A/N:We're back and it's time for another chapter of Dragon Tail Z! Thanks for the reviews and hope you like this chapter, put a lot of work into it and there's a little surprise near the end. So sit back, relax, and enjoy reading this fanfic!
Last time on Dragon Tail Z, Cobra had taken his combat drug and battled against Lieutenant Steelsoul; he emerged victorious, but the Lieutenant lived thanks to the assistance of Fairy Tail. Angel had also taken her combat drug and had reached a new level of power, allowing her to overpower Freed, Gray, Dan, and Solaseed. Meanwhile, Grim Reaper had launched a devastating attack, intending to finish off his foes, but Wendy managed to absorb the attack and enter a new form, Storm Dragon Mode… now the fight with the storm mage continues…
Disclaimer – I do not own Dragon Ball Z or Fairy Tail! Akira Toriyama and Hiro Mashima, respectively, do!
Chapter 20
Wendy glared at the storm mage, who seemed too terrified to move; she then appeared in front of him and punched him in the face. He winced, allowing her to kick him in the chest. Erigor started to fly through the air, but he didn't get far as Wendy flew after him. "I can't believe she can fly as well as me!" Erigor said. The Storm Dragon sped up and stopped right above her opponent. "Storm Dragon Typhoon Talon!" she shouted as a mini twister appeared over her right foot before she struck the storm mage in the back. Erigor was sent hurtling toward the earth by an incredible force of wind.
"How can she unleash so much force from that kick?" he thought as he stood up.
Wendy dove toward the ground and dashed at the Grim Reaper. He swung his scythe at her but she dodged it as the blade cut off a few strands of her hair. Erigor swung again and Wendy blocked it with the staff. "Storm Dragon Cyclone Fist!" she exclaimed; her fist was surrounded by a small but extremely powerful windstorm as she struck the Oracion in the chest. Erigor was blown away by the tremendous force of Wendy's attack and slid across the rocky surface. "How can this child be so powerful just from devouring my storm magic?! She's taken its power beyond even the laws of nature!" Erigor grunted as he rose to his feet. Wendy took a deep breath and exclaimed, "Storm Dragon Roar!" She let out a massive tornado enhanced with lightning; the attack flew right at Erigor and exploded when it struck him. Bickslow and Jillian watched Wendy demolish Erigor with looks of amazement.
"I didn't think that little girl was capable of such brute force. How is she so powerful?" Jillian asked.
"I'm not surprised. That little lady is tough and a Dragon Slayer! If she wanted to, she could give Natsu, Gajeel, maybe even Laxus a run for their money!" Bickslow said.
"Go Wendy!" the dolls cheered.
When the smoke dissipated, Erigor was seen standing on his feet engulfed in a human-shaped whirlwind. "Storm Mail!" Erigor exclaimed. "I barely had time to summon this, but now none of your attacks will inflict any damage to me!" He flew toward the Storm Dragon with the aim of striking her; when he made contact, he felt like he hit something hard before he was blown away. "What?!" he asked as he looked at the Sky Maiden. Instead, he saw someone else surrounded by the defense of the Storm Mail except mixed with electricity. "It… it can't be! How is she able to use my Storm Mail?!" Erigor muttered in awe before glaring at the girl. The two then charged at each other and clashed; their collision unleashed numerous severing winds that slashed apart the battlefield. They flew through the air, striking each other constantly. "Heh! Looks like this is a stalemate, fly!" Erigor stated. "Our Storm Mails prevent us from taking any damage! At this rate, none of us will win this fight!"
"We'll see about that!" Wendy replied. The two storm wizards flew toward each other and crashed; they pushed against each other until the struggle between the two windstorms cancelled out their defensive barriers.
"Gotcha now, brat!" Erigor declared as he swung his scythe at the Sky Maiden. Wendy quickly ducked under his slash and tackled him by the waist, and then the two were suddenly descending toward the earth at a fast rate. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL US BOTH?! LET ME GO, YOU RUNT!" As he requested, the Storm Dragon released her opponent before she crossed her arms. "Storm Dragon Wing Attack!" Wendy swung her arms, unleashing a double gale force attack that blasted the storm mage to the ground, where his impact created a large crater. Erigor laid flat on his back as Wendy descended to ground level; he then jumped to his feet and backed away from the girl.
"I… I… I WON'T LOSE TO A CHILD! I REFUSE TO ALLOW A FAIRY TAIL FLY TO DEFEAT ME A THIRD TIME! I COMMAND NATURE ITSELF, NOTHING CAN OPPOSE ME!" Erigor shouted as he raised his scythe.
"I think it's time to finish this fight," Wendy said as she put her hands together; her right hand was on top with two fingers while her left hand was on the bottom with five. She yelled at the top of her lungs as she summoned every last bit of magical power she had; a wide magic circle appeared under her feet. "Dragon Slayer Secret Art!" she exclaimed. Numerous winds surrounded her foe in a giant cyclone. "What's going on?! What are you trying to do to me?! Erigor demanded. He swung his blade to try and sever the winds, but they reformed instantly.
"You may be able to conjure up storms beyond the powers of nature, but all of its power comes from the sky itself!" Wendy yelled. "As the Maiden of the sky, anything that swims in the air is in my domain! That means I command it all! Shattering Light: Tempest Erosion!" A massive bolt of lightning fell from the sky and struck the cyclone with Erigor inside it; the dark mage screamed in agony as he was consumed in a powerful explosion of storm magic. When it ended, the Oracion was lying on the ground flat on his face. Wendy sighed a bit before turning away from him and walking toward his wind barrier. She made a small magic circle and swiped it, dispelling Erigor's barrier and freeing her comrades.
"Wendy… that was incredible," Jillian muttered.
"Ha! That was awesome, girl! Now that's the way we do things in Fairy Tail!" Bickslow cheered.
"Yeah, Wendy!" the dolls cheered too.
The Sky Maiden knelt beside the Rune Knight and summoned her magic into her hands. "Just hold still, Ms. Jillian. I'll heal you up in no time," she assured the combat healer. As she did, she seemed unaware of the Grim Reaper's body starting to twitch.
Back with Gohan, the Demi Saiyan was still locked in combat against the Tufflebot; the two clashed multiple times as they exchanged blows. The two finally separated and descended to ground level as they glared at each other. "There's something different about this Saiyan child," Rancor thought. "He's not attacking out of rage like the last time. He's more focused and now his attacks are stronger; he must've gotten a boost in power after nearly dying from our battle and recovering. I may have to use my trump card sooner than I thought."
"What's the matter, Rancor? You don't seem so eager to continue!" Gohan taunted the machine. "Don't tell me you wanna back out now, we've barely warmed up!"
"Ha! You wish, Saiyan! Enjoy this battle while you can, 'cause when it's over, I'm going to enjoy crushing your thick skull!" Rancor replied.
"Then what are you waiting for?! Let's see you try!" Gohan challenged the robot.
"Alright, you asked for it, Saiyan!" Rancor cried as he ran toward the Son of Goku. He jumped to grab him, but Gohan disappeared and reappeared behind the Tufflebot before kicking him in the back of the head. Rancor fell face-first into the dirt as Gohan landed on his feet. "You'll pay for that, you monkey!" Rancor growled as he stood back up. He then powered up, channeling a green fiery aura before charging at the Super Saiyan again. He threw a fist at him but it was dodged, then he tried to kick the Saiyan but his attack was evaded again. Rancor didn't let up on his assault, but Gohan easily avoided his barrage of punches and kicks. Rancor then threw a Ki charged punch at the Demi Saiyan but he dodged it by disappearing from Rancor's sight. The machine scoured the battlefield until his sensors finally picked the Saiyan's energy from his left.
"Tell me where the Infinity Clock is! And what the Neo Oracion Seis is planning!" Gohan demanded. "And while you're at it, tell me what exactly your goal is here!"
"You don't expect me to answer that, Saiyan!" Rancor replied.
"Then I'll just have to beat it out of you! Not the first time I've had to fight for Intel!" Gohan remarked.
"Then go ahead and try! Let's see how many hits it takes to get me to talk!" Rancor challenged.
"Get ready, 'cause here I come!" Gohan said. He ran toward the Tufflebot, who tried to grab him, only for Gohan to disappear from his sight again and appear on Rancor's head. The Hatchiyak reached up to grab him, but he phased in front of him and punched him in the chest, sending him flying backward. Rancor stopped himself and charged at the Saiyan again. He raised his hands and put them together before bringing them down on the Z Fighter; Gohan easily caught his attack before kicking Rancor in the chin and then pummeling him with a barrage of punches.
Rancor then jumped way from the half Saiyan and growled, "That's it, monkey! I'm through playing games with you!" He then jumped into the sky and raised one finger.
Gohan glanced at the fighting machine, looking nonchalant. "He's bluffing. He's been taking this fight seriously since it started. I can tell that he's fighting with everything he currently has and that's the only reason he's still alive… but not for long," he thought.
