Chapter 2: Total Annihilation? The Threat of the General
General Zeong was truly a terrible sight to behold.
His entire body appeared to be formed mostly of giant red horns jutting out from a single source in his middle, with purple armor covering his mid section, and three horn-branches underneath it. He did not have any arms. Instead, he had long horns sticking out from his shoulders, with his two free-floating hands hovering on either side of his body. On his head were five horns- three longer ones sticking out along the sides of his head, curved upwards, and two smaller ones sticking up out of the top of his head. Orbiting around him were several dozen smaller spikes.
"That's the General?" Shute asked, stepping back fearfully. He had never imagined the leader of the Dark Axis being something like that!
The General's eye glowed, and it roared something in its monstrous language, before chuckling in a deep, dark voice.
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But not everyone was scared of the General. Slightly separate from the crowd, Zapper's gang looked up at their leader with impressed and awed expressions.
"Wow!" Zapper remarked, "So that's Lord General, huh? Wow, he looks pretty cool!"
Grappler grinned. "We can win, yes we can! As long as the General's on our side, there's no way we can lose!"
"Dom!" Destroyer added eagerly.
After all, Gerbera wasn't serious when he said the General would destroy everyone…right?
-z-
The General then did something odd. From his, for lack of a better word, legs, several horns sprouted off, shooting down. They hit the earth and began to burrow down.
"What's that?" Bakushinmaru asked, gesturing to the digging horns.
Once the horns were out of sight, the ground began to shake.
"Something's moving underneath us!" Captain cried out in realization.
He and Shute looked down, hoping to see if they could spot whatever was causing the tremors. Then, a giant horn grew out of the ground! And then another! All around them, horns burst from the ground, growing like giant, apocalyptic weeds.
-z-
In Lacroa, more and more Mmns flew up into the sky. The ruined kingdom had its own set of red horns, leftovers from the Dark Axis invasion, but these were only grown around the dead Spirit Tree were the castle was on. However, farther out from there more horns were growing, sprouting out of the canyon walls and the fields.
-z-
In the Minov Boundary Sea, another crack appeared, and out from it grew a mess of horns.
-z-
In Neotopia, both human and mobile citizens stared up in the sky in shock. The giant crack forming in the space above the city was jarring enough, but now there was a giant red horn growing from it! And from that horn smaller horns were growing.
-z-
Out in the suburbs of the city, Sayla Mass cheerfully skipped towards her house, humming a happy tune when she felt the air grow stale.
"What's that?" She wondered, and looked up. Up in the sky, another crack had formed with another giant horn growing from it!
-z-
At the Ray household, otherwise known Shute's house, mother of the family Keiko was outside, giving her baby daughter Nana some fresh air and sunshine. As she rocked Nana in her arms and hummed, something caught her eye.
"Is that…?" She murmured, staring at the giant horn in the sky. It looked a great deal like the 'Horn of War' the Dark Axis had grown at Neotopia Tower during their invasion.
-z-
Back in Ark, horns continued to grow everywhere. Gunpanzer drove around them, trying to find a safe place for his passengers, Shute, Princess Rele, and Genkimaru. Shute, standing up, clung desperately to the edge of the box bed as Gunpanzer sped and swerved down the horn-infested battlefield, trying to avoid any new horns that might pop up. Unfortunately, a new horn burst up under Gunpanzer, causing him to bounce. This caused Rele and Genkimaru to fly out of the box bed.
"Princess! Genkimaru!" Shute cried, and leapt after them.
Activating the boosters on his backpack, he flew in and grabbed Rele's hand to keep her from falling, but Genkimaru fell just out of his reach. But before the Musha Gundam become road pizza, a blur zipped by, carrying him away! Confused, Shute pulled Princess Rele back into Gunpanzer's box bed. Once they were in, the two humans turned around to see who had rescued Genkimaru from his crash landing. Carrying the kid Musha Gundam under his arm was a black Musha Gundam ninja Shute knew well…
"Huh? Cobramaru?" Shute asked.
Cobramaru gave Shute a quick glare.
Looking up in his arm, Genkimaru cried, "It's you!"
Cobramaru dropped Genkimaru, and then bowed. On the top of his head, where Kibaomaru's emblem used to be before his dismissal, were the characters for 'Genki Energy Force'.
"I came to pay you back for the rice balls you gave me." Cobramaru said simply.
