Hey, guys! Here is the twenty-fourth chapter of Holy World War! The Alliance battle against two immensely powerful beings in the Rub' al Khali desert for the eighth fragment. Hope you liked it.
Chapter 24 – Clash of the Titans
In the control room of the Britannia Knights' base, all five members gathered around to discuss their next strategy.
"It seems the Alliance and Special Forces now have the seventh fragment." Klaud said.
"These children are more powerful than we thought." Bismarck said.
"Is that concern in your tone I'm hearing?" Villetta asked.
"What was that?!" Bismark asked, in an angry manner.
"Now, now, Bismarck and Villetta. There's no need for violence among us." Klaud explained.
"Brother is quite right. This is not the time to fight amongst ourselves." Cordellia explained.
Bismarck and Villetta backed off.
"Lloyd. How are the test subjects coming along?" Klaud asked.
"Of course, sir. They're coming quite nicely." Lloyd replied, adjusting his glasses.
"Give it a few days, and they'll be ready for combat." Lloyd explained.
"Glad your skills are not disappointing." Bismarck commented.
"You bluff poorly. But I'm glad you appreciate my skills." Lloyd said.
"In anyhow, scanners have recently picked up a new fragment located at a lost city in Rub' al Khali." Cordellia explained.
"Unfortunately, the Alliance is making their way now." Villetta explained.
"How shall we proceed then?" Lloyd asked.
Klaud began to stand from his chair.
"I will go." Klaud said.
The other four Knights were greatly surprised: their commander is seeing to it in retrieving the next fragment.
"Are you sure, brother?" Cordellia asked.
"I need you all here to finish preparing for war." Klaud explained.
"Lord Venus' army is scouring the final four and will report back to us." Klaud continued.
"Once they report and I retrieve the next fragment, we'll make our move. No questions." Klaud finished.
Klaud began exiting outside the room.
"Guess that means we need to start getting ready." Lloyd said.
"Agreed." Cordellia said.
The other four generals began to leave the room to make their preparations, ending the meeting.
XXX
In the Rub' al Khali desert, the Alliance, accompanied by Shiryu and Sonia, are searching for the fragment that was said to have been located in an ancient city. They've been walking for hours and found nothing; the immense heat is making those who can't handle the hot conditions made them dry and thirsty, and even wearing ragged ponchos or desert clothing isn't helping them.
"Are we sure we're going in the right direction?" Usopp asked, panting heavily.
"I'm reading a map, aren't I?!" Nami replied, in an angry manner while holding a map that had the coordinates.
"Not even the fragment I'm holding is showing us anything." Ryuho said, holding one of the fragments they have in possession.
"Told you we're going in the wrong direction." Zoro said, having his coat off and hung over his pants.
"Like your sense of direction is any better!" Sanji hollered in unison.
"Which is why we all voted to follow the map instead of your instincts in the first place, moss-head." Gray commented, not wearing his jacket.
"Says the exhibitionist not wearing any clothes?" Weiss asked, annoyed by Gray's habit while holding hands with a panting Ruby.
Emma and Sonia are having another glare-off with electric sparks flying.
"I'm not gonna lose to you!" Emma and Sonia thought in unison, declaring their intentions to win.
Why are those two fighting? It's obvious. Emma and Sonia are fighting for Souma's affection.
The ones who noticed the rivalry going on were Eden, Aria, Erza, Blake, Yang, Maehara and Okano.
"You seem pretty worried for your sister, huh?" Erza asked.
"Brotherly instincts. Souma thinks he can make a move on my sister without me noticing." Eden explained.
"You do care for your sister, Eden." Aria commented.
Eden began to slightly blush a bit.
"I swear, he's just like Hiroto." Okano commented.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Maehara asked.
"You're both womanizing dumbasses who can't take a hint for a woman's affections towards you." Okano replied.
"Just had to bring that up?" Maheara asked, lightly sulking.
"Oh, Qrow up already." Yang punned.
"Even I think that was an *almost* good pun." Blake commented.
"It was cat-tastic." Yang punned, winking at Blake.
"And I take it back." Blake thought, deadpanned with her right brow twitching.
"Gonna be hard without Ritsu guiding us." Hayami said.
"Yeah, but with little wireless and risk of letting our location spotted, we're gonna have to be incognito until we actually know." Ren explained.
"I'll send her texts if she can get them as possible." Hayami said, texting on her smartphone.
The Exceeds, Chopper and all the dogs of the Alliance are feeling very exhausted.
"I can't… take… another…" Chopper said, his tongue sticking out.
"It's almost as worse as Impel Down." Blizzard commented.
"When will we find this *city*?" Carla asked, laying on Blue's back.
Aika was carried by Yada, dealing with the same effects as the canines because of her Devil Fruit powers.
"So… thirsty…" Aika said.
"I know, sweetie." Yada said.
"Come on, guys! Where's your thrill of adventure?" Natsu asked, obviously not affected thanks to his fire powers. Romeo was in the same boat.
"Says the guy who can handle the heat!" Kouga and Luffy hollered in unison.
The Alliance, Shiryu and Sonia continued walking, hoping to get out of this heat before it dehydrates them.
XXX
Three minutes later, the fragment in Ryuho's pocket started glowing.
The dragon saint noticed and took it out.
"Guys! I think we're getting close!" Ryuho hollered.
The Alliance's spirits were now lifted with relief.
"All right!" Usopp, Chopper, Sugaya and Kimura hollered in unison.
Sachi jumped and hugged Ryuho.
"You're the best, Ryuho-kun!" Sachi hollered.
Ryuho blushed.
