Chapter 5: Worlds Clashing: Cynthia vs Chouka
"...Say what…?" The only thing Blaze could say after the girl, who rescued him from death, declaring that she's going to beat Chouka. He was about to tell her to escape but was interrupted by fits of cough harshly from his second beating.
"Sssso you've come for revenge?" Chouka interrogated. "My apologies for using you as bait. Once I handle the demon behind you, then I'll leave you out of your hair."
Being huge and emitting a threatening aura didn't stop Cynthia from delivering a hateful glare back at him. She still has questions about their conversation and what world they came from.
However, that didn't matter to her right now. The small dog dubbed as Blaze saved her from ending up like Satori and cost him to be used as a punching bag by this guy. It wouldn't be right for her to just run away and forget him.
"If you want to kill him, then you'll have to though me!" Cynthia announced determinedly. "And just as a warning, I won't hold back."
"Hold back?" Chouka chuckled as he becomes excited by her fire in her eyes. "That's fine with me... SHOW ME WHAT YOU'RE CAPABLE!"
The two rush towards each other. Chouka aimed his poison covered arm towards her. With quick timing, Cynthia swerved her body to the right barely avoiding his fist by an inch.
'Time to unleash a new move I've been wanting to try out, courtesy of the captain,' Cynthia thought to herself. Dark flames coated around her hands as she pulled her arms back.
"Omega Fire Dragon. Crimson Cannon!" Cynthia thrust both of her palms at Chouka's guts. The force caused the heartless to cough off some black substance. Dark flames burst out from behind his back, launching him right a few meters away.
"..." Blaze's jaw cartoonishly dropped. '...Holy cow…!'
Chouka slowly recovered from her attack he received. 'Her flames are much more powerful than I anticipated...This might be interesting.'
Not giving him any room to breathe, Cynthia leaped into the air and raised her arms above her head. Cynthia lowered her arm down unleashing multiple waves of fire down at Chouka. "Omega Fire Dragon Wing Attack!"
Chouka used his tail to instantly bounced in the air to avoid the incoming flames. He then ricochets off the tree downward towards Cynthia with incredible speed with his arm back. Cynthia quickly crossed her arms as his fist connected. Thee force launched her across the ground, and into a tree.
Blaze winced when Cynthia landed, thinking that she might be down. But to her surprise, Cynthia leaped to her feet looking a bit dazed from the attack.
Clicking his teeth, Chouka slithers at her locking his hands together with a tightened fist. He then raised it above his head and swing them down at the girl. Cynthia quickly brought her arms over her head and successfully blocking the powerful strike. The force causing the ground to cave in beneath her feet.
"Grr…" Cynthia gritted her teeth giving all her strength to push him back. A magic circle appeared below her feet causing a huge amount of flames to erupt from above it. "Omega Fire Dragon Eruption!"
Chouka was hurled in the air while being engulfed by the pillar of flames. Despite that, however, he had a sinister grin on his face. "Yes, yes! YES! I haven't had a fierce battle ever since Zeneath left!"
'Zeneath?' Blaze repeated oddly. 'That name sounds familiar.'
Cynthia charged at her falling opponent with her feet flaring up. This caused her to leap high in the air above Chouka. She somersaults in the air, before performing a powerful flaming ax kick to his guts. "Omega Fire Dragon Twin Talons!"
Chouka coughed up some black substances before plowing into the ground with a huge dust cloud covering it up. Grinning Cynthia landed a few feet away from where he landed. "I think I got him that time…?"
Cynthia suddenly felt light-headed as her legs wobbled a bit. She almost fell but caught herself. "...What the…?"
Blaze eyes widened when he recognized some faint black marks on Cynthia's leg. 'Is that the heartless energy?'
"You shouldn't underestimate a general of NOVAH little firecracker," Chouka eerily taunted beyond the dust cloud. His serpent red eyes glimmering out. "I discovered this when I killed that round fellow last night. Apparently, my energy issss much destructed in this world compared to the others."
"Energy? What do you mean by that...?" Cynthia questioned a bit confused.
"You saw how the body looked," He responded. Blaze and Cynthia flinch in horror remembering the state he was in. "...All it took was one bite, and I just watched him twitching and gasping in agony with hisss final breath."
"You...monster," Cynthia muttered in anger. Even after what Satori did to Luffy's team yesterday, he didn't deserve that kind of brutality.
"Oh? You're the one calling me a monster?" Chouka chuckled. He suddenly launches a string of purple substances out which quickly latched onto her arm. "The true monster is the one who you're trying to protect!"
Before she knew it, Cynthia lured towards Chouka with quick speed and struck in the gut by his massive fist. This caused her to cough up some saliva as she was launched back. |Hethen grabbed the string and swung her across the clearing causing her to crash into a tree. "He may act innocent and kind to you but sooner or later he'll bring you into the depths of hell!"
