Chapter 16: Boss: Gearhead

"I can't believe you….we even let you live!" Luciana hollered.

"He even treated your leg wound!" Yuriy added.

Eristia grabbed Minna by her left horn and glared daggers at her. Minna could only shrink in fear as she realized she opened a door she shouldn't have. Eristia was deciding what she should do with the succubus.

"If you thought you had it bad earlier, just wait till I'm through with you!" She said with fury in her eyes.

The ground began to shake violently as they felt the strange energy from earlier significantly spike. The air was heavy and charged like a powerful wizard dropped a high tier spell.

"This isn't good….at this rate the ceiling will collapse!" Yuriy said with a distressed voice as he struggled to keep his balance.

They all began making for the exit as the ground shook like the world was ending. The mine began collapsing behind them as they ran. The four of them managed to escape just in time as the whole mine was reduced to rubble.

"That… was close…." Yuriy said panting before turning around to look at the destruction.

His jaw dropped as he saw just how bad it all really was. The mine was nothing more than a layer of loose rock like someone had set off gunpowder kegs everywhere in the mine. Luciana turned and looked before falling to her knees. She was in absolute shock at the horror before her. Eristia turned around and was devastated by what she saw. Not only had the mine collapsed, but Joshua was more than likely dead. Yuriy heard the horses whine behind them as they began to trot around in a panic so he rushed over to them to calm them down before they could run off.

"Oh no….I was…supposed to keep him safe…but…he's…" She said in shock before an even worse revelation rained down from the heavens.

A large magic circle began materializing up in the clouds above the rubble before a bright, blue beam of light thundered down over the mine. The beam caused the crates of prisoner fruit outside the mine to be flung two hundred feet into the air. Each crate came crashing down behind them and splattered its contents all over the ground. The three of them stared in absolute despair while a smug grin spread over Minna's face. Luciana Let out a cry of despair before crying. Eristia was wondering what she'd say to Mersé. She also began wondering what caused that spell. It couldn't have been Joshua as he had no magic to speak of. Minna was doing her best to hold back from laughing. Eristia looked at her to see her with a smug grin on her face and clenched her teeth. She approached Minna from behind and spun her around.

"What are you smiling for?! Can't you see how upset we all are?! I knew we shouldn't have let you live!" Eristia demanded before pushing Minna down and drawing her sword.

Minna wasn't scared of her, for she had a trump card. Her husband had been a very powerful warrior in his own right before she came across him. He had been easy prey for her ten years ago after he had fled from Lescatie due to his own father's actions. He tried to fight her and lost. After a night with Minna, he became docile unless something happened to her.

"Do you really think that's a good idea?...do you know just who my husband is?...I'll tell you…Richter Noscrim…" Minna said as she looked up at Eristia.

Eristia took a step back. She had heard of Richter and his disappearance ten years ago. She also heard how he was more powerful than Wilmarina at that point but after he ran away from home his sister took his place. She began wondering what to do about this revelation but that's when a portal opened behind her and a familiar face leapt out from it.

"Sorry to Intrude!" said a jolly voice.

~five minutes earlier~

Joshua took out his phone and snapped a picture of the behemoth in front of him. The robot stood between him and his escape. He looked down at his left hand, then up at the ancient automaton. This was his greatest hour. He held his open left palm at the robot and began to focus, but nothing happened. He tried again and still nothing.

"Oh, c'mon! Work dammit! I gotta-" he said before realizing the robot was charging an attack.

Joshua dodged to his right just as the robot fired a blue beam out of a gem in the center of its head at him. The beam thundered against the wall behind him, heating the stone wall so hot it melted slightly. Joshua looked at the wall before looking back at the robot. A look of terror plastered itself across his face as he realized how close to death he had been.

"Okay…let's try this again…" he said as he raised a left open palm again.

The signet on the back of his hand flashed for a split second but it was no use. No matter how hard he focused he couldn't launch a magic attack of his own in retaliation. He focused again to no avail. He kept trying before dodging another laser fired at him by the robot. Joshua landed hard on his stomach as the beam missed by mere inches. He cursed his rotten luck for landing him in this situation. He hesitantly stood up and tried to focus again but had to dodge yet another beam before he could manage to do anything.

"….How the….how the hell am I supposed to fight that thing? No matter what I try I can't get this signet to work!" He said in frustration as he thought of how hopeless the situation was.

Joshua stood up and began checking the robot for any sign of weakness. The robot began to charge another beam as he looked at it closely. He noticed something about the gears in its head as they spun. Each one had a single blue gem that would occasionally pass over the top. Joshua unholstered his PA-63 and switched the hollow point magazine over to a ball ammo magazine before taking careful aim. He estimated the distance between him and the gems to be roughly twenty-five yards. He pulled the trigger just as a gem peeked over top and it shattered into pieces upon being hit. The robot shuddered as its attack was briefly canceled before raising its right hand to reveal a gem in the palm of its hand.

The gem began to glow as mana from the air swirled from the air towards it. The mana formed a sphere as it condensed before flying in Joshua's direction. Joshua just barely avoided the bolt of mana by mere inches as it flew past him and struck the wall. Joshua landed hard on his right knee and felt a twinge of numbness spread throughout his right leg.

"Argh…Fuck!...I didn't just shatter my right knee did I?!" he grunted in pain as he looked down at his right leg.