"I'm proud of you, son." Shiryu commented.
"So... where is it?" Nagisa asked.
Ryuho closed his eyes to concentrate on the flow of energy, sensing the nearby fragment that caused the one in his hand to react.
"1 mile to northeast!" Ryuho hollered.
"A MILE!?" The Alliance (except Eden, Haruto, Aria, Erza, Robin, Ren, Karma, Kanzaki, Chiba and Hayami) exclaimed in unison.
"Well that's just great." Sonia said.
"Don't be such a meanie!" Emma hollered.
"No one asked you, twerp." Sonia muttered.
Emma's anger grew out of irritation.
"Who cares? TO THE NORTHEAST!" Natsu shouted.
"Aye, sir!" Happy hollered.
Natsu and Happy ran to the direction Ryuho pointed out to them.
"Hey! You ain't leaving me behind!" Luffy hollered, running after them.
Kouga and Ruby followed suit.
"Don't forget us, you jerks!" Kouga and Ruby hollered in unison.
The rest of the Alliance did a Face Fault gag on the sandy ground. Shiryu and Sonia face palmed themselves.
XXX
Running at full speed, Natsu and Happy soon stopped midway when they saw something way below over the sandy dunes: it was an ancient city whose size is nearly comparable to Dallas with old buildings, a lake that covered three quarters of the city, and a large temple on top.
Natsu and Happy were extremely amazed that stars appeared in their eyes.
The same happened to Kouga, Luffy and Ruby, who just met up with them and were gonna brag before seeing the city before them.
"SO COOL~!" Kouga, Natsu, Happy, Luffy and Ruby shouted in unison.
Their allies soon met up, and began to see the city with their own eyes.
"It's beautiful!" Yuna and Kaede hollered.
"It must have treasure!" Lucy, Nami and Weiss hollered in unison, having $-signs in their eyes.
"We're not here for money!" Carla, Levy, Usopp, Kumi, Zwei, Sugino and Terasaka hollered in unison, comically slapping the air.
"Let's do be careful. We must proceed with caution." Shiryu explained.
"Who knows what's inside this city." Robin said.
"Careful, smareful! Let's go and get that fragment!" Luffy hollered.
Nami slammed a Haki fist into Luffy's skull, knocking him out.
"We're all going in together, Luffy!" Nami hollered.
"Y-Yes…" Luffy muttered, groaning in pain.
Some of the Alliance's cowardly members were frightened by Nami's fury.
The Alliance, Shiryu and Sonia began making their way towards the ancient city.
XXX
The Alliance have reached inside the empty city. They decided to split into several groups to cover more ground and find the fragment faster.
One group comprised of Ryuho, Sachi (who insisted on being with her boyfriend), Shiryu, Ren, Gajeel and Levy search on the east side. Ryuho gave the fragment to Kouga, who recently developed a connection to them unknown until now.
Levy was looking at some ancient manuscripts written in stone.
"Does any of those old notes have clues on the stone?" Gajeel asked.
"No…" Levy muttered.
"Oh EXCUSE me!" Gajeel hollered.
"You could try tracking its scent." Sachi commented.
"How's that gonna help?" Gajeel asked.
"Don't have to be a jerk about." Sachi replied.
"Tell me about it." Levy thought.
"This city has probably been abandoned for centuries." Ren explained.
"Which means something is definitely wrong." Shiryu said.
"What do you mean, father?" Ryuho asked.
"There couldn't have been a city in this Earth's desert. Not since ancient times." Shiryu replied.
"Otherwise why would one of them fragments be located here?" Shiryu asked.
Ryuho began to ponder on that thought.
A rang suddenly came from Ren's scroll, revealing it to be Ruby.
"Did your group find anything?" Ren asked.
"Yep! We've found the fragment!" Ruby replied.
"Really?!" Sachi and Levy asked in unison, surprised.
"Meet us at the city temple!" Ruby hollered.
"Copy that." Ren said, before putting his scroll away.
"They found the fragment?" Gajeel asked.
"Yes." Ren replied.
"Levy. Can you perform a signal spell to get everyone's attention?" Shiryu asked.
"You got it!" Levy replied.
- Solid Script: Signal! – Levy shouted.
Levy performed a script spell that said "SIGNAL" pointing to the upper north, alerting everyone where the fragment is.
XXX
The Acts of Order, alongside Happy, Aika and Kumi, have retrieved the fragment, which was placed at the top of the city temple peak.
"Alright! We got the next fragment!" Happy hollered.
"Looks like Gray owes me lunch!" Natsu hollered.
"Since when was this a competition?" Kumi asked.
"I told Ren to meet us here." Ruby said.
"Also saw Levy-san's spell directing them. Let's wait here and plan our next move." Nagisa explained.
"Can I have a look at it first?" Luffy asked.
"No way, dude!" Kouga replied, keeping the fragment he's holding at arm's length far.
"Yeah! Sharing is caring!" Natsu hollered.
"Yeah!" Ruby and Happy hollered in unison.
"This isn't the time for that!" Nagisa hollered.
"But I wanna see the shiny thing too." Aika pouted.
"Not a good idea." Kumi said.
As Kouga kept arguing with Natsu, Happy, Luffy and Ruby, the fragment began glowing, causing the top they're standing on to crumble, causing all five of them to fall flying down to the lake. Nagisa quickly caught the fragment that fell out of Kouga's hand, along with the one they are currently holding onto using a small brown bag. He and Kumi later became shocked as Kouga and the others fell to the lake.
"NII-SAN!" Aika shouted, jumping to save them only to end up in the same predicament, causing Nagisa and Kumi scream in comical fright.
