【54 - Superheated Eruption: the Devastating Natural Disaster!】


The villagers heard the loud boom and felt the tremors. Most were outside discussing the island invaders and wondering why help had not yet come, but those inside the hutts emerged to see the monstrous red and grey cloud exploding from the mountain's top. It was such a terrible sight that many were transfixed, but when the molten orange and black came rolling downward they tore their eyes away and started running. Infants wailed amidst the panicked shouting. Children were yanked up and carried, the elderly and injured helped along by others. Chief Tenakoto stood on the marae, his eyes widening at the impossible scene. How he wished he'd sent Kanoa off with Heidi when she first came, anything to have avoided all of this.

Sione was running with Kaleo's arm over his shoulder, struggling to keep up with everyone else. He looked back as the sheer volume of lava cast the jungle and his face in an orange glow.

"Don't look, just run!" The old woman panted. Then she dropped her cane and her knees buckled.

"Get on my back!" Sione yelled and she fell onto him. He pulled her up and kept running.

Once the tribe had evacuated to higher ground they watched breathlessly as a sea of molten rock devoured home after home. Straw roofs and totem poles caught alight, it was all swallowed by the relentless flow. Last to go was the ancestral marae, its beautiful etchings with seashell eyes. It was destroyed and disappeared under the glowing surface. A profound loss settled on the hundreds of people. The lava was reaching the water and hissing up steam, but that didn't stop the level rising.

"Chief, what do we do?" Someone asked Tenakato but he couldn't look away and he couldn't speak.

"To higher ground!" Kaleo shouted in her feeble voice, atop Sione's back. "The Sacred Mountain. They can evacuate us from there!"

Other men repeated the order and the people all started to move.

Across the terrain Kanoa and Meilani stopped, finding their way blocked by wide streams of lava rushing to the ocean. They could feel its heat on their skin. When looking down they saw their village was gone. The grip of the devastation took their breath away. Meilani prodded Kanoa's shoulder and pointed to the tribespeople who were collectively moving, probably to higher ground. It wasn't safe here and they couldn't rejoin the others yet, they'd have to go back through the jungle and around.

None could afford to linger. After all, while the lava was dangerous the real killer was the poisonous ashclouds that could settle downwind into a lethal smog.

Antelopes in their herds stopped grazing to look up at the orange glow. Wildfires were now catching and burning throughout. Animals and birds also began to flee. The tribe saw all this as everyone climbed. Chief Tenakoto had managed to pull himself out of his grief and could start issuing orders again. After all he saw it as his duty to his people. He had to make sure everyone stayed together and kept moving.

"Are we sure climbing the Sacred mountain is the best idea?" An elder asked him.

"We have pirates around our waters that will fire at our ships. We have Anemeon invaders in our jungle attacking groups of our people. Our only hope is that if we move to higher ground help will finally come."

"I suppose there isn't much time to sit and think in a situation as urgent as this."

"Yes, I do not know how quickly it will take the lava to reach these parts so we need to keep moving."

"It's a bit too much of a coincedence, all of this happening at once."

"On that we can agree. What supplies were taken from the village before we lost it?"

"We've counted two first aid kits and one case of anti-venoms. It isn't much, considering our injured."

"Hopefully it will be enough to last us until we can make it out of this nightmare." As the Chief said that another islander called out and ran to his side. "What is it Kawena?"

"I saw Heidi before." The breathless man said.

"Was Kanoa with her? What about my son?"

"I'm afraid she was alone. But she's not herself. She challenged me to a duel, and if she had the chance I think she would've near killed me."

"What in the world is going on here." Tenakoto breathed as they all scaled uphill. "First my son is missing. Then we're attacked by another tribe and pirates. We've lost track of both chosens, one of which has lost her mind. And now of all things, our volcano erupts now."

"I saw over the trees... there might not be much of an island left when this is over. We're losing so much jungle."

