Chapter 31 – The Incredible Hulking Ogre
"Why are you crying, little girl? It's long past your bed time. Why aren't you asleep?"
The girl looked up at him with eyes still shimmering with tears, but hastily dried them when she saw who the speaker was.
"I'm sorry, My Lord… I cry because the other kids keep teasing me about my hair! They pull it and call me horrible names! I don't want it anymore! I want to cut it off!" She started tugging hard at it, while grimacing at the same time as the pain shot through her scalp.
"Don't you know… that your hair is a precious gift from your father? Few people are fortunate enough to have it. You must treasure it… what is your name?"
"Celestine."
"That's a very pretty name too! Now Celestine… next time the other kids call you names, just think to yourself that they are envious of your gift, and you will be fine. And if you still feel sad or lonely, you can always come to me for company… okay?" He started stroking her hair in a soothing manner.
She could feel the warmth of his touch – the same warmth that was now reflected in his eyes as well.
"Okay, my Lord. I will try to be brave and not cry anymore…" She showed him a tiny smile.
"That's a good girl. Now run along to sleep… this isn't a time for good girls to be awake."
"Good night, my Lord." She said, and turned towards the direction of her dorm.
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"My Lord!" She cried out, running towards the prone figure lying motionless on the ground.
But no matter how she tried to call him, or shake him, he was still unresponsive to her attempts to rouse him.
Beside her, Damien tried to pull her away from him, but she persisted in clinging onto Lord Shin's body, unwilling to face the stark reality of his end.
"You're only asleep… I know that! Wake up now! Wake up and defeat that scum with me! How can you sleep at a time like this? I thought you would be there with me till the end, to become the ruler of Angel Land once more! Are you listening to me? My Lord!!" She yelled hysterically into Lord Shin's unhearing ear, ignoring the restraining hand on her shoulder.
"Stop it, Celestine! He's gone… for real this time. There's nothing we can do about it…" A grieving Damien tightened his grasp on her shoulder, for he too understood how she felt… but he could not let her lose control like that.
"NO! You're lying! He's still warm, see? The dead are cold, but he isn't at all! Here, feel him!" She clutched Damien's hand on her shoulder, and placed it upon the Lord's face.
"That's your body warmth, Celestine, not his…" Damien said sadly, and at the same time worried about the delusions Celestine was suffering from.
"How can you act as if this is something that could be easily shrugged off? We have to try and revive him!
Full-life!" She yelled, trying to use the high level magic spell to reinstate the Lord's life force, but it was already too late… for his soul had already departed his shell, and was now wandering somewhere else.
"It's unfair of you to say that of me…" Damien replied quietly, and turned his back against Celestine.
"If you can't get a hold of yourself, get out of here."
Many pairs of eyes looked at him in shock, for they had seldom seen such a severe Damien.
And yet, they did not know about the pain he inflicted upon himself as he threw a seemingly cruel line at Celestine…
But he did not mind it, just as long as Celestine could get back to normal.
"I'm sorry…" Celestine muttered, her voice barely coming out from her mouth.
"…… That's alright. The most important thing now is to defeat the enemy. I know you're sad… But this isn't the time to mourn… we must remember what we set out for, otherwise he would have died in vain…"
"Thank you… Damien. You're right… I misbehaved just now."
She turned, and looked at the four SeeDs, who were still trying to get use to everything that had happened in the last few minutes.
"Are you ready to battle, guys?"
There was a new glint in her gaze, a direct consequence of her enhanced determination to hunt down the enemy.
"We've been ready since we got here." Zell replied with a grin that gave her a jolt of reassurance.
As she turned to look at the rest, they nodded their heads as well.
"Good. Let's kick some villain ass."
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"President Caraway… how are things over at your side?" Squall spoke into the receiver, while Rinoa was waiting anxiously by his side.
