Piccolo Sky, starting off a chapter for once. Since someone has asked, I might as well explain some of the nomenclature. A lot of the attacks in the story are unique to a monster or esper, but there are also a lot that are based off of magical attacks that the humans will be able to use as well in the future (in other FF games).
"Pyrin" isn't much of an attack. It's equivilent is the Twin Magic "Pyro" from FFIV. In other words, it is a small version of "Flare".
"Pyron", on the other hand, is the equivilent of "Flare". That's why rather than a single ball attack, it was actually multiple balls, and it scattered more after it was done (see the FFIV animation).
"Mega-pyrin"'s equivilent can be inferred by referring to the other names. Essentially, it is "Megaflare".
"Magnavolt" is an elevated level of a thunder attack, equivilent to "Thundara".
"Quake Swallow" is basically "Quake". ...I don't come up with Latin root names for everything. :P
As for the other techniques, "Contra-cycle", "Aqua-ject", "Pyrimshad", and "Terra-ject", those I essentially made up. Since Leviathan, Ogopogo, and Kraken elongate and wrap around their prey, I called it "Contra-cycle". "Aqua-ject" is essentially throwing water at your opponent, though its pressurized into a blade. "Pyrimshad" is an attack I evented for Phoenix. Essentially, it's a mixture of the root "pyro" and "shimisham". "Terra-ject", like before, is throwing earth at your opponent.
If the names really annoy you, then hang on. Many of Griever's attacks have their original game names...
Damned brothers…
I should have known they'd keep secrets from me. So much for wanting us all in on their little game. They let us get the life beaten out of us while they harbor secrets to power. I'm supposed to be the strongest esper! And I thought they were going to start looking to me as a brother… Hmph…hypocrites… I'll get stronger…I'll be better… I'll surpass them both for good and for all. I'll be the one who kills Griever…alone and without their help.
Leviathan frowned a bit as he read an endless stream of thoughts coming from Odin's mind just like this. They were so intense they were more than enough to drown out his old fear of Slepnir periodically touching down on the ground before sailing back into the stratosphere again. It was nothing like what Odin was thinking. Leviathan could now read Bahamut's mind and knew there wasn't an ounce of pride in it. He was only doing this because he still felt stronger ties to his brother, and could he have he would have shared the knowledge he learned with the rest of them long ago. But Odin was hurt. He had always believed himself to be the strongest esper. Now his pride was bruised and he wouldn't forgive it soon. Fortunately, Odin had a warrior mentality and wasn't going to let personal feelings keep him from helping the humans. One thing was true: he and Bahamut shared a love for them.
As for Wyvern's mentality…
Well…now wasn't the time.
Leviathan shuddered as he felt the air grow colder. It was always cold on this world, but it was growing even colder now as they went north. The air was growing drier. The vegetation below them was beginning to thin out, and more mountains and rough valleys were replacing them. Ironically, however, the sky seemed to be clearing up somewhat. It seemed as if actually the clouds were breaking overhead. They still formed an impenetrable curtain, but they were definitely growing thinner.
Nevertheless, everything seemed to grow quiet as they continued to move upward. The air grew still and silent. They were beyond where any birds flew or wildlife ran. They were heading into a lifeless part of the world. As the plants diminished, only rough, jagged rocks replaced them. Leviathan felt rather uneasy. It had been already a few minutes since they had passed Griever, or so he sensed. They were widening the gap all the time now. And yet he still felt like he was wandering into danger. Perhaps his mind was playing tricks on him, but it seemed like he could only sense more evil…as if they were headed straight for the heart of it. Perhaps the Crystal itself was evil…
As the last of the vegetation vanished and the world below became nothing but a series of dark mountains…as each touch down of Slepnir shifted rocks instead of mud and the sky continued to clear and chill more, he noticed a change in the others. Slepnir was becoming more erratic, its animal senses seeming to pick up on something eerie up ahead. Ogopogo was trembling more than the cold would allow. Odin himself was stiffening, his warrior muscles tightening up as he continued to guide Slepnir onward. Indeed…they were all feeling it. But the massive power was going farther and farther away…wasn't it?
"…Look."
The single cold word made Ogopogo leap a little, and Leviathan nearly did so as well. But it was only Odin who spoke, and now the brothers turned and looked to see what he saw.
The world below them was a sea of rocky mountains now, stretching into deep crags and massive valleys in all directions. But ahead of them, there was a difference. A basin seemed to be formed in the mass of wicked looking mountains. It was gigantic, stretching for what looked like an easy mile in radius. Right at the very center of it was a large peak, towering high and tall over all the rocky mountains around it. It was crowned with only a single sharp peak, but that mountain looked darker and colder than all the others by far. And yet, most unusual of all…this was the one place in the world where light was. Indeed, opening in a circle that seemed to form just over the mountain itself was a hole in the clouds. Above it, the sky was as blue and clear and beautiful as it was back in Ultima Nexus. Seeing it, all three brothers were amazed and strengthed by the sight. However, it was dark for now. A large circle of light was elsewhere on the mountain sea, for the sun wasn't directly overhead. The mountain itself was enveloped in shadow, and looked dark and foreboding indeed. Sure enough…that was where Leviathan sensed Griever had left from.