A small speck of Ki appeared above Rancor's finger; seconds later, it expanded into a massive orb of destruction. "I know that technique; it belongs to the Frost Demons!" Gohan stated.
"That's right, Saiyan! Although the magic seal restraining me prevents me from creating one capable of planetary destruction, this attack should still have enough force to put a dent in you!" Rancor proclaimed before he tossed the large energy ball at the Son of Goku. Gohan held out his hands as he waited for the attack to reach him; he caught the orb of destruction and was pushed back a bit before stopping and lifting the attack with one hand. "This… can't be…" Rancor muttered before firing an energy blast at the large Ki ball, detonating it instantly. Gohan was consumed in the explosion, which formed an enormous crater in the earth. Rancor looked around for the Saiyan hybrid when his sensors sensed someone above him; he looked up to see the Super Saiyan over him with his hands together and over his head.
"Masenko, ha!" Gohan exclaimed as he fired the demon flash attack at the Tufflebot, and Rancor was sent plummeting toward the ground. Gohan quickly dove to the ground and kicked Rancor before he could land, sending him crashing into the dirt. Gohan stared at Rancor as he got back up. "It's time to end this!" Gohan declared at he connected his fingers and poured energy into his palms. "Light Grenade!" The Demi Saiyan fired a large energy blast at the Tufflebot; when it struck him, it expanded into a massive explosion that stretched into the heavens. In the aftermath, Gohan looked around to see what was left of his foe; when he didn't see any sign of him, he sighed and muttered, "I guess it's over."
"Guess again, Saiyan!" Rancor yelled just before he appeared behind Gohan with his back facing the Demi Saiyan's. The two fighters glanced at each other and remained frozen. Gohan then tried to punch the machine, but he dodged it and jumped back a bit. Rancor's body started emitting electricity, which he channeled into his right hand; he then held up two fingers, causing the area around them to suddenly erupt. After a few minutes, Gohan flew out of the smoke, completely unharmed by the explosion. Rancor crossed his arms over his chest and phased in front of the half Saiyan. "Now it's over for you, Saiyan monkey!" Rancor declared. "Revenge Cannon!" He fired his gigantic emerald energy beam at the Son of Goku. Gohan crossed his arms and blocked the attack as it hit him dead-on.
The Z Fighter looked around, only to see that he was surrounded by a cloud of smoke from the Tufflebot's last attack. "What's he trying to do here?! He just keeps attacking me randomly, is he trying to wear me out?" Gohan wondered. "Since he's a machine he can't run out of energy, so that might work for him, but it won't matter if his attacks don't inflict any damage on me!" Gohan then noticed the smoke around him getting darker and harder to breathe in. "What's happening?! What's he trying to do with this smoke?! Wait a minute… I know this gas!" The Super Saiyan 2 jumped out of the smoke cloud to see Rancor with his mouth open and releasing black smog into the sky where Gohan was. "That's the Destron Gas!" Gohan exclaimed. Rancor smirked before he disappeared and reappeared behind the Saiyan, locking him in a bear hug and diving into the gas with him. The two stayed inside the cloud of gas for some time before Gohan roared and unleashed a burst of energy that separated him from the Tufflebot and blew the gas away. "Damn it! I inhaled some of the gas!" Gohan thought as he started to cough.
"I'm glad you remember that gas, 'cause that means you know what's in store for you, Saiyan!" Rancor said before he phased in the half Saiyan's face and punched him. Gohan flinched, allowing Rancor to kick him in the gut and then elbow bash him to the earth. Gohan rubbed his head as Rancor appeared before him. Gohan then threw a punch to Rancor's face before hitting him with a variety of blows that knocked him back a bit; Gohan then charged his right fist with Ki and threw it at Rancor's chest, but when he struck him, Rancor stood completely still, taking no damage from Gohan's attack. "Have you forgotten what the gas does when a living being is exposed to it? You Saiyans are truly mindless monkeys!" Rancor declared as he backhanded Gohan away.
The Son of Goku grasped his face in pain before he noticed his hand shaking. "The gas is disrupting the flow of my Ki," he muttered as he clenched his fist, trying to pour energy into it. "I can't fight him at full strength if my energy's cut off!"
"Just because I appear to be different from when we fought doesn't change the fact that I'm the same machine that released the deadly gas into your world," Rancor said as he approached the Saiyan; he then kicked Gohan in the chin, sending him sliding along the earth. The war machine walked toward the Demi Saiyan, who remained unmoving. "This is what I was planning from the start of our fight! Once again, the Tuffle's intelligence has bested the might of a Saiyan warrior!" He then knelt in front of the seemingly unconscious Z Fighter, staring at him in wonder. "I didn't think I'd hit you that hard; your energy must be draining faster than I calculated. Hmm, are you even still alive there?" As soon as he asked that, Gohan's eyes shot open and he uppercut Rancor in the jaw; the machine staggered, allowing Gohan to channel Ki into his hand and blast Rancor with an energy attack. The Tufflebot was blasted a few feet away from the Demi Saiyan before landing on his feet and rubbing the blood from his mouth.
"Surprised by that attack? I just need a few minutes to gather as much energy as I could," Gohan explained. "Now I've got more than enough to continue fighting!" Gohan then charged at the machine and swung his fist at him, but Rancor easily blocked it with his forearm, shocking Gohan before he jumped back.
"I see. However, the energy you have now is not your maximum power! It's merely a fraction of your true strength, just as the power I now possess is a fraction of my full strength. For the first time in this war, a Saiyan and a Tuffle are capable of fighting on equal grounds," Rancor noted as he took his stance. "How will this battle play out? Will the energy you can manage be enough to defeat me? Or will the gas sap away your life force so that I can kill you?!"
"Why don't we find out?! I'm through talking with you, Tuffle!" Gohan declared.
"It's your move, Saiyan!" Rancor countered. The two fighters charged at each other and clashed knee kicks before blasting each other with an energy attack.
Elsewhere, Erza, Evergreen, Max, and Steelsoul made their way to the edge of a cliff, with the latter being carried by the scarlet-haired mage. "I think the screaming came from over here!" Max said as they looked over the ledge, and the Fairies gasped in shock at the sight before them. All the Rune Knights lay on the floor, unconscious, while the celestial mage was encased in gold due to the effects of her curse.
"This is horrible! So that's why Cobra ran off, monster!" Erza sneered.
"Damn it! Another celestial mage has fallen victim to the curse," Hugo muttered. "We've failed, and now it's only a matter of time before all the links are severed."
In the crystal cavern, the Fairies and the Legionnaires weren't doing any better against their foe. Gray and Freed were flat on the ground in defeat along with Dan, while Solaseed was kneeling on one knee, breathing heavily. "How can she be so powerful?! It's not just her Angel Magic; that other source of power, Ki, it's somehow amplifying her magic and increasing it tenfold," she thought. The nun then brought out her sword and charged it for one last attack. "Rebound! Sword of Hope!" she shouted as swung her blade, sending a curve magical attack at the Oracion, yet Angel simply swiped her hand, creating a force that blew the attack back to the sender. Solaseed was blasted onto her back; she looked up to see the dark mage staring down at her.
"Inferior beings like you have no right to hope," she mused. "Hope comes from the divine beings' will, and my will is to watch this world end when the darkness finally consumes it."
"You can't… do that! You're not… a god!" Solaseed said.
"You're right… I'm an angel!" Angel retorted. "And that's close enough!" Just then, Shamsiel came skipping to Angel's side with a mage in his clutches. "Very good work, Shamsiel."
"I FOUND HIM! I CAUGHT THE CELESTIAL WIZARD FOR YOU!" the chubby giant said gleefully.
"Then it's time for the amplitude limiter anti-link," Angel said as she brought out the red crystal dagger. "This may hurt a bit."
"No, please don't!" the celestial mage begged.
Angel ignored him as she gazed at the glowing red magic weapon in her hand. "So beautiful," she muttered before glancing at the celestial mage with a grin.
"Even if you sever my body link the others will stop you! AHHH!" the mage declared just before he was impaled and cried out in agony. Gray lifted his head and watched helplessly as the celestial mage's link was broken and he fell victim to the curse.
Shamsiel tossed the body aside and danced in joy. "YAY! THIS IS SO MUCH FUN! WHAT'S NEXT?!" he cheered.
"If what we were told is true, then there's only one celestial wizard left: the one protected by that boy," Angel said. "We've waited enough, now our prayers will finally be answered." The female Oracion started laughing as the ice wizard glared at her before passing out from his injuries.
"Y-You won't get away… with t-this," Solaseed promised.
