Unleashed

Armani stood, ready for combat. He jumped down from the ledge he was on and dropped to the ground floor of the warehouse. His body was now fully healed from their first encounter, and he was ready to fight with full power.

"MOVE!" Halcen shouted.

Everyone bolted from their fixed positions and ran to get into a place they could fight from. Mal and Jin ran to the back to hide while Halcen, Kazuki, and Shira got ready to fight this man.

Armani swung his left arm up and unleashed the powerful dust that had wiped out a whole room of scientists. It shot across where Halcen had just been standing. The rack that was behind him was left with a giant hole in its center. It creaked and then collapsed in on itself. The metal and supplies all fell to the ground with loud clanging.

"Fuck," Halcen said. That was too close. I can't let this guy release his full power. If he does, we're all dead. We have to find some way to stop his abilities. Think, Halcen, think.

Halcen ducked down and rushed around the corner to try to catch the man off guard. He took out his dagger and tried to move as silently as possible. He got around to Armani's back and swung his knife upward at his back.

The villain turned around and swung his arm across Halcen's general area. He knocked the blade back and threw Halcen down on the ground. Armani then charged up a quick burst of his energy. It exploded toward Halcen, who was down on the ground.

"Fuck," was the only word Halcen could muster. He'd messed up and he was about to pay for it.

Then Shira rushed through, grabbing Halcen by the collar in her teeth and yanking him out of the way. The both of them were safe.

"Oh shit," Halcen said in relief. "Good girl."

"Get it together, Halcen!" Kazuki shouted.

One wrong move in high stakes fight like this was surely a death sentence. Halcen was aware of that, but he had still made the mistake. He was just lucky enough to get out of this one by the skin of his teeth. He would not be dumb enough to make a second mistake. This battle needed to be won by intellect. This man was far more powerful than the rest of them. They had to do this the right way.

Bo and Fein were stuck fighting the giant snake that was taken over by the sludge creature. It had way too much defense as they had tried to harm it with pistol bullets and they had simply ricocheted off its scaly skin. Its hide was thick like natural armor. It was like trying to fight a dragon, not that dragons existed, but that was what Fein likened them to if they were real.

"Any ideas?" Bo asked.

"You don't have any more firebombs in your bag do you?"

"I believe we used them all on the goo creature."

"Then it looks like we're doing this the old-fashioned way." Fein got down on all fours and readied himself for the creature's attack.

"What are you doing?"

"You get your rifle out. I'm gonna distract this thing."

"Do you really think a rifle will be enough to do anything

"Maybe not, but we have to try everything." Fein rushed forward on hands and feet toward the giant snake.

The snake was on top of a puddle of swamp water. There were rocks and distressed trees all over the place.

The giant snake saw Fein coming and prepared to strike. It reared its head back and then quickly struck forward, smashing into where Fein just was.

Fein was fast enough to dodge it. He jumped over the top of the snake's head and began running along its scales.

The snake reared back up and tried to shake Fein off of it.

Bo took out his rifle, Rebecca. He got her up in his arms and readied her. He lined up his sight at what he meant to kill. He pulled the lever back and then…

BOOM!

A large caliber round struck into the jaw of the beast. It dug into it, penetrating the thick scaly skin and the oozing dark green goo. It wasn't much, but it was enough. This monster could be hurt. Handgun bullets would bounce off, but rifle bullets were just enough power to get through that armor. That was all they needed. Just a glimmer of hope that this thing was not indestructible.

"That's it!" Fein shouted. "Now we know we can wound it!"

But just as quickly as the rifle round dug into the skin, so too did the wound close with green festering ooze. Not a drop of red blood to be spilled.

"Son of a bitch!" Bo shouted. "How are we supposed to kill this thing?"

"We just have to keep trying."

The beast launched an assault at them. It struck its mighty head forward at Bo, still holding his rifle. Its huge fangs came down for the kill.

Bo just barely stumbled out of the way and fell to the ground as the snake's maw crushed rock where he was standing.

It turned to look at him with its gigantic evil eyes. It swung its body around and slammed its tail into Bo. He was smashed down into the ground and shouted in pain. The creature then moved its tail aside.

Bo struggled to stand up. The snake had hurt him pretty badly with just that one attack. Its gigantic body weighed a ton and had all that might, plus its heightened strength with the sludge creature's abilities.