"Abnormally quiet. The Underground Armies have not made a single move against us yet. In fact… they had started vacating our cities ever since I ordered my troops to fortify all residential areas against them… stealthily of course, for they have gone undercover in various disguises. It seems that the creatures are heading for a common direction… the Island nearest to Hell."
"That is very strange indeed. But I suppose that they would have felt more at home on that island. Any word from Redrumiel?"
"He is quiet as well… as if he's suddenly disconnected himself from us. I wonder what is going on up there."
"Anyway… we must not let our guard down, even if the enemy appears to be retreating. This might be some kind of trap for all we know."
"I understand. If anything happens, I'll keep you updated."
"Meanwhile, our SeeDs are stationed near your cities. If they start attacking, give us an alert and we will be there to aid you in no time."
"Thank you."
The line went dead, and Squall could hear the sound of the engaged tone on the other end.
"Well… nothing's happened yet." He told Rinoa, who let out a sigh of relief.
"Thank goodness. I do not want to see any more bloodshed than necessary."
"Me neither. But I have a nagging sense that things aren't as simple as they look. It seems rather illogical to me that the Underground Armies aren't attacking the citizens, since there's no doubt that Redrumiel would have known about your father's change of heart. Perhaps we're missing the big picture here."
"What big picture?"
"That something huge beyond our imagination is going to happen…… I can't shrug this feeling off no matter how hard I try."
"What do we do now, Squall?"
"There's nothing we can do except wait, Rinoa… I hate being controlled by our enemy's next move, but there's no other way out. We have to be cautious… for this is a new breed that we've never encountered before."
"I hope it's only paranoia that's bugging you, Squall… I really hope so…"
"Me too… Rinny…" He looked at her with a troubled expression… one that tugged painfully at her heart.
"Don't worry… Everything will turn out fine. We must have hope in Hyne, and in our friends who are trying their best to beat the mastermind."
In reply to her reassurance, Squall grasped her hand in his and gave her a tiny smile, which said more than what he could ever achieve with words.
The phone rang shrilly, breaking their little tender exchange with its annoyingly high-pitched sound.
"Squall of Balamb Garden speaking!"
"Squall, it's me, Laguna."
"What's up?"
"You know that machine I was talking about?"
"Yeah. What about it?"
"It's halfway through to the finishing stages."
"That's not fast enough. Even though we are not currently under attack, there is no telling when the creatures would decide to do so! If we were to clash head-on with them with our current strength, I am sure it would not be sufficient! These creatures are hard to beat, and even harder to kill! So please… Ffff…ffff….. father… hurry up with your machine! Hello? Hello! Are you still there?"
There was no reply at the other end, only whoops of joy and an incessant, irritating voice singing about how his son had finally accepted him.
Squall could only shake his head in exasperation, but was rather embarrassed, yet pleased that he had managed to convince himself to utter that difficult word.
If Rinny can do it, what kind of impression would I make on others if I cannot do the same? Besides, he's getting old. I should grow up and show him some respect… not that he deserves it though…
"Don't worry, Squall my boy. I will personally see to it that Dr Odine completes it by tomorrow, even if he has to work until he foams at the mouth. He'll be fine… he might be old, but he is still hardier than many half his age. Hahahah!" There was a bout of hearty laughter at the other end, followed by a loud click as the Estharian President hung up the phone, presumably to spread the good news with his left and right-hand men.
"Father, eh?" Rinoa said in a teasing tone. "Somebody grew up today, didn't he?"
"Pot calling the kettle black!" He retorted, but couldn't keep up with his grumpy expression and gave a small laugh instead.
"I'm glad, Squall…"
"Thank you… Rinny…"
They held each other tightly, for a moment forgetting that the lives of thousands of people were at stake, or that any minute now, they could be interrupted by someone barging into the tent to shout out the latest updates on the situation.
For that one moment, the only thing that mattered to them was the feel of their arms around each other.
