him live!” Rawley shot him a look that would pierce steel. “Ask me if I give a damn about what the Master thinks anymore.” Meo froze in place at the absoluteness of the Brigade’s leader. “If you feel it necessary to fight him, then by all means don’t let me stand in your way, but as far as I’m concerned, this fight is over,” Rawley said, then turning his attention to Calle. “Calle Anden, we will fight again someday, but it will be at a time when you’re able to stand without nearly running out of breath. Until then, I will search for answers I now seek.” He sheathed his spear, nodding once at the Swedish duelist, who could barely stand, and with a few footsteps, saw himself out. He may not be a good person, but at least he’s an honorable one. Calle continuously tried to catch his breath and let his Rakurai restore itself, but it just wasn’t working fast enough. Truth be told, he didn’t know if he could have beaten Rawley in his current condition. This was a lucky break. “What about the other one? Do you think he’ll try and fight?” I don’t sense a threat from him, even if he were to. We can’t afford to stand around anyway. We got a break and we need to make use of it now to catch up to everyone. “Don’t you dare think you’re going to get away that easily!” Meo came out of “hiding” in the woods, his palms glowing with energy. “I may not be an offensive fighter, but you’re weak enough that I can finish you off! When the Master sees that I’m the only one who remained, I’ll get a promotion! And maybe some damn food!” The heavyset man charged for Calle, but stopped in his tracks as an arrow pierced the soil at his feet. “What the?! So someone new is joining the fray huh?!” He took a step back, nearly losing his balance as the ground at his feet began to shake, and a burst of light exploded from beneath it. Calle was aghast with shock, but it didn’t take long to realize that Skylar and Alistair had finally made it to him. Both of them stood, looking pretty tattered but otherwise alright, at his side. While it was obvious they had been through battles of their own, to see them standing like that made him realize he needed to pull himself together. “So there’s three of you now?!” Meo exclaimed, starting to panic once again. “Actually, I’d make it four. But I don’t think I need any help taking care of you, fatso!” The hooded figure revealed herself—Andrea. One of the last people any of them had expected to see. Not only was she alive, but she looked fully refreshed and full of energy. --- Skylar wasn’t one to show emotion often, but he was just as frozen in place as the others upon Andrea’s arrival. She had been in worse shape than any of them when Beatrice and Damien were taken, which was part of the reason they had worried so much about her going after them alone. Yet there she was standing, and the contrast between the girl on the first day of their training and this “new” girl was unbelievable. Her crimson black outfit that she’d first started wearing for the GTC all but completed that transformation. “I can safely say that’s something I wasn’t expecting.” Tres said, unintentionally comedic. I’m so glad she’s alright. But she was torn before, what the hell happened? Calle thought aloud. “You’re alright!” Alistair shouted, sounding almost like he was trying to reassure himself, too. “How did you find us?! What about Beatrice and Damien?” She hung her head sadly for a moment, and he figured he’d be better off leaving it be for the moment. “That’s why I’m here…I didn’t want to leave them, but I knew I didn’t have the strength to go after them alone...if there’s any hope in saving them, we need to do it as a team.” They all smiled, though Skylar was quick to wipe his away. “Damn right we will,” Alistair smiled and gave a thumbs up to try and quell her sadness. “But you were hurt before, what happened to your injuries?” “No time to explain that just yet! But I will, don’t worry! First, we gotta take care of this guy!” “Right.” “Huh?” Meo turned around as the girl started charging at him. “Hey wait, hold on I...” But even as his confidence got the better of him, he realized he was too late. She was at full strength, and what limited magic power he had for actual combat would only have allowed him to defeat a nearly-drained Calle. Against someone without that same fatigue, he was totally screwed. “Hidden Attack: Blazing Crescent Stormwinds!” Placing one palm on top of the other, she swept her right hand out across her line of sight, drawing from both the element of fire and the element of wind to create a combined attack, a crescent-shaped blaze of flames backed by the power of the air. The extremely fast attack struck him straight in the gut, even his massive weight being no match for the intensity of the flames. He cried out as he tried to block it, but it cut him down to size and rendered him unable to defend himself. “The Brigade has been...defeated...” he said aloud as he fell to the ground in disbelief. “Looks like you’ve gotten a better grasp on that since the last time,” Calle observed, getting to his feet with a little