"What if we take out its eyes?" Bo asked. That was always a good weak spot for snipers to aim at.

"It wouldn't do very much. Snakes primarily rely on smell. Most of them can't see for shit anyway."

"Then why even have eyes?"

"They haven't fully evolved out of them."

"FEIN! LOOK OUT!" Bo shouted.

The snake came down at Fein's back, clamping down on his left shoulder with its fangs.

"FEIN!"

"Oh shit," Fein said. He looked at the mouth biting into his shoulder. He felt the stabbing pain. He felt his hot blood being loose into the monster's mouth. "Ow."

The snake picked Fein up and started shaking him about.

"You bitch!" Fein shouted in rage. "Don't you know who I am?!"

Then the snake tossed him up in the air and snatched him into its mouth, swallowing him whole.

"NO!" Bo shouted. He got back up, threw his rifle on his back, and started running toward the snake. He didn't have the faintest idea what he was going to do, but he was in adrenaline mode.

But as Bo ran, he saw the snake begin to gag. It began tossing around, trying to contain its meal. Suddenly its teeth pried open and Fein was standing there in its mouth. They were struggling for physical dominance in a fight for life. Predator versus prey. If Fein lost, he lost his life.

"I'M MANGETSTU FEIN, BITCH!" Then, in one swift motion, he used his right hand to jab his claws into the inside of the beast's mouth.

The snake was in pain and its body was in danger. It spat Fein back up, resisting no more.

Fein landed back on the ground, covered in dark green ooze and snake spit.

"Oh, that's vile," Bo said. "What happened?"

"The dumb son of a bitch tried to swallow me whole. I know it's a big snake, but still, like damn. I'm too big to be a quick snack. I'm a whole ass meal."

"I'm gonna pretend you didn't say that," Bo said.

"Fair enough. Well, let's get back to it, shall we?"

Grey and Jory were in a fight for survival. The goo creature had unleashed several smaller humanoid forms of itself to attack them. They had attempted to fend off these creatures but had only managed to just stay alive this long. Grey himself had been pushed to the edge and resorted to using Haki, which he used to destroy one of the creatures.

Unfortunately for Jory, he himself was unable to use Haki, and would have to cede this fight to Grey. If any of them was going to kill this beast, it was him. Jory was realizing how useless he was more and more with every passing moment. His own shortcomings continued to burden his comrades.

Grey was on the warpath. He launched himself at the four remaining sludge humanoids and began rallying against them. He flew down on the ground and began spinning his legs in a circle, knocking them all off their legs and down to the ground. This was where Grey got back up and began using his awesome might.

He dropped down with a Haki elbow into one of their chests. The creature groaned but was unable to do anything, until finally its form gave way and it sank down into the ground, dead, nothing but a pile of unmoving sludge.

"That's two," Grey said.

He jumped back up onto his feet again. Then he jumped high into the air and let his body's weight come crashing down on the third one, Haki in his legs. The power immediately killed the creature and it fell back into the earth.

The third one had enough time to get back up. It came back at Jory, attempting to kill himself he himself was killed.

Jory put his sword up to try to stop it. He slashed the monster, in a vain hope of holding him off. The creature went right through the blade and began readying its arm to hit Jory.

Suddenly the creature was yanked off Jory and it fell to the ground. Grey had hold of its ankles. Grey began twisting his arms and swung them all the way back around, smashing the creature into the ground in front of him. He then unleashed a huge Haki-filled kick into the monster's face, pulverizing his form.

The fifth and final monster charged Grey directly. It came arms swinging.

Grey grabbed it by the head, one black hand on both sides. He then began to push his arms together through the creature's head, until it popped and exploded sludge all over Grey. The body fell to the ground and was no longer a threat.

Grey turned back to Jory. "And that's all of them."

"Holy mother of God," Jory said. "That was… incredible."

"Yeah… well it was just another fight." Then Grey turned around to face the goo monster itself, the creator of those miniature beasts. The faux human threats. This sinister evil that needed to be destroyed.

Suddenly two tentacles shot out from the creature's side and wrapped around Grey. They wrapped his torso and arms together as well as his legs together so he could not move.

"Oh, what in God's holy name?" Grey said.

"Grey!" Jory shouted.

