Chapter 33: Race to the Pyramids!
"WHOOM!"
The shield around the island shuddered; staying strong against the full might of one Akatsuki, two Fishmen, 3 Espada, and a God.
Sasori's eyes narrowed. 'Hmm…surprised the quick repair is holding. Still…seems it wasn't quite fast enough.'
The ex-Akatsuki gazed at the single enemy ship within the barrier. There were easily over a hundred elite fighters on the 'Wrath of Sparta'. Most had traditional Greek armor, though there was the occasional Roman style hidden amongst the crowd.
Sasori only gave the grunts a brief glance, paying far greater attention to the more unique figures. A burly blonde-haired man in a tanktop gave off no energy, leading Sasori to guess he was either a Pirate or Supervillain given present company. An even bigger man had torn off his own shirt to reveal a broad, hairy chest. The blast of power from said brute reminded Sasori of the creature that survived Tamatoa's Horde alongside Lucci, so this man must've been from the same world.
"RAH!" The largest figure bellowed, waving his four arms.
Sasori scoffed, recognizing the Ethernanos within the beast. 'Another Etherious,' the ex-Akatsuki nearly rolled his eyes. 'Still…perhaps I can test the modifications Jackal forced me to.'
The puppet then shifted his gaze to the two fighters in white. Both were most definitely Reiatsu users. The shorter one almost felt like Apacci. The other man was of far greater concern. The white military uniform beneath the black trench coat was a dead giveaway of a Sternritter, as described by the Hollows and Soul Reaper. Plus, an obscene amount of Reiatsu was radiating from the large man.
"That Sternritter is going to be a problem," Sasori pointed at the large man with his scorpion tail, earning a grim nod from Hanataro as he drew his Zanpakuto. Apacci growled as she aimed her cannon at the Quincy.
"But who's that barking orders?" Nami narrowed her eyes. "She looks very bossy for someone surrounded by a Sternritter and Demon."
Usopp briefly looked at Nami calling someone else bossy…before unclipping his bag of Pop Greens, loudly gulping.
Bell-mere gave a reassuring pat on the sniper's shoulder, before unfurling her own rifle.
Sanji concentrated all his willpower into NOT fawning all over this new lady.
Juvia noticed the stranger's fire whip, and conjured her own Water Whip in preparation.
"I count a hundred in armor at least," Tsuyu croaked.
Brook drew Soul Solid. "They're not the ones I'm concerned about."
"Yeah," Franky aimed his left fist.
"Everyone, please take shelter immediately!" Levy called out of a microphone as she drove through Khemenu. "I repeat, get to your shelters, NOW!"
"How long do they need?" Mirajane asked, already transformed into her Satan Soul.
"Just a few minutes," Levy explained as she funneled the crowd to the various stone structures in the city. "Thoth made sure to drill us every two weeks."
"Well…guess it's not paranoia if it works," Mirajane shrugged.
OoOoOoO
"I want 20 of you to remain on this ship, laying a bombardment on any vessel that gets boarded," Carmilla ordered the Phalanx.
"Yes Ma'am!"
"The rest of you…prepare for combat!" The vampire shuddered, before two massive white bat-like wings sprouted from her back. After the change, she scowled at her clearly distracted subordinate.
"Tesla," Carmilla growled. "If you're so concerned about your 'dear' master, then you can stay here. Knock yourself out with that barrier, I don't care!"
The Fracción vanished with Sonido, earning a roll of the eyes from the winged woman.
"Good riddance," Driscoll sneered.
"Sternritter," Carmilla turned. "You will bring up the rear with 30 of the Phalanx. Burn this city to the ground. Keep as many of those pests here with you as possible!"
"With pleasure," the large Quincy cracked his knuckles.
"Ezel, Muscular, Uvogin, and the rest of the Phalanx," Carmilla began to fly up. "Let me be absolutely clear. Your only objective is to ensure that I reach that Library quickly and without distraction. Am I clear?"
The Demon chuckled and shrugged. "Sure thing."
Knowing that was as good at it was going to get, Carmilla gave a nod to Driscoll.
"Heilig Pfeil," the Sternritter formed a Javelin-sized Reiatsu arrow, and hurled it right at the port.
"SCATTER!"
Mirajane grabbed Nami and Bell-mere, Hanataro grabbed Tsuyu and Usopp, while the rest immediately jumped.