"L-L-Lovely dwelling…" Ogopogo sarcastically/nervously uttered.
"We won't be staying long, luckily." Odin answered.
The warrior esper might have told them to keep their eyes peeled for an entrance, but abruptly as Slepnir landed, he soon had another problem. The horse whined and began to pace nervously. Sweat began to roll off of its neck. Genuine fear and panic had seized it, and it nearly threw its riders off. Immediately, Odin had to calm it down, and was struggling for a few minutes doing so. At that time, Leviathan knew something was wrong. Some great source of evil was there. Perhaps it was the Crystal. Maybe there was another Fiend of the Elements. But when he finally got enough strength to voice his opinions, Odin spurred Slepnir on. The horse leapt to the mountain again, obeying its master, andneutralizing its fear to keep itself moving.
As they neared, Leviathan and the others spotted an entrance. High up on the side of the mountain, a great gaping hole was in the side. It was in the mountain almost like a half moon shape, and it was for this that Odin geared Slepnir. As they neared, both Ogopogo and Leviathan swallowed when they saw the mountain entrance in more detail. Dangerous stalagtites hung from the top of it in large, ten-foot pieces, and stalagmites on the bottom rised up to meet them. Oddly enough, they were only around the exit to the mountain and not inside the cave…giving the illusion of a giant black mouth with razor-sharp teeth. Leviathan more than ever wanted to turn back now, but Odin would have none of it. He continued to gear Slepnir forward, and they touched down on the foot of the mountain. Wasting no time, he spurred it on again, and the animal leapt up and straight into the mouth.
A moment later, Leviathan was surprised to see that they weren't landing on a cave floor, but were landing on a perfectly smooth stone floor. It was black, shimmering stone, however, and it was even colder to the touch than the dry air. Yet no sooner had they touched down than Odin roughly shoved both him and Ogopogo off, and both of them nearly crashed to the ground, and might have had they had feet. He quickly leapt off himself, and then gave a grunt to Slepnir. Free at last, the animal turned and immediately leapt back out of the mouth and began to clear away as fast as it could. Ogopogo's head snapped at that, and he grew terrified.
"He's leaving us!"
"No he's not." Odin gruffly answered. "But he's not staying around either. He'll come when I call him and we're ready to leave. Now let's get inside and find the Crystal."
Ogopogo was sweating now, but Odin calmly walked by him and began to go into the cave. Leviathan turned to Odin as well, hesitated, but then followed after him. Ogopogo swallowed again, and then trembled and followed after them.
The flat stone floor stretched in for a little bit. It was so smooth and clear that Leviathan could actually see his reflection in it when they were in the daylight. However, it scared him. It was like hovering over a black pond. The three espers descended deeper into the darkness of the cave, away from the mouth and seeming to be entering the gullet of a black beast. But they had barely gone into the darkness before they reached something else. Ahead of them, the stone was cut perfect and smooth in overlapping areas, each one about a step above the other. What the net effect was was a gradually ascending surface, ascending higher into the mountain…and deeper into blackness.
"Uh…" Ogopogo groaned.
"Come on." Odin ordered, leading the way and beginning to ascend the stones one by one.
Leviathan exhaled nervously, but began to slither up the stones himself. Ogopogo held back, but then followed after them. Soon, they were making their way upward. It grew darker as they went higher, and Leviathan wasn't sure how far it went. He definitely felt like he was wandering into danger now, but he didn't stop. As they went higher, the light behind them began to dim. Growing farther and farther away from the entrance robbed them of the dim light, and let them be shrouded in deeper darkness. As they kept going, it began to vanish all together, and the three of them were enveloped in it. It was cold and still, ever so much more than anything they ever encountered. It seemed to close on all of them.
But there was one effect. As the darkness surrounded them, their eyes accustomed, and they began to see the stones more easily in front of them. As they kept climbing, they also saw them terminate. They saw the walls around them too. They looked rougher, but not in a purely chaotic manner. Although they were irregular, they were still arranged in a pile of perfectly smooth, reflective black surfaces. Leviathan and the others now saw hundreds of phantom images looking at them rather than just one. Up ahead, at the top of the stones, the opening seemed to enlarge into a much bigger cave area. And up there…a faint blue light was shining. This light was warm and soft…the first merry sight they had seen since they reached this forbidden part of the world. It shone into their own eyes, and began to embolden them to keep ascending. It grew stronger as they kept going, and Leviathan heard a pretty sound…like shimmering…like solid crystal water dancing in the air…if such a thing was possible.
