Some of the characters in Samurai Seed are using the characters from Astray and the Seed MSV. And then there are also Characters which use reference from Naruto and other anime. I tried my best to stay true to the character but if any of you feel it occ, my bad.
Kage is Kira
NOTE:
"Doryaaaaaaaaaa!": normal talking
"Charge!": special case
'Darn!': thoughts
GWA HA HA HA! : Giant creature speech
DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING!
Please… read and review
Chapter 10:
It's All Part of the Plan
Athrun was biding his time in prison, reading a book which presumably one meter thick.
"Vorgu… tec… what?" One of his guards, out of curiosity, read the title of the book.
"Vorgerückte Alchimie für Experten (Advanced Alchemy for Experts). It's German." Athrun smiled.
"Oh… yeah… you hail from German… aren't they in European continent?"
"Yes. An Orb territory. And you?"
"I'm born here. In Februarius."
"Oh! Februarius. That's a nice place."
Just then, Raww came in to visit again. The soldier quickly returned to his formal position and saluted. Athrun lift his chin and take another look at his 'former' superior. Raww no longer wear the usual custom white battle suit he was well known for. Instead, he wears normal grunt knight armor, but gray in color and with several additional cosmetic modifications. "Athrun. Having a good time I hope."
The boy tapped the book in his hand. "It keeps me sane. What news from the front?"
"Bad news, I'm afraid. That Archangel is still impenetrable, and it became even more impenetrable with each passing day."
"That is to be expected. Bladebanes are in essence are not siege units. They're more of an open war type. Mikhail must've charged overconfidently from the front? They should've waited for a few more weeks or days so that the fleet can bombard them some more…"
"Not exactly overconfidence. He came prepared. Here, take a look. I just received a request for reinforcements as well as a report from Veia depicting the events." Raww handed Athrun a folder of files.
The raven haired boy marked the page and closed the book as he took the report. As he read every page, the frown on his head got clearer and clearer. "This… Kage… existence… he seems had struck quite a blow in the soldiers morale… judging by his skills, he's probably around… 5-3rd seat, a lieutenant at most… but we never heard of his name before."
"Intel speculated that Kage might not have been his real name."
"Do tell. That's a nice trick. We don't know who he is… but he could be anyone." Athrun continue to read the files until he get to the last parts of the report. "…after the combat with Kage, Juggernaut was somehow hypnotized and had turned against us… Juggernaut?"
"Erm… yes. Bladebane's secret weapon."
"Yes, I presume as much. But, what I kind of secret weapon is this: 'Juggernaut decimated the Bladebane ranks, stepped on a few hundreds of our men, chased us all the way to our base before flattening them flat as he took an extra blade and our entire provision. We saw him later standing guard on the front gates of Archangel-' By the way he put it; this secret weapon must've been 80 feet tall."
"Exactly."
"Excuse me sir?"
"The man IS around 80 feet tall."
"You have to explain… that statement… sir."
"No I don't. HE IS 80 feet tall. Weighs about 8 tons I think…"
"I mean… he's a MAN!? A PERSON!? 80 feet tall!?"
"Yeah." Raww added with a slight smile. "And he's armed with a three ton each 100 meters long solid steel giant blade."
Athrun rubbed his temple. "And that giant is guarding the front door… oh God… frontal attack will be even trickier."
"Our only hope, is naval assault."
"It's gonna be hard. If they leave the front defense of the Archangel to that giant, they can concentrate on their rear. What kind of idiot who think it's a good idea to bring a GIANT into a battle anyway!?"
"Oh don't worry. I think one of those reports mentioned the person in question has been grounded… literally."
"Let me think… let me think…" Athrun massaged his temple. "The only problem with archangel's rear defense is the fact that they aren't as heavily fortified as the front which has the Lohengrin… unless they move the Lohengrin to the back, than that base will be nigh impenetrable, but will they do that… no they won't. They can't. The Lohengrin is completely locked and fused with the fortress walls… but they can move the Gottfried… and they may be able to destroy the fleet… no… if we bring Isolde we can bombard the fortress from the range… and then it'll be a ship to ship battle."
"Then, is it a yes to their request for additional Bladebanes?"
"I'm not sure, my lord. I'm more worried about the threat this man called Kage posed. Is there any sane man who would want to fight a person who can turn a giant and use it against them? When it comes to ship-to-ship battle, Archangel may have the disadvantage of having fewer ships… HOWEVER if the battle between ships turned into man-to-man battle… yes… they would definitely do that. The 7th fighting division is well known for close combat. Lucky for us, their main force isn't exactly with them… But nonetheless, they got three captains… and again… this KAGE character."
"So basically… we have to prevent man-to-man combat… and maintain ship to ship? Harlbarton is no fool. He knows what his men are capable of. He WILL definitely try to get to a man-to-man combat aboard their ships."
Athrun thought up for a moment. "How many ships you're planning to send?"
"About 3-5, maybe. Should I send them?"
Athrun shook his head. "No need to hurry. All things considered, the Carpenteria fleet is still pretty much unscratched, so our standing forces are still greater than them. I'm more concerned with this new character. This Kage… the report he was armed with the LAST secret weapon. And this weapon turns out the worst of all five: with destructive potential surpassing Lohengrin… and it's an ARROW!? If it's as powerful as the report claim, it can be used to break the blockade…" Athrun sighed. This is one tough case for his already aching head. "Let's think… let's think… I need more details about this weapon. Wait… urm… if I'm not mistaken, I heard a report that Miguel, God help his sanity, got smashed… and report said they saw a blade the size of a skyscraper. And then there's this… arrow. And then Dearka claimed the katana was no bigger than a normal ones but it can shoot concentrated burst of energy. That's three weapons Kage was associated with."
"Three… could it be that we've been fooled? That the weapons we've taken were just fakes?"
"There are three possibilities: one, yes. We were fooled. The four weapons we've taken were just cheap copies."
"Two, they've kept those weapons in secret, in case they have to combat ours." Raww remarked the second probability as he frowned. Not sure what's the third possibility is.
"And three: all those weapons: the giant blade, the energy shooting katana, the explosive bow and arrow, all of them are one and the same." Athrun concluded (correctly).
Raww stared in disbelief behind his mask. "Can such a weapon be made by a man? By a Natural!?"
"Better believe it. And then there's another report here saying this Kage was Dragon incarnate? Spewing flames? Puh-lease."
"Oh. That. I believe my nemesis must have a hand on it. It wasn't luck he survived against me all this time you know. Mwu can do it too, a fire breathing technique from Orb I believe. I'm not surprised this person can do it too."
"Yeah… and soon, we'll get a bunch of fire barfing soldiers thrown down at us." Athrun stopped his comment mid-sentence. "Fire."
"Excuse me?"
Athrun grabbed another paper and start drawing plans and schematics. "I've been to Archangel several times… and many of our officers had lay siege to it unsuccessfully for several weeks or months… I always wondered where they get their water."
"Well… duh, they are stationed on a cliff against the sea, Athrun-kun."
"And they drink what? Salt water? No… they must've some water processing facility somewhere… that's their weakness."
Knowing a brilliant scheme is being hatched, Raww gave the boy complete silence and undivided attention.
"Let's see… this is Archangel… and their rear wall which is round… gave a 180 degree line sight with 3 rows of cannons… counting the weight to ratio and the cliff size… as well as the structural balance the whole fortress… they'll be allowed only 2 canals to let the sea water in… the only possible location is… judging by its geometric structure and the construction… walls are solid limestone… inner framework…" In a matter of moments, Athrun was in his own world filled with numbers and physics. His eyes were no longer staring into the blank paper. Repeatedly he looked at the report to compare data. His mind was no longer in prison. He was there, in Fortress Archangel, witnessing everything, imaging the fortress as if he was the one who built it from scratch. His hand moved following the brain's order and began drawing sketchy blueprints based on calculation and available reports.
Raww waited patiently. 30 minutes later, Athrun gave him a new set of papers. "If my guess is right… there can be only two spot which they would allow the sea water to come in. Around here and here. Check it there."
"So… you want to send some fire ship in order to burn the whole place down to the ground?"