He pulled up his pant leg and saw his knee was bruised just as the ancient robot held out its right palm again and began charging another bolt of light magic. An idea popped into his head as he watched the mana swirl towards the robot's hand gem. He took careful aim with his sights focused on the center of the robot's right hand. With one well-placed shot, he not only canceled the attack, but the robot's hand also exploded into several pieces. This caused the robot to stagger backwards before it stared daggers at him.

"And that is why you don't go up against a 'deadman'!" Joshua taunted as he stared the robot down.

"Five shots left…gotta make 'em count! Thankfully those gems shatter easily. Now there's three gears in the top of it's head and two gems there….the left hand might have one which makes two known and one possible target….I gotta get behind this guy." Joshua thought as he dropped the magazine from his pistol and counted the rounds.

He re-inserted the magazine just as the robot extended its left palm revealing yet another crystal. Joshua waited for it to begin charging its attack before taking aim. The hand exploded along with the gem, disorienting the ancient automaton. Joshua seized the opportunity and made a mad dash to get behind it. In the center of its back was a large, blue gem surrounded by fancy floral gold trim. Joshua fired a round at it, but it ricocheted off without leaving so much as a scratch.

"….Shit…no good. What do I do now? Bullets don't work and neither does this signet." Joshua cursed as his bullet had no effect.

It was then that everything around him turned grey like all time had stopped. Joshua heard footsteps behind him a turned around to see a man with amber eyes and silver hair approaching him. He wore a gold chest plate over a blue tunic and brown shorts. A red cape hung off his shoulders and stopped just below his knees. As Joshua looked him over, he wondered if this is the ancient hero Sasha said he reminded her of.

"Good day, young man. I am Saint Michael. It seems you're having a bit of trouble with my magic, allow me to explain." The man said in a polite tone.

Joshua gave him a nervous stare. He could feel an intense magic aura emanating from him. He also felt like he had seen this man before but couldn't quite put his finger on it. Part of his mind screamed this guy was bad news, but he remained unsure of how to truly feel about him.

"Excuse me, Saint Michael, but have we met somewhere before? I'm all for a little help every now and then, don't get me wrong, but I feel like I know you." Joshua asked him curiously.

Saint Michael let of a slight smile, "Maybe you have, maybe you haven't….only time will tell."

Joshua frowned slightly, "Okay….so how do I use this signet?"

"It's simple really. It only works when one places true value on life and its many virtues. If you keep that in your heart, your light will always shine true. Give it a try." Michael explained to him.

Joshua looked down at the signet before stretching his open palm forward. He began thinking of the orphans, of Sasha, Eric and his grandfather, and Reiko. He thought of how he would protect everyone at all costs. Mana began swirling towards his hand before shooting off into the distance. A slight look of surprise spread across his face before turning into a smirk.

"Alright….yeah!...This'll work!" He said happily.

Saint Michael gave a slight smile. He watched as Joshua fired off five more blasts before an idea popped into Michael's head. It was time to teach him a grand magic spell. A magic spell so powerful it was only meat to be used when all else failed.

"Now its time for you to learn my ultimate spell." Michael said to Joshua as he approached him.

Joshua grew nervous, "Wait…shouldn't I get a bit more used to this? I've only dipped my toes into the water and the next spell might be too much strain for me this early on." he protested.

Joshua had seen enough anime that involved magic to know what happens when you try the spell that essentially "nukes" everything around you too soon. The last thing he wanted was to accidentally kill Yuriy, Luciana, and Eristia, who were all more than likely still up top, with a powerful spell that he didn't know the "kill-radius" of. He also didn't want to get himself caught in his own spell as he knew that would send him to an early grave.

"Oh, come now…don't be afraid. When I restart the flow of time, say this incantation…..I can see it…the gathering of the clouds, of evil! O brilliant light of the heavens! I beseech you…rain down from heaven and smite the foul wickedness before me!...It is a spell called 'heavens divide'….use it when all else fails." Michael explained.

Michael snapped his fingers and time began to slowly chug along again. Joshua began to panic as the robot started to turn around. He was hesitant to follow Michael's instructions due to not knowing where his friends were and not wanting to get himself killed. The robot raised both its arms and began striking the ground around Joshua. The ground shook violently as Joshua ran for his life, trying not to get crushed by each arm as they thundered onto the floor with so much force that they made Tolkien's cave trolls look weak in comparison.

"This ain't good! I gotta do something about this tinman or it won't be long before it gets a lucky hit in!" Joshua thought frantically as he dodged blows left and right.

Only one solution came to mind. Joshua didn't want to admit it, but it was the only way he'd survive. He began to chant the incantation, dodging the automaton's arms all the while, just as a large concentration of mana filled the air. A blue beam thundered down from above and blasted the ancient robot to pieces with a tiny gear smaller than a hand from it landing at Joshua's feet. He reached down and picked it up before stuffing it in a pocket and took out his phone. He took a quick picture of the destroyed robot before deciding to take a selfie of himself giving a thumbs up and a big smile with it behind him.

"Smile for the camera!" Joshua said with a smile as the camera flashed.

*Achievement(s): smile for the camera!/The five-minute man: Gearhead*

"I wonder If Kojima is pleased?..." Joshua mumbled to himself as he looked at the robot's remains.

Joshua heard a buzzing sound behind him and looked to see a strange blue portal. Through it he could see Eristia, Yuriy, and Luciana were fine. He wasn't sure where it came from, but it was time to exit the stage. He took a leap forward into the portal with a big smile on his face.

"Sorry to intrude!"