"WHOOM!" A small crater instantly formed where they'd been standing.
Carmilla instantly followed up with raising both her hands. Then, two gargantuan walls of fire emerged with a mighty whoosh, cutting straight through the town, halfway to the Library itself.
Screams of terror and pain echoed.
On one side, Sasori, Hanataro, Tsuyu, Usopp, and Juvia quickly righted themselves. On the other, Franky, Sanji, Brook, Apacci, Mirajane, Levy, Nami, and Bell-mere sprang back to their feet.
"YOU ALL RIGHT?!" Franky called out.
"WE'RE FINE! NOW STOP SHOUTING!" Sasori retorted.
"ZOOM!" Between the walls of fire, the crew barely saw a winged shape rush past them. And right behind that, numerous figures used super-speed to try and keep up.
"They're heading for the Library!" Levy realized. "Come on!"
"OH HELL NO!" Apacci swore as she led the charge.
As that group made haste, the rest stood their ground. For one thing, the Wrath of Sparta was getting awfully close to the Cutty Sark.
"Sniper!" Sasori barked. "Make yourself useful and get back there!"
"R-r-r-r-right!" Usopp moved so fast in his fright that people would've sworn he learned 'Shave'.
"Heilig Pfeil!" Another Javelin was shot at the ship itself, much to the sniper's horror if his screaming was any indication.
"POOF! Iron Sand: Sphere!" In an instant, a cloud of black metal shot out in front of the projectile. Then, it seamlessly opened and closed around the Quincy's attack.
"Thoom!" The Iron Sand momentarily bulged from the explosion within, before dispersing and returning to the 3rd Kazekage's side.
"Hehehe…least things won't be a snore fest," Driscoll laughed as he walked on air to the puppet.
While that was going on, Tesla readied himself to have a go at the barrier.
"Water Whip!" Juvia launched something, or rather someone, at the Hollow.
"Thousand Brick Kick!" Tsu slammed her attack into Tesla's gut, hard enough to make him bend.
He attempted to respond by slashing Verruga, his Zanpakutō, only for Tsu to use Tesla himself as a jumping pad to get away. The force sent the Hollow just a little bit closer to that barrier humming behind him.
On the other side, Jinbe briefly smiled while simultaneously using a palm-strike on the flat of Santa Teresa. Nnoitra merely scowled in distaste at his own subordinate's performance.
Back on shore, the Phalanx's 30 armored elite had landed as Driscoll stared down Sasori. Laughter erupted at the prospect of ransacking this great city.
And blocking their path, was a single Soul Reaper.
"I don't think so," Hanataro raised his blade.
Finally, the Wrath of Sparta leveled its cannons at the Cutty Sark, and Usopp raised his Black Kabuto in kind.
OoOoOoO
By now, Carmilla's expeditionary force had rushed past her fire walls, meaning that the rest of the C.S. crew got their first close-up look at the enemy…and vice versa.
"FAIRY TAIL!"
"Get back here, Demon!" But the Vampire was ignored.
Ezel leaped forward with all the power he could put in his six tentacles.
Mira and Levy didn't have time to react to the Demon as he brought his four arms back midair.
"ONIMARU!"
But before Ezel could properly aim…
"Diable Jambe! Flambage Shot!"
Sanji nailed the Demon in the side of the head, sending him careening, and the attack off-course.
"Keep going! I'll be right up!"
"Thank you, Sanji!" Mirajane winked. While most would've been put off by her doing that in her Demonic Form…Sanji was not most people.
"MIRA-SWAAANNN!" His eyes went heart-shaped as he spun in sheer delight.
"GAH! ONIMARU!"
In an instant, Sanji dodged the Demon's attempted attack from behind. The Observation Haki did help.
"Now then…not only attacking a lady…but attacking from behind too…tsk, tsk," Sanji lit a cigarette, shaking his head.
"Damn human talking down to me!" Ezel growled, bringing his arms back for a stronger slash.
'Hmm,' Sanji thought to himself. 'Slashing attacks…because of course…'
OoOoOoO
"They're still in pursuit," Carmilla realized. "DAMN IT!"
"All right then," Muscular tore off his tanktop. "Let's see just how many I can pick off. Now…SHOW ME YOUR BLOOD!"
In an instant, his muscles burst through his skin, completely covering his upper body in a few inches of sinew and fiber. He brought a fist back, intending on a haymaker.