Blaze winced as Chouka swung her into another tree. He tried to get up but the sharp pain all in his body made him collapse. The only thing he could do was watch helplessly was being swung around. The sound of her screeching in pain, made the Houndour looked down growling. "Dang it...I can't just stand back and let him kill another person.'
Feeling satisfied, Chouka reel back Cynthia's motionless body like a fisherman would do to a dead fish. Once he was a meter apart, her leg suddenly erupted in dark flames and shifted her body to perform a devastating kick connecting under Chouka's chin, causing him to grunt in pain.
"I'm sick and tired of people like you…" Cynthia freed herself from the sticky substance by increasing the heat in her arms.
"...Who labels others as monsters…!" The dark flames on her right arm intensified spread wildly the more emotional Cynthia was feeling.
"...WHEN YOU'RE THE ONE WHO'S THE REAL MONSTER!" Cynthia roared while landing a heavy blow in the serpent's chest, generating a massive explosion launching Chouka into a tree. Cynthia landed on her feet but gritted her teeth as the energy was spreading up her legs.
"You… are such a naive girl," Chouka chuckled, despite the injuries he got. Blaze and Cynthia can tell by the sound of his voice that he felt the pain physically and to their surprise emotionally. "...You got yourself involved in a situation that doesn't concern you...Even if you're able to beat me, your body won't handle the energy... and yet you still fight…?"
"Of course I'll keep fighting," Cynthia declared glaring at him. "...Do you think I'll just abandon him after he saved my life?"
'I thought you would,' Blaze thought in his head.
"Even if we just met today, I know I can trust Shortstuff more than I trust your words!" Cynthia continued.
"...That's called blind faith," Blaze mumbled sweatdropped.
"I see...that's why you fight for this monster...blind faith…" Despite the burn marks on his body, Chouka still stood tall, but the two can notice now that black steam was seeping out of its body. "That...makes me very…very...
…
…
...THRILLED!"
"...Thrilled?" Blaze and Cynthia questioned while a sweatdrop pouring down their heads.
"GYAYAYAYHAHAHA~!" Chouka roared laughing. "YOU AND BLAZE ARE THE ONLY ONES WHO CAN DO SO MUCH DAMAGE TO ME! CONGRATULATION~! YOU TWO ARE WORTHY OPPONENTS TO END MY LIFE!"
"End…?" Blaze whispered a bit worriedly.
"W-What are you talking about?" Cynthia asked looking startled.
"...Grrrr," Chouka grunted as he suddenly felt his whole body pulsing, dangerously. 'Oh great, the girl has done too much damage to my body to the point that I can't control NOVAH's energy anymore…I guess I have no choice...'
Each time his body pulsed Chouka's arms and body expand even larger than half of the trees. His arms were now bulked up with muscle to the point of his veins being visible. His face was turning more snake-like with a long snout, and his fangs grew more visible to the two. His eyes were rolled back and the Heartless logo on his chest was glowing.
"ROAR!" His voice boom throughout the entire forest, acting more like a monster than a human. Cynthia and Blaze had to cover their ears to soften the blaring sound.
"S-So loud!" Cynthia gritted her teeth with her eyes closed making herself vulnerable. Chouka viciously swung his long tail which connected into Cynthia's stomach and sends her flying straight into a tree, leaving a crater in the bark where she landed.
Cynthia coughed a bit, feeling winded by the sudden attack. However, she didn't get the chance to catch her breath as the craze serpent lunged at her with his vicious mouth open revealing his long sharp fangs.
"Yipe~!" She yelped. Luckily, the young girl quickly jumped to the side just in time for Chouka to bite the area where she was standing. Cynthia rolled across the ground but quickly got on her feet breathing heavily. "What the heck is up with him!?"
"The energy…" Blaze whispered dreadfully. He recalled what Kyogre said back on Earth about the Heartless energy-consuming the host due to emotions. 'The Octillery heartless would've been acting like that if I didn't defeat it quickly?'
Chouka reattached his fangs out of the tree bark, leaving two punts holes on the bark. His no pupils glared daggers at the Omega Dragon Slayer, letting out another blood-curdling roar.
"Omega Fire Dragon Roar!" Cynthia unleashed funnel of dark flames hurtling towards Chouka. The flames consumed the creature as it let out a cry in agony, however at the same time, Chouka's tail flew at Cynthia and lashed her stomach again sending her crashing into a tree. "Grah!"
Chouka fired a powerful stream of acid at the girl, who quickly rolled out of the way. The acid melted deep into the trunk. The young dragon slayer didn't get a chance to counter-attack another acid stream was heading towards her direction. Luckily she leaped out of the way just in the nick of time.
