Chapter 56: Erosion of Gylomecia; Cornered
Omen of Aurelia's Destruction Arc
Disclaimer: I don't own The Legend of Zelda; this is just a Fan Fiction.
Featured Music: "Uncharted Fates" – Fire Emblem X: Radiant Dawn OST. Chapter Briefing.
"Tunnel" – Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness OST. Scene 1 (First Half).
"Darkness Eternal" – Fire Emblem X: Radiant Dawn OST. Scene 1 (Second Half).
"Secret Hope" – Resident Evil 2 (2019) OST. Scene 2 (First Half).
"Hell March" – Command & Conquer: Red Alert Remastered OST. Scene 2 (Second Half).
"Confronting Julius (Remastered)" – Fire Emblem IV: Genealogy of the Holy War OST. Scene 3 (First Half).
Disaster.
The only word describable for the events so far that have rapidly descended down on the poor citizens of Gylomecia… and for the heroes who have travelled there, and all for the efforts of the next national martial arts championship of all things. At first the group of adventurers find themselves dealing with the Himitsu Shakai, a strange and elusive organisation of cloaked warriors constantly clashing with them, before eventually becoming embroiled in Gylomecia's already destructive civil war.
As Bryda, leader of the northern forces and Cyna leader of the southern forces clash for control of the country, it is all Baltus and the remaining members of the temporary ruling council to keep peace in Whiteblood Central's Corinium City. While the wise leaders of the council elect to hold a peace-talk in the summit of Manshall Hill, a neutral location in Gylomecia, it goes truly little to no-where at all; indeed, Bryda makes true her declaration of war to not just Cyna, but to the ruling council of Whiteblood.
As a result, and with frightening speed to boot, Bryda's first offensive march on Whiteblood Central is one of devastation and ruin – all except one small group of heroes perish in the brutal battle of Corinium City; Impa, Lycidas and the stalwart band of adventurers across Aurelia. Having elected to leave after being advised by the ruling council of the upcoming attack by Bryda's forces, they are alas too late in their decision and soon find themselves caught in the crossfire between Whiteblood Central and Bryda's northern forces.
Left with no other choice, Impa acts fast and sends the heroes to all sides of the city gates; north, west and east. It is in this decision however, that unfortunately proves to be their catalyst for disaster; a man by the name of 'Kaius', having been meeting Link during opportune times, finds himself meeting the Hero of Time once again only this time as the young blonde becomes separated from his band of companions. He offers to assist the boy not only in finding his friends, but in dealing with his year-long quest of finding an answer to deal with the Shinzui-et-Sanmiitai; something that has been weighing the poor Hylian down ever since losing contact with Navi following his first adventure across his homeland.
Faced with little chance of locating his companions, especially during such a brutal battle, Link takes Kaius' offer on the table of assisting him in hiding out before leaving to look for them. It is only when in this hideaway, however, that Kaius broaches the subject of assistance with the Shinzui; with Impa out of earshot and indeed, out of decision-making for him, Link at long last takes the man up on his offer, eager to be rid of the anxiety of Kage Narumono and the worrying alternative reality of himself – the Oni-like existence of himself or, the 'Yōkai' spoken of in the Hylian bible…
The 'Fierce Deity'.
In one of life's great little ironies, it is Link's anxieties and dreads of becoming this entity that has him becoming it; by allowing the opportunistic Kaius to operate on his Aegir, the careful villain manages to alter the boy's 'Yin' style of Aegir-flow to dominate his system, thereby fulfilling the age-long prophecy once spoken of in the ancient temples of Rockvale and by the Last Garo, Yoshiyuki Miyazaki.
"Whether you give in to its influence today, tomorrow or far into the future, 'Akuma'… it matters not…"
With the prophecy comes a new drastic change in Link; one of brutal, uncompromising hate and a suicidal desire to fight – such is the nihilistic nature of the Shinzui. Kaius and Amalda, now bolstered with the incredibly-powerful Fierce Deity under their ranks, opts to turn their powers on the invading forces of Bryda and Cyna's defending soldiers; with savage ferocity Link cleaves through both ends with stupid levels of ease – a feat that leaves not only the watching Impa's group with a twisted sense of veneration and dread, but with any other onlookers with growing fear and trepidation. It is a message that Kaius leaves for anyone watching, daring enough to challenge him and his new acquisition of the fallen Bryda and Cyna's forces.
'Stand aside'.
Now, left without their star fighter in the martial arts championships and perhaps their closest friend, Impa's group find themselves recovering at a slow and saddened rate from the onset of slaughter and destruction in their new enemies' wake…
Scene 1
FWIP-FWIPFWIPFWIP
"Yah! HEYT!"
CRASSSSH
The narrow-eyed and scowling-faced Link, now dressed a little differently than his usual get-up, slammed his silver-gauntleted fist through one of the building's many walls that they captured mere hours earlier. With little effort, the small Yōkai easily managed to not only leave an imprint of his fist but break the wall entirely; a near-shocking sight that would have left his former companions shocked at his drastic increase of physical and spiritual strength.
"Perhaps you could rest your fists…," the frowning-faced Kaius began from his position in the centre of the room, the Whiteblood Cardinal, now freshly captured alongside the soldiers they absorbed thanks to Link's new change. "You've been fighting all day… while I am grateful for your incredible powers, oh Fierce Deity… perhaps it would be best to save your strength for when it matters." The black-haired man began, armoured arms folded as he 'rounded his disapproving frown on the silver-haired boy behind him.
Link snapped his scowl 'round on his new mentor behind him, almost as if to make ready to turn his own fist against him.
"And besides… I'd rather our new headquarters not be reduced to rubble within hours of capturing it…" He finished, this time in a half-amused smirk, drawing out a twitch from the listening white-eyed boy. He turned to face the well-experienced martial artist and lowered his silver-haired head as if in shame.