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An apparition of the Dark Lord appeared in front of the group of creatures scattered all over the Island nearest to Hell. The entire Army was in that area, some spilling over to the nearby lands, for the Island nearest to Hell was not large enough to accommodate all of them.
"Lord Redrumiel… when do we attack?" The largest sized creature, apparently their leader went up to him and asked the questions that had been on their minds ever since the Army was formed. They were creatures that derived pleasure in hurting others, and hence their bout of waiting was making them restless, and at the same time, feverish for some destructive action.
"Not now. Are the Black Ogres ready?"
"Of course. They have been fidgety lately, as we all are. We are impatient for your command to attack the cities, my Lord." It grinned menacingly at "Redrumiel", baring its yellow fangs to the maximum at him.
"When I order you to wait, you wait. Do I make myself clear, or are you willing to have a taste of my punishment for rebels?"
"No… I do not dare to defy you, My Lord. One is merely anxious to get rid of My Lord's enemies, that's all."
The creatures might have a scary appearance, but they were cowards towards those who were more powerful than them, yet would not hesitate to harm those that were weaker.
"Make sure you keep to your word. Very well then. I can see that the soldiers are ready for action. At midnight, you will strike the cities. Make full use of the Black Ogres, and the humans shall be no match for you."
"Yes, My Lord! We will not fail you! The humans will be wiped out, the cities plundered, and every living thing destroyed before dawn of the next day!"
"I shall entrust the whole operation in your hands. But if you should fail…. I do not need to remind you of what lies in wait, do I?"
The creature trembled like a lump of muddy Jello under his withering gaze, and it knew very well what kind of end he would suffer from if he did not succeed.
"Redrumiel" sneered at the creature, then faded into the air… for he could ill afford to divert too much of his attention away from his physical self in Angel Land.
The creature looked up tentatively from its stooping position to see if "Redrumiel" was really gone.
Realising that the coast was clear, it regained its original position in front of the troops, and announced in a loud guttural voice,
"AT THE STROKE OF MIDNIGHT, WE WILL ATTACK THE HUMANS! BE MERRY MY LOWLIES!"
His "lowlies" as he called them started yelling and shouting in response to his announcement, filling the air with snorts and grunts as they relished the thought of the bedlam that they would create in a few hours time.
"MASSACRE! MASSACRE! MASSACRE! MASSACRE!!!"
As the one word filled the atmosphere, so did the scent of the Grim Reaper's breath, drifting in pungent waves through the humid air… towards the cities that were slowly winding down as the end of the day drew near……
Unknown to the Underground Army… two had overheard their loud yells and proclamation to attack the cities.
The two looked at each other in great alarm, and speeded off in their little saucer-like UFOs……
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Time: 23:58 hrs
Place: Outside Timber
Selphie tried to stifle the yawn that threatened to overcome her, but failed to curb it wholly.
"Hooooorrrr~~~~" She put a hand to her mouth as the wave of sleepiness hit her.
Irvine looked at Selphie disapprovingly, but realized that he could not really blame her… for Selphie was well known for her hyper-activeness and here they were, watching the grass grow.
They had been stationed outside Timber in vigilance of any suspicious activities from the Underground Armies. The only thing they ever did was move towards the western side of the continent, presumably the Island nearest to Hell. Irvine and Selphie decided against following their tracks, as they reckoned that it could be the enemy's plan to lure them away from their positions instead of keeping watch on Timber.
"Irvy… this is so boooooooring! If I had known this would happen, I would have followed Quisty and the rest up to Angel Land! Can't we at least go into Timber?"
"Sefie… you know very well we shouldn't go inside… the reason we have to keep watch outside the city is so that we could be alert to any surprise attacks from the enemy… which would be less effective if we were in the city itself. Just bear with it for a little while more…"
"A little while more, a little while more… that was what you said EIGHT HOURS AGO!"
"SHHH! Do you want the rest of the squad to hear that? Don't forget you responsibility as Deputy Squad Leader and SeeD!"
