Chapter 124: Wrath and Gluttony
The hurricane Chiara created was affecting all of Crocus. It was almost impossible for anyone to see, including the audience watching. "Ugh! I can't really see anything! Can we get rid of this chick?!" Reiss groaned from the stands. "I'm sure it's bothering Skye and the others as well!"
"So what would you do in this situation, kid?" Sidney asked with a small smirk on his features. Reiss's brows raised, turning to Sidney with a surprised look on his face that the Ace of the guild was asking him a hypothetical question. He knew immediately that he was being tested. "Uh well…I'd go to the source of the storm, and—"
"Why?" Sidney asked, cutting off his answer. "Why?" Reiss repeated, now confused. "Yeah. Why would you head to the source of the storm? We're down nine points, the person behind the storm is only worth one point, and there's about.. nine people left that aren't including your teammates. Two of them are worth ten points, but they're both in deciding fights as we speak, and you're remaining three comrades are all in fights, none of them the ten point bounties. You're Reve right now, who is closest to the eye of the hurricane, so tell me. Why are you headed there with all of those factors. Come on, leader of the new generation."
Sidney was really putting the pressure on him, and Reiss was frozen, searching for an answer. Of course he was coming up blank, stuttering and stammering whenever he tried to say something. All eyes of White Eclipse were on him, which didn't make his failure to respond any better.
"Brave the elements, right?" Reiss looked over his shoulder to see Tyson passing him as he walked towards center stage to speak. "With the variables you gave, it sounds like the correct answer in this situation is to ignore Chiara's storm, and take out the top priority targets while they're still on the board. We're ten away from taking the lead, and if we're lucky to take out both, that's game. Go for the big game."
Sidney smiled, which caused everyone else to except for Reiss who just stood there with his head hanging low. Tyson was gaining some confidence from the reactions from everyone around him. He felt really good after that—
"Awful, selfish strategy, kid." Sidney broke to him, causing everyone to drop their expressions as Tyson was now at the forefront of the humiliating spotlight. He didn't have a retort, just confusion that would soon be answered by the Ghost Mage himself.
"The correct answer is to indeed go after the source of the problem, which is what Reiss said, but his conviction and resolve was so weak, that he didn't have the ability to stand up to me when I asked him why. So technically he was wrong too, but he was closer to correct than you were. There's an entire hurricane going on out there, created by one mage. It plagues the entire battlefield and has turned tide and a couple of fights already. Chiara indeed must be dealt with and as soon as possible, or who knows what will happen as long as she's still active. Now… if I was in Reve's place…"
Sidney's narrative would continue as the scene flipped to Reve and Xavi. "… I would give me and my opponent three minutes. Then, I would give Chiara and her opponent three minutes and thirty seconds if I'm able to reach my goal. Once I defeat my opponent, I'm waiting half a minute to see if Chiara wins or loses. If she loses, the storm will surely stop, as all magic does. But if she wins… I take up the mantle as her slayer."
"What ya looking at there?" Xavi asked the gunslinger. Reve then smirked and replied. "My watch. I'm going to finish this fight between us… in three minutes."
.
.
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"VIIIIIVIIIII!" Even his primal shout shook the arena grounds to the core. Marshall Izumi's Wrath was awakened, and Vivi didn't have the time to explain what was coming. Instead, she shouted for the other two. "Fight together! Don't get separated!"
"What can this form do!?" Minerva demanded to know, but before the council captain could open her mouth to speak, she had to brace herself for impact with her constructed shield. Marshall was nowhere near her, but a single swing of his blade caused a wave of pure, red strength that rushed directly for her, slicing the earth apart as it traveled until finally reaching her. Vivi was knocked off her feet and all she could see was a six foot five inch psychopath leaping towards her. It was about to land until his attention was turned to the incoming Esmerelda, still in her Rabbit armor. She swung both her blades, but Marshall caught them by the sharp edge at the base of their swing. His right hand began bleeding, but that was a small price to pay for that passing second — for that drop of blood was exchanged with two shattered blades and a powerful head butt to Esme's skull. Her head snapped back violently, and she was almost out on her feet.