"ROAR!" Chouka bellowed in rage and fired streams of acid randomly around the clearing. One of the streams headed towards Blaze who quickly jumped out of the way before it could hit him.
Using the opportunity, Cynthia let dark flames surround her forming into a dragon claw, and leaped at him. "Omega Fire Dragon Claw Strike!"
The girl slashes at him on the chest, leaving a crimson burn mark. However, Chouka swatted her back with his large arms, causing her to tumbled a bit before landing on her feet glaring at Chouka.
She leaps in the air clicking her feet together causing dark flames to appear on her feet and began to spin her body around like a drill. "Omega Fire Dragon Drill~!"
Despite going beserk, Chouka's instincts kick in and brought his right arm, blocking Cynthia's attack. Cynthia's feet sank into his buffed up arm, but Couka wasn't phased by it and bounce her away from him.
Once she landed, Cynthia engulfs her body in flames and charged headfirst towards him. "Omega Fire Dragon Sword Horn~!"
Blaze watch in awed Chouka's was push back by Cynthia's ramming her flaming body in his guts. Despite the hit, the serpent's abs cause her to sink her head deeper.
"Mmmphmm~!" Cynthia muffled from inside.
"ROAR~!" With one push, Chouka launches her off of his stomach. He then puffs his cheeks unleashing a massive stream of purple gunk towards him.
"LOOK OUT~!" Blaze yelled.
"...!" While in the air, Cynthia brought her arms above her head. "Omega Fire Dragon Wing Attack~!" She lowered it down leaving a trail of flames towards the stream. The two attacks canceled each other out causing an explosion. Cynthia landed on the ground, breathing heavily, by so much magic consumption.
"Time...to finish this," Cynthia declared. Her entire right arm erupted in flames. Chouka noticed her and coated his arm with purple venom.
With a battle cry, the two lunged at each other and swung at each other entering a stalemate creating a powerful shockwave causing some of the trees surrounding them to lean back. Blaze had to hold his ground as the shockwave almost blew him away.
"Man, this is intense...It's like those Pokemon Battles back home," Blaze mumbled in surprise yet look concerned for Cynthia. He then noticed that Cynthia was slowing losing the stalemate due to the ground under her feet caving in and her arm pushing back. Chouka was slowly trying to crush her to the ground while her upper body was leaning back down.
"Damn it, I'm not going to die here!" Cynthia gritted her teeth, but was still feeling like her arm was going to snap as NOVAH general's poison was overcoming her flames.
"I-I can't just stand here and do nothing…!" Blaze growled to himself. He stood up looking a lot better than before but still couldn't stand. He took a deep breath as he prepared to fire at Chouka.
"Flamethrower!" Blaze unleashed a massive powerful stream of flames out of his mouth which wasn't as big as Cynthia's roar. However, due to his injured ankle, he collapses causing the flames to miss his target and head towards Cynthia who didn't get the chance to react or move.
Blaze eyes widen in horror as he watches his attack consume Cynthia with an explosion. This allowed Chouka to overpower the girl easily. Blaze cringed when he heard the sound of bones crunching beneath Chouka's fist.
"...I-I killed her," Blaze gritted his teeth with a horrifying look in his eyes. "I was trying to help, and I only made things worse…Am I really...a mo-"
A slurping sound suddenly emitting around the area, confusing Blaze and Chouka a bit. Suddenly a burst of violent dark flames surrounded the area under Chouka's fist. The serpent general felt his arm being slowly pushed back up.
"...Thanks for the meal ShortStuff," Cynthia whispered with a grin on her face. She stood up slowly winning the stalemate as her fist sunk through Chouka's knuckles. Blaze stare astonishedly by the young girl's strength not bothered by the flames surrounding the ground they were fighting.
Chouka growled trying to push her down, however, Cynthia's flames were heating up from the inside as steam was emitting out from inside his massive arms which were radiant red.
"RAHHHH!" With one final push, Chouka's arm explodes by Cynthia's flames. Blaze jaws dropped comically as he noticed that the arm was completely blown out. No blood or bones seep out only black ashes like she popped a balloon full of confetti.
For the first time during their fight, Chouka shouted in alarming pain somehow snapping him out of his berserk mode. 'I-Impossible! She controls the flames into one place inside my body...She couldn't have done that if...that mutt didn't fuel her up with his flames.'
"Secret Art..." With flames blazing around her arms, Cynthia spun around in a clockwise motion. "Crimson Slash of the Omega Fire Dragon!"
Cynthia viciously swung her arms forward, unleashing a powerful tornado of dark red fire below Chouka engulfing the Heartless launching him high into the air above the Upper Yard.
Chouka, who was inside the tornado was slowly fading conscious but a sudden scene triggered his mind.
