Chapter 10: love and awkwardness
-COME FOR HIM, GENIUS TRASH! – the shadow yelled with fury and throws black flames from its mouth to Hephaestus, in a fast move he takes the summoner in his arms and runs to take him to a safer place near the other crafters and Musashi's unconscious body.
-Mama, please s-stay here, I'm the one it wants- the crafter said to Jūtarō with trembling voice, releasing him from his embrace.
-No! let me go with you! – the summoner replies afraid of something happens to his timid savior.
- I-I'm so sorry Mama, but I must end this, alone- the crafter responds with tears in his golden eyes to later stand up and clean his tears with his hands before fight with the shadow who took his creation.
Hephaestus ignites again his inner fire, making burn the flame of his eye brighter and the scars of his head, he runs toward Shadow Talos, then he takes more screwdrivers from his belt charged with his fire and throws them to the shadow, some of them are avoided by the shadow and fall to the ground, one of them stabs the shadow in the stomach, other in left shoulder and the last in right leg, the shadow thinks he has advantage until the Olympian snaps his fingers again, making the screwdrivers explode, leaving Shadow Talos some unable to move.
-Damn sneaky trash! You're bolder than I imagined- the entity said complimenting the attack he received, Hephaestus didn't say anything, with his eye, he started to look for more spots to attack while he was getting closer.
But Shadow Talos was equally cunning, it awaited for some time until the right moment to attack again, after Hephaestus was going to throw more screwdrivers, the shadow screams and release another shockwave to stun him, but the Olympian covers his face with his arms and protects himself creating a barrier made of his fire and ethereal projections when he uses his eye to analyze any system, the barrier fades after the shockwave is gone leaving the transient with enough time to think in his next strategy.
Shadow Talos gets furious by the determination of Hephaestus and his way to confront it, the shadow is somewhat injured, but notices the Olympian is still hurt from the previous attacks, Hephaestus still runs with all the speed can get from his prosthetic legs, after he notices there's no more screwdrivers or any tools in his belt, he closes his hands into fists and the scars from his hands are ignited, to later let his hands being engulfed by his purifying fire.
The entity makes the same but creates some shields in its forearms as additional protection, Hephaestus punches to the shadow, but Shadow Talos covers itself with the shields, the transient gets upset by this and keeps punching, but Shadow Talos still covers itself until he sees an uncovered spot to hit the Olympian, Hephaestus notices its intentions and tries to cover that spot before being hit, but the shadow was faster and lands its punch to the transient's stomach.
Hephaestus don't flinches and resist the pain from the hit, he makes some steps backwards because of the same pain and reincorporates to fight, this time Hephaestus takes a more defensive position when the shadow decides to attack, the transient receives an aggressive beating, he covers the punches with his arms while he looks for a blind spot to hit, he founds it and connects a crochet blow to the jaw, Shadow Talos fixes its hanging jaw but receives a beating from the Olympian leaving it with some damages to face and upper body.
-You're sturdier than I thought you'll be- Hephaestus said to the shadow with a strange calmness.
-you made this puppet to be durable, I'm just using him to my cause- the shadow replied with confidence, but recognizes Hephaestus' work.
-leave him, you made enough! – the transient orders it to free Talos.
-don't seems like you care for him, you always yell him, you treat him like if you don't love him- the shadow taunts him to provoke him.
- what I feel for Talos isn't your business- the crafter says.
-you think that? well think about it again- the shadow responds and makes a ring of black fire surround them both inside, Jūtarō gets worried for Hephaestus and stands up to go with him, but he hasn't recovered all his strength.
-Hephaestus! – the summoner yells the crafters name with concern and fear.
- I-I'll be okay Mama, d-don't worry for me! – the crafter tells him to stay back from the black flames, but suddenly the black flames burn hotter than any known flame.
Shadow Talos and Hephaestus keep fighting hand to hand inside that improvised ring, they keep giving and receiving blows again and again, but after some time, Hephaestus is getting weaker bit by bit.
- W-what's happening to me? – Hephaestus is getting his vision clouded and the heat from the black flames is getting unbearable, he falls over his knees and the shadow starts to speak with him.