XXX
Hearing the screams of the two from afar, everyone who just gathered at the city plaza just saw all six fall down to the lake.
"What did those idiots do now?!" Yuna, Lucy, Nami, Weiss and Kaede asked in unison, in an angry manner.
"We're coming, Luffy!" Chopper hollered.
"Save them!" Brook hollered.
"Hang on, Aika-chan!" Wendy and Yada hollered in unison.
"Hurry!" Fuwa, Sachi, Emma, Romeo, Nora and Zwei hollered in unison.
Sachi, Emma, Zwei, Wendy, Romeo, Yada, Fuwa, Chopper, Brook and Nora quickly dashed to save their comrades in the lake. They unfortunately, ended up in the same result tripping from running too fast and falling into the lake.
"OH, COME ON!" Blizzard, Blue, Souma, Gray, Carla, Lily, Zoro, Usopp, Sanji, Franky, Yang, Jaune, Sugino, Maehara, Kataoka, Okano, Kimura, Sugaya and Terasaka shouted in unison.
XXX
Ten minutes later, the rest of the Alliance were able to rescue all 16 that were drowning and brought back to shore, only to receive a massive beat, while Yada, Wendy, Emma and Aika were simply dealing a browbeating. The lake those 16 fell into was fresh and drinkable, proven to be a logical finding.
"I swear… you guys just can't stay out of trouble, can you?" Franky asked, breathing after getting out of the lake and now dressed with a cerulean blue tank top, dark green speedos with a star in the center, and his hair styled like a cannon barrel.
"You do something stupid and we end up dragging you out!" Kataoka hollered, now wearing a short-sleeved open light-colored shirt, over a sleeveless black V-neck, brown short shorts with creamy cuffs, black thigh socks, dark boots, a red handkerchief tied around her right wrist, and her utility belt around her waist because of her original clothes drenched in water.
Muffled noises were heard from Kouga, Natsu, Happy, Luffy, Ruby, Zwei, Sachi, Romeo, Fuwa, Chopper, Brook and Nora were heard from the beating they took.
"You four need to be more careful, okay?" Juvia asked.
"Yes…" Yada, Wendy, Emma and Aika replied, bowing in shame.
Kaede was yelling at Nagisa and Kumi for letting their group out of [their] sights. The magic user is holding onto the bag containing the two fragments until Nagisa learns his lesson.
"This is why we can never let these idiots go on their own without causing a scene." Sanji commented, now dressed in a pink shirt with dark red trousers and black shoes.
"We at least have the fragment in our hands anyway." Sonia said.
"Of course, my dear!" Sanji hollered, entering his Love Hurricane.
Sonia got irritated and kicked Sanji into the ground.
Eden, Gray, Zoro, Blizzard, Blake and Karma snickered at the sight.
Blizzard and Blue's ears suddenly lit up, hearing a strange sound.
The two dogs walked towards the lake and sniffed it, confusing everyone who had just noticed their odd actions.
"What's wrong?" Lily asked.
The answer came as large bubbles began to rise from the lake, alerting everyone.
"I think something's coming out!" Usopp hollered.
"Is it a fish?!" Natsu, Happy, Luffy and Ruby (who unexpectedly awoke from their beating), and even Blake (who had a small drool in her mouth) asked in unison.
"In your dreams!" Zoro and Terasaka exclaimed in unison.
Juvia suddenly began to have a weird headache.
"Are you okay, Juvia-san?" Okuda asked.
"I… I sense something coming!" Juvia hollered.
"How are you sure?" Lucy asked.
"I don't know!" Juvia replied.
Lucy jumped a bit from the water mage's sudden snap.
The bubbles began to grow bigger. Soon, a massive burst of water blasted into the air.
The Alliance, Shiryu and Sonia were taken by surprise.
A strange sea creature blasted from the lake depths and began flying into the air. It was soon enough to be a legendary sea monster known as the Leviathan.
Lucy, Nami, Weiss, Kaede, Emma, Happy, Wendy, Romeo, Levy, Usopp, Chopper, Brook, Aika, Kumi, Zwei, Jaune, Okuda, Maehara, Okano, Yada, Nakamura, Kimrua, Sugaya and Fuwa screamed in fright. Everyone else were shocked or slightly trembling.
"Oh god… it's a Leviathan!" Juvia hollered.
"A what?!" Kouga asked.
"A Leviathan is a legendary creature that is rumored to be an adoptive relative to Poseidon!" Robin hollered.
"It says this monster's power is said to even surpass the Kraken!" Robin hollered.
"That's crazy!" Sugino hollered.
"Things couldn't get any worse!" Blizzard hollered.
A loud roar echoed the skies, alerting everyone's presence. A massive fireball slammed into the lake, evaporating it until there was nothing left.
Blizzard had his mouth open wide.
"Sometimes I hate it when you're right." Blue commented, her eyes twitching.
The figure responsible was a large yellow-skinned humanoid/ogre crossbreed with a tail, unique red horns, flowing black hair, and temple-like clothing. Sparks of fire was flowing around it.
Lucy, Nami, Weiss, Kaede, Emma, Happy, Wendy, Romeo, Usopp, Chopper, Brook, Aika, Kumi, Zwei, Jaune, Okuda, Maehara, Okano, Yada, Nakamura, Kimrua, Sugaya and Fuwa screamed once more. Levy didn't scream, but was completely terrified.
"That creature… it's Ifrit!" Levy hollered.
"Ifrit?! As in the might giant that resides in Hell, Ifrit!?" Souma exclaimed.
"If you wish to take the fragment, you must defeat us." Leviathan explained.
