Chapter 37: The Final Battle Part 2 - The Fall of Itsuki
The battle had begun with Kazuko ready to face his destiny, the time had come to enter the lions den. Kazuko was ready to chaos control close to where the portal had opened and had Shadow beside him ready to leave. But before they could Louise needed to say one final goodbye to Saito. They embraced thinking it might be their last, "I want to come with you, I'm your familiar Louise. I can't leave you alone."
"I'll be fine, you need to help everyone else. I promise I'll come back alive, that's a promise from your master.", she said tearing up.
"Louise we have to go now!", you said.
She lifted her head up and went with them. She tried to smile giving Saito a sense that she would be fine but nobody could guarantee their lives for this battle. With that Shadow used chaos control and in seconds they were already atop the mountain where The Order's forces were coming out. They were just below the peak so they could sneak into the portal. They needed to wait for the aerial forces to stop coming through so it was safe to cross into the portal. Ounce the last wave exited, they cautiously entered where the air ships were holding position right outside.
"Kazuko where do we go to sever the connection?"
"It's across the end of this pathway, when we head to the intersection that's where we'll sever it.", they walked across the beam like road where ahead like like a infinite thread of paths. Like a cosmic ball of yarn. They're path would be a bit long since they had to do it on foot otherwise they would be detected using chaos control to cut the trip short. Stealth was a must in order for this to succeed.
Later...
As they traversed through this inter-dimensional highway, they could begin to see far behind them that the fighting had shifted to the portal. The Black Knights had managed to get The Order into a surprise deadlock. They had not much farther to go as they were only a couple miles to go. "Shadow, where is he?"
"He said he'll be there when we reach the intersection."
"Who are we meeting?", Louise asked.
"A Zone cop, The Order was more like a police force at one point only providing passage to other dimensions when they were needed to maintain balance. That was how it was before the council came and changed the system. They directed what went and they did in the shadows, so no one would know that they were being manipulated by self righteous rulers.", Shadow explained.
"Until Itsuki wiped them out. C'mon, we need to keep moving.", Kazuko replied. Then Shadow received a message from his wrist watch, "Shadow I need to borrow your Void Mage."
"Stark what are you doing?! You can't draw attention to us now! Were not ready yet!", Shadow said angrily.
"There is a giant sword wielding giant with a griffon squad and they're about to cut us to shreds. I'm not headed for you guys but we need that girl to cook up some magical mumbo jumbo to drop that things barrier."
"Wait? Who are those griffon riders?", Louise asked thinking she may know who they are dealing with.
"The insignia of one of the riders hails to a region on Tristain maps known as Ostland.", Jarvis answered.
"Ostland? But why would they be helping Itsuki?"
"He must have done some sort of deal with them during his time in Tristain before he murdered the king and queen. Son of bitch couldn't have done it while he was with us and doing all those shady dealings in Albion at the same time. Must have had them in his back pocket.", Kazuko figured.
"Wait, I know how to stop the barrier. But we'll need to be extra fast about severing the connection because they'll be sure to notice us."
"Louise what are you thinking?", Kazuko asked nervous about her plan feeling reluctant to follow it. Soon as she explained her plan to Iron-man he stopped fighting off the griffon squadron and came right through the portal. He shot up a few ships to grab their attention and called up his pal War Machine to provide some fireworks.
"Rhodes, how many missiles you have on you?"
"A lot."
"Well you might need to use them all because we need to make a big explosion."
"Where do you need me to aim?"
"At me."
"What?", he said in disbelief.
"Trust me, I'm working off a good idea.", Tony got the attention of at least three ships all firing at him with him blasting and dodging at every turn he could.
"Tony you better know what your doing."
"I know what I'm doing. I'm hoping the person who thought of the idea knows what she is doing.", Tony clarified.
War Machine targeted him and fired all his missiles from his left shoulder, with so many things being fired at Iron-man his suit was getting some serious damage. "Guys I'm about to come your way so whatever your doing you better do it right!", he said feeling worried he'd get killed. "Sir we are breaching beyond the enemy's line of defense and are approaching the designated area to cover the strike team's movements." The missiles were hitting the other ships while in pursuit of Iron-man but they were getting closer.
"GUYS DO IT ON MY MARK AND FOR GOD SAKE DON'T MISS TIME IT!"