"My, my, still opposing the will of an angel? Then I guess it's time to face your final punishment!" Angel declared. She then raised her arms, creating a sphere of Ki and magic above her palms. "This is the fate of all who defy a divine being's will! Now enjoy your deaths and be sent to hell!" Angel launched the fusion sphere into the cavern ceiling, where it exploded and caused the whole place to cave in on the good mages. Solaseed watched with spite as Angel simply smirked and turned away from her enemies, leaving them for dead. When the whole place was reduced to a pile of crystal rubble, Angel laughed maniacally. "Glorious! With these new powers granted by the Combat Drug, the Neo Oracion Seis will be unstoppable!" She then waved her hand, dispelling the angels she summoned. "Now I must prepare for the judgment that we will unleash upon this world." She summoned her wings and flew off to return to her guildmates.
After a few minutes, the crystal shards started to move; the rubble burst open, revealing Lady Solaseed and Freed Justine concealed in a large Ark sphere that the nun managed to conjure and was reinforced by Freed's rune magic. Solaseed lowered the barrier and started breathing heavily from exhaustion. "I was barely able to put the barrier in time, she almost got us there," she stated.
"You have my gratitude for saving me," Freed said. "Our comrades might still be buried here! We must dig them out if so!"
As soon as he said that, a few pieces of the crystal started to glow and shrink to the size of pebbles. Dan's shield and spear emerged from the rubble before the knight removed them to show that he had the ice mage slung over his shoulder. "Hey! Are you guys alright?!" he inquired as he went to meet them.
"We're fine, Dan," Solaseed replied. "Nice job saving Gray."
"Thank you both for saving us," Freed said gratefully.
"No sweat, as a knight it is my sworn duty to protect the innocent!" Dan declared. "And I will never rest, not until justice is served and my lovely angel in within the warmth of my…"
"Just put me down already," Gray muttered in annoyance. "Man, that Angel really did a number on us."
"Let me help. Invigorate!" Solaseed chanted before she used her magic to heal the men's injuries.
"I've never seen any kind of magic like that! It made her so heavenly, but it was fueled by her negativity so I could feel the darkness in her heart," Dan commented.
"What heart?" Gray asked.
"Hey! Don't insult my Angey!" Dan argued. "Her heart has been closed off by the darkness, but when we meet again, I'll confess my feelings to her and show what it means to love; her heart will grow three times its size and she'll fall for me!"
"Or she'll rip yours right out of your chest," Gray retorted.
"Anyway, that wasn't magic she used to defeat us," Freed noted, getting their attention. "That power, it gave me the same feeling I felt when I witnessed Gohan's battle with Laxus. It was beyond comprehension; it had to be Ki."
"But Gohan never did anything like that with his Ki," Gray argued. "She literally took on a new form as her power increased, but it was more than just Ki that was causing it!"
"That wasn't magic or Ki, it was both!" Solaseed declared, which made her male comrades look at her in confusion. "I could her magic increase once she took that strange liquid, but I could also sense a different force growing from within her. This Ki was acting like an amplifier; it merged with her magic power and together, the two powers took on a new form in response to Angel's emotions."
"Intriguing. She also said this power came from ingesting that serum, a combat drug I believe she called it," Freed recalled.
"Yeah, and she said it would make her and her pals unbeatable! This means they might all have one of those drugs to boost their power," Gray speculated.
"Ki already seems to be a very dangerous and destructive power, but with magic as its partner, the possibilities are limitless. And if all of the Oracion Seis gain this power, they could be unmatched," Solaseed mused.
"No way! I don't care if they take some special drink to get stronger!" Gray yelled. "They're all still human and they have weaknesses! Fairy Tail has beaten them before and we'll do it again, no matter what!"
"Well said, Gray." Freed nodded.
"There! That should do it!" the nun said as she finished healing each of the male mages; she then fell on her hands and knees while huffing. "I'm spent. I must've overused my ark magic."
"Are you alright?" Freed questioned.
"Just fine. But I'll need to rest a bit before I enter into battle again," Solaseed said as she got to her feet. "Dan, let's return to Zentopia. We must report this failure to the Cardinal and Archbishop, so they may decide our next move." The nun and the knight of the Legion Platoon started to walk away before they glanced back at the Fairies. "The final battle that will determine the fate of Earthland will be upon us soon, as will the end of everything. So be prepared, both sides must be ready to stop the Neo Oracion Seis at a moment's notice." The Legionnaires continued on their way as the Fairies also left to return home.
In Magnolia, the Fairy Tail members in the guild hall, along with Weinheidt of the Indian Knight Trio, were still waiting for a response from Natsu's group when Vijeeter came running inside. "Bad news! We just got word that one of the Oracion Seis is attacking Kardia Cathedral!" he alerted his guildmates.
"What?! Seriously?!" Cana asked.
"Aw, crap! And there's nobody there to protect it!" Warren said.
"But there will be! I'll go there and stop whatever the Oracion Seis is up to!" Weinheidt said before turning to leave.
"Hold on! You can't go there alone, it's too risky! I'm going with you!" Alzack insisted before asking his wife. "Are you coming?"
"Of course. Please look after Asuka for us," Bisca requested to her friends.
"As a hunter, I normally prefer to work solo or with my teammates and Chief, but under these circumstances, I'll make an exception," Weinheidt decided. "Now let's go!" The three then hurried out of the guild hall to get to the church hall.
At Kardia Cathedral, Midnight had teleported inside the church hall and found himself inside a sort of underground tomb similar to the one where the Infinity Clock was put together. As he wandered through the tunnel, there were multiple candles and Zentopian symbols all around. He eventually found what he was looking for: a coffin with the Zentopia emblem that contained the corpse of Will Neville. "At last we meet, Will Neville. You picked a rather dreary place for your eternal rest, can't say I envy you," the Oracion spoke to the deceased mage. "Guess what, I've taken care of your pupils for you. And I didn't get a simple thank you." He chuckled at his joke. "Don't worry, I'll take care of your legacy as well, every bit of it. After all, nightmares happen to be my specialty." Brain II then raised his hand and let out some magic energy but it was repelled from the Zentopian casket. "I'd expect no less from the renowned Celestial Wizard Will Neville. Even in death, you're protected by intense magical power, but it's not going to be able to protect you forever."
"Hold it right there!" someone shouted to the dark mage; he looked back to see Alzack glaring at him from on top of a small ledge. "I don't know what you're trying to do here but we're not gonna let you get away with it!" As he challenged Midnight, his wife silently ran uphill and summoned her weapon.
"Well, well, what do we have here? This should be amusing," Midnight remarked.
"You must be Brain II of the Neo Oracion Seis! Let's go!" Alzack yelled as he summoned multiple guns to his side; they all fired at the dark mage, who blocked every shot with his Reflector Magic. "Alright then, how about this?! Omni-directional Expansion!" The Fairy positioned all of his guns to aim at Midnight from point-blank range.
"What a joke," Midnight muttered. In a split second, the two mages switched places and Alzack was in the center of his own guns. The weapons fired rapidly, pelting their caster with numerous magic bullets.
"Okay babe, just a little longer," Bisca thought as she took her aim.
"I applaud you for trying, but no one can stop me!" Midnight stated as he appeared before Alzack; the mage smirked at him while thinking, "Now!"
"One shot, one down!" Bisca shouted as she fired at the dark mage. Midnight didn't even flinch as he effortlessly redirected the magic bullet back to Bisca's location; the stone horse she stood on cracked and tumbled as she was blown away by Midnight's power.
"Bisca," Alzack groaned.
"She has skill, but lacks the resolve needed to shoot another person," Midnight said while playing with his hair. "You see in order to achieve greatness, one must be willing to pay an even greater price; I can tell just by looking at the two of you, that you're simply not willing to make that kind of sacrifice!"
"But I am! Ki-Seeking Arrow Missile!" Weinheidt exclaimed as he fired his signature attack at the dark mage; Midnight tried to deflect the attack, but the energy arrow passed right through his barrier and struck him in the shoulder. The Leader of the Neo Oracion Seis cried out in pain as he glared at the archer.
"How? My magic should've deflected that attack right back at you!" Midnight stated before falling on one knee.
"Maybe against attacks that cause physical pain, but my attacks are focused on Ki," Weinheidt explained. "My Ki seeking arrow targets your life force directly and phases through everything until it hits its mark, and when it does, your energy is greatly diminished. A few more shots like that, your strength will fade away and you'll pass out from exhaustion in a matter of minutes!" The Indian Knight then phased over to where Bisca was and picked her up before appearing by her husband's side. "You two should head back to the guild hall and receive treatment for your injuries. Once Brain II's out cold, I'll bring him over for interrogation!"
Midnight sneered as he clutched his shoulder and stood up; he held out his hand to launch an attack at the 3rd Custody Enforcement Specialist when something burst through the tomb ceiling and landed in between the two sides, creating a force that blew them back a bit. Standing in a crater in the center of the tomb was the large metallic warrior of Zentopia, brandishing a massive greatsword and a heavy bolter cannon. The Fairies looked at the Machias with curiosity while Midnight glared at him.
"A friend of yours?" Alzack asked Weinheidt.
"Never seen him before, but he's got the Zentopian emblem on his shoulder, so he's probably with the Legion Platoon," the hunter reasoned.