"STRONG RIGHT!"
Metal met flesh, shockwave emanating from the impact.
"Franky, you good?!" Nami shouted.
"Don't worry! I got this!" The cyborg declared.
"Hehehe…I like it!" Muscular gave a wide grin as he quickly regrew the muscle that Franky had flayed off with the force of his punch.
"RAH!" All of a sudden, Carmilla unleashed another wall of fire, separating herself, Uvogin, and her 50 soldiers from the crew.
However, at that moment, Carmilla did something else. With a wave of her hand, a large black book appeared. It was locked with the figures of four falcon heads, scarabs crafted into the front page, Hieroglyphs intricately carved along the side, and a golden eight-pointed shape of some sort.
"No…is that really…" Levy's eyes went wide at the sight of the Book.
"What?" Mira asked, deeply concerned at her guildmate's show of fear.
"The Book of the Dead! SOLID SCRIPT: PHONE!"
In an instant, the top end of the 'E' grew an 'antennae'.
As the crew pursued Carmilla's entourage, Levy brought the word to her ear.
"Mister Thoth! Mister Thoth! They've got the Book of the Dead!"
"…are you certain?" The Egyptian God's voice wavered.
"Yes…it looks EXACTLY like you showed us!" Levy insisted.
"How many will reach the Library?" Thoth asked.
"There's two leaders, and 50 soldiers."
"Do you trust your friends to stop them?"
Levy gazed at Mirajane, who gave a gentle smile and nod.
"Yes."
"Very well. Bring them up to speed. Mr. Chan shall aid you. I will maintain my barrier for as long as possible to keep that God and his goblins off this island."
"Understood. We won't fail, Mr. Thoth."
Levy's 'Phone' vanished.
"All right…the hell's so important about that book?" Apacci demanded. By now, she had grabbed Nami and Bell-mere, while Mira held Brook and Levy herself.
"This whole island wasn't originally designed as a library," the Fairy Tail Wizard revealed. "When Thoth first arrived, it was very shortly after the 'Gods of the Sea' had established themselves. He vowed that neither he nor his kin would interfere with the rulers' affairs."
"They got someone like Cipactli to agree to this?" Nami raised an eyebrow.
"Frankly, all the 'Gods of the Sea' were more worried about each other while creating their empires," Levy shrugged. "They were all too happy that a trustworthy deity guaranteed that a whole Pantheon would leave each of them be."
"What did Thoth have to do?"
"Those pyramids…are a prison."
"For what?" Bell-mere asked the obvious question.
"The six most chaotic and bloodthirsty deities from Thoth's world that he could find. Things whose mere existence could've possibly started a chain of events leading to world war. Gods and Monsters alike," Levy revealed. "Each pyramid was specifically tailored for a single prisoner once they were put in stasis, while allowing Thoth to tap into their power if needed."
"Like right now?" Nami gestured to the glowing barrier around the island.
Levy nodded. "That Book of the Dead would allow a skilled practitioner to 'wake up' whoever's been imprisoned. It may not have the exact way to unlock the prison, but it might weaken the integrity enough for a determined God to get out."
"Oh…" Brook narrowed his sockets…somehow. "All the more reason to catch up."
"Sooner than you think," Mirajane muttered.
By now, the half-dozen fighters had caught up with the Carmilla's force.
"Volley!" The Vampire shouted, and all 50 troops loosed arrows at the crew.
With the heroes forced to briefly dodge, Uvogin had just enough time to bring his fist back.
"RAH!" He channeled all the Aura he could…and blasted the doors down with a haymaker.
As the entry cleared, it revealed the library workers in the middle of evacuation. More than half the books had already been taken away, but the work momentarily halted at the intruders.
"RRRRAAAHHHHH!" Uvogin bellowed a mighty roar, adding his own Nen for that extra 'oomph'. The noise was enough to drive everyone else in the room to the ground. The closest even had blood coming out of their ears, and weren't moving.
"Thunderbolt Tempo!"
"HMM!" Uvogin just narrowly avoided Nami's move, turning as he hopped into the Library.
"WHISH! AGH!" That made way for a beam of Chi Magic to nail Uvogin in the back.
"HA-CHA! Don't just stand there! Get cracking!" Uncle shouted to all his fellow researchers. "I will hold the line."
By now, most the workers had managed to get back to their feet, and were scurrying away with whatever they could carry on their own two hands.