"Yes… Kaius-sensei."
Kaius' smirk soon lowered into an appreciative smile, and he turned his head fully to face him this time. "Do not fret… you will have all the time in the world to fight," he began again, casting his smile down on the boy, before it soon upturned into a knowing smirk. "I will make sure of that…"
"Lord Kaius…"
The sound of the main hall's doors being creaked open made the smirking-faced Kaius drop his expression, soon falling into a curious-eyed frown as he swung it 'round the door's way; walking briskly toward him, ever-carrying her leather-bound tome, was the similarly business-like Amalda. Her peculiar blonde ponytail bounced a little over her left shoulder as she sauntered toward the serrated-haired martial artist before her, opening her mouth again as she came within a few paces of him.
"All traces of Bryda and Cyna's regime have been expunged, just as you ordered," she informed the man in a simple frown. "Forgoing a major oversight, there is now no more military force within Gylomecia to stop us."
"Excellent…," Kaius chuckled satisfyingly, his frown soon swinging up into a pleased smirk. "And all in a single year… the ancient warlords of Dracolius would be impressed with our efforts, truly…"
"Amalda!"
The blonde woman, surprised by the sudden call to her name, could only blink and swerve her head 'round to her left only to find the narrow-eyed Link leaping up to her, fists shadow-boxing at the air between them both.
"Fight me!" The silver-haired Yōkai demanded, the moon-plated armour he now sported and carried on his small form clinking loudly to match his movements. Amalda watched him for a second before lowering her eyelids and opening up her mouth to respond to him, a humorous kind of dismissive-like tone on her mezzo-soprano.
"No."
The listening Kaius could only swing his head back in his folded-armed stare, casting his boisterous laugh to Whiteblood Cardinal's ceiling above them all. "Such is the nature of the Shinzui!" He called out in amusement, gaining a toothy grin as he re-lowered his head to eye the grunting and disappointed Link. "It is said that those afflicted with this condition gain near-godlike power… at the cost of losing one's own humanity. And those who become one with this incredible strength… are said to gain a suicidal desire to fight…," Kaius commented on briefly as he tilted his serrated-haired head at the growling boy below them. "In some cultures across Gylomecia, it is such a myth that the people refer to it as a fairy tale, citing it as 'a surge of murderous intent'…," he chuckled, shaking his head. "Indeed… I can certainly see where the tale gets its legend from…"
"EeeeeeeeYAH!"
FWIP
In an incredible manoeuvre Link leapt up to slam a similarly quick roundhouse at the folded-armed martial artist; Kaius countered fairly easily by uncoupling his arms and bringing up his armoured left arm diagonally to block, his fingers outstretched as he did. The attack having not landed, Link yelled out, ghost-like eyes widened as he began to fire forward a near-invisible series of superfast strikes and perforating punches. Kaius, again countered, this time by smirking on in satisfaction as he brought up his right opened palm to block in succession.
DRRDRDRDRDRDRDRDRDRDRDRDRDRDR
"Your powers have increased exponentially since unlocking your potential in Corinium's underground…," Kaius spoke once more in his smirk, his right hand shaking violently as he managed to somehow deter the near-godlike strength the boy now possessed. "Within the week, you will become strong enough to overthrow the rest of Aurelia…"
"As long as I get to FIGHT!" Link yelled out, his original form's tenor spiced with a strange omen-induced demonic-like trait, not unlike that of Kage's.
"Please, Link… don't think too hard about fighting…," Kaius began in a foreboding chuckle, casting his smirk back down on the silver-haired boy as he leapt up to execute a series of spinning strikes, those of which were blocked and repelled fairly easily by the older and more-experienced martial artist. "It is, after all…," he started again, watching the yelling Link back-flip against his own form to land on the wall and pillars dotted around them, soon turning to run across them like some kind of crazed animal. "Your destiny…"
"Urgh, my legs…"
Barkner groaned as he pulled up his rock-skinned feet, wincing down at how lethargic and weakened they felt as opposed to their usual hardiness.
"Would you like some help?"
The Goron blinked up to his right as he sat on a small wooden crate, resting his right leg horizontally over his vertically-sitting right. Standing to his right was the ever-frowning Veronika, her eyes weighed down with noticeable bags and fatigue. He smiled her way and shook his head.
"Nahhh you been on the job too long darlin'," he replied lightly. "You should take a rest yerself."
"I suppose…" The seemingly young Stralanavian murmured out, lowering her raven-haired head as she did.
"I'm surprised lil' miss Hyrule ain't pickin' up the medical slack here…," the Goron commented on quietly, eyebrow risen as he turned his head to the small room's corner; sitting by herself was the hunched Zelda herself, gripping her pink-dressed knees to her chest as she kept her ponytailed head lowered into them. "She been like that since we got here…"
"I think she's still in shock…," Veronika retorted, revolving her head 'round to the low-sitting Zelda before lowering her eyes and sighing through her nose. "We all are."
"We should have fought them!"
The angry call, ever-spoken frustratedly, could only have come from the contrastingly fiery-tempered Palashian princess herself; Vassia marched toward the pair, her slim hands resting on her small hips as she did.
"I know how Link fights! I could have stopped him!" She shouted out noisily and angrily. "That man and that woman can't have been too strong either; I'm sure I would have-"
"Died miserably."
The group of three all swung their heads toward the broken door of the ruined house they were hiding away in, only to find the owner of the voice the hardened baritone of the firmly-frowning form of Alwyn, standing in the doorway with a party behind him; the folded-armed Impa, sad-faced Malon and the remaining members of the former ruling council of Gylomecia. As they all began to walk in after their Zoran and Sheikah, Alwyn cast his disapproving frown on her, following Impa's example behind him by folding his own slim blue arms.
"If you genuinely think you would have stood a chance against whatever Link's become now… or these new enemies of ours… you're far more deluded than even I gave you credit for Vassia." He admonished the young princess with, casting her with his ever-hardened faced frown.
