Chapter 8: The Voyage Part II
The last day of the voyage was going to be just like all the others. The ocean breeze was strong and they were making great time (much to Link's happiness). Allen, Link and the others were on deck anxious to be able to get off this boat: they all were getting claustrophobic from the close quarters. Nine in the morning and all was quiet. They should be docking by two this afternoon and the dash would commence. Whatever they were going to find, Allen was sure it wasn't going to be pleasant.
His eye activated.
To the left a wave of at least 200 akuma rose over the sea. Not good. Without Miranda this ship could easily sink from the akuma bullet holes before land would even be in sight. Dire. That was Allen's immediate prognosis as a second wave emerged from the right of another 200 tortured souls. Even though they were all level ones, there were enough bullets between them to make Swiss cheese of the boat. The four exorcists activated as Link slid into a fighting stance alongside them raising glowing sealing tags. This would be brutal. First priority was to stay alive and to do that they not only needed to protect each other, but the ship as well. The hull was huge! How on earth could they do this?
Akuma in range. Volley of bullets incoming. Kanda sent waves of hell insects out to meet the bullets mid-progress. Lenalee blew others away with her Dark Boots. Link threw up protective barriers of seals on the hull where the bullets still came through their defenses. Allen knew the safest place to take care of these akuma was away from the exposed craft.
"Lenalee! Can you please fly me out towards where the groups are converging? I can take a lot of them out away from the boat."
"Sure! Hang onto my hand." With that the two exorcists flew as fast as Lenalee's Dark Boots would fly them towards the combining akuma forces. Dancing through the bullets and bodies they halted in the center of the enemy. Before the akuma could react Allen raised his sword in hand, power flowing from him in waves. "Death Orbs!" Never before had Lenalee been in range when this attack had been used. It was a feeling she had only felt from the generals. The overwhelming power was unbelievable. The akuma were exploding in rings rippling out from them.
Allen had never used this move on so many akuma at once. Twenty was about the max he had done before and this was a one shot attack. He had to take out as many as possible now before they rejoined the others. He was putting his all into this attack. It had left him winded lat time so no telling how he would be after this round. Concentrating and funneling as much power as he had, the akuma continued to combust, their souls being saved ten at a time. After what felt like an eternity, he felt like all his musterable strength had been drained and the explosions subsided. He opened his eyes. One hundred and fifty had been demolished and Allen was now exhausted. Hanging limply in Lenalee's grasp they sped back to the ship. At touchdown Lavi scampered up the rigging to keep a lookout on the remaining forces. Allen was dazed and having trouble staying awake. He had put everything he had into that attack but there were still 250 akuma left approaching the punctureable ship head on.
Gently slapping Allen's face Lenalee kept Allen awake. Now was not the time for this. Allen, sufficiently startled into alertness, sat up from the deck to the view of more barrages of bullets being deflected. He was too tired to do anything but at least his brain was in the game again. After another two minutes the akuma had closed the gap and arrived at the transport, despite Lenalee twisting through their formations taking out as many as fast as she could. They were down to about two hundred now all of which had bullets to spare at the four fighters as well as their transportation. Spreading his cloak over as much ship as possible, Allen wearily drew his sword and rejoined the fray. Kanda was jumping, slicing and hacking, occasionally taking a bullet to spare the vessel from their destructive power. He was now bleeding heavily but still managed to keep up a constant attack. Lavi was directing fire tornadoes through the air but kept them away from the flammable rigging. Extending his belt, Allen ascended into the air swinging, but his arm was slow and his reflexes sluggish. He hit the deck once more with a thud. After recovering from the stun, Allen lifted his head and saw to his dismay two level four akuma descending from on high.
He lifted his arm and lunged with his belt accelerating his projection straight at the closest level four but it shifted to the side and caught Allen's wrist effectively stopping his momentum and his sword's movement. I giggled. Why did it have to sound like a child? It sent shivers of revulsion up his spine. The grip suddenly shifted and tightened on his wrist lifting his arm to expose his ribs with a swift jerk. The kick was excruciating, shattering two ribs as Allen was sent flying into the deck below breaking through to the lower deck.
At the sound of splintering wood the three others turned to look with horror splattered across their faces as the two new akuma came into view as well as the gaping hole in the floor. Quick as a flash Link activated a destroying seal, much like the akuma arm of the third exorcists, sucking in as many akuma as possible. No more reason to try and ration his energy. He needed to take out these level ones so the exorcists could be freed up to take on the new arrivals. Now there were only seventeen or eighteen left with only superficial or non-fatal damage done to the ship. Link could do this. Seeing things at the front could be left in the capable Crow's hands, the three exorcists turned to face their new battle.
The level four with a machine gun arm was just turning slow summersaults in midair while waiting for some unknown trigger. The other was just staring with its head tilted to the side, almost in a puppy-like manner. Suddenly an evil grin shot across its face with razor sharp teeth. All puppy mannerisms were gone, instead replaced with a killer intent so intense Kanda even backed up a step. This was not going to be pretty. Quicker than they could see, it shot forward and flicked Kandas forehead causing fatal brain damage with the skull shards and several broken bones with his landing impact.
"Yuu!"
"Kanda!"
No answer, he was out for the count. Healing this would take at least half an hour. Next it turned, grinning toward Lenalee, head caulked, looking over its shoulder, its eye a pentacle. Something was off. This seemed stronger than the level four they had fought at headquarters.
"It's going to evolve!" shouted Lavi.
Quicker than before the evolving akuma seemed to teleport and lunge its forearm straight through Lenalee's abdomen, then pulsed dark matter causing her to spasm, scream and black out. Eyes wide in shock Lavi felt a similar pain to the one he was witnessing. Looking down he saw directly into the akumas mismatched eyes, one white with a pentacle, the other a glowing red. The face pulsed and he felt it wrack his entire body in agony. In all the wars he had witnessed, he had never seen a torture that felt this bad. Every cell in his body was being scorched by the dark matter. It felt like he was dying, if not from this, then at least the blood loss. He heard the arm being extracted and felt his body falling. Just before losing consciousness, he saw a white head emerge from the hole in the deck. Allen…
A/N So sorry for the delay. School, finals, and moving back to a different state takes some time and effort. Also, got distracted by some movies. *cough* The Lorax *cough* Thank you so much for the reviews and not giving up on me.