At the same time, the 50 Phalanx had advanced into the library.
"Come on in!" Uvogin shouted, almost in jest.
Carmilla flapped her wings, momentarily hovering eye-level with the highest shelves, book still in one hand.
"CERO!" The Vampire dashed to the side.
"AHH!" Unfortunately, one of the Phalanx took the shot instead, falling instantly.
"Get back here!" Apacci roared, cannon to one side, and closed fist raised back.
Carmilla didn't respond, on account of Mirajane swooping in and grappling for the book.
"BOOM!" The two crashed on the stone floor, leaving a crater.
Unperturbed, Carmilla sent a particularly nasty kick between Mira's legs, forcing her to bend over in pain. This allowed the Vampire to disengage and fly out of the crater.
And just in time too, since Brook was charging forward, Soul Solid drawn.
"Blizzard Slice!"
"RAUGH!" Carmilla managed to counter the strike with a conjured wave of fire, interrupting the musician.
"My, my…aren't you an unusual one?" Carmilla smirked. "I'd love to know the spell that made you possible."
"Oh, I could tell you," Brook answered. "If you could perhaps…show me your panties?"
"…"
"ARE YOU FUCKING SERIOUS NOW?!" Apacci roared, her cannon and Chakram starting to ominously glow with Reiatsu…or righteous feminine wrath. It was difficult to tell the difference.
Carmilla simply raised an eyebrow and her open hand. "You are the wrong gender to make a pass like that to me." Cue the fireballs.
"WAH!" Brook skittered back, pulling some impressive acrobatics to avoid every single fireball.
"CERO!"
"SOUL EXTINCTOR!"
The two beams converged and exploded on Carmilla.
Closer back to the entrance, Levy, Nami, Bell-mere, and Uncle were keeping their distance while bombarding Uvogin and the Phalanx with everything they had.
"POW! POW! POW!" Bell-mere shot directly at the large man's face. Then, he brought his face back down, showing that he'd caught the projectiles with his teeth.
"Oh…that's problematic," the older woman mused as a black sheen slowly covered her arm and rifle, which was then butted into a Phalanx's mouth.
"Well…bigger they are, harder they fall," Nami did the same with her Clima-Tact, while throwing out a few more Weather Balls to set up her next strike.
"Solid Script: Ice!" Levy completely covered the floor around her and Uvogin with a thick, slick layer. The Phantom Troupe member slipped, but he brought back a fist before falling.
"CRACK!" One strike completely shattered Levy's spell, allowing Uvogin to land without injury.
"ZAP! AUGH!" Uncle took his chance to send another blast of Chi from his petrified Pufferfish, this time to the back of a knee.
Still, that wasn't enough to even bring him down.
"Levy! Ready!" Nami shouted.
The Fairy Tail Wizard jumped back, drawing Uvogin's eyes to a dark cloud in the library itself.
"Thunder Lance Tempo!"
"AAHH!"
This time, Uvogin was indeed driven to his knees.
"Back to you!" Nami withdrew back to dealing with the Phalanx.
Speaking of whom, even with the attacks from the girls and Uncle's occasional Chi Blast, the Phalanx was starting to get back in proper formation. Shields were starting to deflect all of the attacks aimed at them.
"What are those shields made of?!" Levy wondered.
"Celestial Bronze," Carmilla's voice called out…but it wasn't coming from that cloud of dust left by Apacci and Mira's attack. "The sword and shield of the Gods themselves."
"VOOM!"
In the blink of an eye, Carmilla had appeared next to one of the Phalanx. She was noticeably burned from the combination of Hollow and Wizard, the leather in one wing was gone, the edges wilted.
"However…" she locked eyes with the soldier. With a glassy look, he removed his helmet, also exposing his neck.
"AHH!" Carmilla's lower jaw seemed to completely dislocate as her teeth all became razor-sharp fangs.
The man didn't even feel a thing.
The crew and Uncle watched in horror as the soldier lost all color and collapsed.
At the same time, Carmilla's wounds all vanished. Her wing snapped back into place, the leather instantly regrown. Honestly, Carmilla actually looked better than before. She had even gotten taller with a more definite musculature.
"Hehehe…been awhile since I've had a Demigod," she laughed.
"What are you?" Mirajane's eyes had widened.
OoOoOoO
"BOOM! WHOOSH! KRA-KOOM!