"How dare you!" She called out angrily, stamping her expensive heel against the contrastingly dirty ground below her. "I've fought that boy numerous times! I'll have you know I-"
"Would have fallen badly… and perhaps even died," Impa chose to interrupt the fiery-tempered princess with, folded-armed and all as she stood to the older Zoran man's side. "We're lucky we got away with our lives…"
The disgruntled Vassia swung her suddenly-angered scowl over to her in response before grunting in defeat and stamping her heel a second time, turning to cool off.
"Is… is it true what they're saying in the streets Impa?"
The Sheikah swung her silver-haired head 'round to face the speaker, finding the anxious-faced Malon standing below on her lower left, gripping at the little Cuccoo she had bought with Link back in Stralanavia. Her hardened frown took a softer, more understanding turn as she re-opened her mouth to respond.
"I would… I would say that it is… Malon," Impa replied in a positive nod. "After yesterday's fight there can be no mistake…," she began again, turning herself to face the now re-joined group as a whole. "The stories of the Hylianis bible are true… 'Akuma' has surfaced."
The listening Zelda, still sitting cowering in the corner, could only twitch at her guardian's words.
"'And with his emergence comes the end of Aurelia. Embrace the chaos he brings… for it is all.'"
The surrounding group all stiffened at the sound of the baritone inserting itself into their conversation, snapping their heads and readying themselves for battle; the frowning-faced Scaverin, ever dressed in his summoner's robes and wearing a bandana across his eyes for his ruined eyesight. Joined at his side was the firmly-scowling form of Raynard, calloused hand resting on his tunic and belt's side as he cast a look into the room.
"Wh-Who are these people lady Impa…?" The gasping Baltus began, a worried look in his eye as he stepped behind the Sheikah.
"Friend or foe…," the wise woman began, brow furrowing suspiciously at the pair in the doorway. "That's the question, isn't it."
Although the facing and listening Scaverin put on a smirk to his face it was Raynard that chose to step forward, almost as if to intercept his mentor before he spoke. "Friends!" He exclaimed out, calloused arm risen up, as if to dissuade them all from fighting. "Friends, I promise."
"This better not be a trick…," the glaring Barkner began, stepping up off the wooden crate he was resting on earlier to re-open up his mouth. "I don't trust you old man." The Goron admitted point blank, directing his words to the robed summoner standing before him.
"Well you'd better start, Goron," Scaverin shot back, upturning a side of his frown into a half-smirk before soon lowering it again. "Things certainly don't look too good for you and your little friends right about now… now do they?"
The surrounding group all exchanged looks together, almost as if to look for another way to respond, before swallowing back their pride.
"So what is this all about?" Impa began, tilting her silver-haired head to the side as she stared back at the older man interrogatively. "Reconnaissance? Playing the judas?"
"Why Impa of the Sheikah… given we come from the same honoured homeland I'm insulted you'd think I'd do such a thing to you all…," the bald summoner began back in sarcastic reply, his mouth upturned into an amused smirk. The watching Impa tightened her glare, listening intently. "No… I will cease jesting… Raynard and I… are here to forge an alliance."
"A what…?" The easily-angered Vassia hissed out, dangerously marching toward them past the double-taking Impa. She narrowed her eyes down at the wilful Palashian princess.
"Vassia, don't."
"You call for an alliance only after mon bien-aimé goes missing…?" She spoke again, directly ignoring her Sheikah leader and daring to place a step further in angered defiance. "What kind of man do you think you are?! You… Seigneur de MERDE!"
"Stay back Vassia…" Impa growled out in growing frustration this time as she held the fiery princess back by the scruff of her expensive dress' neck, pulling out an amused chortle from the listening Scaverin and a half-annoyed tired-like frown from the watching Raynard.
"Look…," the former friend to Link began diplomatically, raising up the back of his left hand to his mid and tilting his spiky black-haired head to his left as he did. "I know you're all close to that fucking idiot. I know you all want him back and… to be honest…," the youth began, lowering his arm and his chestnut-brown eyes as he did, almost as in in some form of defeat, his hardened frown twitching before he re-raised his eyes to face the group around him. "So do I," he admitted. "If only to put a fist through him…" He finished, this time in a hardened growl.
The listening Impa exchanged her unsure-faced frown with the similarly silent Alwyn and Barkner, shaking their heads together before they all re-faced the front.
"Now the real question…," the now-frowning form of Scaverin began again as he marched up next to his young protégé on his left, casting his own hardened glare back at the group before him. "How did you all lose him to begin with…?"
2
The group very quickly explained the comings and goings of the country's civil war situation, as well as Link's odd meetings with the stranger they first met on the battlefield the day before; a black-haired man with extraordinarily little connections or known influences anywhere in Aurelia.
"That man… must be connected to the Himitsu," Scaverin opted into the conversation with, joining his robed hands together. "You all know the Himitsu… yes?"
"Yes," Veronika replied in a similarly business-like tone to her mezzo-soprano, drawing the former bishop's attention. "We had just travelled from a strange island where we encountered the Shakai's influence around it."
"Us too," Raynard responded, re-folding his weathered tunic arms with a hardened glower on his face. "Place was a real shithole." He cursed out crudely.
"Is that right…?" Impa murmured out curiously, eyes narrowing at the black-haired boy. "Then I take it you two were the ones that killed that woman and left her child alone covered in her blood?"
The listening Raynard's scowl dropped into a softened-faced frown, wincing as it did. Scaverin's expression instead however, opted not to change; rather, it merely intensified.
"No," the robed summoner responded. "Little Raynard here didn't quite have the stomach for it…," he muttered, turning his blind-eyed glare on the twitching Raynard next to him. "So the task fell to me."