"We cannot afford to think about that now. All I can do, is make sure my people are safe."

In earshot Sione had a deep frown on his face while still carrying Kaleo on his back.

"Heidi..." he murmured.

"I'm sorry to be such a burden." The old mystic said.

"No, it's no trouble. This is nothing. But I'm worried about Luano, Meilani, Kanoa and the others who never made it back."

"We all are."

"And what about Heidi? Something terrible must've happened. Last time anyone saw her she was with Malo and had just escaped the invaders."

"I can't say what's going to happen to her, or what's going to happen to any of us for that matter..."

They shared matching frowns. Sione stopped to jostle the old woman further up his back and then pressed forward with the mass of moving people.


YouTube: Sounds of nature: Gondwana Rainforests of Australia | #NSWParks


It felt like Heidi had been walking through the jungle for ages. She'd thought she was going deeper into the island but seeing more and more sand was frustrating her. Then she saw brightness ahead and found herself facing another beach. Her arms dropped to her sides with exasperation. As she turned to go back something caught her eye and she flicked her head back. A lone figure who seemed to be walking on water. Of course they weren't really, but this beach had a long coastal shelf when the tide was out like this. The overhead sun's reflection glared off the water. Something was familiar about that person, Heidi trekked down the sand and over to them.

Her feet splashed through ankle-deep water and she passed a few sliver-shaped sand bars. When the figure noticed her he paused then ran over. Heidi stopped and waited for him. The sun was against her, but soon she saw it was Luano. He looked worn out, there was mud in his hair and parts of his body that he hadn't washed off properly.

"Heidi?"

"How are you alive?"

"What the hell is happening?" He ignored her question with one of his own. She followed his finger to the volcano, which was now blocking about half the sky with its smoldering ash. Bright orange could be seen still streaking down its slope. Luano looked beside himself "this is... I can't... have we angered the great Rūaumo somehow?"

"Don't be stupid." She harshly replied, understanding the reference to their volcano deity. "General Urobach was here. He had his lieutenants drill enough explosives into it to make it erupt like this. I don't know, maybe he used more nuclear technology. He has the army working for him after all."

Heidi had seen horrible mass death before, and something like this wasn't a first for her. Luano stared, shocked she could be so unemotional.

"That was your home too! Your tribe as well, wasn't it?"

"I'm better off going solo. It's better that way." Heidi decided.

"You arrogant little... Just like Kanoa! You chosens don't deserve your titles! The only reason my father let you and your dumb friends be a part of our tribe was so we could keep you here and still hold onto Jupiter. You do know that, right?"

"Like it matters. Now are you going to answer my question? How did you get away?" Heidi met his challenging gaze with her own. Luano glanced at the devastation caused by the volcano and grabbed his head with both hands, circling around before facing her again.

"I don't know what happened. I woke up in a cave all muddy, Dominic and the rest of you were gone."

"I see..."

"Now what about my father and the rest of the tribe?"

"There's nothing either of us can do about that now." Heidi said, still bored.

"Shouldn't there be helicopters and boats? Why haven't the other islands sent any help?"

"Could be cause we're completely blocked off. Luano, take out your deck. I've already decided you'll be my next opponent."

"You want to duel!?" His frustration and anger at her rushed out of him easily. He pulled out his deck, hand glowing green. "Taking out a brat like you will be a pleasure!"

Heidi couldn't agree more as they summoned their tables, stepping along to a sand bar while the hot sun burned against their shoulders and neck. She went first, charging fire while her opponent charged light-darkness and passed back.

"I summon Topgear, Start Dash!" A cheap fighter in red and gold armor was the first in, weaving its hands to create a bow and arrow out of blue fire. "Now the first fire creature I summon costs 1 less each turn. Turn end."

Luano charged nature "I cast Faerie Life to boost mana. Done."