"HAHAHAHA! YES! Arrancar! SHOW ME EVERYTHING!" Ares bellowed as he cleaved the ocean itself with a swing of his short sword.
"Cascada!" Halibel brought down a massive wave.
Ares merely crossed his arms, managing to push through the attack with no damage.
"Hirviendo!" The water boiled on Ares' exposed skin.
"Garra de la Pantera!" The second the water cleared, Grimmjow pelted the God with the five projectiles. "BOOM!"
Not giving an inch, Grimmjow dove into the dust cloud, growling as he dove a clawed hand towards his opponent.
"CLANG!"
Ares' defense did not buckle in the least, not even from an Espada's strike. Oh, his armor was starting to look burned, but absolutely no damage had made it to the God himself.
"What?" Grimmjow was obviously taken aback.
"Celestial Bronze, son." Ares chuckled, before backhanding Grimmjow into the sea.
By now, Halibel had gotten close enough for melee.
"CLANG! WHOOM! KRISH!"
Tiburon and Short sword could've parted the heavens themselves in their clash. All of Morrigan's nearby clouds were trembling, the wind buffeting all the goblins' long boats.
"Well…you certainly would've made a name for yourself where I'm from," Ares complimented as he brought both hands to his blade, swinging it down from over his head.
"Guh!" Halibel was driven to a knee, straining against her opponent's raw might.
"RAH!" Grimmjow shot out of the water, and slammed a roundhouse kick in the god's back. Since Ares had been pushing all his strength on one opponent, he wasn't able to retaliate before being hurled a hundred yards.
"Not bad, not bad at all," Ares quickly got back to his feet. "Still…a proper demonstration is in order."
Mageia started flowing in earnest around his short sword.
"Grimmjow," Halibel had cut her hand.
"I know," her old colleague did the same.
"YES!" Ares brought his strike down, a massive wave of fire and pure energy tearing through the sky.
"GRAN REY CERO!" Halibel and Grimmjow called in unison. Golden and blue Reiatsu erupted forth.
"WWHHOOOOOMMM!"
All around Khemenu, the Morrigan's dark cloud was torn asunder, light shining on the island again.
OoOoOoO
A little ways off, both Jinbe and Nnoitra had to brace themselves from the blast's shockwave.
"The HELL?!" the former 5th Espada cursed, driving Santa Teresa into the water to steady himself.
"Unbelievable," Jinbe crossed his arms to shield his face.
OoOoOoO
Even at the bottom of the sea, one would notice just how tumultuous things were up above.
"Damn," Kisame placed a hand to steady his Mako Summon, while Hody dove further away from the surface.
OoOoOoO
Back in the library, the light began to pour into the room.
"AHH!" Carmilla's arm instantly began suffering third-degree burns. She flew deeper within the building, down the dark hallway towards the main passage. Before leaving, she made sure to grab two of the Phalanx with her free hand. The other still firmly held the Book of the Dead.
"After her!" Apacci zoomed forward in pursuit, with Mirajane and Brook close behind.
In the blink of an eye, the three had vanished down the passageway as well.
"All right then," Uvogin sported a massive grin. "Let's get serious."
"HU-RAH!" The brute of the Phantom Troupe brought his fist to the floor, sending a trembling throughout the whole building as the tile shattered.
The girls and Uncle struggled to keep their balance. Taking advantage, the Phalanx was able to draw all their arrows, and unleashed another volley on their four enemies. Thankfully though, the Library Hall had been completely evacuated.
"Milky Ball!"
Nami managed to intercept all the arrows with a quickly formed barrier of clouds.
"HA-CHA! Phalanx is very good…but skimpy girl's clouds are better!" Uncle cheered.
"All right, you ready for this?" the Navigator asked her fellows.
"I'm with you to the end, sweetheart," Bell-mere leveled her rifle once again.
Nami gave a warm smile to her mother.
"All right," Levy was nearly done with her spell. "Duck and cover," she whispered. The Fairy Tail Wizard threw the word she'd just written, "BOMB", over the wall.
"KRA-BOOM!"
OoOoOoO
Up in the tower, Thoth remained in that crossed sitting position, channeling the tremendous amount of power through the Pyramids.
Even now, he could feel Carmilla getting closer with that Book.
The Book of the Dead…after all his years of searching, for it to finally appear in an enemy's hands. And even worse, that a long-time follower of The Morrigan's was the one with it.