"Victorious and you will leave. Lose and you will die!" Ifrit hollered.
"I don't speak monster!" Kouga hollered.
"It means that if you wish to leave this city, you must defeat these two giants first!" Klaud hollered.
The Alliance turned to see Klaud, donned in a powerful mechanized suit, standing on top of a building with a massive robot army behind him, consisting of Gunners, Knights, Flyers, Hounds, Guardians, and two extremely powerful ones called the "Britannia Cerberus", and the "Britannia Wyvern"
"Great! Now we have to deal with Britannia?!" Usopp exclaimed.
"Kouga…" Eden said.
"Yeah…" Kouga said.
"That's Klaud el Britannia." Kouga said.
"I will be taking those fragments while you all die here." Klaud said.
"Like hell!" Terasaka hollered.
"Don't encourage him, you idiot!" Sugaya and Kimura hollered in unison.
"Very well – it shall be the hard way!" Klaud hollered.
"Face your trial!" Ifrit and Leviathan hollered in unison.
Klaud's army and the two titanic creatures began to make their charge towards the Alliance.
Lucy, Nami, Weiss, Kaede, Emma, Happy, Wendy, Romeo, Levy, Usopp, Chopper, Brook, Aika, Kumi, Zwei, Jaune, Okuda, Maehara, Okano, Yada, Nakamura, Kimrua, Sugaya and Fuwa screamed in fright once again.
"Oh hell – we're surrounded on all sides!" Franky hollered.
"There's no way out!" Chiba hollered.
"Guess we've got no choice…" Kouga thought.
"It's do or die time, people! Let's go!" Kouga hollered.
"Okay!" Souma, Yuna, Ryuho, Haruto, Eden, Sachi, Shiryu and Sonia hollered in unison.
XXX
The Superior Clothstones of Kouga, Souma, Yuna, Ryuho, Haruto and Eden along with the Clothstones of Sachi, Emma, Shiryu and Sonia began to twirl around as they faded into the galaxies.
The stars formed the constellations of Pegasus, Lion, Aquila, Dragon, Wolf, Orion, Apus, Fox, Weighing Scales/Tiger and Scorpion simultaneously.
The eight Bronze Saints and two Gold Saints all braced themselves.
One by one, they all donned their Cloths of Bronze and Gold.
The eight Bronze Saints did a united fighting pose, while Shiryu and Sonia did their own respective poses.
The Saints of Athena were ready for battle.
XXX
"Let's spread out and take back the advantage!" Kouga hollered.
"Acts of Order and Saints will handle Ifrit and Leviathan!" Ruby hollered.
"That leaves the rest of us dealing with Klaud's army." Isogai said.
"Aika-chan! You, Kumi and Zwei stay with Wendy and Yada!" Nami hollered.
Aika nodded and went to Wendy's side.
"Lucy-san! You hold onto this!" Ryuho hollered, tossing the bag containing the two fragments to Lucy.
"Got it!" Lucy hollered.
"Let's go!" Shiryu hollered.
With the orders given, the rest of the Alliance began battling the forces of Klaud, while the Acts of Order, Happy, the seven Bronze Saints, Aria and the two Gold Saints begin clashing against the fire giant and water sea serpent.
XXX
Evan practiced firing an Alpha Rocket into the air.
He sat down from exhaustion.
"Okay. That's all for today." A voice said.
Evan turned to see his father, Ozpin, Seiya, Jellal, Jimbei, Qrow and Korosensei watching his progress.
Having given some thought on sharing his newfound powers, Evan and Korosensei decided to let the former five in and ask for their help in controlling his powers to be of use to the Alliance. Of course, his father was a bit unsure before Korosensei made a convincing argument about his drive to protect others, which Redfield remembered how Evan always stood up to anyone who threatened the people he cares about. They've been doing this for a week in secret when the Alliance are out on missions; trains usually at a secret Special Forces facility in Colorado.
"You're progressing well, kid." Jellal commented.
"Who would've imagined playing that video game came in real handy." Redfield commented.
"What can I say, dad – knowledge of playing gave me some self-taught learning on how to use them for good." Evan explained.
"A whole week and the kid's a self-taught prodigal talent that can handle even top-class fighters." Ozpin commented.
"Indeed. He's getting the hang of his new powers." Seiya commented.
Evan began to stand up, but started to fall on his knees.
"Evan!" Redfield hollered.
"I'm alright, dad. Just… need some volts to recharge." Evan explained, assuring his father.
"A good thing I brought two generators!" Korosensei hollered.
Next to the octopus are two Honda 3000-Watt Gasoline Powered Electric Start Portable Generators. Jimbei carefully picked one of them up and placed it next to Evan.
Evan used his Electric Drain ability to absorb the amount of electricity powered into the generator, fully charged and ready to go.
"That's the amps I need!" Evan hollered.
"Glad you're feeling better, sparky." Qrow said.
"Isn't he a quick learner-" Korosensei commented, before dodging a blast of lightning.
"You almost hit me!" Korosensei exclaimed, showing his angry face.
"Oops. My hand slipped." Evan said.
"You did that on purpose!" Korosensei hollered.
"That wasn't even an actual lightning bolt. Not fast enough to match Eden's." Evan explained.
"It's because you're only showing an output of your power." Ozpin commented.
"Still frightening that your *Meta-Gene* activated from touching that fragment." Redfield explained.
"Makes us wonder what else these fragments can really do." Seiya explained.
"Anyway, I think I'm gonna need to do something much harder." Evan said.
"Like… testing my strength against one of you guys?" Evan asked.
All six adults were surprised by Evan's suggestion.
"You serious?" Jellal asked.