Genkimaru smiled, his eyes shining. His own ninja!
No more horns were popping out of the ground, but they weren't done yet. Some in the middle of the field were growing bigger.
"What now?" Captain asked, watching.
Everyone watched as three larger horns grew bigger, sprouting smaller horns on their sides.
"What's happening?" Bakushinamaru cried, staring at those horns.
As they were pointed towards each other, the three large horns eventually grew so big that they met and intertwined, forming a mountain of horns. And directly above it was the General, who was lowering himself down.
Here it comes! Shute didn't know what this was about, but whatever it was, it was going to happen.
With a thunderous crash, the General landed on the top of the horn mountain, connecting to it in flash of green and yellow light. Black lightning began to dance all over the place, crackling down the mountain and hopping from one horn to the next. The entire area became filled with the dark electricity. All of the Gundams and other robots cried out in pain, staggering about. In the air, Zero found himself flying lower and lower, moaning.
"What's the matter?" Shute asked.
-z-
In Lacroa, the same black lightning crackled about, and the Mmns lost their normal glow. The areas outside of the petrified kingdom began to lose their natural color, turning into a dull brown.
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In Neotopia, the humans watched in confusion and horror as the black electricity danced about from the horns in the sky and ground, and the mobile citizens froze, falling over.
-z-
"This…current…" Zero gasped, "Is…absorbing the…energy…from the…land!"
"Our gundanium as well!" Captain realized.
Shute's eyes widened. "No!" Becoming angry, he whirled around and glared at the perpetrator to this disaster- the General.
The General's mouth opened, and the jaw began to glow. A dark, multi-colored energy built up in the beam cannon in the mouth's center.
"Oh no!" Bakushinmaru cried, "That's not good!"
Shute then remembered what Madnug had said earlier. "Didn't he say we haven't seen his true power yet?" he asked, looking at Baku'.
"He's planning to collect enough energy to fire again, at full power…!" Zero realized.
Bakushinmaru recalled the size of the blast created from 'point zero one percent.' "If such a thing occurs…"
"If such a thing occurs…" Captain said, stepping up. "…It will be the end of the world!"
Everyone stared up at the horn mountain.
"Let's go, everyone!" Captain yelled, "We're attacking the General!
Shute, Zero, and Bakushinmaru nodded. "All right!"
Two hatches opened up underneath Option Z, and a pair of gattling guns popped out and into Captain's hands. Activating Option Z's rockets, Captain blasted off towards the General.
Zero turned to Shute and said, "The princess, Shute…take care of her!"
As Zero flew off, Shute nodded. "I will, Zero!"
Behind Shute, Princess Rele remained in her trance.
Bakushinmaru turned and yelled, "Let's go, Entengo!"
With a loud neigh, Entengo gallopped forward. Bakushinmaru jumped into the saddle, and the two raced towards the horn mountain.
"Charge!" Bakushinmaru yelled.
Meanwhile, Buritenmaru assumed his place on the Tanega Rifle carried by his generals.
"Attack!" the tiny old Musha Gundam yelled, "Revel the ranks!"
With a yell, the Buriten army surged towards the General.
"Beat the General!" Kibaomaru bellowed, and his army and Kibao Horde charged.
These three united forces- Gundam Force, Buriten Army and Kibao Army- headed forwards, with naught but a common goal in mind- to win!
"The Gundam Force has always worked as team," Shute said to himself, "And together there is no enemy that can defeat us!" Knowing that Captain needed his Soul Drive at full power to win, he yelled, "Go for it!"
-z-
The General's eye turned and glared down at the bottom of his mountain…at The Boy.
"Go for it!" The Boy yelled.
The General saw that when The Boy spoke, those Gundams seemed to become more energized, more invigorated.
There was something about that Boy…but what?
-z-
In the mayor's office of Neotopia, the beautiful, charismatic Mayor Margaret Gathermoon was busy dealing with a crisis. As monitors arround her showed multiple areas in the city infested with horns- there was no other word for what they were doing- she spoke very quickly to her aides and other city officials, both with her in the office and through a communicator.
"Evacuate all citizens in the areas attacked by the horns!" She said, "Cooperate with the SDG and move quickly!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
Once the chiefs of police and the fire department left, Mayor Gathermoon looked back at the screens.
"Those came through the dimensional boundaries?" She asked, terrified. "They must be very powerful!"