At last, the three espers cleared the last stone and once again were on flat ground. They took a few steps forward into their new area, and noticed that each one of their noises echoed throughout it. Then they gazed and stared at the new place in awe.
The walls were much the same as before, black and shimmering and pseudo-fractured. But now, they made a gigantic dome shape, encompassing a giant area that spanned many feet across. Right in the center of the room, the rock elevated again gradually to about two feet off the ground in discrete rock cuts, like before. Right in the center of it a single rock stalagmite extended up about four feet off the ground, and formed four black prongs. Seated right on the center of that…was the most beautiful, simple, glorious sight they had ever witnessed…the Crystal.
Never had any of the espers seen such a beautiful thing. It was large…about the size of Leviathan's head. Both the top and bottom of it formed a pyramidal type shape, the bottom of which lightly perched on the black points. The main body of it, however, was a prism. It was clear as the purest water, and deep within it, the Crystal radiated a soft blue light. That was the light for the chamber, stretching out to all the walls on every side, reflecting and illuminating all in its soft glow. There were also pits dug into the rock on all sides, and within them blue flames burned, but the Crystal outshone them easily. Never before had the espers seen something so perfect…so unspoiled… It looked like a piece of pure, unadulterated life itself. For a moment, the three were totally absorbed with it, nearly mesmerized by its shimmer.
…But that feeling vanished very quickly…as a dark, powerful, echoing voice vibrated through the chamber.
"…You have come."
Immediately, the espers forgot all about the Crystal as that new voice chilled their souls. They looked down to the source, even as the power of the voice continued to radiate through the chamber. Their eyes soon rested on a single form, one that had blended in with the blackness before. A great black shape seemed to arise from the ground, melting in on either side. But it wasn't a shape, it was a cloak…a thick black cloak with a large heavy hood, so black that it seemed to absorb all light into it and become a piece of living shadow. The bearer of the cloak kept its face turned away, and only the hood greeted the espers. It too was absorbed in staring at the Crystal.
But now, the hearts of the espers froze. Terror filled them, even Odin who's eyes grew and struggled to contain his own fear. Leviathan could feel the evil radiating off of it…could feel the tremendous power…making Tiamat look pathetic. It was here. Somehow, he had come back here…beat them back here despite passing them. Leviathan didn't know how…all he knew was the fear he felt as he sensed the new danger.
Griever was here.
"…So soft…" The monster slowly cooed. Leviathan wondered if he was talking about them for a moment…but he wasn't. He was addressing the Crystal. "So smooth…so pure…so beautiful… My love…my darling…it wants me…it talks to me…it loves me… My fair…my beloved…" Indeed, the monster sounded almost mesmerized, as if it was passionately in love with the Crystal itself. Leviathan chanced to look at the thing's mind. In the midst of all its evil and wickedness…somewhere he saw that that was indeed the case. Griever was in love with it…and loved it more than anything, especially anyone's life. Suddenly, it's voice turned to a hiss.
"…They can't take it away from me…no one can! It's mine! It's all mine… My sweet…my ever-so-beautiful… I can't be away from you…I can't! I would never let them take you from me! I love you too much! You were made for me…as I was made for you… We were meant to be together…forever… None of these humans…none of these Fiends…just you and I…forever…and ever… Now that they're gone, I'll give all my love to you… But first…" Here, his voice turned deadly. "I must rid outselves of those who would disrupt our union…"
"Griever." Odin stated. In his attempt to control his fear, he was the one to call out to the monstrosity.
"But…but…" Ogopogo stammered. "We…we felt you move…we felt you come for-"
"AHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
The espers froze as their blood turned to ice. Their courage faltered for a moment, as the beast laughed hideously at all of them, its laughter mocking and evil. The laughter continued to echo through the chamber, sounding again and again and only slowly fading away. Leviathan had never felt so terrified in all his life. He almost felt like closing his eyes and trying to see if this was a nightmare. But it wasn't…it was real. And now, the thing addressed them at last.
"Poor…simple…inconsequential Ogopogo… You and your brood would think that the slightest extension of my power was truly me. What you sensed with your pitiful brains was merely one of my smaller powers. I knew simply sending it in your direction would make you think that I was coming for you. No, my boy…I am far stronger than that meaningless trifle. But by now you probably realize that. You should have known from the start…my power is so great it can be felt throughout this world."
There was plenty reason to be scared of that, but Leviathan was more shocked at what Griever had said to begin with. "You…know his name?"
"I have always known about all of you, Leviathan." Griever calmly continued. "That is Odin with you, is it not? I should have known you'd always be the one to finish the Four Fiends…although I can't see how you ever managed to summon the merest smattering of power to do so. I doubt the worms on your sides were much help. But yes…I know about you all. I've known about you ever since the day you entered existence."