"5...4...3...2...1!"
Just then all the missiles exploded just before they hit Iron-man. They all detonated by some random explosion that caused him to go flying toward Louise, Kazuko, and Shadow but it all worked out. "Ok I don't know what you just did but I'm glad I'm still in one piece."
"First get us to the intersection since we need to get started right now."
"Done. Everyone hold on tight."
"I'll run thank you.", Shadow declined.
Iron-man grabbed Kazuko and Louise to the intersection, then Louise began casting a spell around Iron-man's suit causing it to glow white. "So now what?"
"Head right for the colossus and ram into it like a bullet. But be sure to ditch the suit before hand.", Kazuko said.
"Ok I know what to do from there good luck.", Iron-man then hovered and created a force field around them so that the ships couldn't fire on you while you tried severing the connection.
Shadow then arrived just after he flew off and brought out the chaos emeralds ready to finish this ounce and for all.
Just as Iron-man left he told Jarvis to remotely send for another Iron-man suit he had at the helicarrier to retrieve him so he could transfer out of his current one. "Jarvis make sure we have it get enough momentum otherwise this will be worth for nothing."
"I am taking control of the suit for now, prepare to ejection in 2 minutes."
Meanwhile Mustang and Armstrong still slowing down the colossus before it could wipe out the palace. "We can't hold it off any longer!", Armstrong cried. Armstrong was taking a beating from everything that the colossus had done to try and swat them from existence. Mustang's arm was hit with some debris and it felt like it was on fire. He tried searing the wound to close it up to still go on fighting but the colossus wised to his game and made the winds to strong for him to generate fire. It waved it's arm causing a strong wind to keep them anchored down practically pinning them down.
But luckily War Machine came by and fired his uni-beam right in the colossus' face. Just after swing by he picked up the two alchemists and sent them back to the palace for medical treatment.
Meanwhile...
Saito, Tabitha, and Henrietta with their ground forces managed to climb to the very top of the mountain after engaging the enemy. They're numbers will starting to dwindle down to alarming numbers. As Master Guns saw the tides of battle shifting he began to grow nervous that his arrogance costed him a decisive strike. "Sir! The enemy unit in the suit survived the blast and is zooming past our ships."
"What is he up to?"
"We don't know but it seems to be surrounded by magic now."
"What type?!"
"Disarming magic as our sages describe sir."
"What would that? Gasp! The colossus! We can't lose it! Fire everything at him! If we lose our last chance to strike at the heart of the enemy then this battle will be lost!"
"Sir! We have a visual on hostiles right at the intersection!"
"Bring them up now!", on the monitor it showed Kazuko, Louise, and Shadow. Knowing exactly what they were doing Master Guns was in a un-winnable situation. Get Itsuki on the line but continue firing on the Iron-man! Do whatever it takes but make sure you stop him!"
"Sir we are being fired upon and prepare to eject in 30 seconds."
"Don't get hit Jarvis and stop telling me when to eject! Just leave it on the screen."
Iron-man managed to exit the portal escaping the enemy line of fire and the spare suit was en route. "Ejection in 3,2,1.", The suit opened by itself on the back and Tony leap right out of it and into the other suit of armor. The suit with the dispel magic aimed directly at the colossus, but the aerial forces already tried destroying it before it could hit the colossus. "Jarvis hows those enemy flight patterns you've been reading up on?"
"I have calculated enough to predict their movements to ensure the armors safe passage."
"Light'em up.", then out of Iron-man's whole suit, missiles, repulsors, lazers etc. he fired them all right into the predicted patterns of The Orders air forces. The mech pilots, the floating ships, jets, gone. Wiped out and within the following moment, the suit pierced directly into the colossus and completely destroyed it. It looked like the battle would be won after all.
Meanwhile...
Kazuko and Shadow were almost finished gaining enough power from the chaos emeralds to destroy the connection ounce and for all. But then without warning another ship appeared flying over their heads. Then a familiar voice echoed through their ears. "I must admit Kazuko, you had me surprised. You amassed quite a formidable army and foot soldiers to defend you. Even stopping both contingencies form ending this supposed minor scuffle in the blink of an eye. But you lost. Because I have the only thing you care about.", shown via hologram was an image of Guiche, Montmorency, Kirche, and Tiffania all captured with Itsuki holding a sword right near their necks. Kazuko's heart was pierced with shock and anger. His whole body tensed and went into his dormant uchian rage. Before Shadow could try and stop Kazuko, he had already chaos controlled up to the ship.