Behind her, her robot butler Leonardo nodded, his mustache quivering. "Yes, it is a dreadful enemy!"
The mayor suspected that whatever this was, it was another ploy by the Dark Axis to take over Neotopia. And she hoped that the ones who saved Neotopia the last time they attacked would be fighting them.
Let's go, Gundam Force!
-z-
In the Minov Boundary Sea, the horns continued to spread, but their progress was being slowed. Far in front of them, in his Ship of the Golden Crest, the Dai-Shogun unleashed blasts of wind from his fan, but his efforts only caused minimal damage. It wasn't long before the horns grew close enough to touch him.
Panting, he thought, Seems to be no use! In that case… He went for the sword at his side. "Daihoto Sword!"
The larger horns began to fire out dozens of smaller ones, and the Dai-Shogun began to slash at them, cutting them in twain and knocking them aside.
"The future of the world is in your hands!" He called out as he attacked, hoping his voice would reach the Gundam Force. "Use all of your might, brave warriors!"
-z-
Meanwhile, the General began his counterattack against the Gundam Force and their allies, sending down dozens of his smaller horns at the advacing forces. As he rocketed up, Captain fired his gattling guns, destroying the horns that came at him. Also in the air, propelled by the fires of the Bakushin Armor, Entengo galloped up as Bakushinmaru chopped away at any horn that came to close.
-z-
On the ground, Zapper's gang were initating a hasty retreat as horns rained down at them.
"How come you're aiming at us!" Zapper screamed.
"We're on your side, Lord General!" Grappler wailed.
Destroyer and the Zako Soldiers cried as they jogged behind Zapper and Grappler.
-z-
Back in the air, Zero flew around, striking and ending horns with his magical Vatras Sword. Captain then saw the General's right hands flew before him and fire from its finger-cannons. Captain swerved to the side, avoiding the five green beams of death. He and Zero then flew up and launched an attack on the hand. As Captain fired an unending slew of bullets on the hand's left side, Zero flew up along the right and slashed the hand's wrist without pause. The only response they got was the hand's mono eye swiveling around to look at Captain.
"These are useless!" Captain yelled, throwing his now-empty gattling guns down.
Option Z released every missile at it had at the hand, but when the smoke cleared, there wasn't even a scratch on it.
"Huh? Nothing works!" Captain cried out in frustration.
On the other side, Zero continued his ceaseless- but useless- assault on the hand, before stopping.
"This giant hand is indestructible!" The Winged Knight growled. Then something caught his eye. "What's that?"
On the ground, a horn crashed right in front of Buritenmaru and his generals, sending the old Musha Gundam flying. And his new elevation made him a perfect target for another horn!
"Oh no! My lord!" Kinkaku and Ginkaku cried.
Just before the horn struck, Zero flew in and shoved Buritenmaru out of the way. The two of them crashed on the ground, dirtied, but more or less unharmed. Zero pushed himself up, but barely had time to adjust when he heard a sound behind him. Turning around, he saw that the General's right hand was hovering behind him, preparing to fire his fingers! Zero stared at it like it was a train in a tunnel. He was too tired to move.
Up in the air, the rest of the Gundam Force saw this as well.
"Oh no!" Bakushinmaru cried.
"Zero!" Captain yelled.
The hand fired, sending five beams of green power straight at the Knight Gundam.
Rele's eyes opened. "It has come!"
Her hands glowed, and shot up a bright beam of blue light into the heavens. High in the sky, a bright burst blue flash of light, and out from it flew a white dragon with feathery wings and light purple armor.
Shute recognized it as Zero's spirit ally. "Fenn!" He exclaimed happily
The Feather Dragon of Lacroa dived down at Zero, reaching him just as the beams did. There was a great explosion as the two forces met their target, when it settled down, there was a Knight Gundam in purple armor, with two white feathery wings on his back. In each hand was a long, silver sword. He had become Zero Custom, Knight Silver Wings.
"Zero!" Shute cried, elated.
"Yes!" Bakushinmaru cheered.
Captain nodded. "Great!"
Princess Rele wiped her brow. "I am glad…" Not bad for a first try!
"Thank you very much, your highness!" Zero called down to her.
Rele nodded. "I'll leave the rest to you."
Meanwhile, Kinkaku and Ginkaku had rushed up to Buritenmaru.
"My lord!" Ginkaku said.
