Chapter 24

I roared, my slash being deflected by the massive ghost demon, which wielded a large sword.

"Hah!" shouted Jake, lunging at me. I used Defensive Reversal to block and force him back. "That all you got?!"

"Hah!" I used Whip Slash to strike at the foe, but his ghost demon deflected it again, and he lunged as I staggered. "UGH!"

His spear sunk into me, and he forced me back. "C'mon, loser. Struggling to keep up time yet?"

I groaned, and used Aura Wave to send shockwaves at him. Jake dodged, and the ghost demon slashed at me. "Crap!" I cursed, rolling away from the attack. He's...!

"EAT THIS!" He thrust his spear's tip at my mouth, and I used my free left hand to grab it. "You...!"

"I'M NOT DONE YET!" I roared, using Stab Strike to attack. He grunted, moving so my blade just grazed his side. "RAH!" I howled, using Cross Slash to slash to the side. Jake's demon locked the blow.

"You can't do it!" he shouted, before he swung his spear at me as the ghost demon's sword flashed at me as well.

I leapt back, taking to the air. "Huff..." By now, I could sense that he was getting faster. My Time Slow was slowing ticking away, despite my will. "Huff..." I grunted, just dodging the spear Jake threw at me.

"A pity!" The weapon returned to his grasp. "That now, I can savour killing you..."

"That's a messed up," I panted, and I looked at my left hand. It flickered, showing my normal form for a moment. No...

He smirked. "COME ON!" He used his ghost demon to slash up at me, and I just blocked the attack. "IS THAT IT?!" he screamed. "All you have to show me of your power is dodging my attacks?! Not good enough!"

I grunted. My perception of time blurred, and I descended to the ground. "Ugh...!" I somehow blocked the ghost demon's attack and Jake's spear stab at the same time. "You... won't beat me..."

"Yeah?" He forced me back, and the ghost demon faded away, though he kept the deadly ghostly aura. "What are you fighting for, huh?"

"UGH!" I gasped as my form reverted to normal. "Huff... huff..." I looked at him, sweat dripping down my face. "What am I fighting for? I'm fighting... to live... and to go home."

"No guarantee that'll actually happen," smirked Jake, and he stabbed the ground with his spear. With a jolt I rolled away, just evading what seemed to be an explosion of Ether.

"Hmph." Jake took his weapon out, and grunted. "Really... you know all those Self-Insert Fanfictions? What a load of crap. If those people were actually in those scenarios, they would freak the hell out, ya know?"

"Uh... no?" I replied, and I moved as he lunged, so his stab only grazed my side. "Ugh...!"

"Listen!" yelled Jake, stabbing me next and pinning me to a tree. "You're a fool. Do you really think, if you defeat Zanza and whatever, you'll go home? Huh?"

I coughed up blood. "Ugh...!" I gave a gasp as time finally settled to normal. "I... don't know..."

Jake twisted his spear in me, and I screamed. "Don't know, huh?!" he shouted, as a burst of Ether from his spear blasted me through the tree. It was lightning fast, and then he was at normal speed like me, his aura pulsing.

"Well, let me tell you." He lunged for me, and I just managed to block his stab. "Your friend, Shulk... he and his two allies are almost dead. And my own ally is gonna finish them off."

"Hey!" shouted Sharla, aiming her rifle. "Get away from him!"

Jake smirked. "Heh..." He stabbed her ankle with his spear, pinning her to the ground. "Shut up, woman." As she tried to shoot him he dodged the bullets with ease. "Too slow."

I grunted, rising slowly. "RAH!" I roared, moving forward. Jake turned, and disarmed Sharla with one hand, tossing her gun somewhere. At the same time he took his spear and impaled me with it.

"Hm... I know you're gonna get stronger," he mused. "So I'll leave you alone for now. This fight... most fun I've had in ages, ya know?" He stabbed his spear in the ground, causing a burst of Ether to overwhelm Reyn as he tried to get closer.

"Don't forget... I spared you today. Next time, when you're stronger... I'm gonna have the time of my life killing ya."

The object in my body suddenly vanished and everything turned black as my head hit the ground.

...

I opened my eyes with a groan. "What...?"