"You're leaving?" A young Chouka who was a small purple snake Pokemon: Ekans stared in disbelief. He and a man with white fur around his body and black scythe above his head. "B-But we need you! We don't know if the Heartless General will strike again!"
"I know...I honestly don't want to leave," The man answered. "However, I have to...Whoever's causing the Houndours and Houndooms to be targeted and hunted down involves another mastermind in the other dimension."
"You don't think it's Emma?" Chouka asked a bit puzzled.
"If it was then she would've killed those girls off after they massacred every single one of Blaze's species," The man answered. "I feel that there's something sinister happening in the ANIME Dimension...Someone knows about the Houndooms, and persuaded a bunch of magical girls to follow their plan without a second thought…"
"Well at least let me come with you!" Ekans announced.
"No, you have to stay here and help with the evacuation," The man said. "Emma might attack them and we want strong fighters like you to be ready if one of my friends is down."
The man knelt down and pat Chouka on his head. " I trust you to take care of the others while I'm gone."
'I'm such an idiot,' Chouka cursed to himself while he was still in the air consumed by the tornado. His eyes returning to normal-looking regretful. "I was hoping to use the Heartless energy to fight against Emma...I thought I could control it but...I only end up being her pawn."
Chouka noticed that his tail was disintegrating into ashes. "I guess this is bad karma for relying on the enemy's power, and for turning against my comrades…"
Despite his body disintegrating, he chuckled while emitting a small smile of regret. The last thing he mumbled to himself before Chouka's body turned into black dust and vanished in the wind.
'Zeneath...please forgive my actions…'
Cynthia stood tall panting deeply after that final attack. Blaze stared at her in awe. He then glances around the area around it is a complete mess. Scorched marks, craters, steam from the acid spread across the forest clearing, and Cynthia was in the center of massive destruction.
"She..did it," Blaze mumbled in shock. "She was able to beat Chouka...I should be grateful, but…"
He looked down feeling ashamed. "I need to pull my weight here...I fought him twice, and even after giving it my all and knowing his techniques ...Chouka was still able to beat me…"
Suddenly an oval shape portal emerged from the ground in the center of the clearing. The portal wasn't to fit Chouka inside but was about the same height as Cynthia.
"What the hell is that?" Cynthia exclaimed startled. She glances at the portal memorized by the swirly light green pattern in the center. She slowly walked towards it with her arms extended out about to touch it.
"I wouldn't touch that if I were you," Blaze warned while he limped towards her. "It might send you off to who knows where."
"R-Really?" Cynthia reattracted her hand back, frightened.
"I want to thank you for saving me back there, and apologize for involving you with this whole mess," Blaze bowed looking a bit guilty.
"Hey don't worry about," Cynthia answered with a grin on her face. "I'm sorta used to getting involved in situations like this."
"...Is that a good thing?" Blaze questioned with a deadpan look on his face.
"Also, you saved my life not once, but twice!" Cynthia added. "I would've died if you didn't fire your flames at me!"
"...To be frank, I was intending to hit him, not you," Blaze responded with a sweatdropped. "Anyway, I better get out of here, before the portal disappears."
"Wait~! You're going inside that portal?" Cynthia astonished. "But you're limping."
"So are you," Blaze replied, staring at her injuries she got from fighting Chouka. "You're in a much worse condition than me, and I fought him twice."
"T-That's true," Cynthia acknowledged, scratching the back of her head. "But you still need to be healed up. My friend Wendy can use healing magic. She can get you on your feet in no time!"
Blaze chuckled by her enthusiasm. "That's a nice offer, but I'm afraid I have to decline." He glances at the portal. "The portal might not be here if I stay any longer, and I have to get back to my world to save my family."
"O-Oh," Cynthia frowned but nodded at his reason. "Well, I wish you the best of luck."
"You too," Blaze nodded. He slowly limps towards the portal, ignoring the injuries. He was just about to touch it but froze as Chouka's words filled his head. 'I wasn't able to beat Chouka, how am I going to deal with the heartless up ahead?'
"Hey~!" Cynthia called out, getting his attention. "Don't let scaly creep's words stop you from saving people who are close to you!"
Letting his words sink in, Blaze shook of those bad thoughts and turned towards her. "Loud and clear Omega Dragon Girl."
"My name is Cynthia…" She corrected him flashing a smile. "Cynthia Rose."
"...Blaze," He greeted with a smile on his own. "...Blaze Inferno."
Cynthia watch as Blaze disappeared into the portal, Once he was gone through, the portal collapsed on itself vanishing into thin air. The girl stood tall, thinking about the experience she witnessed, but before she could take a step, she felt all the tiredness coming at her as she collapsed on her stomach, passed out.
The End of the first crossroad.
...and more to come…
Next Chapter: Invasion of the TOON Dimension.