"No. Not yet. They'll see right through it and shoot the ships down before they can even land. Order the Bladebanes to retreat a few miles away. But quietly. If the troops in Archangel knew their retreat, it'll embolden them and they'll attack first. Remain in their position for several days and DON'T ATTACK. Wait and then we gave them one big attack that'll drain all their supplies: ammo, food, etc. That should prevent the Harlbarton's troop from giving chase since by now they should be weary of being harassed all the time."
"I'm following."
"And then, send in some… erm… civilian decorated 'merchant ship'…" Athrun's fingers made the quotation mark. "…with fresh provision and fresh faces in 2-3 days after the last assault to keep an eye on them. Mix some REAL merchant as well to wipe out the suspicion."
"I heard you correctly?"
"We must stall time. Harlbarton is an old fox. He knew his fortress' weakness better than everyone else's. That's why we must lax their guard. Make them think that the Carpentaria fleet had retreated and the trade route has been opened again. More than half of that fortress' life and blood is trade; they will not refuse merchant ships or whalers. Keep doing it until the new weapons are ready. In the mean time, the disguised merchant should find out about the water processing center. When the time comes, send the reinforcements, with some fire ship disguised as Merchant ship. Send them in and they can set fire into the fortress. Whether the fire lit up or not, it doesn't matter."
"The main point is that we destroy the water processing facility. That will thirst them to death."
"Wrong." Athrun crossed his arms. "That initial fire attack was just a nudge. A diversion. Here's what we're really going to do. Let's start from the beginning. The first big charge should go like this…"
A few hours later…
"That's… that's a bloody brilliant plan… I'll dispatch some messenger immediately. But with the front wall guarded so well by the giant, they might get themselves supplies from the forest."
"No. They can't. That won't be enough. We've harassed them, day by day. They managed to last this long because they've been stocking up. By now, they should be running low."
"Of course. Thank you Athrun. This prison didn't imprison your ingenious mind at all." Raww bowed down as he took his leave.
"Glad I can help." The raven haired boy sighed. He looked at the report with a black and white rendering of Kage. They put a dragon face with a spiraling hypnosis eyes on his head. It looks grotesque. "'Hypnotic ability beware his eyes…' geeze… get real!"
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"W… what?" Mwu blinked several times.
"I finally figured out what dragon seal for… that's what I'm saying." Kira announced with a smirk. It's been several days since the titanic battle between him and Fuji. And then somehow, pioneered by Kira and his friends, the soldiers no longer find it odd to have an 80 foot tall man like Fuji patrolling the front gate while occasionally waving his hand. What's more, the giant has proven himself to be self sufficient if not thoroughly helpful.
"What did it do?"
"Watch." Kira performed the Goukyaku no jutsu. The difference being, before the other three cardinal seal was put, he put the dragon seal first, and then the other three followed. The flame burst out from his mouth and hit the ground, creating a small bonfire. "Here. Look." Kira showed the man his mouth. "No more burns, no more smoke. That's what dragon seal does. Protecting the user as well as leaving the user's mark on the jutsu."
"What do you mean, leaving the user's mark?"
"I'm not sure how to put it but… it makes the jutsu identify who cast them, thus preventing the jutsu from harming the caster. Here, watch." Kira placed his hand right inside the bonfire he created. No burn marks, the boy didn't even wince!
"So…if I cast a jutsu… and I put myself in it… and using the dragon seal of course… I won't get hurt?"
"No. But others will. Because the jutsu didn't bear their mark."
"I see…"
"Maa… what an interesting thing I've just seen here." The two turned towards the smiling old Harlbarton.
"Captain?" Mwu smirked.
Kira simply nodded in silence and keep his head downed. He forgot to put on his mask.
The captain observed the small bonfire that was Kira's flames. "The four cardinal seals. You know how many Orb Jutsu scientists are going to be tearing their hair away when they knew they were outdone by a maverick and an unknown Shinobi?"
"Plenty I suppose." Mwu grinned.
"Plenty enough. Though probably not the jounins. What you managed to find out here today boy, many shinobis take years of experience to unconsciously uncover."
"What do you mean, unconsciously?" Kira's curiosity was irked.
Harlbarton smirked. He quickly made several handseals, and then: "Katon, Karyuu-endan!" A line of fire blazes out from the Captain's mouth, slithering around forming a giant jaw at the front, like a dragon. "And… that's as far as I can get. When I was recently appointed Jounin I tried to create a better, stronger Katon jutsu than Goukyaku no jutsu. That's what I get after several dozen times of mouthburns and 10 trips to hospital and dentist."
Kira blinked. "…it definitely took shape…" A fire dragon form can create more damage compared to fireball type. What's more, since the fire is still linked to one's mouth when it was shot, the direction can still be controlled to a certain extent so it's far more flexible. Not to mention the fear effect. "But… it lacks the destructive capability."
"Yes. That's because the heat was dispersed all around the Dragon's body. The head is the hottest but still…"
Kira nodded. "What are the seals you used to perform it?"
"At first, the same with a normal Goukyaku no jutsu, but I added an extra Ram, Boar, Ox, and finally monkey."
"You simply increase the amount of chakra… but there's not a single Cardinal seals in those sets…"
"No. I just… envisioned it."
"E…envisioned it?"
At this Harlbarton chuckled, as if reminiscing on a rather embarrassing memory. "I… saw it in my dreams… a creature… a large serpentine creature. It was… how I should say it… elegant and magnificent. Unlike the slithering snake this one soars to the sky… I was enthralled and I tried to do the same with my jutsu… with little success."
Kira understood as he nodded. "So basically… you unconsciously will it… and the deed is done… it's a Hieronymus machine."
Harlbarton thought up. "Yes. Yes. You put it very eloquently. It's a Hieronymus machine."
"Erh… what?" Mwu turn chibi and lift a signboard saying: 'I'm an idiot.' "Please explain?"
"Bluntly speaking, the extra seals I've made are a bunch of junks in a box. It's just that I will it so much, it actually worked exactly like I wanted it to be."
"I didn't mean it's a bunch of junks…!"
"Oh, but it is. Many of shinobis in the world tried to put some extra handseals into their mix, thinking it'll improve the jutsu by the slightest. No one has ever get as far as you two did."
Kira start tinkering with his notes. Performing several handseal experiments… "Let's see… the hand seal is… like this… and then the dragon seal to end it…" He felt something swelling up on his throat. Something really, REALLY big is about to come out! Kira removed his mask and opened his mouth to the sky. He literally barfed a dragon out of fire to the skies. And it's unlike Harlbarton's misshapen dragon, this one resemble the mighty beast in all its glory.
Everyone gasped when the giant burning creature shot out to the sky. The giant dragon can be seen even by the Zaft soldiers residing in their ship.
Veia looked at the giant flying dragon. "…a dragon… of fire… was that a good or bad omen?"
Back to the Archangel…
Harlbarton stared to the giant dragon, eyes wide. The dragon in his imagination. He spent almost his entire life to get it and then a boy less than half his age did it for him. He looked at the bewildered Kira. The boy was a little bit preoccupied and didn't notice the old man's smile.
"Burp… that was bad… instead of shooting it, it's more like I'm throwing out…"
Harlbarton chuckled. "Next time, try to lower the output, and then maybe you can get the dragon to a controllable level."
"Good point." Kira took note what Harlbarton said and began revising his notes.
Harlbarton silently took a piece of what Kira had written. He read it and nodded. "I see… he has a very strong observational skill. I've never seen such detailed notes."
"Physically, he's quite underwhelming, even for an Advanced." Mwu commented. "But thanks to that Observational skill, and plus that unbelievable regeneration rate he possess, it's not surprising he seem able to learn everything rather fast."
"But the way he is… I bet it'll be like mounting a Lohengrin on a rowboat." Harlbarton commented. "I mean, his little stamina can't compensate all those high level techniques we're teaching him."
"I told him to put on some weights all the time."
"That's not enough." Harlbarton nodded and grab his large sword. "Ch- erh… Kira-san?"
"Yes?"
"Do you know how to use that Katana?"
"What?"
"The Shiki. Do you know how to use them?"
"…yeah. This thing can transform depending on the activation phrase."
"No. I don't mean how to use it as a super-weapon; I mean how to use it as a sword. Do you know how to use it?"