"Good," breathed out Sharla. "You're awake. I was getting worried there for a while, you know."

I sat upright, and she didn't try to stop me. "Ow..." I rose, placing my sword on my back again.

"What happened?" asked Reyn. "We were fighting, then all of a sudden he got you down."

I stretched with a wince. "You don't want to know," I told him. "That guy... is the most powerful enemy so far. Anyway... he..." I paused with another wince. "That guy said Shulk, Melia and Dunban are in danger."

"Wish we knew where they were," grunted Reyn. He leaned against a tree.

"It would certainly be a relief," agreed Sharla, looking over her gun. She sighed.

"How long was I out?" I wondered, feeling stiffness in all my muscles.

"About two hours. I found my gun again and healed you," answered the sniper.

"Thanks."

"Do you think we should keep going towards Frontier Village?" asked Reyn. "Or try and look for Shulk and everyone?"

"I think we should go to Frontier Village," spoke Sharla. "If they're there already, then we could be wasting time looking for them."

I blinked, looking over my thin red jacket, though Shulk had told me that it was of a very strong material. Jake had managed to tear the left sleeve off entirely in the battle, and I grunted.

"But if Shulk is still out there-"

"Then one of us should stay at Frontier Village and the other two go look," spoke Sharla.

Reyn paused. "Alright, that makes sense."

"But how are we going to do that anyway?" I wondered.

"Well... remember what direction that... Alvis told us earlier?" spoke Sharla.

I groaned. "No." My body seemed to be a massive bruise. Sharla could heal but taking away the feeling of the injuries was something Ether healing rounds were incapable of.

"That way, I think," mused Reyn. He paused as we stared at him. "What?" he demanded.

"Nothing." Sharla poorly restrained a laugh, but it soon became bitter and her smile wore away. "Then let's go."

Reyn looked at me, and I shook my head. He shrugged.

"Let's go," he declared, and Sharla and I followed the male.

...

"Ow!" I hissed, tripping over a hidden branch. "Crap... "

"Hey, it's a beach!" commented Sharla. "Perfect to relax for a moment."

"Not a moment we can spare," I grunted. "We should keep moving."

Reyn grunted, and we headed back, deeper into the forest.

"This... looks like settlements," mused Sharla. "Is this Frontier Village? Or..."

"But before we can get to it..." Reyn pointed behind us.

There was a massive bird that looked like what would occur if an eagle and a hawk could breed. Which I guess could in the world of XenoBlade, because it was flying right at us.

"Of course," I grunted, drawing my sword as it neared. "So what's happening?"

"Usual plan in battle. I'll grab its attention, Andrew attacks, and Sharla covers us," spoke Reyn, moving forward, his Driver in Shield mode to withstand an attack from its wing.

"UGH!" He slid away from the foe. "That was as hard as steel!" he grunted.

"Oh, come on," I groaned. Are we going to have this thing copy Pokemon now? Using Steel Wing?

This whole adventure is a reference to anything BUT XenoBlade, seriously!

Like, Pokemon, Devil May Cry, uh, uh... crap.

Sharla grunted as she aimed her gun. "Metal Blast!" she shouted.

The hawk eagle hybrid evaded the attack with a loud cry. "UGH!" shouted Reyn in pain, covering his ears.

"Look out!" I grunted, tackling the male. I winced as a wing grazed my side, but no serious damage was done. "Ow..."

"Thanks!" shouted Reyn, moving forward again. "Take this! War Swing!"

However, it simply flew up into the air.

"10/10," I commented.

"Oi, be quiet, will ya!"

Sharla stifled a laugh. "Cover me, guys!" She began to cool her gun, and Reyn moved over, blocking an attack as he rushed to her side.

I blinked, and more wing projectiles flew from the bird's... wings. "Whoa!" I used Aura Wave to release shockwaves, though a few still pierced me, mostly on the sides. "Ow," I groaned.

The bird screeched, moving in at me, TOTALLY using its Brave Bird attack.

"Whoa!" I activated Time Slow, leaping onto the eagle hawk as it rushed by. "Hi!" Time slowly reverted back to normal in my perception of it. "Huh..."

It let out a loud bird cry as I stabbed it using Stab Strike, but before I could take out the blade, it accelerated, despite time being slower than usual.