"Are you all right?" Kinkaku asked.
Buritenmaru nodded to them before waving at Zero. "Thank you, young fella!"
Zero just shook his head. "No problem, sir! I did only what I was supposed to do!" He turned around and faced the hand. "I apologize for making you wait. Now I'll show you my elegant technique!"
Zero pressed the two flat sides of his swords together, and they merged in a single double-edged sword.
"Let's go, everyone!" Zero yelled, and raised his sword, which began in the hole at the end. "Super Spirit Magic Infinity Winds!"
Zero pointed his sword forward, and a beam of magic blades shot out of it.
Meanwhile, Bakushinmaru leapt out from Entengo and landed beneath the hand. The chest stone and other circles on the Bakushin Armor began to glow yellow, gathering energy.
"Bakkai…Tensho…" He yelled as the arrows on his back spread out. "Ignite!"
A massive sphere of fire exploded from Bakushinmaru.
"Energize the V-Attack!" Captain yelled. The sides of his helmet opened up and began to draw in energy. "Prepare for launch!" A clear-view visor slid down over his eyes, and his V-fin began to glow. "Activate V-Attack!"
A yellow beam shot out from Captain's V-fin. The V-Attack powered directly through the hand, while at the same time, the blades from Zero's Infinity Winds and the explosion from Bakushinmaru's Bakkai Tensho struck the hand from above and below. At being assaulted from three different angles by these powerful moves, the hand exploded instantly. The General roared in fury at the loss of one of his hands.
"Oh, yeah!" Shute yelled, shielding his eyes from the light of the explosion.
Out from the blast flew Captain, Zero, and Baku' propelled by rockets, wings, and the fire of inner strength. They shot towards their next target- the General!
But something was wrong.
"Oh no!" Captain cried, "The General's energy level is still increasing!"
And more horns were shooting down at them. Option V popped out some kind of folded up device, which floated towards Captain's hand. The trigger flipped up into his grip, and barrel flipped down, revealing that it was some kind of long-barreled hand cannon. Captain pulled the trigger, and a huge beam of energy shot out, destroying a dozen horns in a single blast. Bakushinmaru shot forward, his body consumed in flames, causing any horns to get too close blow up. Zero, his body within a magic bubble, weaved around the incoming horns, striking and ending them with his Twin Buster Sword. However, he stopped, and flew to the right to avoid being shot at by the General's remaining hand. The Gundams tried to fly around it, but the hand moving in front of them and firing, blocking their path. On the ground, everyone else kept fighting, doing their best to hold their own. Bakuhamaru, having lost his hammer earlier, slashed and struck at any incoming horns with his normal sword, while Kibaomaru did the same. Genkimaru, not having an appropriate weapon of his own, jumped, ducked, and dodged the horns.
As Gunpanzer drove further into the battle, Shute jumped up onto the top and yelled, "That's it! Take him down!" Shute ducked as a horn shot over his head, but soon stood up straight and waved vigorously. "Keep going!"
-z-
Once again, the General glared down at The Boy. There was something connected to The Boy's voice and the Gundams' destroying his hand…
And then he remembered .
"…The boy is Captain Gundam's power source…" Madnug had said.
So that was it!
The Boy was giving the Gundams power!
Well, he wouldn't be having that!
The General's eye glowed, and a tractor beam shot down.
-z-
"Wha- Whoa!" Shute cried, seeing the beam coming.
Rele held up her hand. "Mana!"
A magical force field over Gunpanzer, just in time to block the General's tractor beam. The field dissipated the second the beam struck. Upon seeing his friend being attacked, Captain tried to go down and help, but the minute his back was turned, the General's hand shot him, knocking off pieces of Option Z. Gunpanzer did a U-turn and raced away from the mountain, another force field covering him, swerving to avoid tractor beams.
"Ha!" He snorted, "This here's nothin'!"
As they went, Shute looked up at the General. "Is he…aiming at me?"
Another tractor beam struck the force field. Princess Rele cried out in pain as her concentration as forcefully broken. The force of the beam's impact shook Gunpanzer, causing the Zakurello Phone to fly out of its holder and into the air.
"Rello-o-o!" The Phone, Chobirello, shrieked.
Acting quickly, Shute leapt out and grabbed Chobirello. "Rele!" He yelled, tossing it back in.