"I summon Royal Islay, Explosive Passion!" The pink-haired samurai girl dashed onto the field next. "Mana Arms 3! I discard a card and draw 2." She tossed Hero Mystery, Burning Galaxy and replenished her options. "Topgear, shield break!" A flaming blue arrow whipped out and Luano cursed and turned away as glass burst violently.

After checking for injuries he snarled at her and drew "I summon Lollapalooza, Spirit Knight Left God!" The hovering gold mecha had teal crystals embedded along its body. "Royal Islay taps and doesn't untap next turn!"


+ Wreck-It Ralph OST - 23 - Sugar Rush Showdown


"Gods, huh…?" Heidi said as her samurai took a knee. She drew "That takes me back… Of course now the newest part of this game is the hyperspatials. I summon Hibiki, Explosive Dragon Edge!" The dark-haired cat-girl blasted in on her jet-boots. "I equip her with Glee Gee, Passion Sword!" Hibiki raised her arm and shouted, electric chains whipped up and with the passage open her dragheart weapon fell into her grip. She twirled and brandished it. "Hibiki is a speed attacker and now she can attack untapped creatures! Attack and invasion, Gatling Sonic!" She shone red mid-jump. Evolving into the black-coated double-breaker with the machine gun on his arm. Gatling slashed the God then jumped back, peppering it with fiery bullets.

Heidi twisted a card "Topgear breaks another shield." As blue pieces flew far Luano tensed, but again got no trigger. "As I end, dragsolution! Little Big Horn, Passion Dragon!" The red dragon stomped on all fours, issuing a roar as its spindly gold wings flexed. 5000 power.

Luano drew. He knew from watching her duel Kanoa that time that she was a speedy fire player. But he hadn't anticipated her draws and attacking untapped creatures being such a problem.

"I summon another Lollapalooza and this time Gatling, Sonic doesn't untap next turn!" His golden god returned.

"Pathetic. I want you to show me power!"

"Careful what you wish for."

"Try me! I summon another Royal Islay, Explosive Passion! I discard Super Explosive Duel Fire and draw 2. Little Big Horn can attack untapped creatures, so take out Lollapalooza!" It roared, stomping across the sand and ripping in with its jaws. "First Royal Islay, shield break!" She humphed, leaping up and slashing a panel neatly in two before it fell into shrinking pieces that ended up in Luano's hand.

"Shield trigger! Curse of Resurrection and Clash! I bring back Lollapalooza and tap Topgear. My move! I summon Omega, Oracle Jewel and god link!" The platinum shield expanded, blue electricity connected it to the other god and they were magnetically drawn together. "It now has 9000 power, blocker and untaps whenever a shield of mine gets broken! Attack Gatling, Sonic!" A pulse of invisible power rattled the human baku before he dissolved. "Go, Heidi."

"I summon another Hibiki, Explosive Dragon Edge and this time equip her with Gaial Horn, Iron-slashing Sword!" She returned, snagging a different dragon blade from hyperspace. "Hibiki, shield break!" His penultimate shield broke, the linked God raised back up to alertness. "Royal Islay attack!"

"Omega-Lollapalooza blocks!" It swerved in the way and the samurai exploded as soon as her sword hit the shield.

"Second Royal Islay, final shield break!"

"My god untaps!" A glowing card floated by Luano's face and made him sigh in relief. Then his relief turned into evil satisfaction "Shield trigger, God Gate!" A high-pitched tolling reached its crescendo, much like the strike of a meditation bowl. A gold portal opened above and beneath water swirled into a vortex. Luano's deck shone blue and five cards levitated out before him "I choose a God to play and the others go to the bottom of my deck. Then I can link it to a God in my hand for free."

"You're kidding…"

"I choose Max, Rage Crystal and link it to God Izumo, Lawless Godkind!" The platinum sword appeared first, and then a prepubescent boy with six wings and matching armor joined it. They fused electrically. "I gain a shield whenever a god enters play and then tap one of your creatures. So now I gain 2 shields, I tap your remaining creatures. You can't play spells that cost less than 5 and my God has 21,000 power and breaks 4 shields!"

