FiFi's Bizarre Adventure:Black Herring
By:CleruSonofShintetsu
[Chapter 7: Life or Death, a Bone Breaking Battle (Part 2)]
Filomena stood on the old bridge, facing the knight before her. The bridge was long, and made of stone, leading to a direct path into Wind Knights Town itself. Winzaleo cricked his neck back and forth, staring down Filomena before speaking.
"You seem like a very unorthodox woman. You reek of sweetness, yet you have that much muscle. You remind me of a warrior version of an old love of mine just by lookin' at you." he said, his voice a bit gruff with a noble tone to it. He twirled his spear three times, catching it after every spin.
Filomena merely nodded. In truth, she is nervous as all hell. Her heart was racing, her hands were shaking, and she had to face a foe of THIS caliber THIS early? The knight noticed this and gave a disapproving look at her.
Winzaleo sighed, then growled. "That same woman betrayed my heart and got me exiled from my home land! I will not be humped over by another woman ever again! I am loyal, but not a fool! You will not best me you sow! ESPECIALLY WITH HOW MUCH YOU'RE SHAKIN' IN FEAR!" he darted forward and jumped into the air, thrusting down with his spear to stab her in the head. She jumped back and began to dodge and weave around a flurry of rapid spear strikes and occasional slashes from said weapon.
Filomena rolls under the arm of the vampire and hops to her feet, reeling her arm back and thrusting forward. "ZOOM PUNCH!" she called out, her arm extending and clocking the vampire in the face, sending him skidding back across the bridge, his cheek scorched.
"Impressive! Perhaps you have some fight in you after all, come on then! Show me everything you have to offer!" he roared, continuing his assault without letting up for a single moment. Filomena could barely set up a hamon attack at this rate, she needed to clear her mind.
"Think FiFi...what would Sophitia tell you?" she thought, flashing back to a time where she was speaking to her dear friend.
"FiFi! You can't always run from every problem or nick nack you encounter! Think differently...instead of running, only pretend to run, then once you lure them in you lash out like a charging deer!"
That is exactly what she did, and as soon as the next and most powerful thrust was attempted, she weaved her head around, grazing her cheek, and delivered a gut punch to the zombie. She then took the chance to unleash her next move, "Overdrive Barrage!"
She began to unleash a brief flurry of kicks to the zombie, finishing with a roundhouse kick to the side, knocking the zombie off the bridge and into the crevice below. The zombie was likely far from finished, so she used this time to catch her breath. She wasn't exhausted, but she was startled and relieved at the same time, her heart thumping with anticipation. "I was not made for this...oh God help me..." she complained, looking up at the moon once more.
[Meanwhile with Florence...]
Florence and the zombie were engaged in great swordplay, and only his gifted talent with the blade kept him from being overwhelmed by the twin swords of the knight. "Whats the matter you French pig!? Scared? You should be! I am your better in every feasible way, and even if I were still human I would still surpass you, because you and all of France are naught but worthless pansies playing at knighthood! Hraaaaaaaahhh!" he cried out, lunging to bite his neck but whiffing entirely.
Florence pulled out his steel ball and rushed forward, "Close Quarters Twister!" he said, pressing the spinning ball into Eijkmans face, grinding down his nose and temporarily warping his face as a result. Florence then pulled back and slashed at the zombie's throat, only to be parried instantly.
"My...my face! How dare you harm my features!?" he said, Florence not having a chance to answer him before once again being forced to clash and strike with his sword.
"God, how barbaric are you!?" he asked, starting to pant a little from the assault. He needed to strike well, or this assault would never wane. Florence spotted a dagger on Eijkman's belt, maybe he could use this to his advantage?
Then, he made the attempt, roundhouse kicking the zombie in the head, stabbing under his arm with his sword, and putting away his steel ball to grab the dagger. Successfully doing so, he then stabs the zombie knight in the back of the throat, overwhelming him with pain.
"French fool...argh...my regeneration...I won't be bested...so-" Eijkman choked out, but he was cut off by a staff piercing the ground beneath them, getting in the way of the two warriors. Eijkman and Florence looked over by the river to see Pavla striding over.
Pavla calmly approached, Eijkman using this chance to dislodge the weapons and flee into the distance. "YOU FOOLS ARE DEAD MEAT, DEAD, MEAT!" he screamed.