"Hey! Don't cave after one hit!" Vivi yelled as she leapt up to her feet and rushed Marshall along with Minerva who appeared to the Empyrean's left. The tigress was ready to swing, but a single stomp to Marshall's right foot cause a small totem of earth to rise, separating the two for merely a second. It caused Minerva to hesitate, but in the midst of her taking a step back, a back fist from the Empyrean psycho crashed through the rock with ease, also slamming into Minerva's nose. Immediately she was disoriented. She could barely see as she attempted to regain focus, but of course Marshall wasn't about to wait for her to get her herself — not in this form. He spun his sword in his right hand, raised it, and swung downward, and if it wasn't for Vivi dive-tackling to knock Minerva out the way, the powerful slash would have been more than just a wave of pure strength that traveled through the ground and through a building — splitting it in half and causing it to crumble into nothing.
Minerva snapped back to reality mid tackle, growling and waving her hand to cause her and Vivi to change places with Marshall. The instant it happened, Marshall found himself on his back with Esmerelda directly over him, plummeting with a very large iron spear that held wings on its side. Her new armor replicated its design — her Eagle armor — and she attempted to pierce directly through his chest without any remorse. Yet, once again, Marshall showed off overwhelming strength as the spear jutted through his extended hand, but the power he held allowed him to stop all of her momentum as he sat up like no force was pushing against him. With that spear connected to his hand now, Marshall wound that hand back, and then made a throwing motion to the air, launching Esme and her spear high into the sky.
Instead of attacking, Vivi took this chance to explain what she could to Minerva. "His strength grows by the second and it doesn't stop until he does!"
"I got that from the punch I ate from him..! I'm sure my nose will never be the same.." Minerva replied. "But you said Wrath and Pride don't last long, right?"
"Right. He should be switching soon.. and if we can keep doing damage, he'll be a more vulnerable sin, like Gluttony! So keep at it!"
With a snap of her fingers, Minerva brought Esmerelda back from the heights above. She fell to a knee from the sudden transportation, gasping for air. "I was….in the…atmosphere…!"
"That's just means he's reaching his average time limit." Vivi replied. "Again, stay on him no matter the case. I'll guide us from there."
"I'm not the type to take orders from anyone, but just this once, lead the way, council woman!" Upon Minerva's exclamation, Vivi rushed forth, creating a pair of brass knuckles from her Light Construct magic. Marshall swung first, creating a tremor of wind despite missing Vivi, but the council captain was able to hold her ground long enough to score a returning uppercut to his stomach and chin. He shook it off, wanting to counterattack, but with his sights set on Vivi, he didn't prepare for Minerva and Esme, who switched places with Vivi for a combination of attacks. An open palm strike from Minerva to the chest was followed by the back of an Eagle Spear to the face, and Marshall was reeling. He swung his sword for Minerva, but she vanished again, replaced by Esme who requipped a shield in that instant. The shield had the face of a bull chiseled out of it, covering the entire plate, and it clashed with the strength of Marshall and his blade. It took less than seconds, but the shield shattered. It didn't matter to Esmerelda though, as it did it's job in distracting Marshall; as the shattered pieces hovered around him, Minerva's Territory Magic took place as miniature orbs of space covered each shard. She then threw her hand forward, summoning the strength to send each shard directly into Marshall's skin.
"Gah..!" He stumbled backwards. "I'll kill you!" Marshall shouted at the top of his lungs, once again shaking the radius to its core, but as he stepped forward, Minerva squeezed her hand into a fist, causing the shards in his body to move violently within. The sudden and sharp pain caused him to fall to a knee, blood dripping from random points of his body but most importantly, his mouth.
"Now!" Vivi shouted, and Minerva took the lead as she prepared a patented spell of hers. "Yagdo Rigora!" She shouted, erecting a massive stone effigy just behind Marshall — one that was already lighting up in aura, ready to explode. That's when Esmerelda joined the fray, gripping the spear in her hand and holding it over her shoulder. She reared back and… "Javelin: Avian Thrust!" She launched her now glowing weapon towards Marshall and the statue-esque behind him. And finally, yet simultaneously, Vivi joined the fray with a bow and arrow created by her magic. She took aim, gathering light at the tip of the arrow. "If you die, I'll take responsibility. But you're too dangerous to be apart of anything. Good riddance, menace."
And, she fired. The three attacked went off simultaneously, and even their creators had to brace themselves from the blinding lights as Marshall let out a pained roar before everything fell silent.