A shook in the head was the elder Captain's answer. And suddenly, an evil glint appeared on the said captains eyes. "O-kaay." He slammed his enormous blade in front Kira, who gulped. The Captain is clearly ancient, but he was able to lift a sword that big with just one hand. "I'll give you till the count of five."
"Eh?"
"When I've counted to five, I'm going to attack, and then you have to do everything in your power to stop my attack."
"Eh?"
"Ah, and before I forgot, you can do whatever it takes to stop me from attacking until the count of five. Understood?"
"…Mwu-san? I'm a little lost here?"
"I think… Harlbarton wants to train swords with you. He'll count to five and you can attack him in any way. After the count ends, he'll attack, and then it's your turn to getting hit."
"Oh…" Kira nodded. "But… shouldn't we use wooden sword for this? Using real sword for training sound kinda dangerous."
The Captain grinned. "Just try and hit me if you can." Harlbarton raised the great sword above his head and stand ready. "Oh, and… go at me, as if you're going to kill me."
The boy was still a bit reluctant but finally readied his Katana.
"One."
The boy quickly charged at the opponent. The first to come is a horizontal slash straight to Harlbarton's chest. Half a meter before the blade hits the target; Harlbarton's sword slammed against the Katana and knocked it away. Kira staggered a bit at the force of the impact.
"Two."
'How's this!' An upward swing comes next. It was repelled again. But utilizing the impact force, Kira changed his attack to a horizontal swing. For a moment, it looked as if the slash aimed the Captain's stomach, but as the slash was getting closer, the attack shifts to a slash to the neck. The blade hasn't even reached Harlbarton's shoulder when it was blocked again.
"Three." The 7th division captain counted leisurely as he smashed the Katana away, effectively tossing his younger opponent away like a ragdoll.
Harlbarton reassume his battle pose once more as he held his sword high. Kira found himself getting more and more irritated. The Captain's pose seemingly showed many openings. He tried another attack, this time a stab right to the chest. The blade was blocked by Harlbarton's sword's wide surface. The Captain then skillfully bent his blade diagonally. Sparks lit up as Shiki grates the surface and throw its wielder off balance to the Swordsman side.
"Four!"
At this point, for the first time, Kira was frustrated he wasn't able to land a blow. His frustration resulted in a vicious, disoriented series of attacks. All aimed at the Captain, and every last one of them was blocked and repelled perfectly. Kira grew desperate. 'W… What the hell!? No matter where I attack him, he always managed to defend it… no matter where I attack, the result is the same… it's like…' Kira saw an image of a grand dome of iron wall enclosing Harlbarton's figure. 'Iron… Wall…" Lost in thought, Kira directed one final attack, a downward vertical slash towards the Captain's head. The Iron Wall blocked it and grinned at Kira.
"Five."
With a swing, Kira was tossed to the air. Just before he landed on the ground, Harlbarton was already in front of him and sent a stab with his giant sword. In reflex, Kira put Shiki in front of him. The blade hit Shiki's surface. When the two swords hit each other it was as if a sound of cannon exploded right on Kira's ears. As if it weren't enough, the force of the stab was enough to send him flying a few meters away.
Mwu shook his head. 'Oi, oi… Harl old man… were you pissed you got outdone by a kid in regard to your jutsu…?'
Harlbarton smiled kindly and return to his position again. "Alright. Back to one."
Kira quickly got up. However, to his surprise, his head start spinning and his vision getting blurry. 'W… what?' He fell to his knees, shivering. 'What happened?' He tried to get up, only to fell down to his knees again. "What happened?"
Mwu sighed. "Kid. Give it a rest, and take a breather. That's your brain screaming for some."
"What?"
"That attack… Stinger, that stab Harlbarton gave you? It was so friggin fast and powerful it drained all the air around you. Creating a vacuum that drained oxygen from your lungs. And then there's that sound which obviously messed up with your eardrums and by extension your balance. Take a few deep breaths now and you'll be back to normal."
"Just one stab and it did all that!?"
"Damn… I'm getting old… It so much less powerful than it used to be…"
Mwu sweat dropped. 'On second thought… maybe he was trying to kill him…'
"…maaa… I won't give a rest. You better hurry up and pick up your breath boy. One."
Kira gulped. And he tried, with all the strength his lung can muster, and absorb as much air as possible. By the time he managed to regain his footing again, the Captain had finished counting.
"Five." Harlbarton disappeared. And then Kira sensed something above him. He looked up and saw the old Captain had leapt on top of him and his sword came crashing down in a giant vertical overhead slash. Kicking his legs, the boy jumped away from the spot as the sword barely missed him by a hairbreadth. The moment the sword hit the floor, a small earthquake occurred and the ground shattered.
'Helm Breaker? Oi, oi… Old Chap-Harl!?'
"One…" Old-chap-Harl began his count again.
At this point, all the idea of attacking went out of the window. Kira fell to the ground, resigned to death, huffing and wheezing. Harlbarton sighed as he realized the boy had lost the will to fight back and so he approach the boy, all aggressive intent gone. "May I?"
The boy simply nodded and let Harlbarton took Shiki. The captain observed the sword, seemingly weighting it. "Phew… it's about the same as average Katana. But when it transformed into its bow form, it's weighted like about… twice the normal bow, courtesy of the blades embedded on it. And then you said it can transform into a skyscraper sized nodachi, you say?"
"Yeah… but I don't remember the weight."
"Don't remember?"
Mwu cleared his throat. "He got hit on the head by a fire maniac. Partial memory loss."
"Oh… but if it's as big as you said, my guess, it's at least heavier than my Gram." Harlbarton lifted his enormous zweihander. "Though personally, I doubt you can use those forms at your beck and call."
"…I don't know."
"A katana that can transform mid-battle in accordance to the user's needs. That katana is pretty much an ultimate weapon. A swordsman's dream. If you can use it."
"I don't think I could."
The old captain's response was a laugh. "Well, before you could even think of using its power, why don't you try using it as normal katana first?" Harlbarton tossed Kira the shiki. The boy flabbergasted when such a sharp object was being haphazardly (at least, from Kira's point of view) thrown at him. "O… Oi!"
"Let's start with the basics, shall we. First, the stance." Harlbarton positioned himself at such, so that his side faced Kira. "When you're in a fight, especially if you're an amateur, make sure you show your sides to the enemy."
"Sides?"
"Don't let them see too much of your chest area. There are too many important organs at stakes that way. You show your shoulder, that way your katana can also protect the rest of your body easier. Show me."
Kira nodded and get into the stance. He showed his side to Harlbarton. The captain nodded in approval.
"Alright." The Seventh Squad leader gets into his battle stance. He thrusts his chest forward while raise his swords upward. Kira frowned.
"Erhh… isn't that kinda… open?"
"Oh. Sorry. This is a different fighting style, reserved for experts. This stance is called De la Posta de Falconi. The Guard of the Hawk. It's used to deal with cavalries. But it can also be used to fight infantry as well. But this style is definitely not for you."
"Why?"
Harlbaton smirked and suddenly charged forward and sent a downward swing. Kira immediately blocked it, but the impact sent him flying. "That's why. You're too frail. This style can only be used when your physical strength is big and heavy enough to support the impact." The old man helped the boy back on his feet. "In your case, Kira-kun. 'Stand your ground', is not an option. Fleetness and speed; those are your instruments. Hit and run, dodge, parry, redirect, that's your music. Block, deflect, that's a big no-no for you. At least for now. How fast do you run?"
"I don't know. I never measure that."
The Captain nodded. "Alright. Mwu, if you please."
The younger captain stood about 37 meters (40 yards) or so from Harlbarton's spot.
"I want you to sprint, from here to there."
"O… Okay." And in three, two, one. The teen dashed as fast as he could. Result: 40 yards - 4.5 seconds.
"…" the two captains looked dumbly at the time.
"…was that good or bad?" Kira bent his head to the side.
"…Mwu." Harlbarton cleared his throat.
The younger of the two captains get into a start position: 40 yards – 0.01 seconds. Kira only saw the captain disappeared in a barely noticeable puff of smoke.
"I'll take that as mine is beneath the lowest average for Shinobis."
"Mwu. Do it, without your over-the-top Shunshin no jutsu (Body Flash) if you please?"