Florence, as though his humanity finally caught up with him, began to pant heavily, almost hyperventilating in exhaustion. "God...that...that was...so hard..." he managed to sputter out, Pavla patting his back.
"You did gloriously! If he weren't so powerful, he'd be dead by now, even with the power of the spin." she said with a smile.
"Really...? I...truly am?"
"Absolutely! Now come, let us find Oswal-" Pavla began, hearing a loud rocky crash in the distance. She and Florence jogged over at a careful pace, as Florence was still recovering from the fight.
[Meanwhile with Oswald...]
Oswald was at a stand still with Caineghis. The giant finally noticed his sword and pointed it out. "That sword...it is well crafted, it reeks of history. Tell me, who gave you that blade, Scotsman?"
Oswald looked down at the sword of Luck, then back at Caineghis. "This sword historically belonged to the knight, Bruford, one of the last ever winners of the 77 Rings Challenge in a century beyond your own."
Caineghis grinned, "I see..." he began, swinging his flail around. "Then you better inherit the power and skill of us champion knights then! Hraaaahh!" he cried out, swinging to smash his flaili into Osald from the side.
Oswald leapt back, but the sheer force of the swing sent a gust of wind brushing past his face. He needed to end this battle soon, or his great stamina will drain. Gripping the sword, he let out a battle cry, tapping into the gift of Hamon and banking on one final strike. Caineghis scoffed and reared his leg back to punt him. Oswald jumped up and onto his leg at the moment Caineghis kicked, then sprung up and raised his sword.
Caineghis, desperate to avoid the strike, whiffed a punch and sent Oswald off course. Sadly for the old knight, Oswald instead managed to rake out his other eye with a mighty strike, creating a gash down that side of his head and sending some hamon into him. The knight screamed out in pain and collapsed to the ground in agony, though somehow surviving that brief brush of Hamon.
The Scotsman sighed in relief, sitting down and taking a breather. Florence and Pavla soon approached the exhausted warrior and helped him to his feet. "Aye...how went your fight, Florence?" he asked, back to his moody demeanor.
"By God, that knight was a screeching speedy mess! Thank the Lord in Heaven I got out with only scuffs and scrapes..." he said, rubbing his temples as he then noticed the writhing Caineghis.
"Of course..." Pavla began, shaking her head. "With the Hamon I gave you, he would still be alive from such a modest wound. However...zombies don't usually feel great pain until Hamon completely scorches their bodies. I wonder if the Spin can become a deterrent upon the flesh of the undead with proper accuracy?" she rambled, approaching the wounded knight.
She pulls out a white steel ball and begins to apply the rotational force needed, aiming for the back of Caineghis' neck. "Look alive Florence...the executioner's trick shall sever the zombie's spine so greatly, that even regeneration will not mend it. Aim well, then launch the ball!"
But before the ball could reach the target, a blast of moisture blew it out of the way and nearly smashed the ball into Florence's face. The moisture beam came from the eyes of Winzaleo, who fired it from long range on the other end of the bridge. Filomena was with him, but wounded in the right hip and with a slash mark down her chest. She held on, but was clearly struggling.
Pavla, wide eyed, sprinted and leaped across the chasm and unleashed her tornado overdrive, drilling into the shield of Winzaleo and breaking it, breaking his wrist and sending him back. She then ran over to Filomena and lowered her onto her knees. "Easy now, easy...are you okay FiFi?" she asked, keeping one eye open for Winzaleo.
"I...I am fine, master Pavla. He is strong...very strong. Are we certain he is but a mere zombie?" she asked, calming down as Pavla used her hamon to heal Filomena's wounds.
"It is likely Winzaleo was so mighty in life...that he is a perfect zombie in every way. It is no wonder he gave you trouble, even with your Hamon abilities. I fear that we have not seen the last of those knights, especially Winzaleo." Pavla responded, finishing the mending of her pupil's wounds.
Some time later, the group agreed to finish their march into town proper before getting any rest. This battle against the knights was short and brutal, and only the beginning of their trials at large. What trial awaits these wayward travellers next on their journey to leave the country? Did the knights flee to the town? Whatever the case may be, rest was all that the group could think about for the time being, and rest...they surely will.