assistance from Alistair. Except for Andrea, they were all roughed up, and that meant that whatever lay ahead was going to be even more of a challenge. “I’m sorry it took me so long to get here,” she said completely ignoring his compliment. “I was following them for some time, and then my body gave out on me. That tournament match took a lot out of me, but I couldn’t just stand around and let them take him.” She hung her head disappointedly; she hadn’t been able to save her brother. At least not yet. “But as much as I tried, I couldn’t keep going. That’s when he showed up.” “He?” Calle asked, with the others listening intently. “Shotei,” Andrea said just the name. “The leader of the Blaster Axis.” Perhaps the last thing Calle was expecting to hear. But the others weren’t so surprised by it. “Aye, that’s no surprise to me,” Alistair added. “The fiery one saved my life from Chimera too.” “As much as I hate to admit it, Shadow of the Axis helped me get back on my feet as well,” Skylar said. “What could this mean? Perhaps the Blaster Axis are not truly our enemies?” Tres asked. I’m not sure...for whatever reason, they saved the kids...Calle replied, though he couldn’t help but wonder why. There were definitely more questions than answers, which seemed to be a theme around here. --- “He warned me about Chimera Night’s real intentions. He told me about their leader, Zeonis. Based on the way he said it, there had to be some kind of connection between them in the past, but things have changed now. Shotei lent me some of his Rakurai to restore myself to full health. He told me that the others on his team were working to make sure Chimera’s plans were stopped, and then he left. He told me to find you and to tell you...” They awaited her next words anxiously. “That stopping Chimera Night once and for all could mean the end of our lives.” To be continued...[/spoiler] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Synchronized Posted August 25, 2014 Author Report Share Posted August 25, 2014 Two more chapters... [spoiler=Chapter 110]Episode 110: Chimera Clash, Part One Calle had found himself staring off into the distance. The kids had caught onto it, wondering why he was so fixated on nothing, as if Andrea’s words had sent him into a trance of some kind. This battle...I fear they’re not ready for it. That none of us are. With every moment that has passed, more roadblocks have been put in our way. None of this has gone the way we planned. “When will you realize your worrying is relatively senseless?” Tres asked, rather unexpectedly. “Sure, we’ve been beaten and battered at every corner, but no matter how hard it gets, somehow they always find a way to power through it and get stronger. It’s something about humans that I can’t simply explain, but I’ve seen it happen enough now to know that it’s unmistakable. No matter how much you doubt these kids and fear for their safety, they find a way to win.” Calle felt a hand on his shoulder, turning to see Andrea much to his surprise. The others had taken on a firm stance as she looked him in the eyes. “Nobody could have expected to take this path, but we’re here now and that’s what matters. You’ve always done everything to keep us safe, Calle. We don’t need that now. We don’t need a mentor—we need someone to fight alongside us. Stop worrying about us and instead put that effort and that fear into fighting with us to defeat Chimera Night. Then we can put an end to all of this.” “You...” Calle said, at a loss for words. It was hard to believe these were the same kids he met at the training facility. They had grown so much because they had been forced to. “She’s right, as much as it pains me to say it. We’ve all had our differences in the past and hell, I didn’t care for you much myself, but I can’t deny you’ve taught me a thing or two,” Skylar shrugged. “Nothing I wouldn’t have learned eventually, but your guidance...accelerated the process. But enough with the small talk, we have a battle to fight.” “Aye, that’s what I like to hear!” Alistair added, standing tall with his comrades. “Damien needs our help, and we ain’t leavin till he’s back with us!” That settled it, then. He couldn’t help but laugh after finding himself playing the role Beatrice had played when this all began. But he was barely any older than they were, and it was clear he had a lot to learn as well. Tres, I hope you’re ready for this. “To tell you the truth, I’m slightly anticipating it. It’s been some time since I’ve been able to go all-out.” “Alright then. Let’s get to them before they get to us.” --- “You said Shotei filled you in,” Calle said to Andrea as they all moved briskly throughout the forest. “Did he happen to tell you exactly where Chimera’s hideout is? And what it is they’re planning?” She shook her head dejectedly. “Unfortunately, no. He didn’t even seem to be too sure himself. Even know though, you can just sense something is off in the air, a darkness that’s getting more and more intense.” He nodded in agreement, looking back at the others as well. “Hey...guys...” Alistair said, his eyes fixated