Now, Odin raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean? And why don't you show yourself to us! I'm getting tired of addressing a piece of clothing!"
"Certainly, Odin."
The monster turned immediately, his long cape sweeping around as he did so. As he turned and faced the others, he raised his hands to his head and pulled back the hood, immediately exposing a long trail of golden, shining hair. It lowered its hands, small and dainty and perfect, to undo its cape next, and let it fall to the ground. Immediately, it revealed a trim body decked with golden armor, pure and spotless in the blue light. The form was perfect and trim as well. When the espers looked to the face, they gaped in horror. This was more terrible than anything yet… It wasn't possible…it had to be a nightmare. But there was no denying the truth, or the feelings of confusion or surprise as they looked on her face.
"C…Crusader…?"
Bahamut's eyes abruptly opened, and he raised his head. He pried himself away from the terrible work of struggling to teach Wyvern Pyron. His mind wasn't that far along and it was more than difficult to get his overly-eager mind to focus. But he forgot about the task for a moment, and looked to the sky.
He still sensed Griever coming…only now he sensed something new. Griever seemed to be fading…dissipating… His energy was getting weaker and more spread out. This puzzled Bahamut for a moment, and he focused more on it to see the cause. But it only continued to fade away and spread out. This made no sense. Bahamut's face turned to confusion, and he tried to think what this was all about…
But then, Bahamut suddenly realized something. He had sensed something like this before…when he had fired the Mega-pyrin. It was so strong that the wave after it continued to travel for miles and miles before fading out into nothing…and when it did, it spread out and slowly tuned into nothing. Griever felt just like-
Oh no… Bahamut, you idiot!
Immediately, Bahamut went back to focusing on raising Wyvern. Yes…he did so even more intently than before. Wyvern was going to have to become radically stronger right this minute…because their time to face Griever had come a lot sooner than expected, and now every moment wasted was going to bring Odin, Leviathan, and Ogopogo a step closer to death.
Phoenix touched down, and immediately spilled out five more citizens. As expected, they were all rather fearful and nervous about the whole arrangement, but they were doing as they were told. Once down on the ground, Palad immediately gestured to them in their native language and began to beckon them on to an already enlarging group of some one hundred humans.
The place they had selected was on an elevated piece of land, yet was still low enough in the forest to remain obscured. The forest was thick overhead, and would shield them from elements as well as enemy eyes. The people were clamoring at the moment, confused and scared as to what was going on. But their shock of seeing Starlet and Phoenix was keeping them in check for a moment, and Palad was strong and decisive now to lead them on. He arranged them in neat areas, and quickly arranged for a distribution of what hides they did have to the sicker and more vulnerable people. In the center, a rather high blazing fire was going, and he kept people huddled there and struggled to debunk as many Griever myths as he could.
Phoenix examined the area and exhaled. That was the third village they had cleared out. They still had a lot more to go, but the area was starting to empty. They'd have to fly a few more miles before seeing more. Phoenix turned her head to Starlet nearby. "Were there any stragglers?" She asked.
Much to Phoenix's puzzlement, Starlet wasn't paying attention. Instead, her look was steady and focused. She was looking to the north again, and her eyes were wide as with a sudden realization. She didn't move a muscle. She seemed to have forgotten all about the humans. Phoenix stood and stared confused for a few more moments, but then turned her head and addressed her sister.
"Starlet?"
"It was a trap." Starlet suddenly announced, her voice cold and quiet. "It's not him. It's a trick."
Phoenix blinked. "Uh, Starlet? What are you talking about?"
Starlet continued to stare for a moment. Phoenix looked, and saw that her muscles seemed to tighten and her throat swallowed. She stared only a moment longer, but then suddenly spoke to the firebird a firm, dedicated statement.
"You'll have to watch the others. I must go."
Phoenix was about to protest…but before she could, Starlet vanished into thin air.
"You…it was you all along." Odin spoke, nearly sneering at Crusader.
"Yes, me." Crusader simply answered. He former kind features had vanished. Now, she glared wickedly at them all with a cruel smile. It was as if she had turned into a completely different person, one insidious and wicked.
"That's the real reason you imprisoned Bahamut and Wyvern." Odin responded. "You didn't want them getting stronger. You didn't want them interfering with you again."
"I do believe you're catching on, Odin." Crusader cooed back.
"But…but that doesn't make any sense!" Leviathan yelped. "You…you could have killed us at any time then!"
"Yes, I could have." Crusader answered, and then formed a small frown. "Yet I made the error of thinking that you espers would behave. I thought you could follow a simple rule. I thought you would be content with paradise. But oh no…not you. You're as meddling as those humans were when I had to take them over. But at least they learned to bow and respect power. Not so with you."