"Oh, sorry, force of habit." The second dash, 40 yard, 4 seconds. "Can't go slower than this."
"That's fine. Well you certainly are fast Kira-kun. It's just that, well, Mwu is just that kind of a speed-devil."
"But, Harl-old chap was right about one thing. If 4.5 is the best you can do, then it's not enough."
"I'm 4.2 seconds myself." Harl noted. "Where did you train to run like that anyway?"
"Back in the bar, I had to quickly serve the customers, running around the crowded table. It's quite a hard work. If I'm late by even one second…" At this, Kira stopped midway. The two captains were waiting for his answer. The boy started trembling after a few moments of silence. "If I'm late by even one second…" cold sweat flooded his entire figure and wet the ground.
"…we get the point." The two captains nodded in sympathy of the poor boy.
"In any case, we need to train your speed some more. I'll leave that to you Mwu. I'll handle the swordplay." Harlbarton concluded.
"Why me?"
"Excuse me? Who gave the lies that next to this boy, you're nothing but a sloth? If you really going to make those lies into a reality, than this boy need to be at least as fast as you."
Kira gulped.
"…okay. Kid, it's official. Looks like tomorrow our training will be intensified. We'll leave the matter of Jutsus later. We'll focus on your body, first."
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A few days later, back in the Zaft fleet, the messenger from the mainland for the Bladebanes army had just arrived.
Veia read and reread the message several times, and then handed it to the rest of the crew. Mikhail first, and then Yzak. As expected, Yzak exploded the moment he finished reading the letter. "ARE YOU KIDDING ME!? THIS IS OUR ORDER!?"
"It's not an order. It's a suggestion…" Veia turn his back to his subordinates, thinking of the meaning behind the letter Raww sent them. 'This is not exactly Raww's style… more like one of Athrun Zala's idea…'
The other knights had also read the letter, and began arguing amongst themselves. The argument stops when Veia turned his face toards them. "My knights. Tell me your opinion."
"I say we go straight on." Yzak exclaimed. "Charge from the front! Bombard them and blast the walls!"
"I say let's give this prescription a try." Mikhail raises his hand. "They say the best medicine is the bitter one. This medicine is indeed bitter, but in the end we'll get the results."
"I second that." Nichol raised his hand. "That giant is as smart as he is powerful. Even though now he guard the front wall, they can still move him to the back to support the rear."
Dearka next. "I'd say we go. But carefully. Our standing force is still outmatched them… in a way."
Veia voiced his opinion. "Personally, I feel we should go with this idea. The bladebanes are still in pretty sorry state. We're all morally, and physically unfit to even support the regular fleet. If we do this, we still get the chance to resupply and call in adequate reinforcements. And if this plan works, we may be able to do what many of our generals in the last 40 years wanted to do: to take down the Archangel Fortress. What say you?"
"I'm not going anywhere. I will stay with the regular fleet if I must!" The silver haired boy roared. "And I don't care if I don't get any credit for it." He removed the bandage on his face, showing his scar for everyone to see. "I'll bear this mark, as this will be last thing that bastard see when he dies by my hand."
Veia sighed at his protégé's temper. "Very well. But get a hold of yourself. Remember, the first phase is a diversion whilst the second phase, is infiltration and ambush. Which means some of you must indeed stay with the regular fleet. Any volunteers?"
Dearka and Yzak and several others raised their hands. Nichol however had a different opinion.
"I don't think that's a very good idea for Dearka-san and Yzak-san to go on that particular part of the plan." Nichol's comment earned him a glare from the two people mentioned. "Based on this strategy, the second phase needs to be discreet. The attack by regular fleet was only meant as a diversion. So I'm fine if we all go… but there's one utterly irreversible problem: Kage had seen your faces. If he recognizes any of you, the plan will fail."
Yzak and Dearka opened their mouth to retort that statement, but they have to accept the bitter truth.
Veia nodded. "Then, you go, Amarfi. I understand that your weapon, the Blitz gauntlet and greaves were made just for this purpose."
Nichol nodded.
"And then Mikhail. How about you?"
"I will do it. I'll atone for my failure with this mission."
"It's decided. Anybody else?"
A few of what's left of Mikhail's Bladebanes forces raised their hands. 5 people volunteered.
"Good." Veia nodded. He walked out of his quarter and announced the decision. "Ready the stoves! Feed them well, we'll rest early tonight. Tomorrow morning we're going on full charge!"
00000000000000
The next day
In the last few days, Kira has been sparring with Mwu and Harlbarton. He had to fight them at least 5 times a day, each fight he had to last at least 2 hours. Kira find himself surprised that he somehow got used with all that up to the point he actually managed to last about 1 and a half hours against Mwu the last time they spar.
And now…
"Erm, Mwu-san?"
"Yeah?"
"Errh… not that I don't appreciate what you did… but if my memory serves, officially you are Tolle's private teacher are you not?"
Mwu blinked. "Oh. Right."
Kira sighed. "I suggest you go and drill them as well. If they're going to fight for their lives they'll need as much training as I do."
"The kid got a point." Harlbarton noted. "I'll take over Mwu."
Mwu nodded. "Yeah. You're right. I'm sorry. I got… over excited with you. Right. Before I go and start beating the crap out of your friends, I'd like to teach you one more trick. It's called Shunshin no Jutsu."
"Shunshin (Body Flicker). You're gonna teach me that zap movement technique?"
"It's the fastest way to achieve the fastest speed given our currently rapidly decreasing time. And besides, that's the abc of academy students."
"Plus, you don't need cardinal seals to make it work. All you have to do is to gather chakra into your feet." Harlbarton added.
"How do I do that?" Kira almost slap himself silly when he realized he already know how.
"Well you just concentrate and made eight seals-"
Kira made one tiger and snake seal: one for power generation other for power circulation. His feet began to glow. "There you have it. What's next?"
Mwu stared for one second and then cleared his throat. "That's too soon. And too little."
"What?"
"Here, let me show you." Mwu get into a sprint start position. He placed his left foot in ahead of his right. Copying Kira's technique, with differing sequence: he used snake seal first and then the tiger seal. But unlike Kira, his feet didn't glow right away. "You look at my feet. There's nothing in there, right? But actually, in the inside, I'm building up some chakra."
Kira nodded. Kinda dumbly since he had no idea what he should be paying attention to.
"Watch." Mwu took a deep breath, and then, for half an instant, Kira saw the Captain's legs were enveloped by a luminescent shroud of chakra. He couldn't see more though, as the next half a second, the Captain vanished without a trace but a puff of smoke. He reappeared a couple meters away from the spot, not a faint trace of sweat from a man who just 'sprinted' 50 yards in less than 0.05 seconds.
Kira's eyes were the size of a teacup.
"Now you try."
"How?"
"Just like before, use the snake seal to direct the chakra to your legs, and then use the Tiger seal to regulate the amount of power. The more chakra you spent, the longer the range. You gather the chakra in your legs, but hold it inside. Once you built enough chakra, unleash it all at once."
"Okay. I'm circulating…" Kira made a snake seal. "And now, I'm gathering."
"The basic concept is not that hard really. You just have to control the amount of chakra so that you can time your 'entry' and 'exit' properly. At the moment of 'entry' you let go that chakra in your legs as you kicked the ground, creating some sort of explosive discharge-hence the puff of smoke-that propels you forward. 'Exit' is when the momentum is lost and so you're back to normal speed. Just try it."
Kira get into a starting position. He made a snake seal, circulating his then Tiger seal generated chakra unto his legs. 'Hold it… hold it… hold it…' He remained so for 2 seconds, and then. "NOW!" The boy leave a puff of smoke, but he only jumped (not disappearing) like Mwu did.
"Too soon. Gather more chakra! If there's not enough chakra it won't be able to propel your entire weight!"
"More chakra… and take my weight into consideration…" This time, Kira gather more chakra. It took him longer, around 5 seconds. And then. "Tally ho!"
He disappeared in a puff of smoke followed with a LOUD sickening WHAM. The two Jounins looked at the direction of the sound. Kira splattered on the cracking crater on a wall.
"Kid? You okay?" Mwu pulled the poor boy off the wall, a nice cracking imprint of his silhouette adorned the spot.
"W…where's t-that…T-truck that j-just h-hit me?"