"The 'stomach'?!" Barkner exclaimed out, outraged. "You killed that fucking woman in cold blood!" He cursed out angrily, near-lunging for the robed man before them; the gasping Alwyn grappled at him to keep him back. "And left that kid to die! Where's your honour?!"
"Tch… 'honour'…," Scaverin scoffed, upturning his frown into a disgusted scowl of his own. "Was there any honour in cowardly caging away lord Ganondorf when he hadn't even committed a crime…? Hm?" He batted back, directing his words to the twitching Zelda in the corner and the firmly-frowning Impa before him. "No… there is no honour… not for one hoping to ascend."
The listening Barkner grunted out in frustration and opted to listen to his close Zoran friend, breaking hold angrily by re-setting his shoulders and marching away to cool off, not unlike his Palashian princess friend.
"'Ascend'," Alwyn parroted curiously, lowering his slim blue arms as he tilted his head back at the man before him. "Just what is it you're hoping to achieve with all these needless deaths?"
"Do you really think I'll tell any of you this information…?" Scaverin shot back quietly, tilting his own head insultingly back at the Zoran. "I agreed to an alliance to deal with the obvious looming threat of your little friend… not to be comrades."
"Then how do you expect us to trust you if you want an… 'alliance'…?" The newly-smirking Vassia shot back with a similarly insulting gesture with her small fingers raised in the air. The listening Barkner, his anger temporarily forgotten, about-turned with a light grin and he chuckled before issuing the satisfied Palashian princess with a light high five of victory and camaraderie.
"Hmph… touché, oh princess of Palashia," Scaverin muttered back irritatedly before sighing through his nose and re-opening his mouth. "Very well… I plan to ascend to godhood by martyring myself in the same fashion… as the Sorcerer of the Divine Divide once did, hundreds of years ago."
His explanation, so sudden and so over the top, could only make some of the listening group stare back wordlessly and in sheer shock.
"We wanted an explanation… not a confession of insanity." The brow-furrowed Malon spoke up from the left, drawing out a hardened glare from the listening Scaverin.
"Yes, well… your opinions do not interest me," the former religious man began in reply before re-facing the group as a whole. "Is this all your group? Can we begin formulating a strategy to deal with your friend?"
"Lavrentius and Lycidas are still missing," Impa retorted, re-folding her armoured arms back at the man. "They were separated from our forces during yesterday's battle."
"Lovely…," Scaverin sighed out sarcastically. "Then I suppose we'd best get started; do we know anything about this new foe of ours?"
"The man and woman we saw yesterday?" Malon asked in response, her fire-haired eyebrows raising up as the little Cuccoo in her arms clucked noisily. "Not much…," she shook her similar-haired head before re-elaborating. "I mean Link did say the man wanted to help with his um… demonic problem…"
Raynard's spiky-haired head snapped in the farm girl's direction. "'Demonic' problem…?" He repeated curiously, his chestnut eyes narrowing in scrutiny. "You mean…"
"The Shinzui…," Scaverin muttered out, shaking his head. "I suppose some things don't change… do they."
"He mentioned that this man was able to somehow manipulate his 'Yin' and 'Yang' reserves of Aegir," Impa explained briefly in her light-eyed frown. "Said if he was given a chance, this 'Kaius' could eliminate any presence of that demon inside him by killing his 'Yin' style Aegir."
"But that's impossible…," Scaverin retorted, brow furrowing in light suspicion. "To eliminate all traces of one side of yourself would be…"
"It would be suicide; yes," Impa nodded back knowledgeably. "We knew it was dangerous from the outset; that's why we expressly forbade him from agreeing to such a ludicrous decision."
"It's-it's my fault…"
The group, surprised by the interruption, could only swing their heads 'round to the sitting form of Zelda, sniffing and bubbling with her ponytailed head hidden under her raised knees.
"It's all-all my fault…," the Hylian princess spoke up quietly from her corner, blubbering away. "I-I-"
"Hey, no…," Barkner tried comfortingly, wincing as he stepped carefully over to her. "This ain't your fault…," the Goron attempted well-meaningly as he squat down in front of her. "If it's anyone's fault it's that guy's…"
"Or Link's," Raynard spat out venomously, chestnut eyes narrowed back at the pair before shooting up to re-face their Sheikah leader before him. "I can't believe he'd be so weak-willed or desperate enough to take up that insect's offer like that. It's pathetic."
"Hey!" Barkner spoke up from the corner, swinging his rock-skinned head 'round to narrow his own eyes back at the glaring Raynard. "Look at it from his perspective; everythin' he's tried just ain't worked out for him. It's no wonder he got desperate."
"And then… we choose not to listen to him…," Veronika nodded in quiet-voiced agreement with the Goron behind her, eyes lowering with her raven-haired head as she did. "Perhaps… we're just as to blame."
"So… this… 'Kaius' manipulated the boy's Aegir then, did he…?" Scaverin posited forward, tilting his head lightly as if in thought. Impa nodded.
"It certainly seems that way."
"Interesting…," the summoner murmured out thoughtfully, bringing up one of his robed hands to rest under his chin, eyes lowered quietly. "Then perhaps all is not lost."
The sniffing and blubbering Zelda halted almost immediately and rose up her teary-eyed frown to face the blindfolded Scaverin on her right; indeed, as did the rest of the curious-laden group, eager to listen.
"If this man managed to manipulate the boy's Aegir chords… it would stand to reason we could do the same," he posited forward, lowering his robed hands as he exchanged his blinded frown with the rest of the group. "Yes…? If we re-balance his reserves of Quintessence… then I imagine he will return to normal."
"Scaverin-sensei's right," Raynard agreed in a wise nod, soon swinging his hardened frown on the watching Zelda on his left. "And if that's the case… you're the best choice for this… by far."
The listening Hylian princess could only blink back at her close companion's rival dumbfoundedly. "M-Me…?"
"Her Aegir-control's up there…" Alwyn admitted in a light sigh through his nose, his own arms folded as he did.
