Mirta lowered her head frozen in fear as Griffin paced around in her office. The room shook as the Headmistress growled past clenched teeth.
"So let me get this straight... He, ran off after being thrown through a window for some brat, and you say there waiting for him until you came here... Alone."
"I-"
The office began quake as Griffin bellowed indignantly.
"I DO NOT WANT TO HEAR EXCUSES!"
Mirta trembled and stumbled back with a yelp. She fell over herself and scurried away from the terrifying woman stomping after her. The Headmistress loomed over the pale girl with sheer rage on her face.
"You had... One! Job! Count it, Mirta. ONE! Your job was to keep him in your sights! How could you lose him?!"
"I... I... I'm sorry...! I..."
Mirta curled up into a ball bracing for anything she could think of. Instead, the room fell still and silent until Griffin released a held breath.
"Just. Get out."
Mirta unfurled herself and scrambled for the door with tears in her eyes. She had to find Guts. She swung open with a gasp as a teacher stood in the doorway.
"Headmistress! I'll assume you're done? The boy, our security, he's back. He came in just a minute ago! A ghastly sight just like last night."
Griffin's blood ran cold.
"What does that mean? He's alive, correct!?"
"Y-Yes, of course! Beasts from the wild gnawed at his flesh when we opened the doors. He slayed them before we could help and just marched in drenched in viscera. This isn't going to be a constant, is it?"
"Dismissed, Teledorra. And take this, whelp, with you."
The teacher huffed as she gestured for Mirta to follow. She slammed the door behind them and sank into her office chair.
"Ah, what am I going to do? I can't incorporate him into the school life! ... Maybe I-"
Her magic orb came to life. A news cast played as it would on a television.
*"That's right, Miranda. Alfea Castle plans it's annual celebration party despite the terrible attack in the city. I hear the Specialist have something quite special set for the Fairies tonight! In other news, we have reports of the Black Knight. An alleged rogue who aided in the defense against the monster of this evening's tragedy."*
"... Ugh."
Griffin waved her hand as the image of the Trix came into view.
"Girls. I'll require a meeting with you."
"Yes ma'am!"
Her arm... It was gone now. She couldn't feel it. That's fine. For the life inside her this was the cost she would gladly pay.
This suffering was hers alone.
The child she would bear must live a peaceful life. A bloodless life. It's what he deserved.
All was so dark... But she knew how to deal with the darkness killing her. A horrid taste, sour and putrid in taste, the gaseous acid smoke came billowing out of her maw. The heat rose as the fire soon came. She could feel it intensifying. Hardening.
Her destructive flames soon became a light. A shaft of light even her blind eyes could see. A shaft of light to cease the darkness killing the world...
Tecna paced around with her holographic screen on. The girls all laid around the room watching her intently. Tecna shook her head and sighed.
"I can't follow where that ape guy went. This is stressful."
Flora hugged herself with a strict breath.
"I can still feel those horrible eyes on me... I feel like he could pop out any second!"
Musa kicked her legs into the air as she laid on her back.
"And Guts has been fighting things like that since he was a kid...! No wonder he acted the way he did..."
Stella scoffed and threw a pillow at Musa.
"That's still no excuse for what he did! Gosh, he's more nastier than those Witches he prefers! Well, except that one with him, she was nice."
Bloom however had fallen asleep already. They group looked to her as she murmured and groaned in her dreams. Sweating profusely, shifting and rolling side to side, she had a pained face.
Stella shook Bloom lightly with a small smile.
"H-Hey! Wake up already, girl! We've got a party to get to...!"
Bloom sat up abruptly with a gasp. A stifled shriek as tears welled up in her eyes. The girls came to her side.
"Wh-Whoa, whoa, whoa what's wrong?!"
Stella hugged her tightly with Flora.
"Hey Bloom, calm down we're here for you!"
Tecna shook her head sighing lightly.
"Bad dream? After today who could blame, but we're safe now."