"What do those jerks want now?!" Bisca questioned.
"It's him, the Machias Lapointe mentioned," Midnight thought.
"I can't sense his life force, is he a machine like Chief Tyson?" Weinheidt wondered. "Still, just from that impact, I can tell he's pretty strong, and if he's with the Legion Platoon, he could be either friend or foe." The Indian Knight then asked the Machias "Hey buddy, who the hell are you?!"
The Zentopian soldier faced the good guys before answering, "Where there is uncertainty, I shall bring light! Where there is doubt, I shall sow faith! Where there is shame, I shall point out atonement! Where there is rage, I shall show its course! My word in the soul shall be as my bolter in the field!" He then turned toward the Oracion leader and started to approach him slowly; with every step he took, he made a thunderous and earth shaking impact. He readied his Bolter Cannon as he finished chanting, "I am the one unbreakable shield against the coming darkness! I am the one last blade, forged in defiance of fate! And I am the one impenetrable fortress of war made to withstand and destroy all those oppose the will of Zentopia! My name is Centurion of the Legion Platoon! Reactivated by the Archbishop to do battle in His Holy Name once more! Suffer not the Dark Wizards and heretics of Zeref to live!"
"Piercing Blast!" Centurion fired a super powerful magic beam at Brain II; the blast created an explosion that shook the whole tomb and even quaked the church above it. When the shockwave ended, Centurion stood in the center of a massively large trench. He looked up to see Weinheidt floating high above him with Alzack and Bisca in his arms.
"Man, what an attack!" the Indian Knight commented. "If I hadn't reacted when I did, we wouldn't have made it!"
"Who is this guy?!" Alzack questioned.
"He nearly destroyed this entire place with one shot," Bisca said. "How is that possible?"
Weinheidt descended to a nearby ledge and placed the happy couple down. He looked around to see if there was any sign of the Oracion. "I can still sense Midnight's life force, so he's still alive," he thought. "He couldn't have gotten far though, not in his condition."
The dark mage suddenly appeared a few feet before the Machias, taking heavy breaths while grasping his wounded shoulder. "Damn! I almost perished in that blast. I'll need to be more careful against this foe. He's clearly different from his comrades and the Fairies," Midnight mumbled.
"I'm impressed that you managed to dodge that attack. However, it was just a light one," Centurion stated. "I haven't even warmed up yet."
"Y-you're kidding! That attack wasn't supposed to be strong?!" Weinheidt said in disbelief.
"You and your comrades have made a mockery of Zentopia's doctrines!" Centurion stated as he pointed his sword at Brain II. "For your transgressions against my superiors and for putting together the Infinity Clock, I will personally see to it that you suffer for your crimes and that your plan is put to an end!"
"Heh! So that pathetic organization that I used for my goals sent a rust bucket to take me out, huh?" Midnight chuckled. "Well, I didn't come this far just to be defeated by a machine!"
"So you won't surrender then? Fine with me, now I am authorized to beat you down!" Centurion said. "First things first!" The Machias held out his right hand and aimed it at Will Neville's casket. "Perfect Shell!" he shouted as he let out a red sphere that expanded around the coffin. "If my Intel is accurate, then you need to destroy Will Neville's corpse to gain full control over the Infinity Clock. This barrier will ensure that you don't get that chance, and nothing can shatter it; not even a meteor can dent it."
"Then I guess I'll just have to defeat you if I wanna break that barrier," Midnight declared.
"You misunderstand; you're not going to defeat me!" Centurion stated as he swung his sword at the dark mage. "God's Breaker Blade!" he exclaimed, releasing a large, destructive energy beam from the point of his blade and sending it toward the Oracion leader. Midnight waved his hand, attempting to switch with the Machias, but his eyes grew wide as neither moved from their spot. The blast made contact and erupted instantly. The three mages covered their eyes from the light of the blast wave; when it passed, they saw Midnight standing a good distance away from where Centurion's attack had landed. "You even dodged that one, too; you're quite the skilled wizard. Too bad you had to use your talents to oppose Zentopia's will."
"Why… my reflector magic has no affect on you! How is that possible?" Midnight inquired.
"I'm sure on a human mage that technique of yours is very effective; however, I am not human," Centurion answered. "Since I'm a machine, I'm very resistant to your magic. If you wanna defeat me, you'll have to try a different approach. Now it's my turn to attack!" The Legion machine channeled more magic into his sword and aimed it at his foe. "Holy Spread Shot!" He fired multiple energy beams from his sword, directed right at the Leader of the Neo Oracion Seis.
"Reflector!" Brain II announced as he summoned a magic seal; the beams hit the seal and were blasted right back to their sender. The beams pelted Centurion repeatedly, but when it ended and the smoke cleared, the Machias showed no sign of any damage.
"Perhaps I need to be clearer on what I said. My attacks are supposed to be as strong as necessary to destroy my enemies," Centurion explained. "As you just witnessed, that's not enough to put a dent in me! If you want to win, then hit me with everything you've got!"
"Very well then!Dark Capriccio!" Midnight shouted as he launched his drilling beam of darkness at the mechanical warrior.
Centurion smirked before shouting, "Long Shield!" A long rectangular magical energy wall suddenly materialized around the Machias, shielding him from the dark mage's attack. "Not bad, but not good enough! I use Wall magic, so I can create barrier so impenetrable, it's like nothing can touch me!"
"We'll see about that!" Midnight accepted the challenge as he created a green sphere of dark magic in between his hands. "Dark Rondo!" The orb dispersed into numerous magic blasts and flew straight toward Centurion's barrier; the attacks struck the shield and bounced off, flying throughout the tomb. Some headed toward the Fairies and Weinheidt, though the Indian Knight quickly countered them by firing multiple Ki arrows at the blasts, protecting himself and his current allies.
Centurion glanced toward the three spectators with a neutral expression. "Nice job deflecting those attacks. I'm guessing you're the mages that want to stop these criminals too," he speculated. "Since you're not enemies of Zentopia, it is not protocol for me to attack you; however, I will also not protect you! Your friends have interfered with the Legion's mission and that means you're not our allies either. My mission is to detain this demon and bring him in for questioning; your safety is not of my concern. So if you wish to live, it would be best if you left this place immediately."
"Guess the Legion still has a bit of a grudge against us," Bisca said.
"It's fine. Just stay behind me and you'll be alright," Weinheidt assured. "I'll keep us safe."
"So they're not going to leave, then they'll just end up collateral damage," Centurion thought before he looked back at Midnight. "As for you, if that's the best you can do, then it's clear you have no chance of defeating me!" The Machias suddenly charged at the Oracion, appearing right in front of him in an instant with his sword ready. "Charging Strike!" he shouted as he flipped around his weapon and struck the Oracion in the chest with the hilt of his sword; Midnight was blown backward and landed hard on his back. He groaned in pain just before looking up to see Centurion standing over him. "I heard that you and your comrades did all this for the sake of power, but tell me, is this the power you craved? Is this the strength you believed could allow you to crush all your foes and bring destruction to the world? Then why are you the one on the ground?!" The Machias kicked the dark mage, moving him a bit before stomping on his chest. "I use Wall magic as my defense, and for offense, I have Breaker magic! Anything I strike is hit with an explosive force instantly, and after that, it's only a matter of moments before it shatters completely. That last attack I hit you with was supposed to crack every bone in your body but I didn't use the point of my blade or my full force since my orders are to take you in, but now you see what you're up against! With the two magics at my disposal, I'm an invincible tank, and since my will is to serve Zentopia to the end, my feelings enhance my magic beyond any force in Earthland! And that, my friend, is true power!"
"Curse that damn Lapointe for not telling me the extent of this Machias' power; he's making decisions on his own now! I seem to be losing control of my puppets if Lapointe is already showing signs of mutiny; how long before Rancor and Imitatia do the same? I can't rely on any of them to stay loyal," the Oracion thought. "Well, no point worrying about that now, I must defeat this obstacle and destroy Will Neville's link to the clock!"
Midnight then coughed up a little blood as he reached into his black vest. "What would a machine know of power?" he inquired as he brought out the combat drug. "I suffered many years of agony because of those who had power over me. I spent years gaining as much power as I could; eventually, I rose to become the strongest of the Oracion Seis! I learned what real power is and how to get it!" Midnight then popped the drug open and gulped it down. "True power comes from what you're willing to sacrifice; it's not something that you can just be made to have! My father gave up his own body and his soul for the power to command the darkness in this world, and I will do the same! I'll sacrifice everything for the power to destroy you!" The dark mage then grasped his chest in pain before screaming in anguish. His body then exploded in a flash of green and yellow light that blew Centurion away.