on something, prompting Calle to stop in his tracks. “It looks like we may have found the place...” The building was huge. A black, stone-carved structure very clearly engraved with the mark of Chimera on its front. There were no doors or windows, but there was also no mistaking it. How was it possible they hadn’t noticed this before? The entire island, for that matter? It was a huge monstrosity; there was no way it was concealed from view, despite being in the middle of the woods. “Is this the hideout? But that’s impossible! It just appeared out of thin air!” Andrea exclaimed, taken aback by the sudden appearance. “I don’t think that’s the case at all,” Skylar said. “We’re only seeing it now because someone wants us to see it.” “Illusion magic…?” She asked. That was very much like Shotei’s magic. He couldn’t be a...she stopped her thought and gulped nervously. “No, this isn’t illusion magic,” Calle replied. “Illusion magic, even at its strongest, manipulates your senses to create the illusion that something is actually, physically there when in reality it’s not. Your mind is being tricked into thinking that you’re actually experiencing something. This building is very real.” “So if it’s not an illusion, how come we’re only seeing it just now?” Alistair asked. “It’s a concealment spell. Truly powerful Mages can cast spells on physical objects that make them completely invisible to the human eye. However, they can also control who can and can’t see them. In other words, what Skylar said is accurate. We’re only seeing it now because they want us to.” “I can’t shake the feeling that we’re walking into a trap,” Andrea said, worriedly. Maybe she was just over-thinking things, but what if Shotei had set them up purposely? After all, they had originally perceived the Blaster Axis as enemies, but then they had saved them... “What the hell is that?” Calle wondered aloud as a dark shadow cast over them. Suddenly, human-like creatures that were comprised entirely of shadows began to emerge from all sides, with no distinct characteristics aside from their emerald eyes. There were dozens of them, pouring out as if there was no end. “Everyone stand together, back to back!” Skylar ordered quickly, taking control. These things just kept coming—they were outnumbered about 25 to 1 in a matter of seconds. “Calle do you have any idea what these damn things are?!” The Swede ripped his sword from its holster, readying it. He had never seen these things before, but Tres knew them all too well. “Shadowlites. That’s what they’re called. Heartless creatures made completely from dark magic. They’re very common in Erebos. What they lack in strength they make up for in numbers. I have no idea how they were summoned here.” Calle repeated Tres’ words so the others could hear them. “There’s at least a hundred of them, we have to try to mow them down as quickly as possible before reinforcements arrive.” The worst part was, they had walked right into a trap, but it was a trap they had no choice but to enter. Tres, are they capable of attacking? What exactly do they do? “Dark Blasts. It’s that simple. There’s no complexity behind them. They use the same energy they are created from as a weapon. They are weak, but summoning them takes such a small toll on the user’s body that we could be in for some serious trouble.” “Be careful, don’t let them hit you!” Calle exclaimed. “They’re all capable of attacking, we need to try and wipe out as many of them as possible! Let’s go!” “Right!” They nodded in unison. “Aye Skylar, bet I can take more of ‘em down than you.” Alistair challenged, smirking. “Heh, you wish kid. That’s a bet you don’t want to take.” “Less talking, more getting the hell out of here! Let’s take these guys out!” Andrea leapt into action, her fist swirling with a blazing flame as she charged right into the fray. “Infernal Fist!” She struck the ground at her feet and the force wiped out six Shadowlites. The dark creatures let out a barely audible cry as more of them simply advanced forward. “Looks like you only hit six. Please,” Skylar mocked. “Let me show you how it’s done!” Index finger extended, he charged an arrow from particles of light, readied his stance, and let loose into the army of heartless fiends, wiping out nearly fifteen of them at once with one pierce. The ghouls continued their advance, some of them firing dark blasts of energy now, but the group dodged them with ease. “Come on, we can do better than that! Rahhh, Earthbound Star Shower!” Alistair placed his palms against the dirt in the opening that had formed from their scattering. In four different points around the Shadowlites’ forces, pillars of light emerged from the ground, gathering together at the center before crashing down on a huge gathering of the dark beings. They had already wiped out nearly fifty of them, but there appeared to be no end in sight. Any creatures that were destroyed were simply replaced by another. They had to find the source of their summoning, otherwise this was going to be nothing but wasted energy, which Skylar assumed was more or less the