"Don't cry, Bloom we'll be right here for you!"
Musa said with a fake smile. Her words true, her confidence lacking.
Bloom shook her head as she shuddered.
"I just don't know anymore...! What do these dreams mean? I-I'm sorry everyone but I think I'll have to skip the party tonight."
All erupted in objections trying to deter Bloom from her decision, but she kept her head down in silence.
As the girls gave up, Bloom locked herself away in her dorm room, allowing only Flora in, so that her roommate could prepare for the ball.
Meanwhile in an underground network, Wyald traversed the rocky labyrinth with haggard breathing.
"Hiiee... Whfoo... Hiiee... Whfoo..."
He stared down at his naked body, a tired smile as he leaned against the wall within the cavern, he grunted loudly.
"Whew! I almost lost you for good, willie! But now... How am I gonna get back at them kids?"
He pounded a hand in an open one with a gleeful cheer.
"Aha! I'll snatch 'em up quick and crush 'em tight! But! I'll be sure to keep 'em breathing and make sure they suffer! However that Black Swordsman... He'll be trouble up front, so will that red head... Hrm, what to do..."
"Don't hold back. You underestimated them, but proved stronger still despite your loss."
Wyald turned to the new figure with a hapless smile.
"Oh yeah! Great idea, Meph-MEWAGH"
A huge fist slammed Wyald's face into the cavern wall. The ape shuddered in shock and pain silently as the shadowed figures huffed.
"You're not even worth being a stain on my fist, but you're still needed for things so consider this a punishment. We're not in Midland any more."
The figure slowly grinded the fist into the Apostle's head before he released him and allowed the ape to fall to the ground in agony.
"You follow orders now. Follow them to the straight and narrow, or die. I don't need to remind what await us do I?"
That had the groaning Wyald shake his head in unintelligible terror. The superior's eyes flashed as he stomped down.
"THEN LISTEN WELL, FOOL! You have an assignment, and failure will NOT be tolerated, understand?!"
Wyald nods numerous times as he stood to his feet. His face steaming as it began to fix itself at a painstakingly slow pace. He was finally able to speak.
"I-I... I understand...! Shit man... I thought we were buddies!~ Y-Ya didn't have to hit me s-"
He was struck again, a blow to the gut, the wind in his lungs forced out as he wheezed.
"Your. Assignment. As inept as you are, will be perfect for you. You're to use our new weapons in an experiment for the first assault on this world's defenses. Crash the Alfea Castle Ball and retrieved that red head Fairy named Bloom alive in one piece. Not raped, or in pieces, alive and well Wyald. We need her."
Wyald odded as he began to get dressed.
"Okay but... What if I'm caught in a bind?! I mean, I'll be in a room full of crazy powerful people!"
"Useless... Use the item in those clothes I gave. It will stop even my own magic, and if that fails as well, I already told you what eating a Fairy can do for us Apostles."
Wyald took out a black jeweled amulet and sneered as he looked down the tunnel. Marching feet with a myriad of growls stopped before the two Apostles. A small army of humanoid monsters.
The superior continued as he threw clothes and a tied burlap sack at him.
"Here's your bag of the Behelit, don't forget to litter them around. With our oncoming disaster, new servers will join us along with the demon soldiers."
"I know! I know...! I'll be going now, Sir..."
The two went their seperare ways. The superior vanished alone as Wyald began chuckling at the sight of his private army.
"Yknow... This ain't so bad actually! If you lot know how to use those weapons on ya, we could take on anyone! Anyone...!" Alright boys, we've a party to crash!"
They marched on, jeering and roars of cackling from them all.
In Cloudtower, Guts marched down the hall and his way to his room.
"Hey Guts. Come here."
Darcy reached for his shoulder, though she flinched back at his glare, both relaxing as he turned around with a grunt.
"What do you want. It's almost curfew."