Rele caught it, taking a moment to observe the Phone's happy expression. ("Thank you, Rello!") There was a noise and a yell from Shute, and when Rele looked up, she saw that Shute had been caught! Dispite his yells and struggling, Shute was pulled back towards the General.
"Shute!" Rele cried out.
Everyone suddenly looked away from what they were doing and saw what was happening.
"Hold on, Shute!" Captain screamed, holding out his hand.
"What's happening!" Shute yelled, struggling to break free. "Captain, you've gotta help me!"
Shute was pulled closer and closer towards the General's eye, until he vanished and burst of energy- gone.
"I won't let you down!" Captain yelled as he, Zero, and Bakushinmaru flew towards the General.
-z-
For a few moments, Shute drifted in silence, without anything to see, listen to, or touch. He just was, in a sightless, soundless void.
Then, he felt a floor underneath his feet. And then the darkness began to fade. The sound of a faint wind reached his ears.
Shute looked around. He was on a brick road. A wind arrow made to look like a guitar moved slightly. There were trees and grass around him. The sun was beginning to set.
"I know this place…" He murmured, confused.
Shute turned around, and saw a house. He knew this house.
Wait a minute… "That's my house!" Shute cried, staring.
He could see everything that was there when he left Neotopia. His dad's songwriting workshop, the garage for the car, the old basketball hoop, but…
Something… Shute thought, …Is different.
That's when he heard a faint guitar strumming coming from within the house.
"Dad's guitar!" Shute cried, and rushed for the house.
Shute slid open the glass doors to the living room, but he didn't see his father anywhere. Instead, he saw the back of a tall, blond teenage girl, with her hair done up in two pigtails. She was sitting in a chair, the neck of guitar sticking out from in front of her body.
Who's she? Shute thought, unconsciously closing the glass door behind him.
Hearing the door shut, the girl put her guitar down, stood up and turned around to face him, revealing that she wore a pink one piece skirt. She looked at him in confusion.(Those eyes…he'd seen them somewhere!) The two stared at each other for a second before the girl teen turned her head towards the hall.
"Hey, bro'!" She called out, "A strange kid just walked in!"
"What did you say, Nana?" A young man's voice asked.
Shute stared at the girl. "Huh? Nana?"
That's when the man of the house walked in. "What's going on out here? What's the matter…" he trailed off when he saw Shute.
He was taller than 'Nana', and wore jeans and a red shirt with the character for 'Fire' on the front in yellow. He had green eyes and red hair hanging straight down, about an inch shorter than shoulder length. But what was most striking was a tuft of hair sticking up at the forehead. A tuft like Shute's!
Both Shute and this new guy stared at each other in shock. Both were silent until the man spoke up.
"It's you!" He cried.
The girl called Nana looked at the man and said, "Shute, don't tell me you know who this kid is!"
Shute's eyes widened. "Did you say 'Shute'?"
"This can't be!" The man called Shute cried, "What is my childhood self doing here? Aw, man!"
Childhood self! "Then you're me in the future!" Shute cried, pointing at the man. Pointing at the girl, he cried, "And you're my sister, Nana!"
'Nana' gasped, covering her mouth.
Shute thought about what had happened. The General had gotten him, and then he had disappeared…
"That means, I was warped to the future!" He thought out loud.
"I got it!" The future-Shute said, "I remember it now!"
Shute looked up at his adult version.
"I remember something like that happen when we had that battle with the General!" The adult Shute said. He looked back and forth between Nana and Shute when Shute realized something.
"If I have a future," Shute said, "Then we defeated the General, and both Ark and Lacroa are safe!" Laughing, he asked, "Isn't that right? I know it, it's gotta be!"
"Well…" The adult version suddenly looked very uncomfortable, as did older Nana.
"It's not?" Shute asked, confused.
"I'm sorry, no." Future Nana said simply.
The older versions of the Ray kids exchanged sad looks before turning to Shute.
"Both Lacroa and Ark are gone, Shute," Future Shute said, "I'm afraid they were annihilated.
"Annihilated…?" Shute asked slowly.
"Yes, annihilated," Future Shute said sadly, "Because of the massive attack by the General. And Neotopia was also ultimately destroyed."
"That can't be! That's impossible!" Shute protested, and pointed outside. "I just saw Neotopia right over there!"
"Look more carefully!" Future Shute told him.