"You…you cared for u-u-us…" Ogopogo stammered. "I…I thought you…l-l-loved us…"
That only made Crusader frown more. "Yes…I did care for you. I did love you. And all I asked in return was for you to obey me. Then I would have left you in peace, the same as I leave the humans in peace when they do as I say. But you were intent on continuing to jab your noses where they didn't belong. I tried forgiving you. I tried being kind to you. But my leniency only made you all the more ungrateful and unruly. Honestly, Leviathan…" Her tone changed a little here. "I knew I'd one day have to correct Bahamut and Wyvern most harshly…that fool Wyvern corrupted Bahamut though he loved me more than the rest of you ever could. I even knew Odin would one day become a thorn in my side. But not you, Leviathan and Ogopogo… You decided to betray me too, it seems."
"That's the real reason you didn't want us coming into this world." Odin growled. He now looked more betrayed than scared. "There was no evil here besides you. You didn't want us ever getting in your way. The humans are harmless."
Crusader merely smiled at this. "Still failing to use your brain, Odin. That was always one of your low points. No…humans most certainly do contain evil within them. Great potential for evil at that. You should have seen this world before I arrived…how unruly and savage they were. Mindless animals…slovenly beasts ruled by their lusts and passions… If you even began to know what they were capable of you'd vomit…as I did.
"Yes, I imposed harsh controls on them. That was after I bent them to my will, broke them with the only thing they understood…power. And once I had controls in place they quickly became more managable. And that is how they must remain. You have no idea what they're capable of…what evil they can unleash. They are an intelligent and reasoning species…but all their intelligence is directed toward making them the masters of all around them. They fear anything and everything they don't have control over. That fear turns to hate unless it is constantly kept in check. Their little minds are always working to subvert anything and everything around them. They're a race of monsters. Yet for some reason I felt they were worthy of life, so I sustained them in their isolated pockets. If they weren't constantly surpressed and put down, they'd soon rise to levels unprecedented by your wildest dreams. And eventually, they would grow to hate you too as well, for you too are something stronger than them."
Now, it was Leviathan's turn to frown. "I don't believe you." He scowled. "Palad would never do that, and they're capable of great good as well. The only person I see fearing anything and everything that he or she doesn't have control over is you. You're the only one subverting everything. And did any of these so-called checks involve creating those monstrous Four Fiends and letting them torture and murder humans at will?"
"You sounded like a lunatic just now, doting and drooling all over that Crystal." Odin added. "You've gone mad with power. Any decency or goodness I ever saw in you is gone."
Crusader snorted. "I wouldn't expect ones with such underdeveloped, inferior minds to understand. Mere children dare to lecture me on good and evil, when they barely have any knowledge of their own existance let alone anything else. You have indeed become ungrateful brats." Crusader paused for a moment afterward, but then smiled again. For a moment, her fairness and good cheer returned…but it was a sickening facsimile of what she once was, now that they knew the truth.
"But why dwell on that? Come, children…I'll forgive you this affront yet again. You may have killed my Four Fiends, beings I struggled for weeks to evoke from the dark side of the Crystal…but why worry? Standing before me are my children…stronger and better than they were. Let us forget the past. Let us move on to a future together. We can rule the humans ourselves now. In this world are more wonders and delights than Ultima Nexus could ever offer. Here you may do as you please and dwell in areas more large and magnificent than anything you've ever dreamed. Why settle for the admiration of one human, when all could worship you? And behold! Behind us dwells the Crystal…filled with more delights and wonders than any human shall ever grant you. Why die here, when you can drink of its delights with me forever? Join me again, my children…and you will again receive my love as well as the love of the Crystal's. We can forget about your disobedience and have a happy existence together as the rulers of this world."
Crusader looked delighted, eyes filled with happiness and the offer. However, the espers, scared as they were, couldn't think of anything more ridiculous.
"Keep your drooling obsession with that rock to yourself." Odin sneered. "As for you, I couldn't care less about 'receiving your love'. You're more disgusting to me now than defecation."
"I…I could never look at you the same way again…not after you've done this to yourself." Ogopogo stammered.
"I can't let you hurt Palad or his people anymore." Leviathan insisted. "I'll…I'll fight you even."
This only made Crusader smile innocently. "You'd really do that, Leviathan? You all would? You'd really fight your matron? Your mother?"
"I don't have a mother." Odin snapped. "All I have is some monster who wouldn't have thought twice about me and my brothers and sisters being ripped to shreds by a quartet of horrors."
"After all you've done…I…I can't love you anymore." Ogopogo managed to choke out in fear.
"My mother taught me what it was to love unconditionally. And that's how I feel now about the humans. I knew my mother. I trusted my mother. I loved my mother. But you're not my mother. You're only her body possessed by some madness."