"Glad to see you cleaned yourself up. Griffin has us going to crash the Alfea Castle party. I thought it'd be a good idea to bring you along. You think so too, right?"
"Sure."
"I know you might wanna...? Huh? Just like that?!"
Guts nodded as he grabbed the hilt of his sword.
"You're gonna prank them, right? It's for not inviting you all to the party. Yearly thing, I remember Griffin always sending some Witches to mess with it one way or another, this'll be my third time helping."
Darcy blinked before shrugging with a smile.
"Great! That means you won't be left behind then! You do have that new seal on your Brand, correct?"
Guts turned around and pulled down his cape to show the talisman over the Brand. Darcy shook her head.
"Good. Seeing what that thing could do, even I wouldn't be sure of taking you with us, but let's hope it holds up tonight. We're going through the underground tunnels."
"Got it... What about Mirta?"
"Huh?"
"Isn't she my babysitter?"
"About that..."
Darcy thought about what she should say... Within this moment came the opportunity she and her sisters sought.
"She was too shy to say it to you, but Fickle Mirta just can't handle being around you! I mean, you heard how Griffin reacted before you came back to Cloudtower.~"
"..."
"Not to mention, she came back without you, how could a Witch lose a human? She felt so awful about it. Griffin thought ahead though and as of this moment-"
Darcy offered her hand with a bewitching smile.
"I'll be your partner from here on! Not too bad, huh?"
"Fine."
He walked past her, gaining a grunt from the Witch as she rolled her eyes at him, following after him.
"Could it kill you to be a bit more friendlier?"
"You Witches don't make friends, or am I mistaken."
"That's not what you said in breakfast this morning. You got a strange mindset..."
"Wouldn't you like to know."
"I would! That's my specialty, the mind. Think about that for a minute."
Guts fell silent but marched on. Darcy noticed his fist softened for a moment. She would have to make a note of every facet of this warrior if she wanted to make him her own.
They met Icy and Stormy below at the secret entrance of the tunnels. Stormy raising a brow as she took a step back from Guts.
"Wait, you actually got him to come?"
Icy shrugged.
"If things go wrong we can use him. C'mon big guy, we've a party to crash."
The party entered the tunnels and traversed through the underground.
Alfea Castle celebrated a radiant ball within the main hall. Teachers and students together mingled happily among each other. Save for the Winx, who mostly kept quiet, even Stella.
Timmy found Tecna off to the side by her lonesome typing away at her holographic screen.
"There you are, what're you doing over here by yourself?"
She didn't answer.
"T-Tecna? Hey, Magix to Tecna!"
She blinked before she turned the screen off and looked at Timmy with a tired expression.
"Oh it's you. Sorry, I haven't gotten much rest since... Well it doesn't matter. How are you? That tongue nearly crushed you, shouldn't you be resting?"
Tecna drew closer to Timmy as she looked him over, almost dotingly so. He laughed nervously and shook his head.
"I-I'm fine! Really, Sky and Brandon came too, see?"
He gestured to the crowd, Brandon spoke with Stella as Sky looked around, the blonde found Tecna and smiled weakly.
"Hey guys, sorry if I'm interrupting but, have you seen Bloom?"
Timmy scratched his head and shrugged.
"I haven't. I thought for sure she'd be here too."
Tecna lowered her eyes sighing as she held her arm.
"Bloom isn't well. She's having bad dreams, probably from all this monster business, so she's staying in her dorm room."
Sky frowned sadly but nodded anyways.
"Oh... Thanks. I hope she feels better."
"Me too."
Bloom closed her eyes again. She had to get some sleep in... But there it was again.
The sight of a decimated world, the awe of two monolithic beasts, two dragons fighting in the center of a once powerful kingdom.
One white as snow, it's feathered wings illustrious, it's body seemingly plated with armor rather than scales, and flaming golden eyes. A single horn with a bright halo at the base, it spewed a raging inferno at it's target.