The tentacles lifted Grey up off his legs. It carried him through the air until it finally set him down in a huge vat of sludge. It dragged his body down until his arms were covered. It was at his chest.

"What happening?!" Jory shouted.

Grey struggled to free himself from the sludge. "I can't move! It's… it's like quicksand! I'm stuck!"

"Oh no," Jory said.

Halcen and Shira took turns physically attacking Armani, while Kazuki stayed in the back firing upon him from behind cover. He was one man against three, so it was easier to hold him off, despite his massive powers.

Shira rushed from undercover in the dark warehouse and slashed at Armani's left shin.

Armani growled in pain, but he didn't have time to retaliate.

Halcen ran past him while slashing his knife into Armani's back.

Blood began to drip down his back through his shirt. "You measly mongrels!"

BANG!

Kazuki shot him from behind one of the shelves with his pistol. It hit him on the left side of his chest. Then Kazuki moved on from the spot to find another place to fire from.

"FUCK!"

Shira came back across his back this time, biting into his left buttock. She came and went as quickly as before.

Halcen ran in front of him and slashed his right arm across the bicep.

"STOP!"

BANG!

Kazuki hit him in the lower back, near the spine.

"OW!"

Shira ran in front this time and cut his across his chest with a huge jump and then disappeared again.

Halcen came back at his back and cut slashed the back of his calf.

BANG!

Kazuki hit him in the left shoulder.

Their plan was working. This formation and repetition was tearing him down. They were wearing him down, little by little. They had to be patient and quick. If they lingered for too long or tried for too big of a hit, they'd risk losing it all. He couldn't heal his wounds if they gave him so many consecutive ones so quickly. His threats were only successful if he had time to focus on his abilities. This time he did not. He would not win; they would not let him.

Shira raced across his back again. This time she went for his left ankle.

He winced and groaned with each passing blow. Admittedly the majority of the wounds were pretty mild, but the gunshot wounds were what were really racking up the damage and pain. He became more and more enraged with each passing moment.

"Stop!"

They took another round on him, ending with a BANG!

His body was bloody and in pain. He didn't even have time to gasp for air or process anything that was happening. He just throbbed in continuous pain. He was nearly his breaking point. His mind was losing. Things were getting dark and he felt like he was going to die.

"STOP!"

They would not let up on him. They were determined to kill him.

Another round of assaults and a BANG!

"I SAID STOP!"

Suddenly his energy spiked. He hadn't had time to focus his abilities, but they were still there, constantly beneath the surface. The red dust began to glow about his person.

Halcen and the others saw it, and ceased their attacks. Whatever was about to happen did not bode well.

"HIT THE DIRT!" Halcen shouted.

Everyone quickly found cover. Everyone, except Mal. She was so engaged in what was happening, she could not process the imminent danger. She stoop completely unmoved.

"MAL! GET DOWN!"

Suddenly the red energy exploded freely and fiercely from Armani's body. A huge blast erupted all across the building. The red dust filled the whole building and all the metal and stone was disintegrated by the powerful burst; walls, racks, stairs, and everything else.

They were left under the morning sun with no cover. There was nothing left of the building but a few small stones scattered about. It was just them and him.

The others stood up from the ground and looked around. They'd been burned, but they were still alive. Blood and welts covered their bodies. Thankfully, Armani's lack of focus had left them relatively okay.

Halcen stood in front of Mal, his back half coated in black Haki, the front half gone. His Armament Haki had been eradicated by this blast. But only because he had had to jump in front of Mal. He did save her though. "Ow," was all he said, in a hushed voice.

"Halcen, are you okay?" Mal asked.

"That sucked." He coughed roughly and fell down on his ass. "I think I'll be okay though; I just need a second."

"I don't think we're going to get that," Kazuki said, staring at Armani.

The man was enraged. His energy was flowing like a wave of terror. The red dust circulated him like a powerful aura.

Halcen got the chills looking at this man. His plan had been working. He did things the smart way, but still got his ass handed to him. Now, the only option was a physical fight. That was the one thing Halcen wanted to avoid at all costs. "Well, son of a bitch."

Kazuki reached his hand down to Halcen. "Once more?"

Halcen sighed and nodded. "Yeah." He reached up and took Kazuki's hand.

Kazuki pulled him up.

"Once more."