"What's a truck?" Mwu looked at the equally bewildered Harlbarton. (AN: remember, at the time there were no such thing as cars, let alone trucks.)
"I don't know. He's probably delirious, hitting a few tons of concrete limestone; it drives one to the edge."
"Anyway, what you just did were common mistakes often done by beginners. It's not that you've done awful or anything."
"It sure felt awful." Kira groaned, his eyes still spinning and bells tolling on his head. On second observation, literally, the bell did toll. The bell on one of the guard towers on the dock to be exact.
"What was that? Lunch time already?"
"No… alarm! We're under-"
At that precise moment, an explosion went out on one of the towers, tossing the poor soldier to the cliff below.
"-attack. ALL MEN SORTIE!! TO YOUR STATIONS!!" The old captain yelled loud enough the blow away the last traces of the tolling bells in Kira's heads. The boy was quick enough to put on his disguise and become Kage once more. He grabbed Shiki and took a sprint to the cannon barraged walls, just as hundreds more of the soldiers headed towards the rear dock walls. 'What… what are they… doing!? Those are front wall soldiers…!?'
Inside the rear wall, Murrue had already taken charge of the artillery. She took one look through one of the cannon holes while the artillery itself was being loaded. 'Tristan cannons. No Isolde long range in sight… They intend to bombard us as a cover for their close range troops… that's suicide!' "ALL GOTTFRIEDS READY!"
Within moments, dozens of those cannons sprout out from the holes. "Right. Lower rows; get the cannons 15 degrees elevation. Second row, 13.5 degrees. Third row, 10 degrees. Tell them to shoot in a cycle. Lower level will shoot first, and followed by the second, and finally top. The other two floors must reload and aim, while the other fires. That should give us a continuous barrage. GO!"
The cannoners did as they're told. Once every cannon had been set at such, Murrue roared: "FIRST ROW! FIRE!"
The first rows, the lowest of the three rows fired simultaneously. "Ok, first row! Reload! Second row! FIRE!" the second row did so. "First row! Aim! Second row! Reload! Third row! FIRE!" and so forth. It's a cycle: one row fire, the other row reload, the other row aim. A continuous barrage of cannons.
Back to the Zaft Carpentaria fleet…
The continuous barrage was certainly devastating at least. Veia frowned as he took another look at his binocular; a cannon fire just missed his helmet by a tiny margin. "One shoots, the other reloads, the other aims… what's more, those cannons were set with elevation just right to outrange our Tristan. The captain knew what he/she was doing." Veia take another look at the letters, Athrun's detailed plan written herein.
----A few days back before the letter was even sent----
"After a few days, the soldiers in the fortress will definitely relax their guard on the front wall. What's with that giant taking care of the defense there; not one sane mind would even think of going from there." Athrun draw a sketch of Archangel's fortress from above. "They'll worry only about the rear wall. They'll focus their defenses on the rear. And that Kage would probably be placed on the rear as well. So it seems, massive charge from the dock is nothing but suicide as is to the front."
----------------------
"Alright! As planned! Launch those boats!"
----------------------
"Since they're not expecting to attack, that's why we're going to do it-"
"They'll be cannon fodders."
"No. They won't. Let me finish."
----------------------
The fleet and the rear walls traded cannon fire at a fierce rate.
"Remember to put those straw dolls."
"Send them away!" The ships unleashed dozens of small boats, each carrying a number of straw dolls dressed like knights. The real soldiers didn't wear any, but they take cover under the holds as they help firing the cannons.
At a distance, everyone thought they really sent their troops at them. Murrue immediately yelled an order: "Cannons at the left wing aimed at the boats, the remaining concentrate your fire on those frigates! Aim well!"
"We've brought some cannons and ammos from the front wall!" Natarle reported.
"Put them on the top! They're shelling us back just as fierce and we're losing cannons at this rate!" Just then, a cannon right next to Murrue got shot through the hole.
Fuji looked nervously as he saw the rear wall giving it their all. Just then, he heard cannon sounded from his back. He turned around just in time as another explosion landed next to his ears. He looked to his back and saw to his horror: some knights had set up a series of enormous three barreled cannons. Not as big as the gargantuan Lohengrin but big nonetheless.
In the forest, Mikhail sighed. 'Well… that was quite a work, moving this large surgery equipment into place… but we somehow made it.' "FIRE!"
The cannons simultaneously began shelling the front wall.
"WE GOT COMPANY!" Fuji's roar can be heard throughout the forest. Using his giant sword as a shield, Fuji defended the wall he nearly destroyed just a few days ago.
----------------------
"One squad of the Bladebanes, or what's left of it, will go to the front, and brought some Isolde long range bombardment. We'll shell the front wall, along with the giant."
"One shot of Lohengrin will clear them out."
"That's the idea. But how long will that take, with the whole bunch of squads at the rear?"
----------------------
The soldiers who just went to the rear were quite shocked as well. They were a bit confused for a moment and then start running haphazardly back at their post on the front wall.
"A two pronged attack…!? Natarle! Go to the front, I got this!"
The lieutenant nodded and hurried back. But when the soldiers were only halfway through the large fortress, a loud explosion from one of the Archangel's Lohengrin cannons exploded. The bullet tear through the forest and smashed several Isolde in one go.
"W… what… who was on front wall?"
"Only the giant I think…"
----------------------
"What if they already knew that there will be a two pronged attack?"
"Doesn't matter, I'm expecting someone would notice that. People like Mwu or Harlbarton should be able to see through that. Regardless, they will have to spread their forces on both sides again."
----------------------
Kage coughed though his mask as the steam from the cannons filled the targeting room. "Someone ought to deal with the ventilation problem…"
"No time. Get to the other cannon! And fast!" Harlbarton roared.
"But I haven't finished fixing the targeting axis yet!" Murdock complained.
"I got an idea."
Murdock, Kage, Mwu, and Harlbarton quickly moved to the second cannon. "Kage! Get to the targeting room! We'll load the bullets!" Mwu began unscrewing the hatch to Lohengrin's bullet loaders.
"Aye!" Kage rushed to the targeting room. He saw a window and yelled through it. "FUJI!"
"Kage-san?"
"The Lohengrin's targeting axis is damaged! Aim the cannon for me if you please!"
"Got it!" The giant shouldered the enormous cannon like a bazooka. With his strength he slowly aimed the cannon per Kage's instruction. "Hold it… hold it… just a bit lower… right… right… left! Just a bit left!"
"KIRA! Cannon's cock lock ready to rock!" Mwu yelled.
"Alright! I had them on my crosser… close your ears Fuji!"
Mikhail paled as he looked at the sight of the cannon aiming straight at his forces. "Oh… my…"
The second incredibly loud explosion roared again for the day. It decimated most of the Isolde cannons, ending its threat.
----------------------
"Now, by this time, the cannons will be out of commission and most of the Allied soldiers would've arrived. BUT! By that time, most of the ammunition of the front wall would've been moved to the rear."
----------------------
"Captain! We're here!"
"Get those cannons loaded and GET TO IT!"
Kage looked at the battlefield and realized a big problem. Namely, Fuji.
----------------------
"Fuji is their blind spot?"
"Well, I'm betting on that one. If Fuji is as big as they say, his size would unable them to fire their cannons, lest they'll be shooting at him."
"Assuming they wouldn't care-less?"
"Doesn't matter, Fuji's size will provide cover for our troops whether he likes it or not. They will have to choose: Fuji, or cannons."
"What would they choose?"
"If the Lohengrin managed to take down all the Isoldes, Fuji. And that's when the Bladebanes, my guess will be lead by Mikhail, will have to retreat."
----------------------
"We can't shoot the Gottfrieds with Fuji in the way!" Kage roared.
"No we cannot. Fuji! Can you chase them?"
"Not in that forest. Too many places for them to hide… to small for my eyes to follow." Fuji groaned.
"Then hop back in! You're no use there."
"Sorry." Fuji grab hold the edges of the wall… and HOP back inside, creating a tremor throughout the fort causing some soldiers to fell on all fours. "Sorry again, my bad."
"Not exactly what I had in mind when I told him to hop back in…" Harlbarton was still a bit disoriented from the tremor. "CANNONS!"