Tattered wings blocked the searing flame and revealed the other. Shewas littered in wounds. Black as the darkness of the night, the injuries she received were odd. Over her eyes and even her stomach laid the Brand of Sacrifice. A frightening monster she could only imagine from a fairytale.
Wait... She? How did Bloom know?
"Must protect everything. I must protect everyone. I will stop this."
A female voice. The same voice she had heard in her dreams that suffered intensely. She was watching from the perspective of the black dragon.
She took a deep breath, the razor spikes on her back, the veins in her wings, even her two horns that skewed out from the back of the skull began to glow violet.
An ear piercing screech erupted from her as a furious laser flew from her throat. It stabbed through the throat of the holy dragon and was sent skyward, bisecting the head.
It howled in agony as lava-like blood sputtered from the wound, the black dragon took flight, rather than finishing her for she ran away.
"Must get to Magix... Must protect everyone... Must protect my son..."
It flew faster and faster, becoming like that of a rocket as it exited the atmosphere of the planet, flying straight ahead... With white dragon soon following after it.
Bloom woke up with more tears in her eyes and a terrible sensation on her head. A headache with profuse sweating with an odd tentacle caressing her face.
The tentacle garnered a shriek from her.
"Aie!"
She fell out of bed reaching for head and felt a mollusk like shell.
"Ah! Aah! Gross what is this?!"
Standing to her feet she found the same freakish creature that had been attached to Guts' head when he had stayed not too long ago.
She screamed as she pulled and pulled away at it. Shutting her eyes as to not look at it.
"Get off! I said! Get! OFF!"
A hand seized her by the wrist as a gruff voice huffed.
"Stay still."
She opened her eyes to see Guts wielding a knife in one and and a thick tentacle on another. He pulled the strange nightmare off of Bloom and watched it wrap around his arm. He responded by stabbing it in it's singular eye.
The tentacles unraveled as it twitched before falling to the ground with a squelch.
"I didn't think Fairies could attract incubi. No wonder you were screaming so loudly."
"You...! What are you doing here?!"
Bloom stepped back. Her vivid dream still fresh in her mind, she stumbled and fell on her bed. Guts nodded to the door.
"I heard you screaming and came in here. That thing on you was an incubi. They're attracted by raw emotions, and manipulate whoever they're feeding to have nightmares for their feast... At least, that's how I think it works."
He began to walk away.
"They're actually easy to deal with once you wake up. Those shells are soft, easily crushable."
"That's not what I meant! Why are you in Alfea Castle?"
He stopped to turn his head back at her.
"The Trix needed muscle for a prank they're pulling tonight."
She blinked in surprise before she stood to her feet. A stern frown on her face as she approached him.
"They are here?! T-Then... Why help me, why tell me that? I thought you only work for Witches?"
Guts turned around completely with a strange face.
"I don't know. I guess I just wanted you to stop screaming. It was annoying."
"Was saving that girl helping us fight also annoying?"
"... You got something you want to say?"
"Help me stop their prank. You helped me out before, why would you do something terrible next?"
Guts scoffed and took a step back from Bloom.
""Why should I? You said it yourself, I only work with Witches... The only one with any authority on me is Griffin. You want to stop the Trix? Fine. You're no threat to them, even if you do stop the prank, my job is to keep them safe."
"A-Are you saying... You don't care for the prank?"
He turned and walked away with a smug sneer.
"Those treasure chests the Specialists brought by. It'd be a shame if those gifts."
She stood there confused before finally running after him. However as she left her dormitory, he had already vanished into the dark halls.
"I've got to warn the Winx about this...!"
Bloom ran down the hall by herself to the party.
Farangonda adjusted her glasses as her eyes darted around. An elderly man with a draconic scepter snickered at her.
"Is there a problem Farangonda? You seem to be looking for something."
"Someone actually, Saladin. I see all but one of my students."
"Is that such a problem? I've a some of mine who aren't attending, though few admittedly."