The Machias landed on his feet and raised an eyebrow at the dark mage. "His magic seems to be growing; whatever that thing he drank was it's probably making him stronger," he thought. "Doesn't matter, 'cause that new power won't be of any use to him when he's already in his grave!" Centurion then raised his right fist, channeling magic into it; he smashed the ground, causing a small cave-in over Midnight. The pieces of earth over Brain II cracked and crumbled, descending onto the dark mage and burying him alive. The Zentopian machine smiled and turned to leave when the pile of rubble behind him exploded. Centurion turned around to see the rocks beginning to levitate and Midnight channeling a green aura while smirking devilishly. The Oracion waved his hand, sending the bits of rubble at the Machias. Centurion just used his wall magic, causing the flying rocks to shatter upon impact. "I seriously hope that wasn't your idea of an attack, for your sake!" he commented.
Midnight grasped at his hand before answering, "No, I was just testing the depths of my new abilities." He then clenched his fist at the machine. "That first attack was nothing more than a mere flex of my strength. Now you will see what I am truly capable of!" Midnight raised his hand, aiming at the Legion Machias. "Now have a taste of my new power! Dark Wave!" An enormous blast of dark magic shot out of the Oracion's palm and flew toward the mechanical soldier. Centurion crossed his arms, activating his long shield; the attack crashed into the Machias and washed him through the tomb. When it was over, Centurion stood up, still unfazed from Midnight's attack.
"Your new power is still no match for my defense magic," Centurion stated.
"Ha! I'm just getting started!" Midnight assured. "Dark Geyser!" Brain II slammed his fist into the ground, sending a stream of dark energy underground; the attack traveled through the tomb floor and struck the Machias, launching him into the ceiling. "Now fall! Dark Gravity!" Midnight cried out as he raised his hands; the ceiling above Centurion suddenly collapsed onto him, encasing him in a crater-filled large boulder. After a few minutes, the rubble moved a bit just before Centurion jumped out.
"Is that all you got?!" he asked the dark mage.
"Not even close!" Midnight replied. "Dark Capriccio!" He pointed two fingers at the Machias and fired his piercing spell at him. Centurion held out his hand to block it, but Midnight smirked and moved his fingers, bending the attack to change directions and strike the mechanical soldier from the back. Midnight chuckled before moving his fingers in multiple directions, commanding the dark beam to swerve around the Machias and strike him. "Well machine, how do you like my new power?! Is it too much for you to handle?!" Midnight said mockingly as he continued to toy with the Legion Platoon member. Centurion finally rebounded from his previous beating as the dark beam came right at him; he swatted it, dispersing it as he landed on his feet.
"It doesn't matter how strong you are, dark magical attacks will never get through my defenses since they are tools for the light of Zentopia!" Centurion declared.
"Then I'll just have to shatter you with my fists!" Midnight stated as he channeled dark magic into his fists.
"So you're starting to get serious? Then I'll have to do the same if I want to defeat you!" Centurion proclaimed. "Impenetrable Fortress!" A blue humanoid-shaped barrier of magic appeared and encased the mechanical soldier. "This is the ultimate barrier of the wall magic. My body is completely protected by this unbreakable shield while allowing me to go on the offense in battle!" Centurion clenched his fist as he took his stance. "No one has ever broken through this barrier before!"
"Then allow me to be the first!" Midnight accepted the challenge.
"Let's see you try!" Centurion shouted as he charged at the Oracion; the mechanical soldier swung his sword at the dark mage but he easily dodged the slash. Midnight countered by swinging his fist enhanced with dark magic at the Machias, who took no damage from the blow thanks to Impenetrable Fortress mode. The two were soon locked in combat, and as they fought their collision of energy made the underground tomb tremor. Centurion then jumped and brought his sword down on the dark mage, yet Midnight just grabbed the blade in between his hands before releasing a strong force that repelled the Machias backward. Centurion stuck his sword into the ground to stop himself before charging at Midnight with his fist ready. Midnight just grabbed his fist before kicking him aside.
Weinheidt watched as the two mages duked it out. "Something's not right, and it's not just Midnight's magic that's increased. His Ki… seems to growing dramatically, and both are mixing together to strengthen him!" he thought. "I don't know how that's possible, but the big guy may not be enough to take him out."
"Spiral Pain!" Midnight shouted as he created a strong vortex of distorted air and hit Centurion with it; the mechanical soldier was tossed through the air and slammed into the ground on his back. Brain II then jumped right above and held out his hands. "Let's test the limits of your impenetrable barrier, shall we? Dark Rondo!" He fired numerous green blasts that rained down on the Zentopian machine; Centurion crossed his arms and took the attack head on. The blasts consumed the Machias as Midnight continued to fire his attack while laughing evilly.
Tired of sitting and watching, the Indian Knight looked at the injured fairies and commanded, "You two stay here! When you've recovered enough, get back to the guild hall!"
"What are you going to do?" Bisca inquired.
"Take down that Brain!" Weinheidt answered before running toward the battlefield; the Specialist of the Custody Enforcement Unit brought his bow and arrow and fired one of his Ki-arrows at the Oracion. Midnight noticed the attack and tilted his head to evade it; it whizzed past his ear, missing him before exploding into a large smokescreen. Midnight glanced around as he tried to see through the smoke when Weinheidt suddenly jumped through the smoke with his fist ready, surprising Midnight. "Stone Smasher!" he shouted as he poured Ki into his fist and swung it at the dark mage, striking him in the cheek and sending him flying out of the smokescreen. Midnight flew into the far end of the tomb and crashed into the wall before falling to the ground. Weinheidt descended to the ground where Centurion was and stood beside the Machias, who had gotten up.
"What are you doing, civilian?! Stand down, I cannot focus on my mission if I have to look out for your well being!" Centurion said.
"First off, I'm not a civilian. I'm Philip Weinheidt, Specialist of the 3rd Custody Enforcement Unit!" Weinheidt stated. "And my mission is also to take this guy in for the Magic Council! But it's clear that this guy is a lot stronger than he looks and he's pretty resilient too; he might be too much for one of us to handle alone, which is why we need to work together to beat him!"
"I have no interest in working with someone not of the Legion Platoon or Zentopia," Centurion replied.
Weinheidt glared at the Machias before saying, "If that's the case then fine, but I'm not just gonna stand around and watch any longer! So I'm going in, whether you want me too or not!"
Centurion glanced at him before he looked over to the place where Midnight landed; the dark mage stood up and rubbed his cheek before glancing at it to see the blood that dripped from his mouth. "Very well, just make sure you stay out of my way," the legion member said.
"Funny, I was about to say the same thing!" the hunter responded.
The Oracion leader smirked excitedly at his two opponents as he started emitting energy. "This is gonna be fun," he said. Weinheidt and Centurion charged at the dark mage; the two continuously threw punches and kicks at Midnight but he managed to block their attacks. Brain II then struck both of them in the chest, blowing them backward.
"Get ready to fly!" Weinheidt told Centurion as he grabbed his wrist. The Indian Knight then tossed the Machias toward the enemy.
"Charging Strike!" Centurion shouted as he swung his sword at the dark mage. Midnight jumped over the mechanical soldier, evading his strike. Weinheidt quickly brought his bow and arrow out before aiming at Midnight. "Dynamite Arrow!" he yelled as he fired a Ki arrow at the dark mage. Brain II fired a blast at it, causing it to detonate and the explosion blew the evil one into a wall. Centurion then appeared above the dark mage with his fist ready and emitting magic power. "Back to Hades, demon! Flowing Strike!"he exclaimed as he threw his fist downward and sent the Oracion leader plummeting toward the ground, where his impact made a deep trench in the ground. Both Centurion and Weinheidt stood on ledges over the crater and prepared to fire devastating attacks.
"Holy Spread Shot!" Centurion shouted as he created multiple energy beams with his sword and launched them into the crater.
"Piercing Arrow Barrage!" Weinheidt roared as he fired a barrage of Ki-empowered arrows that rained down on the trench. The two attacks pounded the Oracion repeatedly until the entire hole was filled with smoke. The two finally halted their attacks and looked into the crater; the smoke was suddenly blown away, revealing an uninjured Brain II standing in the center of the trench.
"What?! It can't be! How is he still standing?!" Centurion inquired in disbelief.
"It's just as I feared! His Ki has increased and is somehow fusing with his magic," Weinheidt thought. "It's not much, but it's not a natural combination. If he keeps pushing himself he could become unstable!"
"Was that the best the two of you could do?" Midnight asked. "Because I didn't feel a thing!" The dark mage then raised his hands with magic energy in them. "Dark… Inferno!" The Oracion leader pressed his hands against the ground, created a massive fiery pillar of dark magic that erupted from inside the carter; the blast wave blew the fighters away instantly. Weinheidt groaned as he stood up, only to find Midnight standing directly in front of them. "Feels like you've been hit by the fists of a thousand suns, doesn't it?" the dark mage stated.
"Yup! And now I'm gonna make you feel the same pain tenfold!" Weinheidt promised as he tried to hit the Oracion leader. However, Midnight blocked all of his blows before grabbing his wrist and hitting him in the abdomen with a magic blast, making him fall to his knees. Centurion suddenly appeared behind Midnight with his hands clamped together; he brought them down onto the dark mage, but they were blocked by Midnight's hand. Brain II swung the Machias over his head and slammed him into the Indian Knight before nailing them with a large magical blast the sent the plummeting to the bottom of the tomb.