"And she has known him the longest…," Barkner agreed with his closest friend, nodding before turning his frown on the princess before him. "But… I dunno… is it too much to ask…?"
"I could always try," Veronika offered forward carefully, frowning on objectively as she always liked to. "But there'd have to be absolute trust and… I don't think there's any way I could do it as effectively as Zelda could."
"Zelda."
The blinking princess swung her sea-shaded eyes forward to find the frowning-faced Impa marching toward her; her guardian cast her a more softened-faced frown, as if she were attempting to broach the subject a bit more carefully than she usually did.
"Do you know how to do this…?" The Sheikah asked curiously. "We won't force you… but… we don't seem to have any other answer."
Zelda's lower lip quivered but she stopped it from influencing her next sentence; the blonde youth shook her head of her tears and cleared her throat before re-opening her mouth to respond. "Y-Yes… yes I know how to do it Impa."
"Excellent…," Scaverin smirked carelessly, re-joining his robed hands together. "Then it's settled. All we'll need now are suitable distractions to keep the boy busy while the Hylian princess works her magic."
"I'll keep him busy."
The group swung their heads 'round to find the firmly-spoken words of confidence coming from the ever-glaring Raynard.
"Besides… it's not as if any of you stand a chance against him, is it?" He rudely added, tilting his raven-haired head at them all as he did. Numerous members of the group all exchanged frowns and shaking heads together before one at last reacted; the similar-eyed Impa. She marched toward him and opened up her mouth to address him.
"Do you really think you can fight him like you did in Hyrule's championship…?" The Sheikah posited forward, genuinely curious as she furrowed her brow down at the boy. Raynard lowered his chestnut eyes in brief thought, wincing lightly.
"W-Well, I-"
"You don't seriously think that he hasn't improved since then…? Let alone what he's become now…," the woman added, turning her glare down on the overconfident boy. "No…," Impa spat out, shaking her silver-haired head in firm disinclination. "We do things my way; I will not lose any more lives than necessary… even if you two are better off dead." She finished hatefully, spitting out her words as she rose her head in glares directed at the two wayward Hylians.
While Raynard scowled back her wordlessly, Scaverin opted merely to upturn his frown into a small satisfied smirk.
"In any case…," he began in reply, holding back an amused chuckle. "Make no mistake… our real enemy is not your little Hylian friend… it is the one manipulating him; this… 'Kaius'."
"Easy for you ta say…," Barkner threw over his shoulder, still squat down next to Zelda in comforting the poor Hylian princess. "You two didn't just witness the birth of a fuckin' fairy-tale." He cursed half-angrily, half-frustratedly.
DRRRROOOOM… RUMMMBLE…
"What in Zora's Domain is that…?" Alwyn muttered out worriedly, brow furrowing contemplatively as the group reacted to the sudden onset of vibrations in the ground and in the air.
When the group all scarpered out of the small hideout they were refuging in, their actions were soon full of regret when they saw what was waiting for them; out in the ruined city of Gylomecia's capital and the fire-streaked skies approached an incredibly-huge army of men, all led by two recognisable soldiers. One, the ever-smirking and folded-armed armoured form of Kaius and the other; the business-like frowning form of Amalda, dressed in her formal robe-like attire as she carried her leather-bound tome close to her chest.
Kaius' long spiked black hair and Amalda's similarly long and uniquely-shaped ponytailed hair both blew in the wind as Keese overhead crowed and called out in their flight above them, almost as if they were carrying with them a dire omen.
"Shit…," Impa cursed out amidst grit teeth, an anxious look in her ruby-red eye. "I was hoping we'd have more time…"
Almost immediately reacting to their threatening presence, the glaring members of the group bar five all affixed themselves into fighting stances, finding themselves cornered. The wordlessly-smirking Kaius however, chose to elongate his closed-mouthed grin before nodding his spiked-haired head in his left direction. The watching members blinked before swinging their heads 'round and the sight waiting for them left them all fearful.
A small cloud of dust blew away from another division of troops and, at the forefront of them all, stood a small recognisable form; the newly-clothed form of Link himself, now donned in the silver-shaded tunic they saw on him before, complimented well with the fresh moon-plated armour that sat upon his chest and back. His similarly silver-shaded curtained-style hair blew in the wind similarly to his new allies, his once-blue eyes now shut as he rose up both small silver-gauntleted arms to both sides of himself, the very air itself shimmering from the sheer level of strength he now seemed to command.
When the newly-born Yōkai opened up in his ghost-like eyes in sharp starts, spiced with a hungry toothed grin, most of the silent group managed to remain steadfast but it was the watching Zelda that flinched, still deathly afraid of the form before her.
"Now…"
Link opening up his mouth to speak, managed to make the listening Zelda flinch again, his battle-hungry glare fixated on her.
"Fight me!"
"No!" Barkner shouted back, tilting his rock-skinned head back at the transformed boy before him. "You're not yourself Link! I won't fight you!"
"L-Link, please listen…"
The previously-smirking Yōkai drew his expression down into a disappointed scowl as he turned his eerie ghost-like eyes in Malon's direction; the brave little farm girl attempted to reason with him, daring to take a step forward away from the group.
"This isn't you! This is Kaius' fault! He did this to you!" She called forward, an anxious frown dotting her complexion.
"She's telling the truth Link!" Raynard called out half-angrily, taking a step next to the surprised fire-haired girl on his right. "He lied to you! Whatever he's did to you made you become this!"
If Link was listening he made no such inclination; indeed, the battle-crazed youth scowled back at the pair ahead of him before raising up his right palm to the sky, fingers opened up as if to receive something. The very ground itself began to vibrate a second time and the watching group of heroes all gasped out in surprise, managing to keep their footing but just barely.
"I don't think he can hear us…," the firmly-glaring form of Alwyn muttered out with a deft and yet slow shake of his head, saddened and morose. "He's not in there anymore."