----------------------
"Harlbarton always said that the vast forest had always been Archangel second wall." Raww nodded. "I guess at times… it can work to our favor."
"That's why we never consider the idea of burning it." Athrun nodded. "It's too big… and we too gained too much from that forest. Every time we launched an expedition to that forest, it was so vast, we never been able to mount an adequate supply to get across it. Its resources help us greatly in that respect."
"But if they are in the cover of the forest, now that Fuji is no longer a threat, their cannons will not be brought to bear."
"True, and Harlbarton knows only to well, that we will counter with long range."
----------------------
Arrows and projectiles rain out of the forest just as battalions of Knights using their shield in a turtle like formation rushed out of the forest.
"GOTTFRIEDS! FIRE!!"
Unfortunately, because some of the cannons had been moved to the rear, the barrage was less devastating than it should have. What's with the archers were under the protection of the forest' trees. The knights managed to get to the bottom of the walls.
"ARCHERS!!" Mwu roared another order and the soldiers armed themselves with bows and arrows. He turned to Kage. "You know, we could use those Green death arrows of yours."
"If only I knew how… wait… I do." Kage hold the katana in his right hand… "Erm… Shoot Through Hell, Midoshiki."
The katana sparkle in green light and then turn into a hue of bluish green… and then it turned into a giant blade-less handgrip of the AoiroShiki. "…what? This is not a bow?"
"It's the blue blade… it can extend so long it can cleave the sky… it's the AoiroShiki. It's pretty useful but…" Mwu frowned. "Aren't that guy has a rather different activation phrase?"
"I don't know…" Kage scratched his head. "If it's as long as you said… then maybe I can…" Kage lifted the bladeless handle and swing it downward. "Nothing happened."
----------------------
"But of course we all know, even if Kage interferes, Harlbarton would still win. Even with forces attacking from water and land."
"Then what's the point of mounting these two pronged attack? So much resources?"
"To make them convinced that we gave it all. AND to waste their ammos."
----------------------
At the rear, Murrue start noticing that the frigates have yet to run out of soldiers. And then what's with this news that several battalions of Knights charged from the front. 'That's odd… how come they haven't run out of soldiers yet?' She looked through the binoculars and noticed that there were only straw dolls floating from the shot remnants of the ships. "Straw dolls!? We've been wasting our ammos on straw doll loaded carriers!?"
At the front wall, the whole bulk of the knights came pouring in. The knights, 4 in group, brought a 10 feet long ladder. They slowly put the pieces of the ladder together, and soon, a tall ladder covered the entire wall. "Raise the ladder!" Some large knights grab hold enormous bows and shot equally enormous arrows with it, tied to a strong chain. One of the arrows went through a soldier and anchored on the fortress' wall. "PULL!!" A dozen knights grab hold the opposite end of the chain and start pulling the ladder up.
"Shoot them! Bring the ladder down! BRING IT DOWN!"
The cannoners in the wall readjust their cannon to target the enormous ladder. A few shots managed to topple the ladder, sent it falling towards scores of knights below. But there are a few more of such ladders and they are fast approaching.
----------------------
"Now, by this time, they will all assume that the attack on the rear docks are just diversion and the front is the real deal… that's why we'll hit them from BOTH direction."
"But aren't that mean we're spreading our forces too thin?"
"I never intended for this attack to succeed anyway. If either one of the invading forces is pushed back, tell them it's a sign of full retreat. Then we can move to the second phase."
----------------------
The frequency of cannon fire had decreased significantly. Murrue had realized (or at least, she thought she did) that she was attacking duds. This was a sign for Veia to make the kill. "Carriers on ready, REAL ones this time, mixed with duds!" Three battalions of knights were loaded on three carriers and sent afloat with 6 other duds.
"Ma'am! They say the front wall got hit hard! Should we go there?"
"Some of you should… but the rest stay and shoot those ships down."
"But, you just said so yourself we were shooting straw doll carrier!"
"And when you think like that, they'll be sending REAL ONES now! READY ON THE GUNS! We only have little ammo now so make them count! FIRE!"
And the cannon barrage continues.
At the front the battle rages. Some ladders managed to latch on the wall and knights climbing in from there. The soldiers quickly rushed to that spot and the battle began. Kage too, even though he had no idea how to use Aoiro Shiki, he decided that the long weapon can work well as a whacking stick. A knight just jumped out of the ladder right in front of him. Kage instinctively thrust the 'stick' forward and hit him on his groin. The knight fell down, hitting his comrades down below. Another rose up from another ladder. Kage attempted to whack the soldier again when sparks lit up from the Aoiro shiki and then it changed to Midoshiki. "Oh, now you turn into bow and arrows."
With the right weapon in hand, Kage took aim at the base of a ladder that was being pulled up. He let the arrow go, the projectile destroyed the ladder, sending it falling towards the hapless scores of soldiers down below.
Based on strength and number, the knights and the soldiers are on even grounds. Or were, since the sight of Kage and his death green arrow is practically a nightmarish visage of hell for them. Four knights charged at Kage. The nin realized he couldn't use his arrow in the midst of crowded battle like this. So he had to resort to using the blades on his bow. Just then, a blade came crashing down to his head. Instinctively, the ninja blocked the attack. The blade forces him to fell on one of his knees.
Kage grunted under the weight as he remembered what Harlbarton said. 'Blocking and parrying is not my thing… so I have to dodge… dodge where!?' He tossed the sword away and then suddenly the bow sparks again. 'W… what now?' When the sparks ended, the bow turned back to a katana. "Well… thanks… I do need a Katana…" The knights were a bit confused when they saw a large bow turned into a katana but got over it quickly. They charged again. This time, Kage knew better than to take them down head on. The first knight came close and he quickly dodged to the side, scoring a slash on the knight's shoulder. The second came and Kage ducked just in time. At the same time, he sent a spinning kick at the second knight, knocking him down. As the opponent fell, the Shiki stabbed forward and the man's own weight drove the blade through his chest, right on his heart. The ninja quickly pulled the bloody blade out as the other two came at him. The first knight rushed his back. Kage quickly stabbed his katana to his back, scoring a lethal hit on the knight's stomach. He tried to pull it out, but the dying knight grabbed hold of his shoulder.
The other two came charging at him, attempting to seize the chance. Kage quickly cracked the first knight's wrist and took the man's sword. He threw the sword at the charging knights, nailing one of them dead in his head. The other one simply got angrier now that three of them were dead. Kage tried to pull out his katana but the knight on his back just won't budge, and the nin was simply running out of time and patience. "Grrrrrh!" He grabbed the knight's neck, tightened his grip on the stuck Shiki… and lifted the impaled knight off the ground. The charging knight was a bit taken back when he saw the black clad small figure lifted a man a few times his own size. Before he can think on what's next, Kage tossed the knight, along with his sword at the fourth knight. Now that it's his turn to charge back. He rushed towards the downed knight to see he no longer have to finish the job, the katana had gored the last knight as well. "Okay. Good." Kage blinked. "Wait… Good!?" He looked at his hands. 'S…since when I said… good!? I just KILLED 4 people! THAT'S NOT GOOD... right?'
And then, just suddenly, his world went blank. Soldiers and knights were gnashing teeth, punching, screaming, and sword clashing and rending human flesh. All the voice went numb for him.
"They say: killing depends on how often you do it. The more you do it, the more you get used to it."
He looked at both of his hands… they're no longer trembling. He had done it. He no longer scared of taking life. He's used to become a harbinger of death now. He was so lost in his world; he forgot to mind his surroundings. Just then, a knight came charging from his back and was about to land a strike… that was until a sword went through his neck, beheading him while he stand. Kage blinked several times when he saw the headless knight. He looked at the sword and then to his savior, Harlbarton. "What are you doing child!? The enemy's coming!"
Kage blinked.
"Come on! We have to fight! They still more of them coming!"
The ninja looked around and then he saw Tolle, Milly, and Sai rose up from the stairs. Panting. The sight of his friends threw away all his feelings of self guilt, temporarily. "Guys!"
"Kage-san!" Tolle waved. Just then a knight was about cut him to two. Kage quickly threw his katana at the attacker, scoring a hit on the knight's neck. The blood unfortunately, splattered allover his friends, shocking them all. Kage quickly ran towards them. "Are you okay?"