entire point of these things. “The more we kill, the more there are,” Skylar cried out. “We have to find a way to cut them off at the source,” he ordered. “I know, I’m working on it, but right now they keep coming in hordes and if we can’t force our way through, we’re eventually gonna be trapped!” Calle replied, slicing away a couple of the Shadowlites that neared him with his sword. Like the flick of a switch, an idea came to him. He was almost embarrassed that it had taken him this long to think of it. You up for some action? Calle asked his partner. Because I think I just figured out how to get through these damn things. “I was wondering when you’d ask.” Tres replied. “It might work, but all it is going to do is buy us some time.” Good, cause that’s really all we need. Calle said with a grin. “Skylar, I need you to ready your attack!” He ordered. All three looked at him questioningly, but the boy caught on quickly and nodded. “It really doesn’t matter if we shout this aloud, these things have no sense of intellect so there’s nothing they can do but keep trying to get to us! If we can get them all into one place all at once, can you take them out?” “Foolish of you to even ask,” he replied, stroking his own ego and smirking at the same time. “Let’s do it.” Andrea and Alistair were still a bit lost, respectively trying to keep the dark army at bay. “The ultimate combination of offensive and defensive magic, cast: Blazing Veil!” The orange sphere began to surround and encase the entire Shadowlite onslaught, spanning nearly one-hundred feet in length as Tres put focused all his energy into doing so. Meanwhile, Skylar moved like a rocket, circling around to all four points of the barrier and drawing a white circle in the sky at each one. “Aye, I get it now! It took me a minute, but I see what their intent was,” Alistair acknowledged; it was remarkably brilliant to have thought it up so quickly. Skylar’s Winged Thunderforce is a homing attack...meaning it locks on to whatever target it’s drawn towards. Since he drew four, one in each corner of the shield, there’s no way for them to retreat. It’ll hit all of them at once focusing on a center point! Andrea was amazed, and yet angry at herself for giving Skylar that much credit at the same time. She blushed awkwardly as the situation began to play itself out. “I’m eagerly anticipating the real challenge,” Skylar flicked his finger, releasing all four blasts as the same time as a burst of illumination showered the Shadowlites, who were helpless to defend themselves against it. “Winged Thunderforce.” Wiping out nearly all of them at once, Tres released the barrier as Skylar dropped back to the ground. With the enemies temporarily gone, they advanced through the clearing. Skylar, who had ended up leading them, found himself in the crosshairs of a blast of dark energy. “Move, now!” He ordered, just barely managing to dodge the attack. Only this time, it hadn’t come from a Shadowlite. It was far larger and the magic power behind it was significant. The man behind the summoning had finally decided to reveal himself. The shadowy figure stepped out from behind one of the trees, showing himself as a middle-aged man. His brown hair was sleek and slicked back, and his face devoid of any facial hair. On his left cheek was the mark of Chimera Night, though the obvious allegiance was never in question. Calle could tell the second he spotted him that this guy wasn’t the actual leader, but that didn’t mean they shouldn’t take him seriously. “You reckon he’s the one responsible for all this?” Alistair inquired, asking the question that was on everyone’s minds. While clenching his fists together, he tried to contain his anger—if this was the guy responsible for taking Damien and Beatrice, he couldn’t wait to give him what was coming to him. “Allow me to answer that question for you, pest,” the man replied, his voice ridden with disgust. “I am Etheros, the Prime Administrative Command of Chimera Night. Normally, I would not dirty my hand with such insignificant scum like you, but it would appear you’ve caused quite a ruckus, and our Master has requested that I handle you personally...it would appear that reliance on other members of our organization has not boded as well as we would have hoped.” “No doubt about it, he’s the one responsible for summoning those Shadowlites.” Tres said. “I can sense the dark magic just flowing through him. Don’t be mistaken—we’ve barely weakened him.” “I must admit I’m impressed at how you dispatched of my dark army so quickly and effortlessly,” Etheros acknowledged, nodding his head. “Yes, it was very impressive indeed. But that was just a hold-over. My power is far greater than that of any others you’ve faced thus far. What was intended to be a simple mission has turned into something far greater than the likes of you could comprehend. I am afraid this is where your journey will come to an end.” He shook his head, feigning sorrow, as a sensation of dark pulses began to gather around his right hand. They would all be disposed of at once. It was much easier that