"Yes, I can!"
The listening Zoran widened both eyes in sheer shock, his form flinching similarly to his princess companion before the former Hylian suddenly and somehow shot up to their positions, all without making a single sound or even seen in his movement. The watching Impa held back a shudder at how fast the boy had gotten in one night from his incredible near-godlike transformation.
"Words are meaningless to me now Zoran!" Link exclaimed out, his earlier tenor now spliced and spiced with an oddly-recognisable baritone resembling his adult's tone of voice. "All I want now is destruction!"
"'Embrace the chaos He brings… for in the end… that is all'," Scaverin spoke up from the front, his curious-laden frown soon upturning into an expectant little smirk. "A suicidal desire for battle… such is the nature of the Shinzui…"
The watching Link ground his teeth back at the older Hylian before swinging his silver-haired head back 'round to his new mentor's behind him, almost as if to receive some kind of special permission. The numerous soldiers all stationed around and behind even Kaius all remained obediently silent and watchful, waiting for their commanding officer's next words.
"Have at them Akuma…," he at last spoke up since arriving, spicing his next words with a head-risen chuckle of satisfaction. "You've earned it."
3
The crazed Yōkai's angered frown soon swung up into a similarly satisfied smirk of his own before he suddenly darted it back 'round in his abrupt leap forward; the gasping and wide-eyed Raynard, suddenly realising he was being targeted, shot up both arms to block and ready himself. Unfortunately for the young Van Garrick however, the strength of the young Yōkai's air-dashing dive kick was enough to send him grunting and spiralling through the air behind the group, tailspinning painfully into one of the many ruined homes of Corinium City.
CRASSSHHH
His former rival's body crashed agonisingly into the already ruined debris behind him, leaving naught by smoke and ash in the Yōkai's wake.
"Soul Orbs!"
Like some kind of crazed animal, Link's ghost-like white-spaced eyes widened as they darted 'round to his sharp-right; finding the narrow-eyed Veronika approaching him from an undefended side, now armed with two dangerously huge continuously rotating spheres of Aegir and magical energy, he let out a small growl before extending forth an open-palmed hand toward her. The young Stralanavian stopped mid-march, light-brown eyes widening similarly before she realised his intent, albeit far too late; the Yōkai somehow managed to pull from her supply of orbs in mid-air by utilising his own, his outstretched right palm twitching madly in the exchange.
Veronika gasped and attempted to move but by then it was far too late; the watching Link's low-faced scowl soon upturned into a satisfied smirk and, when the effects of his siphoning technique became apparently visible, he called out in laughter as the poor Veronika dropped to her knees, eyes shut in sheer overloaded fatigue.
"HNGH!"
SLAM
With little more subtleties, Link simply stabbed a slamming kick directly into Veronika, sending her sailing in much the same direction as the earlier-grunting Raynard.
"RRRRGGGHAWWWWW!"
Reacting in less than a second to Barkner's quick if fairly obvious sliding assault, the 'Elbrus Smasher' technique, Link sidestepped the attempt before widening both eyes in his grit-toothed glare as he slammed his left lower leg into the exposed Barkner's similarly lower stomach.
CRACCCK
"Hrngh…!"
Barkner's horrified wide-eyed stare at the sheer level of strength Link now commanded in his new form was enough to deck the poor Goron, leaving him knelt down in sheer agony. The small Yōkai followed up his counter-attack by yelling out proudly as he swung his right fist 'round in a horizontal swipe, the collected Aegir from Veronika's earlier 'Soul Orbs' being utilised in the attack.
"HEYT!"
KRRRRACK-VWEEEEE
The poor Goron could barely utter a word as he was sent tailspinning violently through the air. Before the small Fierce Deity could even rest his form however, the sudden appearance of two figures this time made him very abruptly and suddenly dart his body up skyward and to the side, endlessly twisting and spinning through the air. Even while his body moved at an incredible rate, Link saw the forms of the similarly superfast Alwyn and Impa, seemingly having attempted to ambush him.
He put on another hungry-faced grin as he landed before immediately taking off after them, gauntleted fists held back to assault them with. The narrow-eyed Alwyn and Impa opted to fire projectiles at him; the Zoran tossing both fin-swords resting on his arms as boomerangs and his Sheikah leader throwing forward an offensive chain.
KLINK
Impa widened both fiery-crimson eyes when the scowling-faced Link stopped in mid-air to suddenly catch his left arm at the chain she handled, left fist twitching madly in a similar fashion to his earlier exchange with Veronika. When the wise Sheikah attempted to drop the chain for fear of counter-attack she was simply far too late; in an incredible display of Aegir-control, Link snaked down his own new near-godlike Aegir down the very chain itself in an attempt to meld his former mentor's limb with her weapon.
An act that succeeded.
FWIP-FWOOSH
The wide-eyed Sheikah could only gasp out in wide-eyed horror as the now-grinning Link merely pulled on the chain to propel her back toward him and, as Alwyn's fin-swords came curving through the air toward him, he widened both white-spaced eyes and spun his small armoured body madly, kicking up artificial wind and a powerful rotational shield of fire 'round his form.
"Aspída tis FOTIÁS!"
FRRRRRR-KURRRASSSSSSH
Burnt badly by the fire and, Alwyn's boomerangs knocked back his way, both counter-attacks somehow landed and in magnificently horrifyingly-excellent form; Impa was sent tailspinning and Alwyn sailing after her, painfully crashing into the very hideaway they originated from. The watching Kaius, his armoured arms folded and his body held to the side, could only upturn his frown into a proud and satisfied smirk, having witnessed his student emulate his very own Aegir Art, even if a fire-infused variant of it.
"SUNSET WHEEL!"