Something like this seemed to obviously indicate that this wasn't exactly an impulsive move on the 'God of the Sea's' part. If she'd had it, Thoth simply had to assume The Morrigan and her cohorts had the time to become intimately familiar with the rituals described.
At this point, he would have to rely on his old and new allies. Him moving to take direct action would mean allowing the barrier to drop and letting his librarians and their families face the direct brunt of a God's power and over a thousand Goblin screamers.
Still, he had the distinct impression that he would need to fight before the day was out.
OoOoOoO
Carmilla had reached the end of the main hallway, with the door bolted shut by the Hieroglyphic combination lock.
She unceremoniously dropped her two Phalanx, and unlocked the Book of the Dead.
"Amun-Ra," Carmilla started to funnel her fire around her person, the atmosphere thrumming with her power.
Then, she began to chant in that the tongue of the Pharaohs, culminating in her shouting one word over and over.
"YAKTOOHAI! YAKTOOHAI! YAKTOOHAI! YAKTOOHAI!"
"THOOM! RRRRAAAAHHHHH!" A decidedly NOT Human roar emanated from one of the Pyramids.
"BALA!" Apacci had caught up, blasting her attack forward.
"Damnation!" the Vampire lurched to the side, dropping the Book in her distracted hurry.
"WHOOSH! I've got it!" In an instant Brook had run by and snatched the Book of the Dead.
"HISSS!" Carmilla dove for the skeleton, her face becoming more distorted with rage. Her fangs were protruding from her mouth, nails had grown to claws, skin had become even more deathly-white.
"WHA!" Brook screamed in fright, dashing back to his two comrades.
Mirajane quickly flew back, the two knocked-out Phalanx in her hands.
"Please stand down," the Wizard politely asked.
"That isn't an option," Carmilla coolly retorted.
"THOOM! THOOM! RRRRRAAAAHHHHH!"
"And besides…looks like someone has woken up," the Vampire smirked.
OoOoOoO
On the other side of the locked door, the room diverting towards the pyramids and Thoth's lookout was eerily quiet.
Then, one of the doors began to tremble.
"THOOM! THOOM! THOOM!"
OoOoOoO
For the briefest moment, the entire barrier around the island shuddered.
Near the edge, Tesla paused his assault on Juvia and Tsuyu, gaining some height with Sonido.
"Seems the Vampire has begun," he absentmindedly realized. "Perhaps a good attack will bring it down now."
"Cero!" He aimed right for Juvia, who parted herself into two streams of water.
The Hollow's attack just kept going to the barrier, but it completely dissipated when it hit.
Just as quickly as it started, the shuddering ceased.
"Hmm…perhaps the mission isn't going as well as hoped," Tesla mused as he slashed his Zanpakuto at Tsuyu.
The Pro-Hero channeled her Fishman Karate to palm-strike the blade, with Juvia sending a 'Water Slicer' for good measure.
Tesla had to harden his Hierro to avoid the damage.
"These two are persistent, I'll give them that," the Fracción grumbled before figuratively rolling up his sleeves.
OoOoOoO
"Hmm…" Sasori narrowed his eyes at the barrier, avoiding Driscoll's attempted haymaker. "Just what is going on at that Library?"
"Get back here, you little piece of shit!" the Sternritter was in pursuit with the Quincy technique, Hirenkyaku.
"CLIK-CLAK!" Poison Senbon were shot out of Hiruko's mouth.
"Blut!" Driscoll let the needles simply bounce off his briefly-hardened skin.
"Your needles smell funny," the Sternritter narrowed his eyes.
"Hmm," Sasori declined to answer.
"Doesn't matter," Driscoll declared. "You'll never cut me anyway."
"Oh…'you'll never cut me'," Sasori chuckled, all the more ominous filtered through Hiruko. "No matter how many times I hear that, it's always a fresh challenge."
He readied his 3rd Kazekage.
OoOoOoO
Usopp faced off against the War God's Flagship, manned by 20 of the Phalanx.
"FIRE!" His opposition declared, cannons roaring.
"Green Star: Sargasso!" Usopp quickly responded in kind. The tangle of sea grass managed to catch all the cannonballs.
"And Fire Bird Star!"
The sniper's attack zoomed forward, managing to take out one of those manning the cannon.