"Just a practice fight. Not an actual one." Evan replied.
"And ONLY 1 or 2 people." Evan continued.
"I pick Korosensei and Mr. Jellal." Evan finished.
"Oh dear…" Jellal said.
"You picked me because you wanna keep shooting me!" Korosensei hollered, punching the air in a comical fashion with puffs of smoke venting from his body.
XXX
Back at the ancient city, the Acts and Saints are facing a difficult battle against Ifrit and Leviathan. Aria was hiding in a spot where she can aid her comrades.
Ifrit stomped his foot on the ground, causing a miniature volcano that damaged Souma and Haruto.
"Crap! We're barely doing anything against it!" Natsu hollered, flying via Happy.
"There's gotta be some way to turn this around!" Happy hollered.
"Let's combine our attacks!" Kouga hollered.
- Pegasus Ryusei Ken! – Kouga shouted.
- Fire Dragon's Roar! – Natsu shouted.
- Gum-Gum Bullet! – Luffy shouted.
- Crescent Rose – Petal Whirlwind! – Ruby shouted.
- Drawn Blade Burst Style… Rising Phoenix! – Nagisa shouted.
- Lionet Burning Fire! – Souma shouted.
- Blast Scythe! – Yuna shouted.
- Rozan Sho Ryu Ha! – Ryuho and Shiryu shouted in unison.
- Dead Howling! – Haruto shouted.
- Orion's Devastation! – Eden shouted.
- Apus Strong Wave! – Sachi shouted.
- Vulpecula Magnus Fire! – Emma shouted.
- Hornet Stinger! – Sonia shouted.
The Saints and the Acts combined their attacks to damage both titans, but nothing happened.
"Nothing's getting through!" Sachi hollered.
"Guess holding back is out of the question." Haruto said.
"Time to unleash your power, young ones!" Shiryu hollered.
Kouga, Souma, Yuna, Ryuho, Haruto and Eden began unleashing the power of Ryusei, allowing them and Shiryu to gain a small advantage in speed.
But the Fire Giant and Water Serpent still don't take any major damage and remain standing.
The Saints and Acts became desperate for another strategy.
"Be gone from this place!" Ifrit hollered.
"Disappointing mortals!" Leviathan hollered.
- Fire Bomb! – Ifrit shouted.
- Hydro Breath! – Leviathan shouted.
Ifrit and Leviathan attacked with a combination of fire and water, attacking the heroes with force.
XXX
Gray, Zoro, Blake, Karma, Erza, Sanji, Yang, Isogai and Maehara are facing off against the Britannia Cerberus and Wyvern in the plaza.
The nine of them were having a hard time handling the two super robots' raw power and speed.
"Damn… these two scrapheaps are tough." Maehara said.
"They're as strong as a Gold Saint I'll give'em that." Erza commented.
"Doesn't mean we're through yet." Blake said.
The Cerberus jumped into the air before slamming the ground, causing a powerful shockwave that blasted Sanji and Yang back.
"That's it! Time to send this puppy to the junkyard!" Zoro hollered.
- Three Sword Style… 1080 Caliber Phoenix! – Zoro shouted.
Zoro shot three consecutive air slashes that combined together to slash the Cerberus. The Cerberus easily dodged and struck Zoro hard.
"Zoro!" Gray hollered.
"I'm coming, Roronoa-kun! – Maehara hollered.
- Heat Rush! – Maehara shouted.
Igniting his feet in flames, Maehara moved much faster to get the Cerberus.
Isogai joined his best friend, using a grappling gun to cling to a surface to strike from above.
However, the Wyvern appeared out of nowhere and fired lasers from its wings, blast the ground which blasted both the male representative and playboy back.
Karma and Blake used their weapons to hold the Wyvern, but the winged machine threw the two away.
- Requip! Flight Armor! – Erza shouted.
Requipping into her Flight Armor, Erza's speed skyrocketed as she jumped over the Wyvern before requipping into her Clear Heart Clothing; drawing two katanas, she attempted to strike, only to be blasted back by a wing gust.
Gray and Zoro were also getting slammed by the Cerberus.
All nine regrouped to come up with a new plan.
"How can we take these two down?" Gray asked.
"See those antennas?" Karma asked.
"What antennas?" Yang asked.
"He means that." Blake replied, pointing to the antennas hanging on the heads of the Cerberus and Wyvern.
"It's gonna be hard to get them."
"Not if I use this." Isogai said.
Isogai took out two WingDings with EMP attachments, and threw them with pure accuracy.
The two devices hit, causing the two mechanical monstrosities to weaken.
"Nice one, Isogai!" Sanji hollered.
"Let's turn these rust buckets into broken scrap!" Yang hollered.
- Ice Execution! – Gray shouted.
- Pentagram Sword! – Erza shouted, requipping into her Heaven's Wheel Armor.
- One Sword Style Iai: Death Lion Song! – Zoro shouted.
- Diable Jambe… Poêle à Frire: Spectre! – Sanji shouted.
- Gambol Shroud – Ferocious Beast! – Blake shouted.
- Ember Celica – Unrelenting Fire! – Yang shouted.
- Chain of Rebuttal! – Karma shouted.
- Dark as Night! – Isogai shouted.
- Shinryuken! – Maehara shouted.
Gray, Erza, Zoro, Sanji, Blake, Yang, Karma, Isogai and Maehara combined their attacks to finish off the Cerberus and Wyvern.
"That's two scrapped." Maehara said.
"By the way…" Zoro said.
Zoro patted Maehara on the back and gave a fake smile.
"Call me that nickname again and you might lose an arm." Zoro explained.