"Really? I see those boys who faced those monsters, I'm glad to see them well, but should they not be resting?"
"Hah! That group is one of my finest. Tough boys, bit green but sturdy and loyal, they'll be shining examples by the end of the year."
"You sound so confident, I am almost envious."
Saladin took note in his friend's tone. Her distress had grown quite clear.
"Farangonda, there's something more than today's incident, is there?"
"... The Dark Child. He's back, and ever since his return such horrible things have happened. Things like-"
She was interrupted by a horrified shriek. A Fairy stumbled back behind a Specialist who faced down a lumbering figure.
It's head odd with with wide yet beady eyes, mouth so full of uneven fangs that it was kept open. Long arms with dirty claws, a body of basic armor, and armed with a sword and shield.
The Specialist threw a punch, but it was caught by the monster, allowing it to put him in an arm hold. It's hands moved quickly to his head and snapped his neck with ease. The Fairy screamed louder, and soon the whole ballroom filled with terror as more of these creatures came out of seemingly every shadow.
Already they had surrounded the party. Saladin growled under his breath.
"Curses! W-We left our weapons at Red Fountain! These boys are new at hand to hand combat, they can't fight if they'll get killed in a moment's notice...!"
"And you're magic ain't worth shit either! Up here, lame brains!~"
Everyone turned their attention to the stairway to the second floor. At the top, Wyald stood, a strange amulet in his hand.
"Granted, you COULD use your magic and dispose of my boys, but I wouldn't be harmed by... And any you kill of mine, I sure as shit am gonna kill ten of yours! The best part is..."
He sneered his malevolent smug sneer and leaned forward.
"I CAN KILL ANY OF YOUR PEOPLE, AND YOU CAN'T DO SHIT! AIN'T THAT A KICK IN THE DICK?!"
Wyald threw his head back into a cackling fit. Saladin shook his head and raised his scepter.
"Allow me to test that, you inglorious villain!"
A furious fireball fired from the scepter. Even the Apostle quit his laughter as fright struck his heart. He held up the amulet... And to the dismay of the Fairies and Specialists, watched it be sucked away into the jewel, Wyald stood proudly.
"Holy shit it works! I-I mean of course it works! It would be unfair otherwise! This is a party after all, and what do we do at parties, boy"
The entire army shouted in intelligible gibberish. Wyald shook his head.
"It's Excitement and Enjoyment... I'll kill a few of ya til you get it right. Speaking of learnin' lessons, here's yours you old fuck!"
He shoved the jewel forward in the air. The fireball erupted from the amulet and was thrown back at the group in front of Wyald, the furthest from the teachers.
Farangonda shouted.
"Ladies, project your shields!"
The Fairies raised their arms together creating a magical field over them and their fellow students, but the blast destroyed it, with Wyald shouting a terrifying command.
"BOWMEN! FIRE AWAY!"
From both sides of the second floor, monsters wielding crossbows came into view, and aimed right for the front row of students.
Specialists used themselves to protect the Fairies under fire. Things only worsen with the Apostle's next command.
"ALRIGHT BOYS, KILL AS MANY TIL THEY KILL YOU!"
The demon foot soldiers cried in hellish glee as they charged ahead. Saladin and Farangonda nodded together.
"Everyone! Focus your magic on protection! We will survive this!"
"Specialists, stay at the front, support the Fairies and make sure no one gets past you!"
Together the Fairies, both student and staff, created an impenetrable shield as the Specialists took the wounded underneath the force field. The Battle Master and only other teacher of Red Fountain, Codatora, was the only one not behind it.
He bravely stood his ground as the fiends lunged for him.
"Hmph, beastly weaklings!"
Codatora took the arm of a demon that threw a thrust, snapping it's arm forcing it drop the sword, and threw it to the others that lunged his way.
He took the sword from the ground with a roll and began to enact justice upon these vile abominations.
The students cheered for him as he took a monster out with each swing of his blade. Countering with little issue, but there were still too many, as well as the constant barrage of arrows from above.