Heidi stared up at it and then a smile began to grow on her face "I end and dragsolution. Zantetsu Big Horn, Passion Dragon! All creatures in my battle zone now have the Gaial Command Dragon race."

"It's over!" Luano stated as he dramatically pulled a card from his deck. "I summon another Omega, Oracle Jewel and now God Izumo is triple-linked!" The lightning looked bright and dangerous. After the fusion undeniable power pulsed, the water rippling away from their little isle. "The ultimate god is now linked with the ultimate sword and ultimate shield! 27,000 power and now linked Gods don't leave the battle zone, ever!"

Heidi stared up at it levelly.

Luano was too euphoric and laughed at her anyway "God Izumo, quatro break!" Glass blew outward, pieces breaking into smaller pieces and then dust. Heidi was flung back and rolled in the sand. She winced but got back to her feet and dusted off the sand. She stepped back to her table and squarely met his gaze. "Shield triggers… two Moel, Love Snipers!" The ladies in pink dresses landed beside flaming tanks.

Luano's smile wavered "My other linked God breaks your last shield, go!" Crash-tinkle.

Heidi drew and smirked at the card "Heh… your Gods are definitely the strongest I've seen, but I have something even greater than 27,000!" She turned over her new phoenix "Galaxy Vortex Evolution! I use both Moels and Royal Islay, because thanks to Zantetsu Big Horn they all count as dragons! Come out, Supernova Apollonus Dragerion!"

The legendary phoenix emerged with a long howl that made Luano gulp. Three floating evo-crystals began to spin, igniting and expanding into nuclear suns. Its devil head looked down with merciless eyes. Heidi laughed madly "Feel the might of 30,000 power! Meteorburn! World-breaker! Ike!" The spinning nova was thrust into his shields and blew Luano back into the water. Heidi ducked and clung to her table this time. The two linked Gods both untapped thanks to their Omega parts, but Heidi had three attackers left. Two ferocious dragons and her Topgear. "This is gonna hurt. Topgear, todomeda!"

Luano was sitting up in the shallows, but instead of blocking he scrunched his eyes and took the hit.

"What?" Heidi blinked. The creatures faded. She didn't even pack her cards and when the tables vanished hers fell into the sand. She stormed over to the islander teen who was hissing, cupping water over the mild burns on his chest. Topgear's flaming blue arrow had left its mark. "Why didn't you block that!?"

"Why do you think? I wasn't going to let you attack me directly with one of your dragheart creatures."

"You bastard! You're not a real fighter! You drag things out and depend on shield triggers! And when you saw an easy way out you took it!"

"And what about you! If you'd just attacked me without summoning that big phoenix you could've made sure you killed me with your dragon, if that was what you wanted."

"Next time I'm annihilating you!" She yelled at him with rage. "You can count on that!"

"This game could've gone either way, so same goes for you!" Luano yelled back.

Heidi kicked sand with an outraged noise and stalked back to her cards. Luano didn't want to go after her with this injury, so kept washing his front with water and hissing. The other girl picked up her deck and then trekked angrily back to the island.

Heidi wasn't able to reflect when alone again. She stomped back up the beach and into the jungle. She just wanted to get back to the middle of the island. It was evident she didn't have the innate sense of direction the other islanders had. This half hadn't been hit as badly by the pouring lava but there was no telling if that would change. Seeing Pluto again and watching him so easily kill with no emotion reminded her of how futile this all was. He could destroy their planet in an instant if he wanted to. She could feel it, she was sure of it. Even so nothing about running around an island with an active volcano spewing lava was safe. And neither was seeking out life-threatening duels just for some manic-induced thrill. Maybe she'd snap out of the current mania, or maybe she never would. Heidi didn't know and couldn't bring herself to care. Her steps drew her onwards.