"B… Blood… s… so much…" They were obviously just as terrified as they were confused.
"It's pretty chaotic out here. Why are you here?"
"We're here to help! And then… to make a report too!"
"What report?" Harlbarton perked up.
"The rear wall is under attack!"
"What!? But I thought they were concentrating on the front wall!"
"Three battalions came but…"
At the rear wall…
Thanks to Murrue's instruction, the remaining rear defense made a short work on the dummy ships. But when they attempt to deal with the real ones, it seems the real ones were loaded with their aces as well. Their cannonballs were all shot down by one Dearka Elthman from one of the carriers, and now giant swirling water burst out from the middle of the sea.
Standing on the roof of the rear wall, Murrue Ramias stared at large swirling water burst out from one of the dummy ship she shot down. The swirl came crashing at the wall. From it, Yzak Joule appeared. "Kage wa dokoda!?"
Murrue readied her spear. Not sure what to answer because, truth is, she doesn't know what to say either. She lost track on where Kage is since the beginning of this battle.
"TEME, KAGE WA DOKODA!?"
"I don't know. And it's not like you'll be seeing him soon at the rate you guys pounding us."
Yzak simply got angrier. "DON'T JOKE WITH ME! Or you're telling me he's gone!? Before I could even return this favor!?" Yzak pointed at the scar on his face.
"Are you a narcist or something? You're a soldier! Getting scarred is inevitable." Murrue shook her head.
"SHUT UP!" The knight lunged forward, Ryujinzan came crashing down. Murrue blocked the attack, but the pressure sank her feet. With strength so unlike her thin figure, the captain smashed the knight back where he stood. Just when Yzak regained his footing, Murrue dashed right in front of him and sent a stab that narrowly missed his heart. The captain followed with a side sweep and the water knight hurriedly back away, lest the spear would've cleaved him clean to two. The boy immediately rushed forward, trying to seize the chance when the spear was still in motion. Instead, the butt of the spear, which thankfully weren't sharp, knocked the air out of his lung when it smashed his chest. 'She's… she's a pro with that goddamn spear!'
Murrue elegantly spun her Iron Maiden spear around her figure and take her turn on performing attacks after attacks. Yzak was at an overwhelming disadvantage given the fact that the spear simply outranged his sword. What's more, each hit delivered has quite a strength packed in it. Murrue continued to press her advantage when suddenly something blocked her spear midair. The captain looked at her spear, it was hanged midair. She immediately figured out the culprit. She added an extra force to her spear, and it smashed Nichol out of his camouflage.
"Nichol! You butt out of this!"
"But! Yzak-san! You can't fight a spear like that with a sword! Let's leave this to Dearka-san and do our job!"
"Does she look like she'll let me, you airhead!?"
As if answering his question, a barrage of bullets rained upon Murrue. The captain managed to block all the bullets but grunted at the shooter: a smirking Dearka.
"YZAK! I'll handle this one! You go ahead and get your date with that masked guy over with!"
Yzak grunted and moved away, searching for his masked prey, just then, soldiers start pouring out from the walls, blocking the knights. Dearka readied his guns as he looked at the rowers on his boat. "Keep at it. I'll handle any bullets coming our way. Ready the assault tower!"
As the carrier ship grew closer, a tall tower like structure began to rise from the middle of the ship. Soon, it was as tall as the tower itself and knights boarded the tower, ready to assault the dock walls.
Meanwhile at the front wall…
"NUUUOOOOOOOOOOOOH!" Fuji hurled a large chunk of fortress debris into the enemy. The knights ran off panic when the hunk of stone came their way, fast. Several dozen were squeezed to death by the falling rock.
Harlbarton, Mwu, Natarle, Kage, and his gang, aided by the soldiers began to push the knights back. Harlbarton realized the battle in the front wall is theirs with Fuji aiding them, whilst the rear wall was pretty much undermanned. "Mwu! Get some men and get to the rear wall! Help them!"
"I got it. Kage! Come with me!" Mwu splintered a knight's arm and slam him, head first to the ground.
"Got it! You three, stay with Harlbarton and do as he says! Got it!?" Kage cut a knight's leg and then proceed to stab him on the gut.
"Got it! Go!" Sai nodded. He grabbed a knight who nearly stabbed him and managed to slam him to the ground.
"It'll take us some time to get to the rear wall on foot though…" Kage looked at the rear wall, so far behind.
"Who says anything about on foot you fool! We'll fly!"
"What?" Kage looked at the captain as if he was crazy. "Fly? How?"
"Shunshin! We'll use that jutsu to 'fly' from here to there in one go! We'll just have to gather enough chakra and then fly we go!" Mwu's smile scares him. It's the look of a man that will really gonna do it.
"I can't! You remember what happened. I'll go so fast I couldn't stop myself and I hit the wall! Sure now it's different there's nothing to stop me. But if I jumped too low I'll fall down there! It's ten stories and it won't end with just a broken bone or two!"
"KID!" Mwu grabbed both of his shoulders and looked at him in the eye. "DON'T think. Just do! Us Men just shut up and let our actions do the talking!"
"I…" A part of his heart agreed with a little something in what Mwu said. It was clearly shown in his eyes as apparently Mwu saw it as well.
"A tip: follow your instincts. I'll go first. Take your time-but not too much-and then catch up, okay?" Mwu get into a starting position… and then disappeared in a puff. At the rear wall, Mwu reappeared on the roof of the dock wall, which has become somewhat of a battleground between soldiers and a handful of elemental knights. He landed just a few short centimeters from the edge of the inner wall. "Mwu La Flagga, Nanabantai Taichou! Arrived!!"
Murrue gasped at the sudden appearance of the reckless captain. 'Did he just… shunshin from front wall to rear wall!?'
Kage gulped. The guy really did it. More and more part of his heart wanting to try what the man just did.
Mwu grinned. Yzak killed another soldier and went straight at Mwu. The eagle draw out his kodachi in time and the two weapons clashed.
"Kage wa dokoda!?" Yzak snarled.
"He'll come!" Mwu replied calmly. "He's been itchin to carve another memento on your face."
Having someone mentioned the mark of shame on his face drove Yzak patience way past its limit. "RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Going into berserk, he sent a furious series of slashes at the captain. Even Mwu found himself in quite a pinch. Just then, one ship managed to get past the barrage of cannons and the siege tower unlatched its bridge. Knights pouring out into the wall. The man-to-man combat between the soldiers and the knights finally broke out. The top of the rear wall is now officially a battleground.
Dearka burst out from the midst of knights, welcomed by Murrue's spear.
At the front wall, Kage gathered every bit of his courage and also get into a starting position; he took a few steps back. Fuji realized what he was trying to do. "You know… if you don't want to I could lift you from here to there!"
"Your strength is needed here." Kage took a deep breath and gather as much chakra as necessary. "Well… let's put it this way, even if I did fall down, there's a chance I will fall unto the rooftops… If that happens all I get is a few broken bones and I can heal quite fast… so." With that, Kage dashed to the edge of the wall.
Sai who looked at the ninja running to the edge of the wall thought he had lost it. "O…Oi! What are you doing!?"
"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" At the last second, the young ninja discharged the chakra on his last step, and the next thing happened, he disappeared in a puff of smoke, much to Sai's and Fuji's shock.
"WHUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!! AS EXPECTED THIS IS WAY TOO RECKLESS!!" The rear wall is fast approaching. And then Kage suddenly realized his current trajectory and where he headed.
Yzak had just lifted his sword and was about to sent the umpteenth slash on Mwu when suddenly; upon bringing his sword down, something incredibly hard and FAST hit his sword, giving his hand Goosebumps. A loud sound of metal hitting metal echoed and stopped the fighting atop the wall. 'W…what was that?" he looked to the sky and saw a black figure like a living shadow blurred above him and landed at the outer edge of the rear wall. The katana on his hand shines underneath the sun. The knights were terrified at the sight of the ghastly black figure. The alliance soldier on the other hand. A few seconds of silence, and someone turned the volume back up. They all cheered at their hero.
Mwu gave a small laugh. 'That's one heck of flashy entrance but… it does the job.'
Yzak gritted his teeth at his bleeding hand. Even worse, the sound of that incredibly strong impact had left him half deaf. 'Then again… he and I were also in the noise area… he should at least suffer the same damage.'