He used his own enemies as shield from the volley of arrows. However, they aimed better than he thought, and was struck in his calf as well as his shoulder. He continued on past the pain of being grazed by other arrows, yet faltered as he found himself stabbed in the side by a knife and was then struck across the face with a shield.
He still continued to fight. He had to. He saw Wyald, a clear path to him, and knew what he had to do.
Without hesitance, he ran straight down this path, striking any who got in his way with his fist and not caring for the arrows as he sped past them.
He made one last final dash as he reached the top of the stairs, sword low to stab right for Wyald's heart.
"Ooh! I like you, but you're-"
Codatora shouted but was silenced by his own shock. Wylad slapped the sword away with his bare hand, almost in a swatting manner as if dealing with naught but a fly, and threw a heavy fist.
"- TOO WEAK!"
The Battle Master blocked with his free arm. It did little to save him as he was thrown into the air, over the army, and bounced off the wall of the force field. His arm visibly broken and brow bruised with an open wound. A Fairy reached out to him but he barked.
"NO! Leave me! That shield must stay up! I'm sure by now Saladin has activated his beacon on the scepter!"
Wyald tilted his head.
"Excuse me? Beacon? You guys still gotta trick I ain't seen yet?"
Codatora stood to his feet, coughing blood as he smirked, his functioning arm up as he entered a fighting stance.
"You think you can just attack and not alert an entire military force? You're finished you ignorant buffoon! I faced worse than you!"
"..."
Wyald scratched his neck and shrugged as he held up a hand. The demons ceased their assault as their leader stepped down the stairs to Codatora.
"Actually, bud! This is just a test! I'm really only here for ONE of you... But I just noticed something. She ain't here. That's a problem. You wouldn't happen to know where, a uh, Bloom is?"
Tecna shouted out from behind the force field.
"You...! You leave her alone!"
Stella yelled with her.
"You touch her pal, and we'll do far worse than put you out of your sorry misery!"
Wyald laughed as he approached Codatora, his eyes beyond the man.
"You can't even monitor us with all that spicy nice magic you got there, Tech Head! And as for you, Princess Stella of Solaria, shouldn't you be worrying for your own kingdom instead? I heard Mommy and Daddy aren't getting along!"
Stella grew quiet before uttering out.
"N... H-How did you...?! S-Shut up!"
Farangonda gasped before yelling herself.
"No one listen to that monster! He's trying to distract you and weaken the shield!"
Codatora ran to strike Wyald, barely dodging the attack, he struck the Apostle in the side hard enough to have him stumble to the side.
"Oof!~ I might be wrong about ya, let's play some more, big boy!"
Wyald swung his arm slowly to grab Codatora. The experienced fighter leans back and strikes Wyald across the jaw, but the swung arm blurred back out, striking Codatora and sending back against the force field. This time, unable to do more than push himself off the ground and cough.
"Two whole punches... That's a sturdy body! But, you ain't ever faced an Apostle buddy. I'll be honest though, if you boys brought your phantoblades, we'd be dead meat! Now THAT'S a kick in the dick. Hehehehe!~"
Wyald raises a foot to finish Codatora off. A fireball strikes Wyald in the back before he can do so. His clothes burn away as his bare back heals from the minor burns. He turns and smiles brightly.
"There you are, Bloom!~ There's a whole party for you? Went to the bathroom or something?"
Bloom stood alone still in her pajamas, hands behind her back as she leaned against the wall atop the stairway.
"Leave them alone. You're here for me, right? Take me and go...!"
She leaned back as the demon soldiers began surrounded her. Wyald hadn't moved, instead holding the jewel to the force field, watching it slowly suck away at the magical energy.
"How about you come to me with your hands up and back off the wall. Otherwise, they all die. Trust me, everyone, we have plenty of time."