Itsuki held no fear as Kazuko busted through ripping the ship apart as he went toward him. The moment he entered the room where Itsuki had his friends Itsuki held a smug smile over his face. Kazuko in a berserk rage, gunned right for him but it was too late. In a sudden moment Kazuko's whole body felt like a ton. He couldn't hold his own body weight. He couldn't use his anger, his powers, nothing. It was a trap. Shadow arrived with Louise and tried to save him but Itsuki electrified the floor around them and shocked the two holding them securely with chaos dampening restraints.
"Itsuki!", Kazuko yelled.
"I had my best agent handle the battle while I set up this trump card in case you planned something elaborate enough to pose a threat. And now I have your friends and you. And this, is your teacher? A hedgehog? I expected something much more intimidating. But it doesn't matter now. I won.", Itsuki boasted.
"Not yet! Henrietta and the others will beat you, even if you kill me."
"Precisely, which is why you will tell them to surrender."
"I won't. I'll die before I give in not until I did everything I could to pay for what you have done! Our family, to Tristain, Albion, and The Order. You've tainted what they tried to accomplish!", Kazuko yelled out.
"Bark at me with insults all you like but your still going to order their surrender, because if you do not then I kill your friends, one by one until you give in." Shadow and Louise just regained consciousness as Itsuki made his threat. They struggled attempting to break free but to no avail. "Try all you like I modified this room to detain anyone capable of wielding the chaos force."
"Grrrr! Release me now!"
"I will, but only if he decides to surrender and by extension all of you."
Kazuko struggled trying but could only watch his friends look on him with faces of fear, sadness, and bravery.
"I will gladly give my life for my country you cad! I...have nothing to fear.", Guiche said trying his best to remain strong.
"No! Kazuko, don't let him die! For gods sake don't let him die please!"
"Montmorency please! You know we can't let him win! Please take my life but spare hers! She is innocent."
"She discovered the hedgehog before I detained her, she is just as guilty as all of you."
"Kazuko my darling don't listen to him!", Kirche cried out.
"I didn't do anything wrong please!", Tiffa begged.
"Enough! Master Guns!", Itsuki said speaking to him via hologram.
"Yes sir!"
"Hold a temporary ceasefire to the enemy, broadcast this message."
"Yes sir."
A couples minutes went by before the fighting had come to an end for a moment. Then, live from the fleet of foreign ships under Itsuki's command they could all see what was happening. Saito, Tabitha, and Henrietta watched in horror as they saw their friends captured and on the verge of being put to death. "Lady Henrietta, you are the biggest authority figure in this rebellion, but you follow this young man, Kazuko Uchia, who has lead you to defy your supreme leader in the entire multitude of cosmic dimensions. I have him right now and his friends, and unless he orders you to surrender, these four all DIE!"
"Louise!", Saito cried out.
"Kirche!", Tabitha followed.
"Kazuko!", Henrietta finished.
"I will escort everyone to their dimensions and hold no ill will against them unless you all back down in command of Kazuko Uchia. However, if you continue to fight in defiance then they die."
"You coward!", Henrietta said about to instigate the battle again, however Itsuki held one of his swords to Kazuko's neck if she tried anything. "Don't let him get to you Henrietta stop him!", Kazuko called out.
"No. Have no fear Lady Henrietta, this is all determined by him. And I am certain you will follow his wishes ounce he knows that I am not speaking ideal threats. I never intended on killing you brother, but I will make you suffer for what you have forced me to become." With that Itsuki held his sword near the various four victims that would meet death.
All Kazuko now was revenge, he suffered his whole life under his brothers twisted logic, and he would not let him get away with it. But he saw his friends in serious danger. He knew Itsuki was going to do it. But he just couldn't let him win. The question was, could Kazuko make the same ruthless choices that Itsuki was so well known for in his career as The Order's best agent?
Kazuko looked at who Itsuki would kill, and he was aiming it at the person he knew would either sway him to surrender or break him. He held it at Kirche's throat, she was paralyzed with fear. The feeling of the metal sent shivers down her spine. "NO!", Kazuko called out. Itsuki grabbed her by her hair and exposed her neck and was going to kill her unless Kazuko ordered their surrender. "NO!", Kazuko called out again. Itsuki starred at him saying with a single look, "If you don't surrender, then there is nothing you can do."