For Kage, perhaps for the first time in his life, he was really, REALLY GLAD that Yzak was there. If he hadn't pull out Shiki and smashed Yzak's sword with it, he might've landed somewhere in the ocean below. The impact managed to rapidly slow down his 'exit' thought there's still enough momentum to send him flying. Fortunately, he landed on the outer edge of the wall. And as Yzak suspected, his ears were a bit deaf and his arm hurts from that incredibly strong impact. However, he knew he had no time to heal it. As expected, Yzak charged at him again, ignoring even Mwu. The ninja jumped over him as the knight get a roundhouse slash to his leg. Upon landing, Kage quickly reassemble his stance and sent an overhead slash. Yzak blocked the slash and surprised when he had to struggle a bit under the weight of the attack. "W…what?"
Kage quickly sent a knee to his unprotected neck, earning a muffled choke, pushing the Knight back. Yzak quickly put some distance and back to his stance. But he was taken by surprise when Kage appeared on his face. A wide vertical slash slashed his armor, leaving a deep cut, exposing a bit of his chest. Before Yzak can set more distance between them, Kage kicked him on the chest, pushing him back. He looked at Kage incredulously. 'W…what? It was only a few days since the last time I saw him and now… he's like a different person!'
The same thought also runs on Veia's mind. 'He's different from the one I saw in the forest. There's almost no fear in his moves. And that stance, showing only his side to the enemy, leaving very little to no opening. He's getting stronger by leaps and bounds.' "How will you fight this, Yzak?"
Nichol contemplated on what he should do: go and help Yzak fight Kage or- Mwu made the decision for him when he threw a shuriken barely missing his face.
"Sorry kid, your partner is me."
Nichol grunted and quickly disappear. Much to his surprise, Mwu disappeared in a puff at the same instant and suddenly, the man smashed his kodachi on his gauntlet.
"Murrue told me about you being an Amarfi. That's fine with me. I'm ready to test my Shunshin with your Ultrasonic feet anytime."
"Fine." Nichol grunted and smashed Mwu's Kodachi away. The two then disappeared and within moments they've exchanged dozens of blows in a high speed combat.
At the front, one by one Fuji unhooked the ladders from the Archangel Walls, sending them falling to the knights below. With one huge swing, Harlbarton sent at least a dozen knights off the wall, plummeting to their doom, ten stories below.
Meanwhile, the Lohengrin has cooled down. Within moments, the soldiers had reloaded the great cannon. Murdock yelled the word: "LOHENGRIN! FIRE!" The giant cannon exploded for the third time that day, obliterating what's left of the knights to bloody pulp. At this point, the soldiers at the front can no longer fight back.
"RETREAT! RETREAT!" The knights quickly fall back in an orderly manner. One of the knights blew a horn to the sky, giving the sign of retreat.
Harlbarton allow himself one sigh of relief before reasserting himself. "Men! Go back to the rear wall! Give them some help!"
At the sea, Veia noticed the arrow. "I see… so the front battalion got crushed first. Send the sign. Full retreat."
A knight grabbed a horn and blew it as hard as he could. One long, one short, one long and so forth. One of the knights fighting on the Dock walls heard the horn. "The horn marking the end of battle… We must retreat!"
The knights also hear the call and stopped fighting. Everyone quickly rushed back to the siege tower into their ship. Mwu and Nichol reappeared after a series of highspeed combat. Both of theirs clothes were covered in cuts. "The horn of surrender. (pant) This battle (pant) is yours. It's an honor to cross sword with you, Eagle of Endiminion." Nichol saluted the ninja and disappeared.
"You're no slouch yourself kid." Mwu smirked, sheathing his Kodachi.
Meanwhile, Dearka just blocked Murrue's slash when he heard the horn call. "Aw man. Can't play no more. Sorry." He turned to Yzak, and wasn't surprised when the silver haired boy was still deadlocked in a heated combat with Kage.
"RAAAAAH!" The water knight repeatedly stabbed Kage. The ninja barely dodged the attack in paper thin margin and quickly returned the favor with a vertical slash, bottom to top. Had it not for the new helmet, it would've cleaved Yzak's chin to two. The slash smashed the helmet away though.
Kage charged forward, sending a series of furious slashes. If in their previous fight it was Kage who got pressed by Yzak's attacks, now it's the knight's turn to taste his own medicine. Slash, slash, stab, stab, slash, slash, slash, and finally a powerful overhead slash ended the combo, hitting the trident sword hard. Throwing the knight somewhat off balance. Yzak quickly regained his footing and charged forward with an angry roar. Kage also readied his katana and charged.
"SOKO MADE-DA!" A swirl of water got in their way. One long serrated nodachi blocked Kage's Shiki, whilst a Katana blocked Yzak's trident sword at its fork. Goud Veia had decided to intervene at last.
Kage jerked from his rush. The adrenaline pump had made him forgotten his surroundings. He looked at the long katana and then to its wielder. A samurai wearing an Antler horn Kabuto.
Yzak too broke out from his rage and blinked several times, recognizing his master. "Master Veia!"
"Enough Yzak! The Horn of surrender has been sounded. No more blood is to be spilled, as is the tradition."
"Yes I know that. But… No! I cannot let it end like this! Please Master, allow me to finish this duel!"
Veia sighed, batted a finger and flicked Yzak's forehead. "Baka! The result has been proven. Look at your swords!"
"Swords?" the two echoed. Kage looked at Shiki. It was gleaming beautifully, as if it enjoyed the heated duel with the water knight. Yzak's Ryujinzan wasn't in such good state though.
A crack appeared on the sword and parts of the blade were chipped off. "W… what?"
"A few more… no, one more hit and you'll lose your weapon. And then it won't be a battle… it's be sheer murder for you. Retreat and live to fight another day."
Yzak gritted his teeth in fury. He glared at Kage, who returned the favor. He reluctantly returned to the tower and go back to his ship. Veia turned to the soldiers at the walls. He sheathed his swords. "Let it be no more blood. This victory is yours to enjoy." He turned to Kage and chuckled. "In just a few short days, you've gone a long way from a boy who ran away from four petty knights into a deadly foe to be reckoned with."
Kage's eyes widened. He instantly recognized the man behind the helmet. Everything Yzak said was beginning to make sense now.
"I wonder what you'll become, given the time. That'll be a moment worth waiting for." After a short chuckle, he disappeared in a swirl of water. What's left of the ships below also began to sail away.
"K…kage-sama… d… did you ever met Goud Veia before?" One of the baffled soldiers dared to ask.
"Once." Kage answered shortly. "Some time ago." He sheathed Shiki back in its place. He grunted when the pain rushed the senses in his right arm. He must've broken a bone or two during that initial impact.
Mwu took a deep breath and exhaled. Just then, Harlbarton, Natarle, Kira's gang and even Fuji arrived at the rear wall. "Where did they go?"
"They're in full retreat." Mwu reported. "What of the enemy at the front?"
"Same."
"Same. That's good. That's good…" Mwu looked at the fortress. It was in pretty much a poor state. "So we won. Yet…at what cost?"
A soldier looked at the sea and saw that the other ships, even the flagships, were in full retreat. "Hey look! They're retreating! It's over! We won! WE WON!" The soldiers allover the fortress cheered as loud as their dry throats allow them to. The sun began to set on the west. They've been battling the enemy since late morning and now it's evening. Soldiers hugged and cheered happy to be alive. Fuji smiled seeing people dancing and laughing merrily. The only ones didn't celebrate are Mwu, Kage, Harlbarton and the rest of the ranking officers.
"Somehow… as bad as it has been… I had feeling it ain't over yet." Murrue rested on her spear. Smashing and dodging bullets shot at her by one particular trigger happy knight is quite tiring.
"Worse still, my hunch keeps telling me… the worse is coming." Kage pants and wheezes, holding his aching right arm.
"And you know what I've learned kid? Your hunch is usually right." Mwu sighed.
Regardless, the Alliance soldiers have won the day and earned their rest. Little did they know, what had transpired today was all part of the plan of a certain former knight in prison.
And that the Knight, imprisoned as he may, had already proceeded to the next phase.
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Till the next chapter…