Jory stood in front of the sludge monster, staring it down. He shook with fear. He had no idea what to do. Grey had been captured and stuck into a massive sludge pit, and he was unable to move or help in any way. Fein and Bo were off fighting the giant snake beast, and Halcen and the others were God-knows-where trying to stop the plague that was spreading through the island. He was all alone, and he was completely helpless.

"Jory!" Grey shouted. "Run."

"What?!"

"You can't fight this thing alone. If you do, you die. You leave me here and you escape. Find the others. Find Halcen."

"I… I can't just leave you here. You'll die."

Grey took a moment to speak calmly and thoughtfully. He had to say the right thing here. "I've been around for a long time. I'm getting older. It was just a matter of time anyway. You're just a kid. You don't have to die today. Live a long life, get stronger, do big things."

Some part of Jory's brain forced his body to start moving. First, his torso, then his legs. He began moving, but very slowly. He turned to look at Grey, who was just standing there. Tears welled up in Jory's eyes. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay. Just go! Find Halcen!"

Halcen? Find Halcen. If Halcen were here, he would be able to handle this situation no problem. He's just like that. He wouldn't run away. He wouldn't let Grey die. He would stand and fight. Jory stopped moving. He stood with his back to the monster. "NO!" He turned back to the monster and pulled his sword.

"JORY, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

Jory's voice cracked. "I… I don't know. I can't just leave you here! I can't be the coward anymore. I can't let Fein be right. If I run back to Halcen with my tail between my leg and tell him I let you die, I… I wouldn't be able to live with myself!"

"Jory, don't do this! JUST RUN!"

"NO! I will not do that. I will fight. I know I'm probably going to die, but I have to try!" He put his blade up in front of him. "COME GET SOME!"

"Oh, that so cool until the last line," Grey muttered to himself.

Jory charged at the goo beast, enraged and ready to die. He knew his life was forfeit, but he was not about to let that stop him from trying to save Grey. Grey had stepped in to protect Jory many times, as had Halcen. He could not let them down this time.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

He charged forward; his blade sliced straight through the side of the sludge monster. Not a single ounce of damage was done, but the beast was still annoyed by Jory's actions.

It unleashed a huge whip that slapped Jory across the torso, smashing into his ribs. He was thrown across the swamp ground and into a tree. He hit it with such force that he lost consciousness for a second.

He fought with everything that he had to stay awake. The pain inflicted by that one blow was phenomenal. He groaned in agony, but he forced himself to stand back up. He used his sword as a cane.

"Jory, are you okay!?"

"I'm.. I'm fine," he stuttered.

"If you can't handle it, just run."

"STOP TELLING ME THAT!" He looked at Grey, tears in his eyes. "I can't do this if you keep telling me to run. I can't fight with my brain split like that. Please, stop."

Grey understood and recognized Jory's ambition. He nodded. "You can do this."

Jory took a step forward, trying to maintain his confidence. "Damn right I can." He grabbed his sword and ran forward again. He shoved his blade straight into the front of the blob. It did nothing but stick there for a moment. It hung effortlessly.

The monster sent out another whip.

This time Jory was ready. He yanked his sword and his sword and ducked down as the whip passed overhead. He spun around and slashed through the creature again. Each of his attacks did nothing except aggravate the monster.

The creature jiggled and then began to bubble. A huge spray of solid black sludge needles exploded out from the monster.

Jory had not seen this coming, but he was quick enough with his sword to blocked the majority of them from hitting his vital points. He swiftly covered his face, neck, and part of his chest. It was enough to keep him from dying, but they still stuck into him all over the rest of this body. There were nine in total.

Grey stood on the side watching in horror as this child took blow after blow in a desperate struggle of life and death. "Please," he said low to himself, and to God. "Please don't let him die."

Jory looked down at himself, almost in shock. Needles were protruding from his body. Dark crimson began to stain his clothes. He began slowly pulling them out one by one. With each removal, he winced. He dropped them each to the ground as he went. As they fell, they returned to their liquid forms, so there was a pile of sludge and blood sitting on the ground below him. When he was done, his body ached and the wounds throbbed. There was blood still leaking from his whole body. The wounds would take time to heal, and he was still in the middle of their fight. He did not have time to try to fix them.

This monster was no pushover. It was wearing Jory down while receiving no damage itself. Jory had already taken significant injuries and was still incapable of dishing any out himself. It was seeming more and more hopeless by the minute. But he could not give up yet.