way. “It’s quite a shame you won’t be around to see the Grand Design come to fruition. If only you’d behaved like good little brats. Be gone, Elimination Nightmare!” The charged sphere multiplied in size three or four times, growing almost unstably huge as he released it. They could run, but would it be enough? Something about this magic felt off—Calle knew it could be trouble if they were hit by it at all. But as Etheros released his attack, a pillar of light coming to a point shot from the ground beneath him, striking him directly in the jaw and spiraling into the air. He only barely caught himself, but the attack dissipated before he could fire as the rest of them turned to see Alistair pressed on one knee. “There’s no time to waste, so don’t just stand there looking at me like a bunch of deer in the headlights,” Alistair quipped. “I can take this guy, you guys need to go on ahead and find the Leader. We have to stop him in order to save our friends!” “But he’s strong—very strong!” Andrea replied, an obvious look of concern on her face. “If we all fight him together we might—” Skylar grabbed her arm and shushed her, shaking his head. He glanced to Alistair for only a moment. “He’s right. We need to keep moving. Let’s go.” “And just where do you think you’re going?!” Etheros beckoned, threatening to block their path. “Aye, I wouldn’t worry about them. You ought to focus on me, because I’m the one who’s gonna pound you into the ground!” Alistair pressed both palms against the soil and released another barrage of light pillars, spiraling together to a point just above the enemy’s head. Damnit, that was fast! Etheros panicked. The blasts of light struck him, plummeting him into the ground. It was far from over, but he had bought them time. Calle looked to Alistair and the two shared a nod. Be careful, Alistair. You had better catch up with us. “Now then, it’s time for the real battle to begin mate. And make no mistake about it, I’ve been itching for a real fight ever since I got my full strength back. I hope you’re ready, because I don’t have time to waste!” --- “Aren’t you worried about him?” Andrea pleaded with Calle, still not convinced that leaving Alistair behind and forcing the group to separate again, when they had only barely survived the last time, was the best idea. It was Skylar that answered, his words carrying a strange combination of respect and overconfidence at the same time. “Please, worried about what? Even if it was with a bit of luck, he’s surpassed me once before. To think that there’s any reason he’d lose to that nobody is just insulting to my personal integrity.” “Oh, of course,” she said mockingly. “Skylar, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say that was a compliment,” Calle joked, as the boy turned back to face the path ahead with a grunt. “But he’s right. It doesn’t matter how many times Alistair gets knocked down, somehow he finds a way to get back up. I can’t explain the science behind it, but the kid’s set in his ways. Trying to force him not to fight would have been a losing battle.” “Hm...yeah, I guess you’re right,” she said with a smile, pressing onwards. “After all, I’m not sure Skylar could have done it.” “What was that?” He turned to face her angrily. “Nothing, nothing,” Andrea smiled, then laughed aloud. It’s amazing how far we’ve come. You better not lose, Alistair. We’re all counting on you. To be continued...[/spoiler] [spoiler=Chapter 111]Episode 111: Chimera Clash, Part Two Etheros collected himself and rose to a standing position once more, merely laughing aloud at the few pieces of tattered cloth that lay around his feet. Alistair was still standing as well; he had to take a second to catch his breath, but the attack hadn’t taken too much out of him. The two stood locked in a stand-still, meeting each other’s gaze with hatred and intensity, both for different reasons. The Admin cracked his knuckles back to back against each other, contemplating what his first plan of action would be. Part of him actually felt compelled to pursue the others, to stop them from advancing further ahead, but the warrior in him was anticipating a fight. Besides, this kid had already been dragged through the mud by Lyon, so the odds of him putting up much of a fight were not too great. Master had made it very clear that he would take no chances, and so assigned each of the Chimera Admins – four in total – to take refuge in a different section of the woods around the hideout, that way even if Etheros himself was defeated, those brats would be minced meat by the time they made it to the next one. There was nothing they could do in retrospect; Master’s plan was far more advanced than their simple minds could comprehend. The Grand Design would be completed, and then all of them would be rewarded for their sacrifice. So he would amuse this brat’s request for a real fight. He’d even do him a favor and kill him here to spare him the trouble of watching his friends’ lives be taken by men even more vile than him. “Boy, you issued this challenge, so I implore you please, make the first