Crusader's smile faded. She stared at them long and hard, and they stared back. There was no wavering among them. Even Ogopogo refused to crumble now. None of them would be begging for mercy or going back to her. She had lost them. But she no longer cared. Long ago, she had ceased caring about them. She smiled again.
"So be it. That was your last chance for mercy. Now you will receive none, no matter how much you beg and sob by the time I'm done with you. You three may think yourselves something special for beating Tiamat, but you must be well aware that Tiamat was nothing compared to me." Crusader's smile then faded to a frown. "In truth, I'm glad that I get to end it with you. You all would only cause me trouble in the future. Destroying my Four Fiends only makes me angrier. I will teach you all the true meaning of pain. I'll crush you all like the worthless bugs you are." She paused a moment, but then smiled again. She crossed her arms simply in front of her and then beamed at them.
"But in case any of you are entertaining any ridiculous, delusional, heroic notions of being able to defeat me, I'll go ahead and let you make the first move and prove to you the futility of your efforts."
Odin frowned in response. Ogopogo swallowed yet again and began to cringe and cower, obviously regretting his semi-bravery. As for Odin, he yanked out Zantetsuken, and no doubt began to think about scaring Crusader to attempt his instant death attack once more. But before he could, Leviathan called out to them both with his mind.
Odin, I know how bad you are on taking advice, but listen to me. We'll have to try a strategy to make this work. She's too strong to try a head on attack. Here's what I'm going to do. Ogopogo, you and me will use the Aqua-ject at her at once. She'll probably try to dodge it, and if she does, Odin, wait for her to pop in right in the air as she leaps over it, then hit her with everything you got. Then we'll move in and pile on her as much as we can. Got it?
Odin made no inclination that he had heard. He merely stood still and straight. However, he didn't attack right away, and Leviathan took that as a yes. As for Ogopogo, he meekly nodded in agreement. Then, all three espers turned to the monster before them. Crusader merely smiled and stared back calmly. There was nothing for a moment…but then in a flash the fight began.
"Aqua-ject!"
Immediately, both brothers sounded their attacks as one, and spat out two large blades of water straight at Crusader. Odin continued to hold back, and watched as they shot out from their mouths and headed straight for Crusader. She merely smiled, unchanging and not even looking away. At the last moment, without looking away, she calmly leapt into the air and let the water blades sail harmlessly under her.
Odin didn't waste a moment. Giving a war cry, he held Zantetsuken over his head and leapt straight at Crusader. His new power enabled him to soar over the floor and close the distance between the two of them in an instant. At last he was in range, and quickly swung his blade at the powerful being…
Only to hit air. Odin blinked in shock as he saw himself staring at nothing, but his shock was nothing compared to Leviathan's and Ogopogo's, who now stared in terror at Crusader. Moving so fast she had been only a blur, the former matron now calmly stood just in front of Odin, arms crossed and looking totally unmiffed…still staring with those wicked eyes.
Leviathan held back in terror a moment longer, but then controlled his fear and darted forward. Ogopogo held too, but then, crying out to embolden himself, he dashed forward as well. Both serpents rushed forward until they were right before Crusader, and then Leviathan struck with his pointed beak for her head, rather like a deadly snake. Unfortunately, Crusader's head suddenly was tilted at one angle, moving faster than Leviathan could see, and his blow hit only air. Quickly, he pulled back and aimed at her other side, but in a flash her head was now crooked the opposite way. Ogopogo sniveled, but then tried to strike wildly at Crusader as well, but she dodged that too. Odin, having turned around and seen what was going on, grit his teeth and began to wildly slash at Crusader's body as well. She never lost her smile as she easily dodged him as well. The three espers madly cut at her, struggling to try and land a single blow. But they hit nothing. She was too fast and powerful.
At last, they all leapt back. They were sweating now, and gaping in terror at Crusader. She hadn't even lost her focus. She calmly stood there, arms crossed, and waited for them for a few moments.
"Don't tell me you're giving up already." She calmly addressed. "I'm not bothering to strike back yet because I know a single blow would kill you. However…I guess I could do something…"
With that, Crusader suddenly raised a hand simply and pointed a finger at Leviathan. The esper's eyes bulged. Fear sank into his heart. He already felt a terrible power being summoned within her. However, she didn't strain at all when she simply said, "Mort-kelvin."
Immediately, a burst of violet/red light erupted from the end of Crusader's hand and shot like a bolt to Leviathan. Fortunately, the esper's speed had increased so much. He quickly dodged out of the way. Yet the attack still moved like a shot, and he couldn't get totally free in time. The burning hot beam of light struck the end of his tail…and within a flash cut right through in a mess of blood, bone and sinew. Leviathan's face filled with agony, and abruptly the esper cried out in pain. He wheeled around and looked to his wound, only to see that a good six inches of his tail now sat on the floor in a bloody pool, and that a stump was now sitting on the end of his body. Sweat from strain poured down his face, and the esper fell on his back and began to writhe.