OoOoOoO
Hanataro deftly avoided every strike of the Phalanx fighters.
"Stay still!" one particularly frustrated armored woman shouted.
"NO!" Hanataro shouted back. At the same time, he held out his hand. "Disintegrate, Black Dog of Rondanini. Look upon yourself with horror, and then claw out your own throat! Bakudō #9! GEKI!"
"AH! CAN'T…MOVE!" the same woman managed to roar.
"Don't worry," another man of the Phalanx assured her. "We'll get you out. Form up around Margaret!"
"You care about each other," Hanataro realized. This was honestly a new experience for him…considering his previous enemies were Hollows and a Quincy Army run by sociopaths.
"Well…yes," another young man shrugged.
"You all from the same world?" the Soul Reaper asked as he parried another sword.
"Indeed…Earth…" but the Phalanx didn't elaborate further, clearly preparing to take the offense again.
Hanataro sighed.
OoOoOoO
"URGH!" Ezel was crashed into wheat fields by a black leg to the chest.
"You know…with how much trouble that puppet had against another Demon…you're not living up to the hype," Sanji contemptuously huffed on his cigarette.
"DAMN HUMAN!" Ezel roared as his six tentacles made craters in his attempts to jump back up. "I'll make sure you take me seriously before you die!"
By now, it had devolved into Ezel flailing his arms at Sanji, who effortlessly blocked each with his leg covered in Armament Haki. It didn't even matter that Ezel's Tenga Goken Curse had turned his arms sharper than any blade of man's.
"I swear that I will cut your legs off!" the Demon promised.
"Oh…better swords than yours have tried," Sanji chuckled.
OoOoOoO
"Weapons Left!" Franky unleashed his volley.
"HAHAHAHAHA!" Muscular simply shrugged the bullets off.
The Villain then lunged forward, punching the cyborg's left hand aside. His other fist gut-punched Franky, sending him flying back. Granted, it came at the cost of all the muscles he'd covered his forearm in, but that could be easily replaced.
Still, he noticed that his opponent was only slightly bruised.
"Oh, you're good!" Muscular declared.
"Hmm," Franky paused, before jumping back at his opponent.
"Franky Iron Boxing!"
"All right! I'll get you to bleed yet!" Muscular eagerly matched the move, punch for punch. Each clash making a sound like thunder.
OoOoOoO
"KEEP AT IT!" Nami shouted as thunderbolts descended upon the Phalanx, while Bell-mere, Levy, and Uncle alternated shots at Uvogin.
"RAH! This is getting annoying!" He ran forward, and nailed Bell-mere in the gut with a Nen-enhanced fist. This sent her crashing into a now-empty library shelf, prompting the whole thing to tumble down.
"MOM!"
"Guh! I'm all right," the woman popped up from beneath the debris, a little bruised.
"Hehehe…not for long!" Uvogin brought another fist back.
"Solid Script! Chain!" Levy managed to trip up their brute of an opponent.
"UGH! You four are tough nuts to get at!" Uvogin admitted.
"And there's more where that came from, big stinky man!" Uncle gestured with his Pufferfish.
Uvogin actually looked puzzled at that, and sniffed his own armpit. "Oh! Urk! Okay, you've got a point."
"Is this guy for real?" Nami asked.
OoOoOoO
"Damn, looks like I still have to do everything myself!" Carmilla cursed.
"You really think we'll just let you?" Brook raised an eyebrow (or he would, if he had them…), the Book of the Dead in his hand.
"Oh, I'm a big girl," Carmilla took a stance. "I can manage."
"We'll see," Apacci aimed her cannon.
"NO! Don't!" Mirajane put a hand in front of the Hollow. "If you do that, you could blast a hole linking to the pyramids!"
Apacci's eyes widened, before she slowly holstered her cannon.
"Aww," Carmilla rolled her eyes. "I was hoping you would've done that. Ah well, you three aren't nothing I can't handle."
"THOOM! THOOM!"
"After all, I should prepare that Book for our guest."
OoOoOoO
Within one of the Pyramids, a coffin had been ripped open. Remnants of the original rotted bandages were strewn about the floor. All manner of protective spells were engraved in the walls and door.
Banging against the door was a figure. He was tall, but all other distinguishing figures had long rotted away. Blank eye sockets frantically darted back and forth. His body was barely held together by strands of brittle flesh.