Maehara began to rapidly sweat drop in fear.
XXX
Lucy, Nami, Weiss and Kaede are evading Klaud, who is desperately chasing them for the fragments all around the city.
"This guy's way too fast!" Kaede hollered.
"We can't give in to this lunatic!" Weiss hollered.
- Open! Gate of the Scorpion! Scorpio! – Lucy shouted.
Lucy summoned the Scorpion Celestial Spirit, doing his signature pose.
"We gonna stop you!" Scorpio hollered.
- Sand Buster! – Scorpio shouted.
Scorpio shot a tornado of sand at Klaud. But the Britannia Knight's leader effortlessly blasted it back.
"Premature." Klaud said.
Klaud attempted to attack Scorpio, who had no time to defend. But Nami was already ahead.
- Thunder Trap! – Nami shouted.
Nami had a triangle of three electric clouds placed before Klaud made his move on Scorpio, blasting him and giving Scorpio the chance to return to the spirit realm.
However, Klaud wasn't affected.
"Nothing's working!" Nami hollered.
Weiss and Kaede performed a dual ice spell to trap Klaud, but he drew an energy sword from his armor's back and sliced through.
"Just what kind of armor is that?!" Lucy asked.
"Knightmare. Armor worn only by human members of the Britannia Knights." Klaud explained.
"Advanced state-of-the-art weaponry designed by my empire's top scientist, Lloyd Aspuld." Klaud continued.
"The perfect weapon… to make America suffer." Klaud finished.
That last sentence disgusted Lucy, Nami, Weiss and Kaede.
"You're insane." Kaede said.
"Just because you're angry, doesn't give you the right to hurt innocent people!" Nami hollered.
"You're even worse than my father." Weiss said.
Klaud simply scoffed.
"Empty words won't work on me. Now hand over those fragments." Klaud explained.
"Fat chance!" Lucy hollered, holding onto her bag.
"Then die." Klaud said.
Klaud fired an array of rockets from the Knightmare's left arm.
Lucy, Nami, Weiss and Kaede had to act quickly to defend themselves.
However, Sanji arrived in the nick of time and knocked Klaud's rocket arm aside with a Bad Manners Kick Course.
"Sanji-kun!" Nami hollered.
"It's me, Nami-sawn! You're heroic defender of women!" Sanji hollered.
"Better have that than getting shot." Lucy, Weiss and Kaede thought in unison, deadpanned.
Erza, Yang, Isogai and Maehara joined up with the girls and Sanji.
"Sorry we're late." Isogai said.
"Nah. You're on time." Kaede said.
"I see you managed to defeat the Cerberus and the Wyvern." Klaud commented.
"Next time, send something tougher." Yang said.
"Where did Gray, Zoro, Blake and Karma go?" Weiss asked.
"I send those four to help Kouga and the others in dealing with the two monsters." Erza replied.
"That leaves us with you." Maehara said, cracking his knuckles.
"Arrogance will be your undoing, children." Klaud said.
"We'll see!" Sanji hollered.
Lucy, Erza, Nami, Sanji, Weiss, Yang, Kaede, Isogai and Maehara continued clashing with Klaud in protecting the fragments that are in Lucy's possession.
XXX
The rest of the Alliance were simply holding their own against Klaud's army, easily beating them while coordinating their moves to end the battle much faster.
Gajeel was have a much easier time thanks to eating any robot to regain his strength, chewing the metal with his strong jaws.
"Heh, the metal on these junk heads ain't so bad." Gajeel commented.
- Iron Dragon's Roar! – Gajeel shouted.
Gajeel blasted through a battalion of Gunners, Hounds and Flyers.
Franky bashed into a Guardian with his Strong Right.
"No one's freakier than me!" Franky hollered.
"You're freaky enough already!" Jaune and Terasaka hollered in unison.
Wendy and Yada were defending Aika, Kumi, Zwei and Carla (who are in a hiding spot Zwei and Kumi picked out) with everything they've got.
"You okay, Aika-chan?" Wendy asked.
"Sure!" Aika hollered.
- Water Jigsaw! – Juvia shouted.
Juvia spun and sliced through any robots coming her way.
Juvia suddenly felt another headache from hearing Leviathan's roar. Her scars hidden by her magic started to ache too.
"Why does that creature hurt my head so much?!" Juvia thought.
Juvia needed to find the answer… by confronting the Leviathan.
She ran to the direction where Kouga's group is fighting him to find out herself.
XXX
The Acts and Saints were becoming overwhelmed by the powers of Ifrit and Leviathan. Gray, Zoro, Blake and Karma met up to assist them, but even their efforts weren't enough to turn the tide.
They're facing a tough predicament.
"Prepare to die!" Ifrit hollered.
"You've failed." Leviathan said.
"Blast! Nothing's working!" Emma hollered.
"You're not trying hard enough, runt!" Sonia hollered.
"Excuse me?!" Emma exclaimed.
"Not the time for your rivalry, you two!" Yuna hollered.
"Got any ideas, snowflake?" Natsu asked.
"Hell if I know, pinky!" Gray replied.
"This is going to be harder than we thought." Eden said.
Kouga gritted his teeth.
Leviathan suddenly felt a strange feeling in his head.
"What? What is this I'm sensing?" Leviathan asked.
A whip of water suddenly locked onto its' tail and was climbing its way up.
Leviathan turned to see Juvia, who managed to sneak behind to catch the sea beast off-guard.
"A mortal dares to climb onto me?!" Leviathan asked, in an angry manner.
Juvia gripped tightly, giving an icy glare without showing any sign of fear.