move,” Etheros beckoned, showing he had no intent of moving or doing anything until Alistair did first. “I’m more than willing, but first I have just one question for you,” the Aussie replied. The Admin nodded as if to say “go ahead”, prompting him. “Why us? What is it about Wind Gear that’s so important to Chimera? Why have you chosen to target us?!” “Target you?!” Etheros asked, laughing uproariously. “Surely, you can’t be that naïve that you think this had anything to do with any of you? Our Master wanted the lady—the rest of you just chose to pursue us and get in the way. You’re nothing more than annoying little pests who have meddled too far into business that has nothing to do with you.” “That’s a lie,” he spat, as Etheros listened curiously. “If Beatrice was your true target then why did you take Damien? What use was he to you?!” “Damien? I have no idea who you’re talking about, nor do I care. Our orders were clear cut—retrieve the woman and that was it. There was no one else involved.” Hang on... Alistair flashed back to earlier with that Rawley guy in the woods, the Chimera Brigade. None of them had known about Damien either—they had all said that securing Beatrice was the only responsibility. If so, did that mean this guy was telling the truth, too? Why would something like that be kept a secret from everyone? After all, someone would have had to physically retrieve Damien and he couldn’t imagine that Chimera’s Master would just reveal himself so simply and risk getting discovered to do that. “Oh no...” Alistair swore under his breath, his mind coming to a stunning realization that could mean more trouble than any of them had imagined. He swallowed fearfully, feeling his body shake. The feeling wasn’t easy to explain but what if...what if Beatrice wasn’t the main target after all? There were pieces to this puzzle his mind couldn’t work out, but if his gut feeling was right, they may have been duped completely. It’s just a hunch, but there’s a good chance I’m right on this... He balled his fists. There was no more time to lose; he had to beat this guy and catch up with the others. In his head, he had figured it all out. “Look kid, I don’t know what this is about, but you’ve made your bed and now it’s time for you to lie--” Etheros’ words were cut off abruptly by a punch to the gut, literally bending his body forwards. Such speed! Alistair, acting out of desperation now, kicked him square in the face, sending the Admin flying back towards the trees. He kicked off the ground and flew after him, striking him clean with a punch to the face that followed him straight to the ground. I can’t block any of his attacks! What’s up with this kid?! Etheros panicked as his body crashed into the ground, furious at himself for being unable to better defend. “Mate I don’t know whether or not your words are truth, but unfortunately after all you Chimera bastards have done, I don’t have time to offer the benefit of the doubt!” Alistair dropped to a knee, placing his palms against the rustled dirt. “Don’t take it personally! I’ll end it with one attack! Earthbound Star Shower!” The borderline light show shot up from the ground and crashed down onto Etheros’ grounded body all in one fell swoop, causing a huge cloud of smoke and dust to appear, temporarily eliminating any line of sight. The boy slowly stood and tried to catch his breath, wiping the sweat from his forehead. That attack should have been enough to finish him off. The rapid succession of physical combat and then taking Star Shower at full force, there was no way he could still be able to fight, was there? The smoke began to clear and nerves began to creep up. Standing there good as new, with only a few scratches, was his opponent. “Don’t tell me he’s—how could he have possibly survived that shot unscathed?” Alistair asked aloud, frustration beginning to settle in. His mind had considered the possibility of Etheros somehow surviving, but this? The attack hadn’t even phased him. There was no possible way he could continue fighting at such a high level without completely running out of power. “I must admit, that was a valiant effort,” Etheros acknowledged. “In fact, I can still feel the pain from your punches,” he said rubbing the side of his cheek. “But if you thought you would have been able to defeat me with such a move, you’re even more of a fool than I thought.” “I don’t understand, my attack should have hit you, how is it you were able to dodge it so easily?!” Alistair demanded. “Dodge it? I did no such thing. I simply put it to better use.” His response was vague, but his sinister smile told its own story. “Here, allow me to demonstrate!” A swirling vortex of dark energy, very similar to the ones the Shadowlites had fired, gathered around his right hand. After a moment, it began to open, and at Etheros’ command, Alistair’s own attack was fired back at him as a single blast of charged energy. “Earthbound Star Shower!” He copied my magic?! Alistair exclaimed, leaping out of the way, but not quite fast enough as some of the back-blast struck him, knocking him right