Kazuko tried to crawl, move, do something to stop him, Kazuko's eyes flooded trying to save her without giving in. He began to realize it was better to fight another day. Perhaps maybe someone else could stand against Itsuki. Or he could stall, for the Zone cop to finally arrive. All he could do was watch and determine her fate if he only speak what Itsuki wanted to hear. "Kazuko...", Kirche said, she tried to smile for him to get him to not give up his fight for her. But Kazuko decided to save her, he took a breath...and in a fraction of a second he was too late. Itsuki sliced her throat clean, blood gushing out, spilling over Kazuko's face and his own. Itsuki shoved her body in front of Kazuko with Kirche's final moments trying to express her feelings only through her eyes. Kazuko could stare in utter shock, and met her radiant eyes. Kirche crawled over holding her neck trying feebly to stop the bleeding. She managed to touch her growing cold hand to Kazuko's face which was stricken with guilt, and smiled. Then the life faded in her eyes, Kazuko crawled over to her and for one final moment kissed her on her forehead and then broke down in tears.
On the outside of the mobius strip, Tabitha broke out screaming in complete agony. She used her magic to summon a storm that forced the entire army into the portal, even the flagship was no match for the force of nature that swelled with emotion. The ship however was pushed toward the edge of the portal that when it collided the flagships split in two. Tabitha rained down subzero cold icicles killing everyone unfortunate to not find cover from them.
Louise cried out Kirche's name, screaming it. Never before did she think that after what they ounce were in the past would she cry out her name after she passed. Itsuki turned away hiding his face from the world. "I had to do it. I had to. If there is to be an end to this, she had to die. As much as I wished Kazuko had not sacrificed her.
But then out of nowhere crashing through the wall was someone in space like gear. Firing a blaster at the ceiling concealing a chaos nulifier, the man who came out of nowhere held the gun to Itsuki's head. "Itsuki Uchia, you are under arrest for conspiracy & murder of the council, the rulers of Tristain, the citizens of Albion, and you own clan."
"Zonic?! You can't be- what proof- traitor!", in disbelief Itsuki was for the first time fearful of his secrets being released.
"I have been spying on you after the council was killed. And I have just uploaded to The Order everything you did."
"Impossible. I have no evidence of such things!"
"Your 'best agent' had a written account of everything you had him do. Combined with every piece of evidence these people have managed to procure along with their accounts, you have no hope."
"I don't buy it."
"I found something you never believed you would incriminate your career."
"What would incriminate the ruler of THE ORDER?! I AM THE ORDER! I AM THE ONE WHO DETERMINES THE FATES OF THE COSMIC-", then in shock Itsuki's life fell apart. Instead of what was happening to them in the room just now what was being broadcasted was irrefutable to Zonic's claims. The former king of Tristain's sword. The sword matched the country of where it was made, the blood stains were old but unmistakable, but where it was found and how this all came to be unwoven was by Itsuki's ace in the hole.
How could Itsuki have gotten all that info on Kazuko before arriving? How could he return to Albion so fast after finishing business there? And how could he activate a special magic seal to be set off at anytime when he had no magical allies. No one ever suspected that them, no one would know, after having been discovered and with such innocence could they have given to Itsuki on a silver plate. None other than Tiffania Westwood, Itsuki's secret apprentice.
"She had it in her hut the whole time. After you killed the king she saw you do it, but instead you took her in, had her be your spy for when Kazuko returned. She was the one who tried to kill Kazuko in Albion after Whales was murdered. She was the person the Albion people believed to be this Echidna god Enerjak. She was the person Itsuki had doing all the dirty work while he made himself appear to be shady so you would chase after him getting you all into a trap to lure Kazuko in and capture him for the council. But when all of you got too close, he wiped out Albion and told Tiffa to return to her hut."
"That's not possible.", Itsuki said out loud.
"I imagine you told her to never go back there again. But she took the sword as a keepsake. Her only mistake was holding on to the past.", how do you plan on talking you way out of this?", Zonic said with a smug grin.
"...", Itsuki stood there silent. All that could be heard was the raging battle that could be heard.