Shute gasped, unable to believe the cold tone in his future version's voice. Narrowing his eyes angrily, Shute ran out of the house and towards the front yard. When he got there, he saw the city- the beautiful city in the distance- filled with the General's giant horns.
"That's impossible!" Shute yelled, staring. "We had Captain and the others! There's no way we could lose!"
"It's really because the mobile citizens caused a rebellion." Future Nana said, walking up next to Shute.
Shute stared at her, shocked. "They did?"
Future Shute appeared next to her. "All the mobile citizens started attacking humans to terminate us. It grew to become a giant war, that's still going on here and there. Now, all robots are the enemy of humans."
Shute gasped. How could he say that? "That's not true! That could never happen!" He yelled, shaking his head desperately.
But the future Shute continued. "All of the mobile citizens- all the robots betrayed us and decided to follow the General. Everybody, even Captain, Zero, and Bakunetsumaru, everybody did!"
"That can't be true!" Shute yelled.
"I'm sorry, it is," Future Shute said, standing over Shute. "You should not trust robots. If you trust them, you'll definitely be betrayed! Don't believe them!"
"It'll be the end if you trust them." Future Nana said.
Shute shut his eyes and yelled, "That's a terrible lie! This is all wrong! This…future is all backwards!"
"After all," Future Shute continued as if Shute hadn't spoken, "We humans and robots cannot understand each other!"
"Robots are enemies!" Future Nana said, "All enemies!"
Shute tried to block their words. "I know you guys are trying to trick me… It's a lie! A lie!"
Shute turned and ran, ran from the place he once called home.
-z-
"This is wrong!" Shute whispered as he huffed, "I know this is wrong!"
Eventually, Shute stride began to wear down, and his anger turned to sorrow. As he slowed into a walk, he came upon a bridge. Under and around it, he saw the burnt, broken remains of robots he knew in Neotopia, robots that he had become friends with.
"What's all this…?" He murmured, "All robots…"
Then he saw him. Lying in the middle of the pile, he saw the burnt, scratched body of a robot he never hoped to see in that condition.
"Oh no…" He gulped, shaking. "Captain…?"
It was. His left arm was missing, and part of his faceplate had been blasted off, but it was still Captain, lying against the rubbish, his eyes blank. Determined not to let this break him, Shute walked up to the prone Gundam.
"Captain, can you hear me?" Shute asked, "Captain, wake up!"
After a moment, Captain's eyes regained their light, and the Gundam lifted his head to look at Shute.
"Captain, look! That's right!" Shute said encouragingly, "It's me, your friend!"
"…My enemy," Captain said in a broken voice, "Shute is my…enemy."
"Captain!" Shute yelled, grabbing his friend's shoulders. "You're wrong! Not your enemy! Your best friend in the Gundam Force!"
But Captain just raised his remaining arm, pointing his wrist blaster at Shute.
"Enemy," Captain said, the blaster powering up. "Humans are-! Humans are-! Enemies!"
Shute jumped back, shocked.
"Enemy…I must defeat…!" Captain said one last time before slumping forward.
Shute stared for a moment before getting closer. Then, he broke down, falling to his knees and beginning to cry.
"Captain…!" He sobbed, his best friend gone. "I'm not…I'm not going to believe this!"
Then Shute heard jet engines from above. Looking up, he saw a couple dozen Doga Bombers flying overhead- towards his house! Within minutes, the bombs they were carrying were dropped, and the house became consumed in flames.
"It can't be!" Shute yelled, "None of this is really happening! This is a lie!"
As the world ended around him, Shute began to scream.
-z-
"It's a lie… It's a lie…" Shute murmured over and over, "It's a lie… It's a lie…"
Shute floated in the air in a lying position. Around him were dozens of purple circles, showing images from the 'vision' he had. None of what he saw had happened. Not his house. Not Neotopia. Not even Captain.
Shute hadn't gone to Neotopia at all. Instead, he was trapped inside a gigantic Soul Drive, with three rings spinning around it, floating in a nest of red horns.
-z-
Out in the battle, images of Shute- and the future he had been shown- were being projected into the air around the General.
The General himself was quite pleased. While The Boy was putting up a good fight, he could feel his spirit withering. It wouldn't be long before the brat's mind and spirit were broken- just like Madnug's.
Zeong began to laugh, coldly, cruelly, and loudly.