Bloom flinched as she raises her hands and walk slowly to Wyald. A knife in one hand with a spiked bomb tied to the hilt.
Wyald nodded happily as he retracted the amulet, wrapping it around his neck as he snatched the knife from her.
"Little girls shouldn't be playing with something so dangerous! ... Hey... This looks familiar."
"It should. If you haven't noticed, you're monsters on the second floor aren't doing too well."
"... Huh?"
Wyald and the others looked to the side as bodies of the demonic archers fell over the edge. Most with the same knife Bloom had in their throats.
Wyald's eyes widened as he looked up and snatched Bloom close to him.
"No-!"
From above, Guts had leapt off the second floor and swung the Dragonslayer down as he landed on top of a soldier, killing a slew of of them in one swoop. With each swing, five more died, then ten more. It wasn't long until Wyald found himself alone holding Bloom as a hostage.
"Y-Y-YOU!? What're YOU doing here, you're Branded, I should've sensed you coming!"
Guts merely stared at him as those behind the shield cheered him on. Even Bloom smiled despite the bloody scene. Wyald snickered in a panicked tone.
"Whatever! You killed a unit of thirty demon soldiers who weren't even trained properly, big deal, I've lived five times your lifetimes! You really think you can take me?!"
"Drop the girl and find out."
Wyald looked around. Panting, sweating, finally he began to laugh as his clothes tore.
"Alright...! FINE!"
Steam flooded the room, it dispersed as Wyald roared in his horrendous true form. Bloom in one hand of the giant, he lowered her to his larger mouth, and swallowed her whole.
The Winx and Sky all shouted.
"BLOOM!"
Guts raised a brow at the Ape.
"Hey. I thought you wanted her for something else."
Wyald cackled as he began to flex.
"Dummy!~ She's alive and well, as long as I throw up in an hour! I just put her somewhere safe! However, I get a little bonus from this!"
Wyald shuddered before the second mouth spewed out intense flames in the air. Both mouths smiled as the fire died down, arms raised, eyes dilating as one finger pointed at Wyald.
"Not to mention, as long as I wear this, no magic in Magix can harm me!"
"So you can breathe fire and walk through magic like it's nothing. You're still a sex craved ape, but more importantly-"
Guts brought his sword forward with his eerie smile.
"-you're my prey."
Codatora stared at the lone swordsman as the Fairy from before managed to drag him inside the shield.
"He took out that many with that heavy thing...?!"
"Don't blink now sir."
He looked up at the Fairy, surprised by her hopeful smile. Musa raised her hand to keep the shield up as she winked at Codatora.
"That right there is the Black Swordsman, and if anyone can save Bloom right now, it's him."
Wyald roared again as he charged for Guts. He responded with a charge of his own. The Ape threw a punch at Guts, who leapt to the side, Wyald had used his punch to leap over in a one hand stand.
"HA HA!~ You can't fight me, even like this I'm too acrobatic!"
"You're still just as stupid!"
Guts sneered as he swung his mighty slab of iron against the wrist and severed Wyald's hand. The Apostle fell on his back against the stairway. Guts swiftly ran right up to smaller upper body, where the necklace laid around Wyald's neck, and tore it right off.
"H-Hey! What do you think you're doing?! STOP!"
Guts brought the jewel to his mouth and bit down on it. Crushing it with a feral bite. Wyald brought his hand down to smash Guts, but yelped as he found the Dragonslayer stabbed deeply in his palm, yanking it back as he sat up.
"YOU FUCK! YOU GODDAMN PIECE OF FUCK! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU! I'M GONNA TEAR YOU LIMB FROM LIMB!"
He stood to his feet and turned to an entire ball room of very angry powerful magical entities.
"... Well... Ain't this a kick in the-"
Wyald fell from the relentless assault of magical spells that barrage his body. Dents, bruises, cuts, burns and other forms of damage surfaced his body... Yet only damaged the surface. Farangonda panted with a face of disbelief at Wyald, who could only breathe.