"Master?", said Tiffa.
At that instant Itsuki snapped, whatever chances he had to denying this claim were all dashed away. "YOU STUPID BITCH! YOU KEPT IT?! YOU DEFIED ME?! FOR DECADES I HAD IT ALL FIGURED OUT! I KNEW I HAD NOTHING TO LINK ME TO THAT NIGHT! AND YOU KAZUKO! YOU COULDN'T LEAVE WELL ENOUGH ALONE! I TRIED TO SAVE YOU! SAVE YOU! BUT I COULDN'T DO IT! MY ONE MOMENT OF WEAKNESS WAS WHAT RUINED MY LIFE?! NOOOOO! I AM THE ORDER! I AM THE ORDER! I AM ITSUKI UCHIA AND I COMMAND THE UNIVERSE!"
"But I never did.", she replied.
In that following moment Itsuki realized what was the true smoking gun, he just admitted for the first time, his mistake and his treachery. Kazuko rose from the ground and saw his brother's look as The entire Order across the Multi-verse heard his rant. Itsuki finally lost.
However all was not about to end as it would seem, the doors to the room slammed open with Master Guns holding a long briefcase. "It is a shame, to see you fall from grace Itsuki. But have no fear, I intend to lead The Order now. And I shall forgive you of your moment of weakness...", as he opened the case emerged a horrific sight. A fire hot red glow, a petrifying stare, a sword of the long deceased enemy. Soul Edge.
Itsuki and Kazuko gasped in horror as his most trusted friend in The Order had the cursed sword the entire time? "Richard?! When-"
"After you sent me to rely the message to Tiffa to transform the entire Tristain army into monsters, it found me. It guided me toward a future ruled by you. But now I must take charge and take up this sword and cleanse it of your sins and its enemies! I shall avenge you!", he stabbed the ground with the sword and the room glowed in a blinding light.
When it finally dimmed the newest host of Nightmare came to be. "Tremble in fear!" Kazuko and Itsuki held no hesitation, their anger for the same creature that ruined their lives was in front of them ounce again and without a second thought attacked him. "Itsuki! I'm your friend!", Nightmare said in Richard's voice.
"You are not my friend anymore! Your the freak that ruined my life!", Itsuki yelled.
"As you wish.", Nightmare let out a pulse of energy. Shadow after being finally freeing himself after the chaos nulifier was destroyed fired a chaos spear at Nightmare forcing him to retreat but not before leaving a wake of destruction. He swiped across the room leaving a blast of energy sending everyone across the room. "See you in hell.", Nightmare threw the sword right into the nulifier causing it to malfunction.
Soon as Zonic saw what Nightmare had just done he knew everyone needed to get out. He freed Louise, Montmorency, and Guiche but left Tiffa and Itsuki to rot. Shadow picked Kazuko up and was about to chaos control them back to Tristain. However Tiffania now transformed from a demure innocent girl to a cold hearted loyal apprentice casted a spell to force Kazuko out of the group. Itsuki got up and saw that the nulifier was going to disintegrate everything in the resulting chain reaction.
"Leave him to die! We have to get out of here!", Itsuki ordered her. Before she could be certain of his demise Kazuko elbowed her in the head and threw her into the nulifier, the moment she hit the machine, a slow forming but ever growing blast of anti-matter formed with Tiffa being it's first victim. Kazuko and Itsuki ran for it off the ship making through every hallway and short cut they could to evade the blast.
Kazuko managed to make it to the outside of the ship faster and locked Itsuki inside knowing for certain it would finish him. With Itsuki trapped inside and with little time Itsuki worked his way up to the navigation room to try and escape through the emergency hatch. The ship was slowly being torn apart and Itsuki managed to make it to the navigation room but it was too late for the blast had already caught up to him. The only way out was through the window, a risk he took.
Itsuki smashed through the window and making a B-line toward where ever the ship reached out in his direction, ounce there was nowhere left but the infinite maze of universes below him from over the edge of the strip connecting the one to Tristain he took a leap of faith and hoped he would survive. As he leaped from the blast it was all that could be seen. Nothing more and nothing less. No body no nothing.
Kazuko managed to get clear of the blast and saw that it had engulfed a portion of the mobius strip. The damage to the multi-verse could be disastrous, and with The Order in disarray, what could be done now?