Leviathan decided to fly around, trying to shake the water mage off. But she held on his fins tight without letting go.
The Saints, Acts, Gray, Zoro, Blake and Karma saw what's going on with Leviathan, and are very shocked to see Juvia riding it.
"Is that Juvia?!" Souma asked.
"She's nuts!" Sachi hollered.
"Aw man, I wanna ride him!" Luffy hollered.
Zoro bashed his fist into Luffy's head.
"You've already done enough damage as it is!" Zoro hollered.
Ifrit got impatient and decided to take out both Leviathan and Juvia.
"I'll kill you both first!" Ifrit hollered.
Ifrit began charging a massive breath of fire.
The Acts and their allies now have to act quickly.
"That bastard's gonna hit Juvia!" Natsu hollered.
"Like hell!" Gray and Blake hollered in unison.
Gray and Blake jumped and dashed to help Juvia.
"Shiryu. Take Yuna, Ryuho, Haruto, Sachi, Emma, Happy, Zoro and Karma to help them." Kouga explained.
"Okay. The rest of you handle the Ifrit." Shiryu said.
"Be careful, Natsu!" Happy hollered.
Natsu gave a thumbs-up with a toothy grin.
Shiryu, Yuna, Ryuho, Haruto, Sachi, Emma, Zoro and Karma followed to help Juvia, Gray and Blake.
Ruby now took charge and began to work alongside Natsu.
- Crescent Rose – Fastball Special! – Ruby shouted.
Using the Gravity Dust for recoil, Ruby swung Natsu, who jumped onto the scythe, for a powerful straight attack.
Natsu flew into the fireball and gobbled up some of his flames before they can be shot from the giant's mouth.
"Tasty fire!" Natsu hollered.
Ifrit was shocked.
Happy soon appeared and grabbed Natsu in time, which gave Eden, Souma and Luffy the opportunity to strike.
- Lionet Bomber! – Souma shouted.
- Tonituri Saltan! – Eden shouted.
- Gum-Gum Jet Stamp! – Luffy shouted.
All three attacked the giant's head, leaving it a bit daze.
The five of them regrouped with Kouga, Ruby, Nagisa and Aria.
Ifrit grew angrier and decided to let his rage loose on them.
XXX
Juvia continued to grip the Leviathan's fins, refusing to let go.
"I… won't let you go!" Juvia hollered.
Leviathan became angry, and decided to fly into the lake at high speeds hoping to drown Juvia.
They both entered the lake, but Juvia easily survived the high water pressure much to Leviathan's shock.
"W-What are you?!" Leviathan asked, in an angry manner.
Leviathan had no choice but to leave the lake upwards. Once done, he spun around very fast that Juvia barely held on, forcing her to let go.
She screamed as she was falling from a high altitude. In the nick of time however, Gray saved Juvia on a frozen slide iced by large amounts of water Shiryu and Ryuho conducted together.
Juvia opened her eyes to see Gray, and was truly happy seeing his genuine smile.
"You know how to make me worry, don't you?" Gray commented.
Juvia's eyes became hearts and her face red, fainting.
"Jeez…" Gray said.
Happy was having a little trouble carrying Yuna.
"My arms… are gonna snap!" Happy hollered, his wings flapping as hard as they can.
A red tick mark appeared on the Aquila Saint's forehead.
"Leave my weight out of this!" Yuna hollered.
XXX
Kouga used his wings to fly away in time from an attack by Ifrit.
Leviathan soon joined alongside his giant friend.
"No more games!" Leviathan hollered.
"Time to die!" Ifrit hollered.
Leviathan and Ifrit prepare to unleash their final move.
- Karna's Sun! – Ifrit shouted.
- Poseidon's Storm! – Leviathan shouted.
Ifrit and Leviathan combined their ultimate moves to destroy the Acts, Eden and Souma.
"Shine, my Cosmo!" Kouga hollered.
Kouga began to unleash the power of Miracles.
"Burn…" Souma said.
"Rumble…" Eden said.
"My Cosmo!" Eden and Souma hollered in unison.
Eden and Souma also raised their Cosmo to the absolute limit.
- Senko Big Bang Explosion! – Kouga, Eden and Souma shouted in unison.
Kouga, Eden and Souma combined the attacks of Pegasus Big Bang, Senko Cross and Lionet Explosion that created a massive bluish-violet beam with orange highlights, clashing against the combined attack of Karna's Sun and Poseidon's Storm, struggling very hard.
Natsu, Luffy, Ruby and Nagisa decided to lend a hand.
- Lightning Fire Dragon's Roar! – Natsu shouted.
- Gum-Gum Elephant Gun! – Luffy shouted.
- Crescent Rose – Crimson Flower! – Ruby shouted.
- Sheathed Blade Assault Style… Exploding Spirit Slash! – Nagisa shouted.
The other four Order Acts combine their ultimate attacks into the Senko Big Bang Explosion.
"Thanks, guys!" Souma hollered.
"One last push!" Kouga hollered.
Kouga, Natsu, Luffy, Ruby, Nagisa, Eden and Souma poured the last of their strength, pushing with everything they've got, breaking through the attacks of Ifrit and Leviathan, much to the two titans' shocks.
"IMPOSSIBLE!" Ifrit and Leviathan shouted in unison.
Both titans were hit hard, crashing them into the sand and knocking them out for the count.
"The bigger they are, the harder they-" Souma said.
"Don't say it." Nagisa said.
"Let's rendezvous with everyone else and get out of here." Eden said.
"Oh really?" Klaud said.
Kouga and the others looked to see Klaud floating above them… with a fragment in hand that shocked the heroes.