The silver aircraft zipped over to the wide navy landing pad. Urobach sat in an upholstered seat while soldiers fussed over the controls, he stared out his little window and waited until they touched down. Then while the engines were still powering down he ignited in black fire. Elsewhere he was spat out by the cold void flames into his throne room. There was his big chair that looked like it was cut from an obsidian stalagmite. He stepped across the smooth floor to his trusty mirror, black fire appearing on the fingers of his gloves. He touched the surface and focused, accessing the mental link he had with his subordinates. Soon the dark-skinned hunter with the crimson eyes appeared in the reflection, taking a knee to his superior.

"Denaris..." Urobach began.

"I-I apologize for failing you, my General. The chosens were in my clutches, but still somehow escaped."

"It doesn't matter."

"Sir?" He looked up in surprise. "You're not going to execute me?"

"Are Kanoa and Heidi still on the island?"

"Yes, I believe so..."

"Then they haven't truly escaped. Besides you're the one that gave me the news that Heidi is still alive. I can't access Kaizoku's mind link, so he's probably dead. That means you and Hikiko are the only lieutenants still on the island. I need you to make sure everyone remains distracted while I prepare for the grand finale. If we can make sure both chosens die then all will be forgiven."

"I won't let you down Sir." He bowed once more. "I'm an expert hunter. They'll never be able to hide their trails from me."

"Glad to hear it. Now try not to die, our numbers have already dwindled enough in the past six months as is." With that said Urobach removed his fingers and the mirror was empty once more. While it was true they'd lost lieutenants it didn't really matter. A necessary sacrifice, all things considered. For soon he would turn this planet into smoking ruins and then it would become his to command, all in service of his gods: the great Gatekeepers of the Outer Path.

He ignited once more, the blackness dispersing and then he was standing on the command podium of his primary submarine. The soldiers in the room immediately pretended to look busy, typing away on keys and examining data. Urobach stepped down toward a wide screen that showed the position of his ships and a grid model of his latest scheme.

"Give me a status report," he said to the female soldier who started flicking down the pad she was holding, images flashing before them.

"All of our ships are still in position. We've had support come in for the island both by boat and air but we've managed to turn them away. It seems the tribe keeps sending through distress signals but we're holding the line. News stations are covering the eruption all through the islands, and stations back in Augus are beginning to pick the story up as well. They took some footage of the disaster." She flicked a button and Urobach saw a shaky screen depicting the volcano, obviously taken from one of the helping ships and zoomed-in. Low resolution was all they had so far.

"Nobody is to get in or out of our blockade, you understand?"

"Of course, Sir."

"I want eyes on our sonars at all times. Now as for the submarine carrying our payload?" At Urobach's question the woman hesitated before bringing up the next photo. Data and schematics popped up as well.

"We got 2000 metres into the trench before we started having issues with the remote control. At first we thought it was interference from the water pressure but it's something else..."

"What is it? Spit it out!"

"Some kind of virus. We've been able to get a handle on it, but then it switches on us. Our cyber security team is still wrestling with it at the moment."

"That payload is supposed to be 3 kilometres down at the bottom of that trench! Do you hear me?"

"We expect to regain full control in a couple of hours Sir."

"No..." Urobach turned away from her and massaged his chin. "No, this isn't some virus. This is him again, that damn thorn in my side. The chosen water duelist. They've hacked in again using Mercury Gigablizzard and they intend to interfere. Someone, give me a control terminal!" He stomped to the nearest screen and a soldier scrambled off to free the chair.

His fingers flew over the keys as he analyzed what was doing the interfering. Then he tried establishing a video connection to see what would happen. The screen paused and loaded for a while, then their hacker accepted. The screen fizzled before showing a silhouette in a darkened room.

"I know what your plan is." There was that deepened voice to hide pitch.

Urobach leaned back in the chair with satisfaction "The same anonymous tactics you used to broadcast about my atom bomb. Why take such efforts to hide from me?"