back down to the ground. It didn’t hurt nearly as bad as it would have at full force, but it was still enough to confirm this guy was no longer playing around. He wanted to stand. No, he needed to stand. As he forced himself to his feet, he noticed Etheros hadn’t moved a muscle. Like he was barely taking this fight seriously at all. “What kind of magic even exists that has such power?” Etheros waved his hand and recreated the dark vortex, simply displaying it. “Here I command the power of the Chaos Realm. Any and all users of dark magic are able to tap into it, but only a true wizard can learn to control it entirely.” “The Chaos Realm?” Alistair inquired. He’d never even heard of such a thing, but he sure didn’t like the sound of it. “It is the greatest power in the universe and it will be your final resting place!” --- “I have no idea what the hell you’re talking about, but all the words aren’t important,” Alistair said. “All I know is I can’t lose to you, I don’t care what kind of dark magic you use!” There had to be a way to beat this guy, but if he could just absorb Rakurai-based attacks and re-use them as his own, trying to hit him with any kind of magic would be pointless. That meant the only other option was to do it the old-fashioned way. “Enough, I’ll put you out of your misery! Go, Earthbound Star Shower!” Etheros decreed, the dark swirls around his hand releasing another blast of pure white light, firing on all cylinders directly at Alistair. How ironic it was that the boy’s own magic would be what killed him. The explosion from the force of the attack was a powerful one, even more-so than the first one. “Now, I must be off.” “Funny, I was just about to make the same suggestion to ya.” No wait—the boy had survived the attack? Alistair relocated to a face-to-face position and with a single swing, jolted the Chimera Admin straight in the throat, sending him flying upwards into the air. Etheros felt the blood shoot from his mouth as he tried desperately to recollect himself, with Alistair in hot pursuit. The two exchanged blows in the air back and forth, but the boy gained the upper hand quickly, punching him straight in the face again, this time back towards the ground. “Fighting me without magic? What kind of insanity is this---” Etheros asked rhetorically, feeling himself plummet towards the ground with no way to break his fall this time around. “I told you, I don’t have time to waste! If you want to play this game of illusions, you’re gonna have to find another spectator!” With one final rotation, Alistair struck him in the chest, the impact enough to send Etheros blasting into the ground, this time creating a crevice about the size of his body. “Have you...failed to realize that your magic won’t work on me? You can beat the hell out of me all you want, but you can’t beat me. The power of darkness will continuously give me strength!” Alistair ignored him, getting down on his knees again. Etheros lay in the dirt, his body obviously wounded. “Let’s see you dodge this one! Earthbound Star Shower!” Two pillars shot up this time, forming at their usual point. In his injured state, the Admin laughed as he simply revealed the dark swirl again, absorbing the force of the attack. But it wasn’t until a moment later that he felt the ground beneath him begin to rumble as well. “That can’t be...” It was too late. “Your abilities allow you to absorb my magic, but you have to be up against it to do so...with your body in its physical state, you can’t move in time to block the attack coming from down under!” He chuckled to himself at the native reference as two more bursts shot out from beneath Etheros’ body, combining with the two points of light above him. The Admin cried out in pain as the attack took its toll. Beaten...by some punk kid? How was this possible? “I told you, I didn’t have the time to waste. I always appreciate a good fight, but you and your people tried to hurt my friends, and when the lives of the people I care about are at stake, I can’t afford to play around.” “I...don’t understand. You brats have constantly come out victorious against everything we’ve thrown at you, it just doesn’t make any damn sense!” He yelled, suddenly jolting his body from the pain. “Even if you did defeat me, it won’t make any difference. You’d have to...” Etheros stopped talking, cringing as he felt the pain worsen, a dark aura surrounding his fallen body. “My body...what is happening...to me?!” Is this another one of his tricks? Alistair wondered, quickly eliminating that as a possibility. “What were you going to say just now? I’d have to what?!” “You have failed me, and for that you shall pay with your very life,” Etheros said, but it was no longer him speaking. A dark, demonic voice had taken over him and the dark aura had quickly consumed his entire body. Before Alistair could ask any more questions, the man’s body had completely disappeared, leaving nothing but the crater his body had formed behind. “Hey wait!” He cried out, still trying to rationalize all this. That voice...it had to be the voice of Chimera’s