"Alright!" She pouted petulantly, while crossing her arms in front of her chest.
Irvine was by then totally frustrated with her spoilt behavior, and was about to open his mouth to reprimand her when the sound of crumbling rock interrupted his speech, followed by a ground-shattering thump that shook the trees, causing the leaves to fall off their branches in showers of green.
"HOLY SHIT! WHAT THE HELL IS THAT!" Selphie yelled directly at Irvine's direction, pointing to a five-storey high thing that appeared out of nowhere, and started lumbering towards Timber, while a troop of underground creatures trailed after it, carrying with them torches that illuminated their ghastly features..
"I have absolutely no idea. Come on! We have to stop it before it crushes Timber under its feet!" Irvine ran back towards the tents, where the rest of their squad had set up camp.
"Squad T! Prepare for entry into Timber! Enemy has been sighted!"
The squad, filled with cadets and SeeDs alike, were assembled in less than thirty seconds, for they were trained to react swiftly in times of urgency.
"We have to catch them unawares, so sneak quietly in!" Selphie whispered, keeping her position low as she crept along the bushes, trying to enshroud herself in the shadows. Fortunately for them, it was already night time, and thus their attempt to conceal themselves had a higher success rate.
Creeping quietly along the path, and using the bushes to shield themselves whenever possible, the Squad finally reached the entrance of the city.
"Doug, inform the commander of the Timber troops immediately of the enemy's presence…. Be quick… we will try to hold them up but not for too long. Go!"
"Yes Sir." The young SeeD replied in affirmation, and hurried off to look for the Timber troops.
In the blink of an eye, the Underground Armies and the huge monstrosity had reached the city entrance as well.
Upon sighting the humans, the creatures started licking their chops in anticipation of maiming them.
The newcomer merely stared blankly into the distance, its eyes nothing but two hollow, bottomless pits.
Selphie stared up at the hulking monster.
"Irvy… do you think we can really beat this thing?" There was a slight tremor in her voice.
"We have to, no matter what it takes." Irvine replied, cocking his Exeter in readiness for the battle.
"You're right! Let's do it!" Selphie yelled, giving herself a boost of courage by howling like a werewolf at the Black Ogre. Selphie was a weird girl, alright.
The only thing the howl had achieved was grab the Black Ogre's attention.
It started to change its direction, and thumped its way towards the two SeeDs.
"Nice move, Sefie." Irvine's voice was dripping with sarcasm.
"Thank you, Irvy, if I do say so myself."
"I'll help." A low voice sounded behind them.
A wind rustled through the air, blowing his fringe away from the face.
"Nobu! Show it your Saitou whatever technique, and it will be defenseless! Woohoo!" Selphie punched an arm up into the air… only to have it nearly bitten off by the Black Ogre, whose speed was rather impressive despite its enormous burden.
Seeing that Selphie was in dangerous proximity to the monster's maw, Irvine immediately let out an armor-piercing shot from his weapon to distract it towards him.
The bullet bounced ineffectually against its thick hide.
"Oh no…" Irvine moaned when he realized that his shots would be of no use in this battle.
"Hiiiiiiiyak!!!!" Selphie shouted, and flung her Strange Vision at the creature's abdomen, for that was the highest place it could reach.
"GROOOOOOOOOOOWLLLL!" The creature roared, not because of pain, but due to the annoying sound of the nunchaku against his ears.
"Uh-oh… mine doesn't work too!" Selphie watched horrifyingly at the tiny scratch on the monster's tummy.
"How about a slash of the sword? Surely that would be of some use?" Nobu said, and started muttering some foreign language.
* "Ware wa mu te kinari…. Ware wa no Ouiji … Saitou-Haijime Ryu Kenjitsu!!!!!"*
I am invincible! My finishing move…. Saitou Hajime Sword Technique!
He held his sword in one hand in a parallel position towards the ground, while steadying the blade with his other, and moved in lightning speed towards the monster.