He picked up his blade again. He ran forward at the ooze beast and tried to ready himself for any and all counterattacks. He was slow moving, because his body hurt, but he pushed himself harder and faster.

Two tentacles came out swinging at him, but he jumped up over the first one and twisted his body in the air so the second one went right over his head. It was an awkward turn, but he made it work.

He hit the ground on his knees right in front of the monster.

It began to bubble and roil inside.

Jory pushed up off the ground with all his might and momentum and threw himself into the air above the slime creature. He turned upside down as he did so, so that he had a clean shot at the monster's top. He swung his blade hard with all his might, in one more desperate attempt to find its weak spot. Just one lucky hit was all he needed… but there was nothing… No damage was taken yet again.

He turned and twisted and landed back on his hand and knee in a skid. He was not done yet. He charged back at the creature again. He pushed himself to dig deeper and find more and more strength; more and more energy. If he let himself stop, he would collapse.

Jory swung again at the side of the creature. This time he did not disconnect. This time he pushed his blade in all the way down to the hilt, then he ran with all the strength in his legs. He ran the entire circumference of the monster, his blade splitting it the whole time. "DIE!" he shouted in vain. But once again… absolutely nothing. No matter how many times he tries to kill this bastard, there was nothing he could do.

Jory stopped for a just moment to sigh.

Then the beast was on him. It had had enough of Jory's attempts on its life. It was going to put a stop to this pest. It unleashed its tentacles upon him and grabbed him by the legs.

"Jory," Grey said in worry.

Jory tried to hold onto his sword, but the creature jerked him too hard and he lost his grip.

The creature lifted him up off the ground and then slammed him down into the ground face first. His head hit the ground with shattering force. But it wasn't done yet. It yanked him back up and slammed him into a tree.

Grey looked on in fear. Everything that he watched happen did not bode well for them. But he was helpless. He could no nothing to help the kid, no matter how much he struggled to break free.

Jory didn't have time to register the force of the tree, as his head was spinning from the first hit. But he was yanked away again in another second.

He was flung one final time, this time down upon his very own sword. They were sent into a spinning tumble and it pierced through his back. Jory didn't make a sound except his body making a thud against the ground.

Grey's eyes welled up.

Jory's head was fuzzy. He was unable to move for a moment. He had forgotten where he was, what was happening. He only knew that he felt pain. A lot of it. And there was blood pooling around him. He was sure that meant he was dead.

The monster stayed still in front of him for a minute to make sure that Jory wasn't a threat anymore. It had done its job. Then it began turning around to head back into the swamp toward the village.

"JORY!" Greys shouted. "JORY, GET UP!" Tears filled his eyes. He could not believe what he was seeing. He could not accept it.

No. No, I can't die here. I can't die now. I can't let Grey and this island die. I have to get up. I have to fight.

Then finally, Jory was able to open his eyes. He looked up to see the sludge monster.

"Wait…" he said so softly nobody could hear him. He struggled to sit up.

"Jory," Grey said in relief. "Oh, thank God."

He looked over his body. He saw a piece of metal protruding from his own stomach, his own blood running heavily outside the wound. "Oh…" And then he began to feel the pain. It racked his body in momentous waves. He reached his arm around to his back and barely grasped the handle. He tried to pull it, but that only caused more pain. He gave himself a moment, took a deep breath, then yanked.

"AAAAAAAAGGHH!"

The monster turned back to face him.

Jory stumbled onto his hands and knees. Blood spilled from his body. He picked up his sword and stood up, his body unstable and unsteady. He was shaking and he could barely see. He had no strength left.

I don't know how these guys do it, again and again. Grey, Halcen, Fein, Bo, Kazuki. They're warriors. They never give up. They always get back up. They have so much power. I don't know how Halcen does it. If he was here, what would he do? How does he win every time?

Jory refused to let this be his end. He refused to die here. He refused to back down. His resolution was undeniable. He could feel power flowing through his body. He could feel his strength restoring. He could feel the it all overwhelming him. He would not lose here today. Something awoke deep within Jory in that moment. I… I finally understand. I can do this. He picked up his sword and held it tightly. With all his rage and resolve, he unleashed it all into something new, something powerful. Something… something incredible.

Suddenly his sword gained a glossy dark black coating.

"I'm not done with you, yet!"