As Link quickly recovered from his earlier twisting form, he grunted out and snapped his new scowl-faced glare in his sharp-right, only to find the similarly twirling form of Vassia in mid-air aiming down what seemed to be a violet-shaded projectile of Aegir at him. Soon, she yelled out in effort as she used both legs to punt the projectile with incredible ferocity, sailing directly for the narrow-eyed Link. He merely put on another hateful-faced toothy scowl as he rose up his right-fingered palm; like a bee to honey, the projectile stopped almost as immediately as it made contact and, as his gauntleted palm twitched madly in the exchange, it very quickly vanished, presumably having been siphoned.
As the frowning Palashian princess touched ground in a graceful enough landing, she could only widen her eyes in shock when the low-smirking Link glared back at her in his chilling ghost-like eyed stare, right palm held up and under as if to display to her the futility of her earlier attack; her 'Sunset Wheel' projectile throbbed and hummed powerfully within the very burned palm of the Fierce Deity's hand. Vassia, in sheer shock and disbelief, could only stare back at him open-mouthed and unable to speak.
He used this rare opportunity.
"HNGH!"
Link scowled angrily as he swiped his gauntleted arm horizontally, as if he were backhanding her in response, and the 'Sunset Wheel' projectile he caught earlier came careering back her way.
FWEEEEE…
FRRR-FWOOSH
Like a stunned animal caught within the death-like stare of another stronger creature, Vassia merely let out a pained yelp as the projectile hit her with lightning-fast precision, sending her spinning and twisting back through the air, rolling and tumbling in extreme suffering across the ground.
"ARRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHH!"
DROOOOOM-CRASSSSSH
Link swung his wide-eyed head 'round to his far-left in the direction of the screaming voice, only to find the source of the noise the recently-reappeared form of his former rival, both fists clenched at his sides and his already-weathered top tunic half having been ripped apart as a mixture of the ongoing battle and the sudden onset of rapidly-charging Aegir and power he generated; indeed, a gigantic aura and cloud of black Aegir itself shot up and burned intensely around his small form as he turned his scream to the sky, before soon re-lowering his hard-eyed scowl to face his foe with.
With little warning, Raynard shot forward from the fallen rubble around him, his destination the glaring and ghost-like eyed Link; the young Fierce Deity met his opponent's charge by leaping forward through the air, his own aura of bright-blue Aegir whining noisily and painfully to the ears, a sign of his sheer increase in near-godlike strength.
VWEEE…
KURASSSSSSHHHH
Raynard's chestnut-brown eyes widened as far as they could go, he slammed a single clenched fist as fiercely as he could into the outstretched Link's and the pair began a power struggle with one another, not unlike their first at the Hylian Hyrax. The very air itself began to vibrate and the ground rumbled from the sheer intensity of the levels of Aegir and Quintessence with which they generated, spiced powerfully by the bellows they both gave out, their voices near drowned out in the incredible velocity and power that they both displayed.
The surrounding soldiers loyal to the watching Kaius and Amalda could barely keep their footing from spectating the exchange; a far cry from the smirking-faced Kaius himself. He stood perfectly unfazed by the sight, arms ever-folded and his blonde assistant behind him in similar perfect posture, gripping her tome to her chest as she stood up straight in her silent-eyed spectating.
Very soon, in the exchange they shared together, Link's defensive counter gradually began to push back the gasping and wide-eyed Raynard's, leaving him with little options left in retaliation; a revelation that was becoming painfully apparent for the poor surviving member of the Van Garrick clan. Beads of sweat began to drop down from his forehead as he, in great vain, attempted to push back at the undeniable strength of the small Yōkai's strength.
It just simply wasn't in the cards for the poor boy.
KRRRCCCHHH…
The sound of Raynard's very aura of Aegir being ripped through – the only thing keeping his crazed-eyed foe from his exposed chest – echoed out into the ruined streets of Corinium City, upping the wide-eyed black-haired boy's horror and anxiety ever further.
"HRNGH!"
CRRRACCCK-SQQQQUELCH
Raynard's eyes widened a third time, this time in sheer shock and despair, his small form buckling and his aura of Aegir dissipating almost immediately as the Fierce Deity's fist came rushing through his chest; an impaling that made even the savage Kaius proud. Link's huge wall of Quintessence burned and whined out noisily, the only sound left echoing out into the quietened streets of Gylomecia's capital, as the wide-eyed Raynard fell into his foe's left fist. Disgusted, perhaps with how little difficulty he had in dealing with the counter-assault, the small Yōkai grunted out and pulled the boy's body up with his left diagonally up to his top-left before soon growling out animalistically as he tossed the youth's near-lifeless badly-bleeding body carelessly forward.
As the fallen Raynard tumbled agonisingly across the ground, staining the already-ruined ground beneath him with his bright-red blood, the satisfied Kaius stepped forward and unfolded his armoured arms to approach the narrow-eyed Link, joined as ever by the frowning-faced Amalda.
"There Link… you see…?" The manipulative black-haired martial artist began, his smirk growing a little as he opened up his mouth to speak further, rising up his right armoured fist to clench as if in emphasis for his next sentence. "It is just as I taught you… Their pathetic martial arts are but a pale imitation of our own…," he began again, chuckling knowledgeably. "Only a crutch for the real answer you have found…"
Link's hardened and hateful-eyed scowl soon upturned into a similar-faced smirk that his new mentor liked to wear so well, as he turned to follow both the marching Kaius and the frowning-faced Amalda walking after him. The newly-allied trio stopped however when they noticed two presences that failed to meet their comrades' assault on them; the shut-eyed Scaverin, both robed arms coiled down toward the ground as he rapidly channelled what seemed to Aegir in some preparation for something.
And the cowering Zelda, her small hands shaking at the front end of the hideaway she originated from, watching them like a scared cat fleeing from a stronger predator. The watching Kaius grinned ever further as he leant down to the young Yōkai's ear that he now commanded, whispering an order.
"Finish her off, my son."