Slowly, everything would clear, and the landscape looked nothing like before. Vivi, Esme and Minerva slowly sat up from their fallen positions, clearing their visions as they did. "Is that it?" Esmerelda asked. As the three stood up to their feet, nothing continued to happen for a little while longer, but the second they took a sigh of relief, a loud belching sound could be heard from a pile of rubble.
"HUUUUUWWWAAAAAAAAAAAH I'M STILL SO HUNGRY!!"
"No way.." Minerva said with a frightened look. The three femme fatales looked over to see a building sized pile of rubble gradually shrinking into nothing. Vivi then murmured in fear. "Gluttony…"
"What? You said that was an easy one!" Minerva fired back. Vivi then followed up. "I told you that he can eat anything and it will heal him, remember! Look at the size of where he's buried! And it's shrinking by the second! He's most likely fully healed by now, and we're all beat up!"
Vivi then turned to Esme with a demanding tone. "You! Get outta here! We're not winning this; so if he KO's you, Empyrean Dawn wins! Criminals don't need a vote of confidence!"
"What? No way." The stubborn knight replied. "To run from a fight at this moment-"
"This isn't a game! Marshall and the others are very dangerous! If they win…."
Vivi had her back turned to the rubble, so when Marshall shot out of it, all the council captain saw was an unhinged jaw and large, cavern like opening of a mouth. It was cartoonish, but the immense threat and fear inducement it created was all the same, and if it wasn't for Minerva pulling Vivi back by her collar, she would have been bitten in half.
"Take heed of your own words!" Minerva scolded. Vivi gulped, eyes rattling as she watched Marshall slowly rise to his feet again — his head tilting backwards as he stared their way menacingly. Suddenly, a golden aura came over him, causing Vivi to grasp her own heart, panting with anxiety as Minerva and Esmerelda looked back at her. "That's pride, right!?" Esme asked. And Vivi confirmed it. "One out of seven chance, and he pulled out Pride anyways. We need back up.. or we're going to die here.."
"…Milady!"
Oh it was music to her ears. What felt like a gloomy situation quickly turned bright as Minerva could see the rest of her guild running towards her. "Milady! Hang on! We're coming!" Sting shouted, sprinting their way with Orga, Rufus and Rogue. Minerva even managed to smile. "There's our back up!"
Or at least she thought. Before Sting and Sabertooth could get any closer, three giant serpents sprouted from the underground, circling around and towering over the crew. Sabertooth went back to back, just as expected of them. They were expecting to do some exterminating, but instead, they stepped into a young boy's trap. "E. M. P!" Ano shouted, capturing their attention, but the couldn't do anything about it as a staticky bomb went off, shutting down all of Sabertooth's magic power.
That's when Ano revealed himself from a rooftop in the distance, cupping his hands around his mouth to shout towards his fellow outlaw. "MARSHALL! Sting Eucliffe and Esmerelda Higa are both worth ten points each! I'd you beat them both, we'll win the games, and Dancho will grant your wish! You'll get your rematch! It's what you've always wanted, right!?"
Marshall turned to the screaming Ano, looking on with wide eyes as realization set in with this new found information…
{Flashback} Marshall was knocked to his ass for the seventh time. Panting heavily as his body was covered in blood, bruises and even broken bones. The light blue haired male in front of him gave a stoic look. "Thats everyone. As you promised, Marshall Izumi, you and Mizaki will join me and my friends, correct? "
"W…Wait…!" Marshall pleaded. "But how..!? You defeated Pride…wrath…you even hurt Sloth… what are you!? Who are you!?"
He turned to face Marshall with a small smile, and an outstretched hand as Mizaki looked on with concern. "I'm just a man that wants you to follow him. I know how prideful you are, Marshall, so when the time comes, and you prove that you are ready, I'll grant you a rematch — one that you deserve. But you and your sins will never reach that pinnacle alone, or even with just your sister. You need guidance and a leader. You need a home and family of misfits. You need me. So how about it, Izumi clan? I really do look forward to our rematch, so please.. take my hand."
{End flashback}
A few seconds passed until finally, the prideful Marshall Izumi smiled, gripping his blade tightly. "Ano! For the first time since you've joined us, I must say…
YOU HAVE MY GRATITUDE! NOW LEAVE THE REST TO ME!"