"He's got one of the fragments!" Ruby hollered.
"Dammit!" Kouga hollered.
Klaud tapped some buttons on his left gauntlet arm, summoning a portal.
Gray's group, as well as the rest of the Alliance meet up with Kouga's.
"Sorry, man. That guy managed to get one of the fragments." Maehara explained.
"But he oddly lets us keep the one we already had before." Erza explained.
"What does he hope to accomplish by joining the Coalition?" Kanzaki asked.
"Curious, children?" Klaud asked.
Everyone looked up at Klaud.
"Well… we're merely just collaborators in defeating both all of you, and taking over America." Klaud explained.
"What did America do to you, not that I'd care?" Zoro asked.
"In good time." Klaud said.
"The answers will come… once war begins tomorrow." Klaud continued.
"A war for the last four fragments." Klaud finished.
The mention of war surprised the Alliance, Shiryu and Sonia.
"Did he said war?" Aria thought.
"Be ready for tomorrow…" Klaud said.
"… The last four fragments will be found, and the Coalition and Britannia Knights will attack those locations to get them, even walking over a mountain of corpses and broken rubble." Klaud continued.
"Be sure to give that message to Mr. Redfield and your allies. You'll need it." Klaud finished.
Klaud soon entered the portal, followed by what's left of his army.
The portal closed, leaving the Alliance now concerned that their biggest battle for the last fragments begins tomorrow.
XXX
It was now sunset. Evan is panting heavily while lying on the ground.
Jellal and Korosensei were panting lightly and have little damage.
"Gotta say, Evan… you're good when you're fighting at full power." Jellal commented.
Evan smiled as he slowly got up, turning on the power restraint wrist to seal his powers.
"Guess I better get back home. Mom's getting restless." Evan explained.
"Then we better head back before she kills us both." Redfield said.
Evan shivered, thinking of what kind of punishment his mother might give if she finds out he's been gone longer than he normally does on his own.
"We should head back to the Allied Heights. We need to see if the Alliance completed their mission." Jimbei explained.
"Yeah." Seiya said.
Korosensei already left in an instant, leaving the others dumfounded.
"And he left us… again." Qrow said.
"I'll call Ritsu for a quick Ground Bridge." Jellal said.
"You've got 1 minute." Redfield said.
Jellal nodded.
Evan rolled his arm around a bit.
"Got a ride home, dad?" Evan asked.
"Have an F-16 Fighting Falcon locked in the hanger bay. We can use that to drop you off without any noticing if you keep your powers off." Redfield replied.
"Thanks." Evan said.
"I also want to let you know that I'm very proud of you." Redfield explained.
Evan became a bit confused.
"Sometimes you don't like to get involved in many things, but you have the wisdom to choose what is best for you and us to help you learn about the world ever since you started your first story at 7." Redfield explained.
"You're disability may have made you shy to interact, but you always wanted to protect people – both friends, family, and even strangers." Redfield continued.
"So when you're ready, we'll share your little secret to the family and anyone you can trust. Maybe see if I'll let you into the field once you've gotten the hang of your powers." Redfield continued.
"You told me no lies and half-truths only when the situation merits it. Now, it's your turn." Redfield finished.
Evan took in his father's words and smiled. He knew the road ahead of him will be dangerous and dark, but he never gives up and will always find a way to push through.
"Yeah. My biggest worry is Yang." Evan said.
"Better hope you share your reasons." Redfield said.
Evan and Redfield both began to chuckle.
Seiya, Jellal, Ozpin, Qrow and Jimbei smiled at the bonding of father and son as their Ground Bridge opened, leaving as the two Redfields began making their way to the hanger bay to leave.
XXX
Once returned home with fragment in hand, Klaud met with his fellow Britannia Knights.
"I see Rub' al Khali didn't dirtied your clothes, brother?" Cordellia asked.
"Not at all. Besides… we have the prize for the Coalition." Klaud replied.
Klaud showed his compatriots one of the two fragments he managed to steal.
"Impressive, Lord Klaud." Bismarck commented.
"I also have good news! The last four fragments have been found!" Llyod hollered.
"Where?" Klaud asked.
"Each located in Los Angeles, Sydney, Vietnam and Egypt." Llyod replied.
A dark shadow appeared in the room, revealing to be the Acts of Chaos.
"I heard you've found the last four fragments?" Venus asked.
"Indeed. Tomorrow, our forces will invade these locations. Show the world the full might of the Britannia Knights." Klaud replied.
"Don't fail us. Nightmare won't tolerate failing mortals." Venus explained.
"You need not worry. Once the war is over, no one will challenge him." Klaud explained.
Venus gave a wicked chuckle. Klaud gave an evil smile.
Tomorrow, a new Cold War like no other, will shake the Earth to its' very core.
Preview:
Luffy: Man, I thought I was gonna die in that desert!
Gajeel: You almost died in a lake, idiot!
Luffy: That was Kouga's fault for not sharing!
Sugaya: You, Natsu-san, Ruby-san and Happy started it!
Luffy: I don't remembered something like that.
Sugaya: You're pretending you don't remember!
Gajeel: Klaud's already got one of the two we have and is now preparing for war tomorrow.
Luffy: Along with Nightmare and his buddies.
Sugaya: We only have a day to prepare.
Gajeel: Gihihi! I'm looking forward to bashing some bad guys!
Luffy: We're gonna win this! No matter what!
Sugaya: Damn straight!
Gajeel: Next time: Chapter 25 – New Cold War: Part One.
Sugaya: And the war begins.
Did you enjoy it? Sorry for the wait! Now the New Cold War battle begins now!