It was all the hungry-grinning Link needed; an order to start stalking toward the gasping Zelda. Having been sheerly stunned, like an animal in the sights of a crazed predator, the poor Hylian princess could only step back in panic before falling back to her rear. As she dropped, she began to push at the ground madly, as if in an attempt to flee back whichever way she could. Link's quick-stalking form soon found its way into her radius however and, as he did, he cast his white-spaced eyed grinning glare down on her when raising up his left pulsating Aegir-infused fist. She widened her eyes up at him and could only open her mouth up in sheer shock and horror, lower lip quivering to match and display her rapid-growing anxiety.
And, yet, as the narrow-eyed Link rose up his left fist…
The attack never came.
When Zelda realised he was hesitating, she could only drop half of the fear from her concern-driven expression, watching his grin above her slowly devolve into a twitching-eyed toothy-faced scowl.
He's struggling to hold back, she thought.
"This could be our only chance."
"What's wrong? Finish her!"
The sound of Kaius' mildly-irritated call made the wide-eyed Zelda pull herself out of her thoughts, quickly darting her eyes between the twitching-eyed scowling-faced Link and his new mentor, hard-frowning over at them disapprovingly.
"Ngh…," Link began lowly, grit-toothed and growling, his left pulsating fist shaking violently and forebodingly. "Rrrgh…!"
"Now! It's ready!"
Scaverin's abrupt exclamation made the gasping Zelda and those waking up around her dart their heads 'round in Scaverin's direction; standing behind her, he rose up one of his robed palms in her direction, similarly pulsating with powerful Aegir and Quintessence. The watching and folded-armed Kaius' frown deepened further as he craned his neck toward the robed summoner, brow furrowing in suspicion as he did.
Link however, fully fixated on his torn order of killing his former companion and leaving her, could only at long last turn his shut-eyed scowling head to the skies and scream.
"YAAAAAAAGGGGGGH!"
A demonic mixture of his adult baritone spliced its way through his youth's tenor as he brought down his left fist to the ground aimlessly, eyes shut almost as if simply to release the angered energy within himself. Zelda widened her eyes and, finally regaining movement, gasped again as she scurried herself to her feet and backed up toward the blindfolded Scaverin behind her.
KURRRRASSSSSSHHHH-DROOOOOOOOOM
She held back from yelling out in surprise and distress when the Yōkai slammed his Aegir-filled fist into the ruined streets of Corinium, bringing up a huge and meaty-filled explosion of magic and power that, thankfully for the heroes, acted as essentially a deterrent and veil for them.
"We don't have long! Get over here! Now!" Scaverin screamed out over his shoulder and above the wreckage before them both, directing his words to the other gasping members of the party and the rushing Malon and council members. Zelda made the wise and informed decision of reaching down to pull up the fallen and unconscious body of Raynard, wincing when she felt his blood drape over her small form.
"No!"
Kaius' suddenly-desperate and realising call echoed out from behind the explosion of Aegir before them all, making the listening Zelda flinch.
"STOP THEM!"
Almost immediately the watching soldiers all surrounding and situated 'round them began to yell out in war cries as they rushed forward, even through the smoke. Scaverin grit his teeth tightly together as he rose up his pulsating palm to face their enemies with and, like magic, a gigantic portal-like void opened up between them both. As quickly as they could, everyone behind the summoner stepped into it, soon vanishing from common eye-sight. Only Zelda, Raynard and Scaverin remained; she gave the scowling shut-eyed and kneeling Link one last forlorn look before hopping through the gateway, Raynard in tow. The last to follow, Scaverin leapt through the gate of his own making and, as half-expected, the portal almost immediately closed and in perfect timing to boot; the yelling and charging soldiers, all loyal to Kaius, just barely reached the limits of the portal before soon skidding to a halt, their steel and iron lances unblemished by blood.
"Tch…," the watching Kaius grunted out half-frustratedly, eyes narrowing forward before his frown slowly upturned into a lightly-amused smirk. "These ones… are fairly resourceful for rats… wouldn't you say Amalda…?" He threw casually and carefully over his shoulder, eyes still focused on their last-seen position. The frowning-faced blonde woman behind him nodded lightly.
"Yes…," she replied, eyes briefly shut before soon re-opening them. "It won't be difficult to find them again, lord Kaius…"
"I should hope not…," he chuckled back before double-taking in the kneeling Link's direction, his smirk soon falling back into a disapproving frown. "Well… that was unexpected."
Link's white-spaced eyes widened and his silver-maned head shot up from the sound of his new mentor's voice.
"Just couldn't deliver the final blow then… hm…?" Gylomecia's new warlord muttered out curiously, eyes narrowing down at the youth almost as if in suspicion.
"Grnnngh…," Link growled out hatefully with his teeth, turning his head halfway to meet the man's behind him. "I don't… I don't know what… what happened… Kaius-sensei…"
"Hmph…," Kaius smirked again, shaking his black-haired head back at the Yōkai before him. "It matters not… let us return to Whiteblood Cardinal and regroup our forces…," he began a second time before about-turning, his soldiers all following far behind. He spoke up one final time, an elongating grin upon his lips as he did. "Before we can spread our ideals to the rest of Aurelia… I imagine your little friends will want one final meeting there…"
The ghost-eyed Link stood to his feet and growled lowly, rising up his earlier pulsating left fist, palm opened up to briefly stare down at it. With no pupils resting in his eyes, he narrowed them both down at his palm, almost as if to look for the answer to his inward conundrum.
Why couldn't I kill her, he thought.
I stuck my fist through Raynard.
Why not her?
CLENCHHH
He closed the calloused fingers 'round his gauntleted palm into another fist, swinging up his silver-maned head to his walking mentor and assistant before marching slowly on after them.
I'll kill her next time, the crazed Yōkai ruminated to himself, eyes narrowing forward.
"Kill them all."