-you're getting weaker, right? The heat from these flames is consuming you slowly, soon your life will be extinguished before me, but before you cease to exist, let me tell you some hidden truths…- the shadow takes some air and his taunt starts.
- nobody will remember you… you were scorned since birth, who would ever wanted you be at their side? You genius trash of Olympus- the words from the shadow were breaking him inside.
-your home world dispatched you, isolated you, the few people who keeps at your side just have pity for somebody like you! – the shadow was mocking him severely, Hephaestus felt how those words were making injuries to the weakest part of his self, his heart.
- s-stop it, you don't know anything! - Hephaestus told him to stop, but the shadow keeps going.
-I know enough! Even your own creation despises you!- the shadow continues.
-you always knew there's no place for someone like you in any world, that is better disappear and being forgotten, the people you met only cared what you could make for them, not cared about you! you feel empty, abandoned, unwanted, you're the scum from all the worlds! You even feel your "family" in Tokyo considers you worse than scum! – the shadow still continues with his mental bullying toward the transient.
-shut up! You always have to loosen your damn mouth Talos! I hate you! you mock me because you're always better than I will ever be! nothing will never change! – Hephaestus was crying, grabbing his head, trembling and making himself into a ball like a child.
-yes! You're weak! Unloved! Hated! Your birth was an error! You're stained with the blood from the users of the sacred artifacts you made before, you're corrupted like them! You're even feel guilty for your Mama's death when you were a damn cursed lame and disgusting child! SHE PREFERRED TO DIE THAN STAY WITH YOU!- the shadow was near to assist the last nail in the coffin and take his life until another voice yells for Hephaestus to cheer him.
-THAT'S NOT TRUE!- Jūtarō yells with all his strength and crying for his shy defender.
-YOU'RE NOT WHAT THAT SHADOW SAID! YOU'RE BETTER THAN THAT! – the summoner keeps screaming and cheer for Hephaestus, every word he said comes to Hephaestus' ears.
-Mama… Jūtarō? – the transient was still crying but can hear the summoner's words at the other side of the flames.
-YOU HAVE A FAMILY HERE, A FAMILY THAT LOVES YOU AND ACCEPTS YOU LIKE YOU ARE! FRIENDS WHO COUNT WITH YOU! TALOS WOULD NEVER TOLD SUCH THINGS! HE WOULD BE SAD IF YOU GONE! YOU'RE UNIQUE AND IRREPLACEABLE! YOU'RE STRONG! NOBLE! PURE! GENTLE! BRAVE! BOLD! HAVE FAITH ON YOU! HAVE FAITH IN US...YOU'RE NOT ALONE ANYMORE!- the dragonborn spouted those words with all his feelings toward Hephaestus, then the other crafters try to stand up and cheer for their guildmate.
-YOU'RE NOT LIKE THIS, HEPHAESTUS! YOU'RE THE STURDIEST TOOL FROM THE TOOLBOX HERE! SO, STAND UP ONCE FOR ALL AND BEAT THE SHIT OUT OF THAT THING! - Amatsumara says to him almost like a berating, a berating full of encouragement.
-KEEP FIGHTING AND SAVE TALOS HEPH-NIKI! REMEMBER, WE ARE THE CRAFTERS, AND THE CRAFTERS ARE ALWAYS TOGETHER!- Kurogane yelled him to show him his support.
-HEPH! IF YOU DIE, I'LL DIE WITH YOU! THE WORLD WILL NOT BE THE SAME WITHOUT YOU, WE ARE BROTHERS FROM DIFFERENT BLOOD AND WORLDS! YOUR PLACE IS HERE, WITH US!- Takemaru spouts those words encourage him to fight again.
Hephaestus tries to get up from the ground, but the black flames are still burning and consuming the transient's vital force, but suddenly, a blue turquoise light from Jūtarō's ring and sword starts to glow, Salomon, who was attending Musashi's body notices this and informs to his master.
-Master, look! - the imp points to the sacred artifacts, the summoner sees this phenomenon and asks to Salomon.
-What's happening? Why they're glowing? – Jūtarō is surprised by this, but at some way, he knows what to do, he feels a presence with him, one of the 23 souls inside him wants to help him and help Hephaestus.