"HA, HA, HA!" Midnight laughed. "This truly is the power I've been seeking! With this power, the Neo Oracion Seis will become invincible!"
Centurion and Weinheidt stood up and glared at the Oracion leader. "He's not making this easy for us," the Machias said.
"It's more than that, his power is constantly increasing!" the hunter warned. "If we don't stop him soon, he'll become too strong for us, and I'm not sure if we can last long enough for the effects of his special juice to wear off!"
"So what's the plan of attack?" Centurion asked.
"I have a super strong attack that should be enough to take him out in one go," Weinheidt explained. "Problem is, it takes time for me charge up this attack."
"So you need a few minutes, huh? Not a problem, I'll buy you all the time you need!" Centurion assured. "Gives me the opportunity to pound him into the ground!"
"Just be sure there's some of him left for me to attack!" Weinheidt said as he brought out another arrow.
"What's the matter? Taking your time to come up with a plan to defeat me?" Midnight asked mockingly. "Is my new power making you that unsure of your own power?"
"You wish!" the Indian Knight replied as he aimed his arrow at the dark mage. "Solar Flare Arrow!" He fired his arrow at Brain II; before it got near him, the arrow exploded into a flash of bright light that filled the room. Midnight quickly covered his eyes to block the light; when it passed, Brain II opened his eyes and saw Centurion charging at him with his sword. The Mechanical soldier swung his weapon madly at the dark mage. As that was happening, Weinheidt was pouring energy into his Ki arrow while aiming it at Midnight. Centurion and Midnight continued to exchange blows until the dark mage blasted him away. Centurion landed on his feet and pointed his sword at the leader of the Neo Oracion Seis while concentrating all of his magic power into it.
"God's Breaker Blade!" Centurion exclaimed. He fired an immense magical beam at Midnight. The amassed power from Centurion's ultimate attack created a massive explosion that devastated anything within range. However, Midnight managed to create a green dome of dark magic to protect himself from the blast.
"Just give up, no one has the power to defeat the Neo Oracion Seis," Midnight said.
"Are you sure about that?" Centurion inquired.
Weinheidt finished charging his arrow and aimed it at Midnight's back. "One arrow, one shot, and it's all over! Power Shot!" he thought as he released the arrow; it sailed through the air until it struck the unsuspecting Midnight in the back. The Oracion leader's eyes grew wide as the arrow went through his back and came out from his stomach; his look of surprise suddenly changed into a smirk just before he faded out of existence. "What?! How?!" Weinheidt questioned. He then sensed someone behind him and turned around to find Midnight's hand directly in front of his face.
"Bang," Midnight muttered before firing a dark blast at the Indian Knight's face. The blast blew Weinheidt backward into a tomb wall, where he got stuck. He struggled to free himself just before Midnight appeared in front of him He glared at the dark mage with one eye open while his other one was closed and the left side around his face was smoking from the last attack.
"Now it's over," Brain II declared as he put magic into his right fist and punched Tyson's disciple in the gut, rendering him unconscious.
Centurion jumped to slash at the dark mage with his sword, but he disappeared again. He reappeared behind the mechanical soldier with magic spheres around his hands extending to the shape of whips. "Zero Slash!" Midnight swung his dual whips, smacking them against Centurion's Impenetrable Fortress spell. The continuous beating from the dark mage's attacks eventually put a crack in the Machias' barrier before he was knocked into wall. "Looks like your impenetrable fortress just became penetrable," Midnight joked as he walked toward the machine. "Give up, my comrades have nearly completed their missions and the links to the Infinity Clock will all be severed! It's over!"
"As long as my body is still functional, I will continue to fight for the honor of Zentopia! I am its ultimate weapon and I will destroy any that stand against it! It's not over!" Centurion declared.
"Very well then, I'll enjoy smashing your body into pieces of scrap!" Midnight said while smiling wickedly. The two mages revved up their magic power and charged at each other to resume their battle.
Back with Gohan, the Demi Saiyan and the Tufflebot continued their showdown. Gohan punched Rancor in the gut, elbow bashed him in the head, and kicked him in the face twice before finishing his attack by blasting the machine into the ground. Not wanting to waste time or energy, Gohan dove after Rancor to continue beating him, but before he reached the earth, he was met with a punch to the face by the Hatchiyak which was followed by a numerous barrage of punches. Rancor then kicked Gohan upward and fired a blast at him; the Son of Goku deflected it and fired his own blast. The two repeatedly fired blasts at each other, and they ended it by punching each other in the face. Rancor recovered first and elbow bashed the Demi Saiyan to the earth; Gohan glared at the war machine as he raised his hands above his head. "Masenko… ha!" he shouted as he fired his signature attack at the robot.
"Ha! Is that all you've got?!" Rancor asked before disappearing to evade the attack.
"One more! Ha!" Gohan cried before firing another Masenko at the Hatchiyak; the machine continuously dodged Gohan's relentless blasting. The half Saiyan eventually stopped and charged at Rancor. He threw multiple punches and kicks at the machine before skull bashing him in the face and kicking him in the back, sending him plummeting into the earth. Gohan took a few deep breaths as he waited for Rancor to resurface. "Damn it! I'm getting nowhere fast! I'm just exhausting my energy; that's probably what he wants me to do," he thought. Numerous energy blasts suddenly flew upward toward the Saiyan Hybrid; he crossed his arms to block them, leaving himself open to Rancor's attack from above. The machine fired another blast at Gohan's back, which weighed him down and sent him to the ground. Gohan knocked away the blast and landed on all fours.
"Now this is how I remember a Saiyan should look, on his knees before the might of the Tuffles!" Rancor stated. "Heh! I know your warrior race hangs on to the bitter end, but how much longer can you delay the inevitable?!"
"I have to end this now," Gohan thought before he smirked and said, "I know I'm going to regret this, but now really isn't the time to conserve energy. All I need is one shot…" He then channeled Ki into his right hand. "Chasing Bullet!" he shouted as he fired a Ki blast at the Hatchiyak.
"You must be getting desperate, you can't think of any way to defeat me so you're just wasting your energy!" Rancor said as he avoided the blast; he smirked at the Saiyan but it didn't last as his sensors detected the same attack coming at him from behind. The Tufflebot dodged it again, yet it swerved through the air and came back at him. Rancor flew off through the skies with the Chasing Bullet right on his tail.
"There, that should keep him busy for a while," Gohan thought as he took his stance and started gathering Ki into a single point.
Rancor soared through the skies, moving in every direction as the energy blast followed close behind. "Do you really think he can defeat me with this move, Saiyan? Such primitive thinking, but that is to be expected from a mindless monkey!" he said before stopping to face the attack; he crossed his arms and the Chasing Bullet crashed into him. He then separated his arms, deflecting the attack effortlessly. "I told you that wouldn't work on me, Saiyan!"
"Maybe not, but it gave me enough time to do this..!" Gohan replied as a blue star of Ki formed in between his palms. "Kamehame… ha!" Raising his hands upward, the Son of Goku fired the turtle shock wave at the stunned Hatchiyak; the enormous beam flew right at the Tufflebot, who frantically held out his right hand to block the attack. The blast collided with the robotic hand and pushed against it; Rancor pushed back with all his might as Gohan poured as much Ki into the attack as he could manage. The Tufflebot attempted to counter the shock wave with his own energy attack, but it was too small and was quickly canceled out.
"Darn it! I can't hold it any longer!" Rancor cried just as his right hand started disintegrating from Gohan's attack. Desperate to escape, Rancor placed two fingers against his forehead and concentrated as much as he could. In an instant, he disappeared and the attack flew higher into the heavens until it exploded in the atmosphere.
Gohan huffed heavily as he lowered his hands and powered down to base form. "It's over," he muttered.
"ARE YOU SURE ABOUT THAT, SAIYAN?!" Rancor yelled angrily. Gohan quickly turned and his eyes grew wide as he saw the Hatchiyak coming at him with his left fist reared back; instinctively, Gohan crossed his arms, blocking Rancor's punch and was pushed backward a few feet. He gazed at the Hatchiyak in awe while the machine, whose right arm was gone from his shoulder down, was glaring daggers at him. "You damn monkey!" he growled.
"Impossible! You couldn't have dodged that! How did you escape that blast?!" Gohan questioned.
"I told you that I share the abilities of all grudging spirits within me, one of them is Cooler's," Rancor answered. "During his time as Meta-Cooler, he revealed he was capable of a technique your father knew: the Instant Transmission!"
"What?! Cooler knew the teleportation technique?!" Gohan asked in surprise.
"Yes, he claimed it was one of his favorite techniques," Rancor replied.
"That doesn't make sense! If it was Meta-Cooler who was able to teleport, then you shouldn't have that ability! He was just a mechanical puppet!" Gohan argued.