"UGH!" I just barely hung onto my sword, which was stuck in its body. I whipped over the bird's side. If I let go now, I would fall and surely break something.

The eagle hawk let out another screech, as time returned to normal. It tried to shake me off, and my sword fell out of it.

"Andrew!" shouted Sharla, as I fell.

"It's fine! Actually, probably not!" I descended, morphing into my Soul form and gliding along the ground. "Ooh! That was smooth!" I grinned, facing my two other allies.

Reyn grunted, as his Driver switched back to its offensive mode. "Behind you!"

I turned, using Whip Slash to divert the massive bird's path as it lunged for me. "Geez..." I let out a roar, and used my left hand to grab the beast and use my sword to stab through its eye, pinning it to the ground.

It let out a dying score, and slowly stopped moving as I took out my sword, reverting to normal. For a moment, it looked like the blood that was around my sword turned into something and entered my body by piercing my heart. Whatever it was, it didn't seem to be lethal.

I staggered slightly. What was that? I thought.

Reyn sighed, placing his weapon back on his back. I looked at my sword, now covered in the bird's blood.

"That..." I paused. "Uh..."

"Is there a point to me being here anymore?" wondered Reyn.

What? I thought, looking at him. "What?"

"Of course there is, Reyn!" spoke Sharla. "You're... a very important friend. To all of us."

He sighed. "Well... I just haven't done anything in these battles, ya know? It was just you, Andrew."

I winced. "Sorry, Reyn."

"Nah, it's fine," he replied. "Let's... let's just get to Frontier Village, okay?"

With that, he ran past the beast.

I blinked, and Sharla chased after him.

I sighed, looking at the sky.

Am I too strong? I wondered, walking slowly after the sniper.

...

Many Nopon welcomed us, and one told us that this was Frontier Village.

"This Frontier Village! It very safe, and big!"

"Okay, thanks," replied Sharla. "Have you seen any Homs come into the village?" she asked.

"Hom hom?" responded the Nopon. "Yes! Three Hom Hom enter Frontier Village!

"And Hom Hom tell me, let other Hom Hom in!" He moved away.

"Alright. Must be Shulk, Dunban and Melia," grunted Reyn. "Let's go!"

He ran in, and Sharla and I followed. A feeling of dread settled over me.

"Unh..." groaned a voice from within.

"Shulk!" shouted Reyn, and he came up to his friend. "Great, you guys are here too!"

"Ugh... Reyn..." A massive gaping wound wrapped around his leg. "Hi..."

Melia breathed out. "My elementals can't heal a wound so massive."

"It's fine. I can heal him," spoke Sharla, aiming her rifle. She shot s few rounds into Shulk, and the wound began to fade away.

"Thanks," grunted Shulk, rising to his feet. "Ow..." He staggered, and Melia helped to settle him. "Thank you, Melia."

"My pleasure."

Only a blind and deaf Buniv couldn't tell she's in love with you, Shulk, I thought.

"Wait... where's Dunban?" wondered Reyn.

The swordsman groaned, heaving himself through the entrance. "Hi, Reyn..." He fell over.

"Ah...!" Sharla moved over to the male, turning him over. There were a few gasps and a low groan.

"It was infected," managed Dunban. "I... had to..."

Where his right arm was, there was nothing. Just a small piece of the limb remained attached to his body.

"Who did it, Dunban?" asked Shulk.

Dunban breathed out, heavy. "That person... that we were fighting..."

"Me." A happy voice rang out, outside the village's entrance. "I can use a clone of Ether too, you know."

I used my sword to block his spear stab. "Jake," I growled.

He waved. "Time to die, I think."

There is a Si XenoBlade Fanfiction, by the way, which I believe also uses the term 'Outsider'.

I have not copied that, sorry, original creator! And whatever that author put the definition of an 'Outsider' down as is... probably similar to mine. Shoot.

PLEASE DON'T CALL COPYRIGHTS! I DIDN'T MEAN IT!

(The fanfiction is called XenoBlade Chronicles: Rewind, by the way. AND NO, this is not advertising. For one thing, it took me too long to spell that the first time around. I just don't want copyright called on me...)

Anyway... thanks for reading!