Jūtarō then unites the sword with the ring, a metallic sound resonates and the blue light expands to all the Battle Zone like a wave, Hephaestus feels in that light a familiar feeling, a warmth he missed so much in a long time, a warmth that was giving him all the strength he needed, for an instant he listens a voice he wanted to hear long ago, the voice was humming and healing him, giving hope, love and power to overcome the shadow and save Talos.
The shadow was going to stab Hephaestus with its hand, but it freezes in air, Shadow Talos can't move it and later, the hand moves by its own grabbing the shadow by its throat, in a fleeting second, Hephaestus was trying to get up and sees a kind of mirage, the silhouette of Talos trying to restrain the shadow to keep hurting his creator, Hephaestus yells to the silhouette.
-Talos! – the android's mirage keeps restrain the shadow; the mirage then talks to the Olympian.
-finish with the shadow, Creator, I know you will repair me- after that, the light comes off and the mirage's gone, the black fire is extinguished and the shadow can move again, but this time, Hephaestus was fully healed, and pissed.
The shadow observes the transient now, but notices something different this time, a menacing aura was emanating from Hephaestus, his golden eyes were shining like red-hot embers in the forge, his fists were engulfed by a more furious fire, and his expression was one grimace of disgust to the shadow, but he kept a calm behavior, since the beginning of the fight, the shadow was confident in achieve his own mission, but now, he felt horror for a first time.
-You took my creation, you menaced my guild, my home, my family, and a very dear person to me, but the worst error you committed, is to break the main rule of our Guild…DON'T FUCK WITH A KAMATA CRAFTER!- after yelling aloud that sentence to the shadow, Hephaestus hits Shadow Talos at a higher speed than before, with every punch, the purifying flames of Hephaestus were torturing the shadow, during the beating, the Olympian crafter was yelling something unintelligible, a battle scream he made at the heat of the fight, made to vent out all the accumulated fury.
- KAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKA…KAKASAMAA!- the shadow was weakened by this beating, almost getting unconscious; the other crafters felt some awkwardness for their brother and expressed their opinions in a quiet voice.
-Hey Kuro, this doesn't remind you something? – Takemaru said with some awkwardness.
-you mean…the beating…or the battle scream? – Kurogane asks him with the same feeling.
-both- the oni limits himself to that word.
-Yeah, I remember now…I believe it would be cooler if he poses like in the mangas- the youngest crafter said with a mix awkwardness and excitement.
-let's wait for Tvastar to come, he will like this anyways, and the Old Man will think the same- the oni says knowing now this side of their brother from Olympus while he was recording that beating with his phone.
The shadow got weakened and tried to run, but it's legs didn't respond, it was breathing heavily and notices another shadow coming to its side.
-Now, free Talos, shadow…- Jūtarō ordered equally pissed to the entity.
-Never…I must become what he left behind…I must be…the Ideal Hephaestus he had to be…-the shadow told to the summoner and the crafter.
-This is not my concept of "Ideal", Talos was my Ideal self, until you tortured him- Hephaestus said to the shadow.
Jūtarō rises his sword and uses the Rule of Eradication to cut through Talos' body to separate the entity from the android with a blue shining light, the shadow is expelled from Talos through the slash like a smoke stream at high pressure, the android's unconscious body recovers its original features except for some damages caused by the fight, the shadow's true form is visible and starts to disappear, it screams desperately while it changes from Talos' silhouette to another one resembling Salomon to finally left nothing else, except a shard of black crystal with some inscriptions written in it, Hephaestus picks it and saves it in a pocket of his jumpsuit, a warning message sounds from Jūtarō's phone, indicating the end of the App Battle and the Battle Zone is dissipated in air, restoringg the damages, even in Talos body, but not completely.
-why did you take it? - the summoner asked to the crafter, Hephaestus picks up the robot in his arms like a sleepy child.
-because Talos may need it- the crafter said looking to his creation in his arms, Talos makes some slight noises and turns his gaze to his creator, his body still needs some repairs, even after the App Battle is over.
-Creator…? – the robot says weakly.
-It's over Talos…sleep tight…for now- Hephaestus says and the robot turns off while the crafter cradles him like a baby in his arms.