"Only a miniscule-minded primate would be incapable of understanding the logic in this case," Rancor said before explicating. "True, the machine was the one doing the teleporting, but it had the mind of Cooler himself! If the Frost Demon did not know how to perform the technique himself, the machine wouldn't have been able to use it or any of his techniques or fighting styles! It was Cooler's knowledge and experience that the mechanical puppet could process that allowed it to use the Instant Transmission, just like me!"
The Demi Saiyan glared at the Tufflebot as he understood what he meant. Cooler's own essence was a part of Rancor now, so as long as the Frost Demon knew how to perform the technique, Rancor could use it just as well since he had his mind, even if Cooler never used it himself. It was just a matter of mimicking what he had stored in his brain. Gohan clenched his fist before calming down and smiling at the machine. "Heh! So you survived my Kamehameha wave, but it doesn't matter much 'cause you had to sacrifice your right arm to do it!" Rancor gritted his teeth as he grasped his shoulder. "Your body has taken significant damage; you're in no shape to continue fighting me! So why don't you give up, and make me destroying you less work?!"
"Never! I refuse to accept defeat at the hands of a Saiyan ever again!" Rancor shouted.
"You don't have a choice!" Gohan yelled back. "This fight is over for you!"
Rancor growled at the half Saiyan before he fell to his knees. His body suddenly started channeling green energy; as this happened, numerous fragments of purple Ethernano began forming around the Tufflebot's missing right arm space. The specks of magic instantly mixed with Rancor's energy, and a white muscular right arm with purple gems on the shoulder and wrist was formed. Rancor then stood up and glanced at his new arm; he opened and closed his hand before looking at the Saiyan and smirking. "Well, this is a nice surprise!" he said.
"What?! T-That's impossible! Machines can't regenerate!" Gohan stated. "How is that possible?! What just happened?!"
"This world holds many wonders, but its greatest miracle is the source of magic for these Wizards," Rancor started to explain. "Just like your power comes from your Ki, theirs comes from the magic they wield! But unlike you and I, their power comes from a different source other than their own life force. It comes from Ethernano!"
"Ethernano?!" Gohan inquired.
"It's the base substance upon which magic power is built from and it exists everywhere, even in the atmosphere," Rancor continued. "This supply of Ethernano is limitless and the beings in this world can draw it in and convert it into magic power."
"Ok, what does that have to do with you becoming part Frieza?!" Gohan demanded.
"Machines aren't like humans, especially those that become sentient or self-aware," Rancor stated. "Our energy source is infinite, but when we come across a new source, we adapt to it. After being exposed to Ethernano for some time, my body started to naturally absorb this new power and stored it within the core of my own energy till it was needed. Then, when you destroyed my right arm, my system automatically released the Ethernano I had stored away, and with it fused with my life force energy, it took on a new form that my grudge desired!" Rancor's new Frieza-like arm was then coated in red metal from his body. "In short, Saiyan, you can't defeat me by smashing a single part of me; you'll have to destroy my entire body to win, but I wonder if you have the strength to do after pulling off that last attack and with the Destron Gas sapping away your life force!" Rancor then charged at the Demi Saiyan and tried to punch him with his new arm; Gohan quickly jumped away from the Tufflebot and turned Super Saiyan.
Rancor pointed his new arm at the Son of Goku and fired multiple finger beams at him; Gohan crossed his arms to block them. Rancor suddenly appeared behind the black-haired Saiyan and punched him in the back, sending him crashing into the ground. "Nothing irritates a Tuffle more than a Saiyan getting the jump on them, but you managed to prove that wrong. You, little half monkey twit, made me do something that is beyond despicable: you made me use the same technique as a Saiyan!" The war machine descended to ground level and stood before the hybrid. "That is the ultimate shame for a Tuffle, and there is no forgiveness for it!" Rancor charged Ki into his right fist and held it over Gohan. "But mark my words, I will make you suffer, by my honor as the Tuffle's grudge personified, I'll ensure that the final moments of your pathetic life are a living hell before you beg me to kill you!"
Rancor threw his fist onto the Demi Saiyan; the impact caused a massive shockwave around the red robot. When it passed, Rancor was in a trench but the Saiyan of Fairy Tail was gone. The machine looked up to see Gohan in the sky, having avoided the blow by jumping up at the last second. "Like I'd ever beg you for anything!" Gohan boasted. "I'm not giving up yet! I'll do whatever it takes to beat you, bet on it!
"Such brave words, monkey, but can you back them up?!" Rancor inquired. "I can sense how weak your power level is, you can't even enter your 2nd Super Saiyan state and you're barely managing to hold your current form! So why don't we put that boast of yours to the test!" Rancor then jumped into the air, meeting Gohan in the sky; he threw a few punches at the Saiyan that he quickly blocked and the two traded blows. Gohan managed to land two punches on Rancor; he was barely fazed and started flying around the half Saiyan while rapidly punching him and hitting him with eye beams. (A/N: Yes, just like the move Superman used on Darkseid in that Apocalypse movie.)
He then stopped and hit Gohan with a strong blast, sending him back to the ground before diving after him. Gohan landed on his back before raising his hand and firing three Ki blasts at the Tufflebot; Rancor deflected the blasts and fired his own energy attack at the Saiyan. Gohan backflipped away from the numerous blasts and landed on his feet. Rancor flew toward him and was met with a kick to the face from the Saiyan hybrid; Rancor just smirked before elbow bashing Gohan. The Son of Goku slid on his back and stopped just as the Hatchiyak appeared above him, ready to stomp him. Gohan fired an energy blast from his hands to launch himself away from the robot. He flew through the air but quickly came to a stop when Rancor appeared in his path.
"What's the matter, Saiyan? You seem to be moving much slower than when we started fighting," Rancor stated mockingly.
Gohan flew off into another direction but was kicked in the face by his opponent; he quickly recovered and continued to fly. Rancor appeared above him and elbow bashed and blasted him to the ground. Gohan crash landed on his stomach and groaned in pain as he tried to crawl away from the Hatchiyak. "Aw, what's wrong, monkey? Not having fun? I thought your kind enjoyed fighting, why is this not the case?" Rancor continued to mock Gohan. "Maybe it's because you're incapable of fighting back that the game's not as much fun, huh? I'll admit, this is hardly entertaining if you're like this… so why don't we end this." Rancor then channeled his Ki into his chest gem while aiming it at the half Saiyan.
Gohan got to his knees, trying to find the strength to stand and fight. When the red robot finished charging up, he shouted, "Revenge Cannon!" and fired his signature attack the Demi Saiyan. Gohan grasped the ground as he struggled to get up and evade the attack. "No… I can't… let it end this way! I have to… stop this guy… so that my friends can stop… the Neo Oracion Seis!" Gohan muttered. "Katja… Wendy… all of Fairy Tail, they're counting on me! I WON'T LET MY FRIENDS DOWN AGAIN!" The Demi Saiyan stood up and faced the blast; he swatted it aside, disappeared, and reappeared behind Rancor before putting him in a headlock. (A/N: Like the one Bardock uses.)
"Typical Saiyan, your kind can never just accept defeat," Rancor scoffed.
"Got you now! There's no way you can attack me like this, and even with my current strength, I'm capable of holding you still!" Gohan stated.
"So what now, Saiyan?! You can't exactly attack me and if you plan to snap my neck, then don't bother. That won't be enough to kill me!" Rancor said.
"I know that!" Gohan declared, surprising the Hatchiyak. "You said I'd have to destroy your entire body to defeat you, right? I'll just use the last of my energy to perform an attack strong enough to do just that!" Gohan's body suddenly started glowing gold as tiny specks of Ki and Ethernano flew around him and Rancor.
"I sense his power's increasing dramatically, but how does he still have such power left in his condition?" Rancor thought before saying, "What are you planning, Saiyan?! You can't possibly attack me like this even if you do have the power to do so!"
"Heh! That's where you're wrong, Tufflebot! Even while I'm holding you like this, I can still use one final attack, and it'll definitely destroy you and end this fight once and for all!" Gohan assured the machine.
"You're bluffing, there's no way you can pull off an attack like that in your state," Rancor denied before a thought came to him. "Unless you…"
"Finally figured it out, huh? That's right; I plan to stop you by taking us both out!" Gohan replied. "Even in my weakened state, I can pull off an explosion strong enough to destroy you, especially when you can only access 40% of your maximum power!"
"No, you can't! I won't let you!" Rancor stated as he elbow bashed Gohan's gut; the Demi Saiyan cringed in pain but held on tight to the Tufflebot. Rancor continued to strike the half Saiyan but his grip on him didn't let up at all. Rancor then fired a blast at Gohan's stomach but it still had no effect on him.
"There's no point in resisting, this is the end for the both of us!" Gohan declared as he started to glow even brighter.