Crusader merely grinned and chuckled darkly at his pain. "In so much misery over that? That was my weakest ability. I was even holding back on it. That's only the beginning, Leviathan. I'm going to slice you into sections piece by piece."
The other espers stared in shock at the severity of the injury as well as its speed and brutality. Leviathan continued to twist and contort on the ground for a moment. He grit his teeth and closed his eyes, seeming to focus and strain. Gradually, he ceased to writhe, but his face was still contorted and strained. He held his severed tail out straight, but only bulged and grit his teeth more. After a moment, all present, including Crusader, began to realize he was doing something. Leviathan didn't explain, just continued to push. As he did…the blood on the end of his tail suddenly dried up. The scales on the skin around him extended and began to move over the wound, covering it and closing it up. He kept focusing, and soon it did close it up, and afterward it began to bulge. It grew into a dome shape, but then began to push out and lengthen. It kept extending outward, and new ridge scales sprouted up from it as it became more long and flexible. At last, Leviathan exhaled, and panted heavily as he relaxed. Sitting on the end of his body was a new length of tail to replace the old one.
Ogopogo gaped in shock. "Wow, Leviathan…that's amazing!"
Leviathan panted, but managed to nod slowly. "Yeah…in my newest addition of strength…I managed to learn how to regenerate small injuries… Regrowing my tail is easy now."
"Hmph." Crusader simply addressed, although no longer smiling. "Something to make your pitiful life last a few more minutes. That nearly tired you out. Soon you'll not be able to do that anymore."
Leviathan looked to Crusader, but said nothing. As she was talking to them, Odin was already raising his sword over his head and was coming up behind her, moving totally silently as he did so. Leviathan immediately controlled himself, struggling not to signal his presence. But just as he was about to bring his blade down to strike her, Crusader raised a hand and pointed a finger over her shoulder behind her. "Giga-volt."
The ceiling suddenly shone brightly as a gigantic bolt of electricity, far stronger than the one that Tiamat had made, shot out from the sky and struck Odin hard. The air crackled horribly and Leviathan felt his skin prickle from the power. But worst of all was Odin, who now gleamed more brightly than anything else in the room. He went rigid as stone, spreading his body out, and screaming in agony as the electricity went through him, again penetrating his armor and burning him inside and out. The power was so strong this time that pieces of his armor literally broke off and were thrown violently across the room. Zantetsuken itself suddenly leapt out of his grasp, and both Leviathan and Ogopogo had to dodge before it flew across the room and embedded itself in the stone wall near the entrance. Odin opened his mouth to cry out, only to have more electricity shoot from there. At last, his own body went flying as the electricity cut off, and he sailed backward through the air, past the Crystal, and smashed against the stone wall on the opposite side of the room. He immediately crumpled to the ground in a blackened, sizzling, smoldering mass…and moved no more.
Leviathan and Ogopogo gaped at the sight, terrified at how quickly and easily Crusader had summoned such an attack. It hadn't taken anything out of her either. She snorted a bit, and turned her head slightly over her shoulder to call behind her. "I guess Tiamat never took my advice and used lightning on you in the fight…or at least you didn't realize how ridiculously easy it is to defeat you in your armor when he did. That's the last lesson you'll ever learn, Odin."
Leviathan and Ogopogo both began to tremble. The latter began to slink back, and Leviathan gaped at Crusader in fear. Within seconds, they had already been made totally worthless against her. Even with their new power, they were just toys for Crusader to play with.
The being turned back to them, glaring at them so wickedly they both shrank back. "This is ridiculously simple." She chided. "I can't believe the Four Fiends had any trouble with you whatsoever. This is almost insulting that I have to waste my energy killing you." The monster paused for a moment, looking at both of them, then shrugged, and pointed her hand at them again, this time splitting her fingers apart and aiming a tip at both of them. "Oh well…"
Leviathan and Ogopogo went cold. Leviathan shrank back and trembled, staring in terror. In his mind, he screamed at himself to do another Aqua-ject. But he knew it would do no good, and he was too scared to concentrate on it. As for Ogopogo, the last of his bravery vanished. He turned and began to bolt for it. Crusader grinned wickedly.
However, at that moment, Crusader's smile faded a bit and she raised her head. As for Ogopogo, he halted and stared at the exit. Leviathan, puzzled by all this, turned to see what was going on…and was very surprised at the sight. It was impossible for that person to be there. No one was faster than Slepnir, and she couldn't even fly! But somehow, she stood there, framing the doorway and looking in with a mixture of horror and surprise at all that was going on.