When he was about to reach it, he placed a foot onto the nearby wall for the thrust, and leaped into the air with the aid of the thrusting action.
In a gravity-defying moment, he had reached near to the face of the monster, and decorated it with many stabs of his sword.
However, the creature merely swatted him away with a huge swipe of its hand.
"NOBU!" Selphie cried when he hurtled downwards in great speed.
He would suffer from much more than a headache if his head were to connect to the ground with such impact.
"FLOAT!" Irvine yelled, casting the spell on Nobu so that he would not face the fate of certain death.
"I am sorry… I have failed you…" Nobu replied in a downcast manner, unable to lift his eyes to face them.
"It's alright… the same thing happened to us. We can't hurt it using physical attacks… let me try to summon a Guardian Force…. Let's see…"
"First we must find out its weaknesses!" Selphie added.
"SCAN!"
As the surroundings darkened, a ring of blinking lights focused upon their enemy. A flash of information appeared in the three SeeD's minds.
"Black Ogre
A genetically altered mutant between a Hell creature, an Iron Giant and a Black Lizard, relative of Iguion.
Weakness: Light attacks (May try Holy magic)
Vitality: 255
This monster has a half-meter thick hide that cannot be penetrated even by weapons with piercing abilities.
Attacks: Hand swipe, Death, Magma Breath, Hell's Judgment."
The three stared at each other in palpable silence…
"How the hell are we going to beat it?" Selphie asked in distress. For the first time, she did not know what to do.
"It mentioned to try Holy magic… I'll summon Alexander to see if it works."
"Good luck, Irvy!"
Irvine closed his eyes, and tried to search for the Guardian Force.
Alexander… I need your help now… please appear on my behalf and defeat our enemy…
A moment's silence, followed by a ringing sound in his ear, signifying the arrival of the Guardian Force in his mind.
At your service, I have arrived. Show me the enemy I must defeat.
A Black Ogre… have you ever fought with one?
Never… but this shall not deter me from beating him.
Great… I'm counting on you.
As the Guardian Force appeared in front of the monster, the three SeeDs were transported to another plane, where they witnessed the fight between Alexander and the Black Ogre.
White Light beamed from the Guardian Force as he attacked the Black Ogre with Holy Magic, then disappeared after his attack was completed.
The three SeeDs looked anxiously at the Black Ogre… hoping that Alexander's Holy attack had made a dent in the monster's HP….
The monster gave another loud growl…
And to their dismay, it had not suffered from any visible injuries from Alexander's magic.
This time, the Black Ogre decided to attack the SeeDs… for it knew then that they did not have ability to hurt it, except for a few scratches here and there.
Opening its mouth, a spurt of lava-like molten rock shot out of its mouth, and aimed at the three SeeDs.
Will they be able to dodge the attack… and what does it really do?
Can they harm even a hair of the Black Ogre's?
Will Timber be destroyed if they failed to defeat it?
Next chapter reveals the answer.
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WL: There will be No Q&A session this chapter… due to the inherent eye-lid droopiness of the author. We are sorry for any inconvenience caused.
Oh, another thing… that phrase in asterixes… you know, the "Ware wa mu te kinari…" that Nobu utters? It is a line in Japanese, but I cannot guarantee the accuracy of its translation, nor can I affirm the correctness of the grammar and sentence structure…. Cos I don't know the language! Anyone please enlighten me on the correct usage if it's incorrect! Thank you very much!
The line was originally from Shadow skill, while Saitou Hajime refers to a person in Rurouni Kenshin… a Japanese comic about a Meiji Era swordsman cum assassin. Not mine. Don't sue me please.
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This chapter… is one of the worst. I was sleeping when I typed it. Please forgive me for the blandness. Thanks. And reviewers… thank you too. I will acknowledge everyone properly next chapter, but right now, I just feel like sleeping…..zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…..