"Impossible... He's still alive!"
"I'm... An Apostle... It takes more... Than that... To kill me...!"
Saladin shook his head and raised his scepter.
"Your death, as desirable as it seems now, is not our goal. We want Bloom, and you'll hand her over."
"Unless you plan on jumping in... I think I'll keep her... I may as well be dead, so fuck it, she goes too... Hehe... Hehehe..."
Guts grabbed a sword from one of dead soldiers and climbed on top of the charred battered body.
"Okay. Open wide."
"Sure..."
Wyald opened his larger mouth which spewed a continual fire. Musa shouted at Guts.
"H-Hey! Wait a minute! I want to save her too, we all do, but I'm sure there's another way."
He looked back with a frown.
"How long will that take, he heals fast, and could use his fog to escape under cover. This isn't the only way, sure, it is my way."
He leapt into the flames. Screaming as he descended into the Ape's stomach. The fire stopped soon as Wyald gasped.
"What...?! N-No! No fucking way! H-He couldn't have jumped in me...! Where is he!?"
He sat up in a panic as his stomach began to visibly wiggle and squirm. He groaned and whined as he attempted to stand. Saladin shouted.
"Teachers, bind him down!"
Magical binds formed at his arms, legs and sboulders, all awaited for it.
"N-No...! I... I don't want to... I don't wanna die... Please...!"
Wyald begged and pleaded, but his cries fell on deaf ears, a final cry as a blade stabbed out from inside the belly. It carved an opening out as a burnt Guts erupted out carrying an unconscious Bloom under his free arm. Both covered in viscera and gore.
"Hah... Hah... I got her. She's alive. Clean her up and she'll be fine."
Farangonda ran up to him and took Bloom out of his arms. She looked to Guts and smiled.
"Thank you... How did you even get here?"
"... I was around. I got curious and was thinkinh about things. I came by to say I'm sorry to you..."
He looked away as he lied to her. He made his way to Wyald's hand and pulled the Dragonslayer out. Ignoring all the stares and muttering in his direction.
Saladin and Codatora stared over the body of the dead Specialist. The Headmaster shook his head as he closed the dead boy's eyes.
"He never saw the monster coming... It was trained in close quarters..."
Codatora huffed.
"This is terrible... But we should be grateful he was the only one. Plenty injured, but no one else dead."
Wyald began to shrink, fog covering his body, Stella shouted as she swung her arms through the fog.
"Oh no! You're not going anywhere! You're gonna pay for-EEEEEEK!"
Stella leapt back as the fog dissipated. In Wyald's place was an emaciated corpse of a tiny old man. His stomach torn open, a tiny stump on one arm, and body bare naked with a petrified expression.
Guts spoke up as he began to walk away.
"The Apostle reverts to their true self upon death. Even with all his cheap cunning and raw strength, he was nothing more than an old wrinkled fool too afraid to die, to afraid to see he was already dead."
He stopped and brought the blade forward. More demonic soldiers ran out of the darkness from the castle... But instead of fighting, they all ran for the front door, ignoring everyone else. Some had arrows and knives stuck in their bodies.
A dozen men in medieval armor walked out. One stood out from all immediately.
"There you are... I was looking for you when we came here, but only found a legion of those monsters."
Guts shook his head in utter shock.
"You?! How did you get here, it's impossible for you to be here!"
The man held up an envelope.
"You used this, to come here, you left it behind when we were tracking you."
Musa and many others came to Guts' side.
"If you guys are here to start trouble, well look elsewhere, we're tired from all the excitement tonight!"
The man shook his head as he took his helmet off.
"We mean no harm. I do apologize for the sudden appearance."
No one expected the sight. A man more beautiful than handsome, no older than any of the students themselves, and soft eyes that soothe the very souls of those who stared.
"My name is Griffith. I am the commanding officer of the Band of the Hawks, and I've come to recruit Guts for the Hundred Year War in Midland."