Back with Wendy, the Storm Dragon Slayer was using her magic to heal the Indian Knight Jillian while Bickslow lay beside her. All three heroes seemed oblivious to Erigor slowly walking toward the Sky maiden. "Just hang on, Bickslow. I'll get to you as soon as I'm done with Ms. Jillian," she promised her guildmate.
"Sure thing, kid, just take your time. I'm not going anywhere," Bickslow replied. He then noticed the Grim Reaper getting closer to the Dragon Slayer. "Hey, Wendy, look out behind you!"
The Storm mage raised his scythe as he prepared to slash the little wizard, but before he could, Wendy's healing magic aura expanded and engulfed Erigor. The Storm mage suddenly saw visions of four people who seemed familiar to him. When it passed, Erigor grasped his face in pain. "What is this? Who was that? What did you do to me?!" he asked furiously before he backed away from the good guys.
"I'm not sure what just happened, but you got to him somehow, kid," Bickslow noted.
"No… make it stop! Get out of my head! I don't want any memories!" Erigor shouted as he flew through the air and grasped his head.
"Looks like this freak's mind is turning on him," Bickslow stated.
"Stay away, Kageyama! I can't hear myself think!" Erigor continued to shout.
"It seems that his memories were being blocked by some dark magic, which is why he couldn't remember anything, but somehow Wendy's healing magic broke through for a second and now he's experiencing mental pain!" Jillian explained.
"Feels like he's being torn apart from the inside out," Bickslow remarked.
"I wanna help him!" Wendy blurted out, surprising her allies. "If my healing magic started this, then maybe I can use it to stop whatever's blocking his memories."
"You really wanna help the guy who tried to kill us?!" Bickslow asked her.
"I understand how you feel, Wendy, but this man is still our enemy," Jillian reminded her. "Helping him might just make things worse for us."
"I know that, but I have to help him! I can't just leave him like this if I can do something!" Wendy said as she started emitting magic power.
"You're a sweet girl, Wendy. You have a kind heart," Jillian thought as she smiled at the Sky maiden.
"YOU! I'LL KILL YOU!" Erigor shouted as he sent a massive storm blast toward the Storm Dragon Slayer.
"Storm Dragon Healing Roar!" Wendy shouted as she let out her breath attack. The two storm attacks collided and pushed against each other.
"I'LL MAKE SURE THERE'LL BE NOTHING LEFT OF YOU, FLY!" Erigor yelled.
"You have to remember! REMEMBER!" Wendy ordered.
"Man, this kid is stubborn!" Bickslow said.
"Come on, Wendy, give it all you've got!" Jillian urged the Sky Dragon.
The two forces suddenly exploded in a blinding white light. In the depths of his own mind, Erigor saw another vision of the four he saw earlier except now a fifth was among them. "Hey!" the fifth man called to the Grim Reaper. "Do you have any idea how pathetic you look right now?" The man chastising him was revealed to be his past self back before he joined the Oracion Seis, complete with his hair, old scythe, and tattoos. "Hard to believe I'd give up so much just for power!"
"I know you… you're… me," Erigor said in awe. He then screamed in agony as his body was struck by purple lightning. When it stopped, his body was smoking as he passed out and fell to the floor.
"What just happened?" Jillian inquired.
"Something nasty just popped out of his soul," Bickslow answered.
"He's in pain… because of me," Wendy muttered sadly. "All I wanted was to heal his mind, but I ended up hurting him instead."
"Relax, Wendy. Even though he looks like he's in bad shape, he's actually fine. His life force has calmed down and stabilized. Whatever blocked his memories must be gone now, so he'll be alright once he recovers. You did a good job, kid," Jillian complimented the Sky Dragon. When she saw the still concerned look on Wendy's face, she said, "You wanna heal him, don't you, but you're worried about your friend. Don't worry, Wendy, I'll take care of Erigor while you heal Bickslow." Wendy nodded before going to heal her fellow Fairy while Jillian attended to Erigor.
Back with Gohan, Rancor continued to struggle against the Demi Saiyan's grip as he continued to build up more energy for his attack. "Release me, Saiyan! How can you end a battle this way?! Where is your pride as a Saiyan, your honor as a fighter?! You can't be serious about killing yourself just to destroy me!" he yelled.
"This isn't about honor or pride! This is about doing what's right and protecting this world from threats like you!" Gohan replied.
"What about the Neo Oracion Seis?! Do you really think those pathetic human mages can stop them without your help?!" Rancor inquired.
Gohan hesitated for a moment before answering, "I have faith in my friends, they beat the Oracion Seis before and they can do it again. I just need to make sure that you aren't around to see that happen!" The half Saiyan's body was soon completely covered in gold Ki.
"LET ME GO! ARE YOU INSANE, MONKEY?!" Rancor cried out.
Gohan didn't answer him as he closed his eyes. "This is the end for me. Wendy, Natsu, all of Fairy Tail, my heart was wounded from the mistakes I made during my fight with Cell. I didn't think I'd be happy again after my father died, but you all made me a part of you guild. You showed me a whole new life and helped me when I was lost. Thank you for making me a part of your family. I'm sorry, Katja, I'm sure Tyson and the others can keep you safe. Coco, I hope you'll be alright when this Holy War is over. Trunks, mom, my friends back at home, even you, Vegeta… this is goodbye." Gohan then gripped Rancor's neck tighter as streams of Ki started shooting out of his body. "Dad, I'm sorry I failed you, I couldn't live to be the warrior you hoped I'd become… but at least… maybe I'll get to see you again…" Just then, a magic seal appeared on Rancor's chest gem; it showed six numbers before the 6th suddenly disappeared and the space it occupied started glowing green. Gohan then shouted, "THIS IS THE END, THE WAR BETWEEN THE SAIYANS AND THE TUFFLES ENDS NOW!" before both he and Rancor were consumed in a massive dome of gold energy that expanded across the land; it stretched into the heavens as the planet shook violently.
All throughout Isghar, the members of Fairy Tail, the Legion Platoon, and the Indian Knight Trio felt the massive quake from Gohan's self destruction, but they weren't the only ones. At the Lamia Scale guild hall, all the mages stumbled as their place shook. "This can't be a good sign," Jura mused.
"From what just happened, it seems like things have gotten even worse than what you told us, Lyon," Master Ooba said.
"I know, that's why I need to alert Trunks right now, but he's not back yet," Lyon said.
"His mission was a few days ago, so he should be getting back soon," Chelia said.
At that moment, the Saiyan Prince walked through the door with a small pouch and a shard in his hand. "Hey guys, I finished the mission. Check this out, the client even let me take some of the Lacrima the bandits were trying to steal. If this thing can really do all what you told me it does, it'll work wonders for my machines. This thing's putting out a lot of power…" He stopped talking when he noticed his guildmates looking at him seriously. "What's the matter? Is something wrong?"
"Trunks, remember when Lyon left to check on things with Fairy Tail?" Chelia asked the Saiyan. "Well, things seem to have gotten out of hand and your friend is deeply involved." Before he could ask for more details, the Time traveler looked out the window as his face held a surprised look. "Trunks, what is it?" she asked him.
"I just felt a tremendous distortion of Ki; it only surged for a second, but I'm positive that it was Gohan's energy," Trunks replied before turning to the Ice mage. "Lyon, what's going on with Gohan and his guild?"
"You remember the Hatchiyak right?" Lyon began to explain.
At Katja's home, Lahar and Doranbolt were doing their very best to catch the Android, but he dashed around the room and swiftly evaded every attack they threw at him. "Come on, ya'll! Put cher backs into it!" Tyson ordered. Suddenly, the room shook, which caught the three council officers' attention. "What in blazes was that?!"
"I don't know," Mest answered just before Katja rushed inside. "Katja, what's wrong?!"
"I saw this pillar of light in the distance, I think that's where Gohan went to fight the enemy!" she revealed. "He could be in trouble!"
"Settle down, little lady, I'll head on over there and check on city boy!" Tyson said. His eyes then started flashing green light. "Not good. City boy's energy has gone down; he's in a serious catastrophe! Alright ladies, ya'll better stick together and stay safe, I'll be back in a jiff!" Tyson then brought out a wine canteen and took a quick drink. "Aaaah, time to bring in the Chief!" The Chief of the 3rd Custody Enforcement Unit revved up and flew off toward the battlefield of the Demi Saiyan and the Tufflebot.
On the battlefield, the area had a giant circular crater in the ground while an enormous black smoke cloud lingered in the air. Numerous bolts of lightning flashed through the sky as something fell from the black cloud. The Son of Goku slowly fell toward the earth while being unconscious…
A/N: And done! Finally! This took weeks to finish, I think; I lost track of time. Anyway, how about that for an exciting chapter; Gohan decides to pull the classic Saiyan move and bomb himself to take out the enemy, but did he succeed? Sorry to leave you all like this, hope you're not in too much suspense, but this makes the story even more thrilling, right?! Hope you're all still reading and reviewing, because there's more in store for ya! Until the next chapter, TTFN AntiHero out! Oh, one more thing… Happy New Year!