Master. Alistair couldn’t explain why, but something just told him...everything was starting to make sense now. It was very likely that the questions they had been seeking answers to for so long were all connected at a central point—whoever the leader was. It had become clear that in order to get those answers, they had to make it to him. Because he wasn’t going to allow anyone to reveal his secrets. Alistair shook his head, feeling slightly sorrowful for the man who, just like many others were so blinded by the guise of this so called “Grand Design” that they swore their loyalty to a madman. He couldn’t save them, it was out of his control. But when he did make it to Chimera’s Master, he was gonna throw in a few extra shots in their honor, just for good measure. --- Barely any time had passed before they ventured into the true heart of the forest, leaving Alistair behind in confidence, that Skylar sensed the presence of the next roadblock. Should’ve figured they weren’t going to get a clear path to Chimera’s Master, but part of him had hoped they wouldn’t be forced to split up again. However, the likelihood was that there were more of these guys, which meant that may very well be the case. It was evident that Calle had noticed it as well, but Andrea didn’t quite pick up on it. Though her physical strength was great, her senses were far less so, especially compared to tacticians like Calle and Skylar. Her anger and inability to operate with a level-head most of the time made her a viable asset on the battlefield, but when it came to scouting, she was quick to rush into things without thinking. That being said, he was glad to have her here now—especially because with the boost of Rakurai she’d gotten from Shotei, she became all that much stronger. Without even saying anything aloud, Calle and Skylar nodded at one another, acknowledging the realization that both of them had come to. Calle’s senses were more intense as they got closer, so he decided to change direction. “H...hey wait, where are we going?” Andrea asked confusedly, still changing her path. Calle motioned to her to be silent. The enemy was right nearby. It was highly likely that he’d spotted them already. Tres spoke up. “This is merely speculation, but I’d assume that given everything we’ve run into so far has been a cleverly orchestrated plan, I believe it’s safe to say that there’s going to be an enemy positioned at four different points. Knowing the amount of people pursuing them, it seems reasonable that Chimera’s Master would have taken such precautions.” I’m thinking the same thing. That Etheros guy mentioned something about Chimera’s Admins being dispatched to prevent us from reaching him in time. Calle added. Truthfully, he couldn’t wait till this was all over. He needed a drink and a nap. “There’s just one. You two go on ahead—I’ll take care of it,” Skylar added, prompting Andrea’s surprise. She hadn’t sensed anything. But splitting up further couldn’t possibly be the best option. Before she could interject, Skylar spoke again. “I’m not any happier about the idea of us splitting up again, but I get the idea there’s one of these guys stationed for each of us as an extra defense measure. We can’t afford to waste time—we need to get to their Master as soon as possible.” “Yeah but...” Andrea trailed off. “I feel so out of the loop,” she said, lowering her head in shame. Calle took a moment to try and quell her sorrows. “It’s not you, what you lack in sensory skills, you more than make up for with physical ones. You’re just as important to this battle, if not more, as the rest of us. We have to save your brother, Andrea. And we need to do it soon.” She shook her head. He was right. The commotion had started to catch up to her, but she couldn’t let herself get distracted anymore. Her brother had risked his life for them, and now she owed it to him to save him so they could actually rebuild what remained of their family. That was her promise to herself. “Skylar, you better be careful out there. It’d be a shame for Alistair to show you up, after all,” Calle joked, doubling as a motivational factor. “Yeah right, keep dreamin’.” “All joking aside, this guy’s probably no joke. I can’t read his power level but I’d imagine the closer we get, the stronger the enemy. But since I’m sure you’ve already figured this out, I’ll leave you with this—take him seriously. Don’t underestimate him. And most importantly, catch up with us as soon as possible. Got it?” The boy adjusted the rim of his glasses. “When have I ever taken orders from you?” He scoffed. “Don’t consider it an order, think of it like this. You’re the one who said you hate to owe a debt to anyone,” Calle said. “Right now, we’re all in Damien’s debt. So unless you want to spend the rest of your life owing him...” “Go. I’ve got this guy.” Calle tapped Andrea on the shoulder and she nodded. If the predictions were correct, there were two down, and two to go. Or so they hoped. To be continued...[/spoiler] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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