Somehow…Starlet was now standing there and looking in on them all.
Her eyes filled with fear as she glared at Crusader. "Mother…?"
Alright…record time!
Bahamut's urgency had paid off. He had managed to awaken Wyvern's Pyron earlier than expected, and Wyvern's power had risen accordingly. He removed his hands from his brother's head and leaned back. Wyvern immediately opened his eyes afterward, and he stared out blankly in amazement for a moment. But then, he quickly leapt to his feet, and looked down at his body. His eyes were wide with delight and wonder, looking at his own new power. Bahamut opened his own eyes and exhaled, trying to shake the cobwebs out of his head. It had been a rush job, but he was glad that it had worked. Wyvern's new power made his old look like nothing.
"This…this power…" Wyvern marveled, looking at himself. "I…I had no idea the power of the Pyron."
"And the power of your Pyron should be stronger than Tiamat's." Bahamut answered, beginning to rise to his own feet slowly.
Wyvern's face slowly turned into a beaming smile. He looked up into the sky, raising fists to his sides and spreading his wings wide. "My strength…it's unbelievable! I'm stronger than any of the Fiends now! I'm even stronger than you, Bahamut!"
"Well, you did work out a lot." Bahamut calmly responded. "Not only that, but I haven't eaten anything in six months. I'm starved and I had to fight on an empty stomach earlier. What I need to do-"
Quite suddenly, Wyvern flew into the air. He laughed out loud as he did so, marveling in his new abilities. He spun through the air freely, twisting and turning with delight. He swung his fists and legs in the air, rejoicing in his new strength. To top it all off, he generated a Pyrin and spat it out into the air. This part, Bahamut thought, was a little much, and he soon had to recoil a bit to avoid the potential damage. Sure enough, when it detonated in the air, the blast was so powerful and massive that Bahamut had to shrink away from the heat and the wind. Even the clouds farther overhead were pushed back by the force when it went off. The thunder sounded for miles around.
"Ha-ha!" Wyvern cheered in triumph. "That wasn't even a Pyron, but it would have been more than enough to blow old Tiamat's Pyron away! I'm invincible now! I'm the strongest in the world! Griever couldn't beat me if his miserable life depended on it!"
Bahamut, now sweating a little at Wyvern's liberal use of his new power, managed to uneasily rise back up again. "I wouldn't be too sure about that… At any rate, we'll need that power right now. I don't know if you sensed this, but Griever tricked us. He's still with the Crystal, and he's waiting for us to come attack. I'm running on empty here, so first I'm going to run back to Ultima Nexus and grab some food, then we'll both head to his lair and-"
"Take your time, Bahamut!" Wyvern cheered, looking away from him as if he was now no consequence and looking ahead up north. "Prepare the victory feast, if you like! I'll bring Griever's head back to post over our cave entrance as a trophy! Look out, G! Here I come to get you!"
"Wyvern!" Bahamut protested, his face turning to anxiety at Wyvern's latest noise. But Wyvern no longer paid any attention to him. Immediately, using his newfound speed, he took off like a shot. His speed was much faster than Bahamut's now, and it took only a few seconds before he vanished into a black speck on the horizon. Then he vanished all together, and all of his laughing and self-praise went with him. Bahamut was left alone in the middle of the battlefield, standing dumbfounded.
After a moment, the esper frowned and groaned in Wyvern's direction. Take Griever together, he said… That was a laugh. He should have known Wyvern well enough by now to know he was hotheaded enough to go off on his own. Bahamut knew that Wyvern had a thing for power ever since the day his began to awaken. He loved marveling in his own strength ever since then, always boasting about how strong he was and how strong he'd become. His new power only made him go more scatterbrained and not use his common sense. But now…a new thought entered his head. He had believed Wyvern when he had spoken about doing this together, about this being their union as brothers. That was why he did this in the first place. Was Wyvern really intending this, and then had gone absent minded when he had his new power?
…Or had he been planning it the whole time, using Bahamut as a means to an end?
Immediately, Bahamut banished the thought, and scolded himself for thinking it. Wyvern was his brother, nearly his twin, and his best friend. They had been through too much for that to be the case. And, if anything, this might actually work out to their advantage. Wyvern should have gone along with them from the start anyway. He had learned the Pyron much sooner than expected. Now, he was the best bet to hold Griever off until Bahamut returned. His power was more than substantial enough to at least keep him at bay for a little while…so long as Jadea had been wrong about him being able to raise his power…
There was no time to dwell on that. Pessimism was ill-afforded at the present. He had to leave. Immediately, Bahamut turned, unfurled his wings, and then took off back into the sky himself. He set a course for Ultima Nexus as fast as he could. And if Crusader tried to stop him this time…unfortunately he would not give her the time of day.
This would be theirdeadliest battle yet.
To be continued...