-z-
"He's laughing!" Gunpanzer realized, his head rising out of his front. "That's guy's enjoying destruction! The destruction of the world! And now, he's trying to destroy Shute's mind!"
Princess Rele clenched her fist. "I'll never let it happen! I swear it!"
-z-
Bakushinmaru yelled a battle cry as he flew forward, projected by his Armor's flames.
"Wait for me!" Zero yelled, flying alongside him.
"We'll save you, Shute!" Captain yelled, firing his cannon. "I promise!"
But before they could reach the General, his hand blasted at them from underneath! There was a fantastic explosion, and the three of them went plummeting down. Option Z had been reduced to its barest engines and rockets, the missile launchers and other weapons blown off.
"No!" Princess Rele screamed.
"Regroup!" Gunpanzer yelled, "Our power's getting dangerously low!"
-z-
"I'm showing that Captain is suffering a severe loss of functions!" Juli reported as a large screen showed the status of Captain and Option Z. "He's in critical condition!"
Chief Haro stood behind Juli, staring at the screen. Nearby, a smaller monitor showed the face of Dr. Bell Wood, the SDG's expert on dimensional transport.
"And the dimensional is increasing!" Bell Wood said urgently, "It's out of control!"
Chief Haro nodded. "I see. Please prepare to launch at once!"
-z-
In Neotopia, SDG workers were busy trying to bring the mobile citizens out of Neotopia as orderly as possible. On one street, a blond SDG crew member was trying to keep a line of mobile citizens moving, even as their bodies twitched and shook.
"Evacuate calmly!" He yelled, and then heard something. "Huh?"
The SDG worker turned around, and saw darkness well up from the horns. This wasn't a normal darkness. Normal darkness is simply the absence of light. This kind of darkness was the kind that stole light, and everything else.
-z-
"A distortion in space has generated in the spaceport area."
"The west industrial area is annihilated up to a fifty meter from the horns! The damage radius is gradually expanding!"
Mayor Gathermoon watched as the screens showed the horns' darkness grow. She bit her lip as they began to consume Neotopia.
"Mayor Gathermoon, what are your orders?"
"I'll send rescue units immediately!" She answered, "Please make safety your priority! Do you hear me?"
"Yes, ma'am!"
-z-
In the Minov Boundary Sea, the Dai-Shogun stared at the horn-infested crack. Darkness was flowing from it, spreading out like smoke.
This isn't good, He thought, This isn't good at all…
-z-
The horns in Lacroa were also creating darkness. This darkness was foul and rough, lacking the clean, romantic smoothness those who used Dark Mana spoke of.
-z-
The armies of Buritenmaru and Kibaomaru shivered and trembled, staring at the darkness the horns were creating. High in the air, the glowing center of the Dark Axis fortress grew, as if its light fed off of the darkness being poured into the world. The General's eye flashed, as if getting a high. On the ground, Kibaomaru fell to his hands and knees. Elsewhere, Buritenmaru sat on the ground, his tiny body shivering as he felt his generals collapsed. Genkimaru tried to draw a portal, but it faded out before it could fully form. He tried again, but to no avail.
"What?" Genkimaru asked, "Why isn't it working? I don't get it! How come my power can't be used when I need it the most? I've gotta go help Shute!"
Cobramaru saw something out of the corner of his eye, and then rushed to Genkimaru. He barely got close enough to move the boy when several horns shot down, sending them flying.
-z-
Princess Rele shrieked and cringed as another horn flew at her.
"Your highness!" Zero Custom yelled.
Zero put himself in front of the princess, taking a horn straight to the chest. The Knight of Silver Wings went flying, and crashed into the ground. As he tried to get up, he saw his sword become surrounded by a red and black energy!
"My sword!" He cried as his weapon vanished.
Not far from there, Bakushinmaru looked around as the flames his Armor created began to diminish until they were gone.
"What? No!" He cried, "The Bakushin Armor is losing its energy!"
Princess Rele looked pitiably at him and said, "It seems the General's power is growing…"
-z-
Up in the air, Captain tried to fly back up towards the General, but Option's Z's rockets began to give out. Captain made a pitiful landing, falling to his hands and knees.
"Shute…" Captain groaned softly, looking up the horn mountain.
In the images projected by the General, Shute began to cry in his sleep, tears slowly leaking out. As his sobs echoed throughout the sky, the General began to laugh even more, the energy increasing in his mouth.
It was almost time…