Disconcertingly, scarabs and locusts were seeming to materialize around him. Even the sand that had found its way in the burial chamber was responding to his distressed state.
He was a Mummy. But he was certainly a special case to deserve Thoth's imprisonment. For he had been subjected to a horrid curse from the cruelest of minds that inhabited the lands around the Nile. And for that, this man had vowed that he would arise a walking disease, a plague upon mankind, an unholy flesh-eater with the strength of ages, power over the sands, and the glory of invincibility!
For this was Imhotep…the most powerful of the accursed Mummies.
OoOoOoO
Back in the sea, things were being turned up a notch.
"RAAHH!"
A mighty swing of Samehada left a grisly gash on Hody's back.
"Damn," Kisame cursed. "Samehada isn't tasting anything from you."
"Grr…the hell's that suppose to mean?!" the Fishman tightly gripped his trident in preparation for a swing.
"Well," Kisame put on his most patronizing tone. "See, I'm a Ninja…and Ninjas use Chakra. My sword is a Ninja Sword…eating Ninja energy…you following me?"
Hody gave a disbelieving glare.
"But…even if Samehada won't get a good meal…I'm gonna make sure to tear you apart for making that mistake, Hody Jones." Kisame promised.
"Ah, you know who I am," Hody gave a sharp grin.
"I've heard enough." Oddly, Kisame didn't return the grin.
With that, the Monster of the Hidden Mist and the Hatred of Fishmen clashed at the bottom of the sea.
OoOoOoO
Omake: It's Raining Meteors! (Hallelujah!)
On a desolate island, a battle seemed to be reaching its conclusion.
On one side, Fujitora and his companions had their arms raised to the heavens.
Opposing them, a massive white and red dragon roared down at them, in an inhumanly deep female voice.
"You dare compare yourself to ME?!" Irene Belserion roared. "I'll show you a true divine judgment of the heavens."
She raised her claw, and a mass of fire and rock came plummeting to the island.
Simultaneously, Fujitora raised his sword. "Girls get behind me."
Once they did so, the old Admiral pushed his Devil Fruit, finding a astronomic body just as impressive as his opponent's.
The sky became lit up with the two meteors' dark orange flame.
"Oh…we having a contest?" a third figure instantly appeared. Gremmy of the Sternritter giggled. "Well…guess I'll have to throw my hat it!
And yet ANOTHER meteor, slightly bigger than both together, started to descend.
"HAHAHA…URK!" Gremmy stopped laughing on account of the Kunai in his brain.
"Now, now," Madara Uchiha then nonchalantly formed his Hand Signs. "I want to see if things as legendary as Dragons and Admirals can take this. Don't disappoint me."
Then…the biggest meteor of all seemed to completely block out the sky!
But…every single meteor was stopped in the middle of the sky. And a blue tear in space materialized besides the fighters.
"Dread it, run from it…your Destiny arrives all the same. And now, it's here…or should I say, I am."
Thanos, the Mad Titan, used his incomplete Infinity Gauntlet to utterly fracture all the meteors above. Then, he hurled every single piece of debris right at Madara.
"YES!" the Uchiha cheered as he rushed forward to meet the attack.
Off to the side, everyone else was gaping, wondering just what the hell they'd been doing with their time and training.
A.N. Hehehe…sorry for the delay. Finally starting to get used to an actual full-time job that isn't school…on top of getting ready for Grad School. Hopefully my next updates will be more timely.
But yes…this chapter was definitely more about setting the stage for a lot of the fights to come. Plus, I wanted to flesh out my vision of Carmilla…hope y'all enjoyed. For simplicity's sake…we'll simply say she's 'Mid-Espada' strength.
One of the points of this arc is to honestly give EVERYONE on the crew a little time to shine…so I hope I'm not disappointing in that regard yet.
Also want to clarify that while the individual Phalanx members are OCs…the world that they're from is NOT! Granted, that information might not be relevant to this particular arc…but keep your ears open.
And yes…the whole operation on Khemenu was first and foremost to imprison Egypt's worst! And the first has been revealed! None other than THE Mummy himself, Imhotep…who's haunted the silver screen for almost as long as Dracula! But believe me…he's only the 'WEAKEST' prisoner!
Next chapter, we'll be focusing almost exclusively on Kisame vs. Hody…and believe me, I'm hyped for this!
Til next time…Have Fun! Stay Safe!