"What you're doing now is so much worse than back then."

"Well I wasn't going to downgrade, was I? Why do you think the slums was the first place I nuked? It was just build-up, but I think you'll find my next performance even more entertaining."

"You're going to detonate large amounts of nuclear material in a trench between fault-lines and trigger a tsunami that will kill millions of people in coastal areas."

"Surprise," He made a show of waving his hands.

"Why are you doing this? How could you possibly be so twisted to want to hurt so many people for no reason? All of Aurellia saw the atom bomb and they're already afraid. You don't have to do this."

"Oh but I want to do this. So you stopped me from framing your government and got me out in the open? So what. After I've had my fun and Aurellia has been reduced in population to a more manageable size, then I and my remaining lieutenants will rule over it. It will become a conduit for kaijudo energy and feed our civilization even more."

"We will stop you."

"Really? Because you're already one chosen down and you're about to lose two more. As always it's been a pleasure chosen water duelist, and I can't wait until I get to skin you alive in person." With that he flicked a key and ended the call. He turned to the other soldiers "Don't let up and keep fighting to put our systems back online. The water chosen is going to make more broadcasts to evacuate people and minimize deaths, so we need to proceed as soon as possible."

""Yes Sir!"" Everyone jumped back into their jobs and Urobach stood and turned. He smiled wickedly and as black flames burst around his body it made his amber eyes gleam with ambition.

Denaris Ryoshi raised his head after seeing Urobach disappear from his mind's eye. He stood up, a tall and muscular fellow. Then he rolled his neck and felt it pop. He was standing in a room in the old temple ruins, surrounded by yellowed bricks and tiles. There was a table holding technology and communications equipment, a way for him to oversee the set-up of the volcano's eruption. Their very own unnatural natural disaster. But now that the biggest part of his mission was over all he had to do was keep everyone distracted and ensure the deaths of those two teenagers.

An Anemeon appeared in the doorway "Boss. The men are getting restless. They're concerned about the volcano." His voice was as impassive as his face.

"I thought you were all trained hunters with no fear? That's why you were chosen for this mission, that and your ability to conjure kaijudo energy."

"We do not fear death. But neither do we outright seek it. Another eruption might trigger soon and we're at low ground. Nature is to be respected, after all."

"Of course, the natural order is what's best..." Denaris went to his table, hand hovering over the various hunting weapons he'd set up. "I promised you that you'd reclaim this island. You descend from the ancestors who built this temple after all, the ones who lived here before the current inhabitants kicked you off however many centuries ago." He picked up a sickle and turned it in his hand.

"The way things are going it doesn't look like there'll be much of an island left."

"Then fine," Denaris sighed and put down the sickle. He picked up a machete instead. "Tell the others they're free to move about and keep hunting the other tribe. I'm about to head out as well." At his words the tribesman nodded and turned. "And before you go. Make sure the others know they're not to kill Kanoa or Heidi. After all, those two are my hunt." He received another nod then the tribesman left.

Denaris was now free to examine his weapons in peace. A practice he found soothing. He started strapping multiple belts packed with knives and other equipment onto his muscular arms. He slipped larger weapons into the harness across his body. He'd taken just about every weapon in his current collection, but the greatest of all was his mind. After all to be a hunter meant outsmarting your prey. It meant getting into their head and figuring out their movements. He'd always considered people to be the funnest animal to hunt, and back home he had two neat placques that he reckoned their severed heads would look great on, decorating the wall behind his fireplace.


AN: Meow meow meow! Another chapter done. Perhaps I should be saying Nyaan. So in terms of natural disasters this arc... Hurricane: check. Volcanic eruption: check. What does that leave us with? A freakin tsunami of course. Seems like that dastardly General isn't finished with the mass deaths, not by a long shot. Hopefully the chosen water duelist can save as many people as they can. And what of Heidi and Kanoa? Until next time!