Unmei Force: Inherited Wills
Final Chapter: Decisive Battle - Friends vs. Comrades...!?
With Richard and Gus...
Richard and Gus strode down the corridor, as the two leading members of the Unmei Force advanced onward, while they looked around.
"Richard... Who do you think we will be fighting?" Gus asked back, as he looked towards him with a worried expression. "I feel like that-"
"I know. You're concerned about me, and I've kept in mind that things could get worse for us." Richard answered back. "However, we set ourselves on this path, and we're going to see it through. Nothing would be more painful and heart-shattering than to back down right here, and return empty-handed. Think about our friends, Gus... They are fighting for us, and they'll win for us with all they got. Are you really going to let that will and determination go to waste?"
"...No." Gus shook his head. "I'm sorry, Richard. It's just... Despite how things went smoothly for all this time... I worry that there will be something dire ahead of us. DW said that he tailored our opponents specifically for each of us. Then could that mean...?"
"There are so many options that he would have, but I'm not afraid to face any of them." Richard answered back. "Whether it be my second mentor, or my long-lost comrade or anyone else... I won't hesitate to use my full power to bring them down."
"Then I can only do the same." Gus answered back, before he noticed that they have reached the door. "Past here... is our challenge. The greatest of them all, one that we both must stand against... Are you ready?"
"As I ever will be." Richard smirked back pridefully, before they both pressed their hands on the door, as they slid open for them.
When they passed through the door, they found themselves in a very large room, which seemed to have hexagonal panels on the ground, as well as pulsating power units on the four walls, protected by barriers made of seemingly-unbreakable material. They noticed that the entire field was completely barren, save for these features as they looked around.
"...Hm. This is where we're fighting...?" Richard stated, looking around. "It doesn't look much, but there is always more than meets the eye, with these strange places."
Gus walked about the area, as he found that the ground was fairly even, despite there being crevices between each hexagonal panel on the ground, and when he brushed his hand on them, he found that in between these crevices were large binding locks that filled most of the crevices' space. And then, moving towards the centre of the field, he found that there was two large hexagonal panels on the sides, as they looked large enough for either of them to stand inside of.
"Richard... I think that I found something...!" Gus shouted to his partner, who rushed over quickly, before he then gestured at the hexagonal panels. "I found something that doesn't seem to match the patterning in this room. I might be being overly cautious, but the way it's placed and the looks of these panels... I think that there's something hidden within them."
"You're right to suspect here... We haven't even known where our enemies are. These panels... Could they serve some purpose...?" Richard asked, as he walked around the panels, examining them closely. "Could they be teleporters, ready to drop our enemies onto us...? Are they some sort of energy supply point, for when the enemy fights us...? The possibilities are quite a lot, and I can't narrow it down, unless I give it a good thorough searching. If the components are locked in place, then I'll just scan the places."
Richard then stood still in between the two large floor panels, as he closed his eyes, and spread his senses slowly outwards. As he scanned the area with his magic, he found that the panels themselves had nothing in them. However, after a bit more scanning, he was able to sense something below the panels, as it seemed to be quite dormant, but still strong enough to be picked up by Richard's senses, as magic energy.
"I found something, Gus." Richard informed his friend. "There's something below these panels, and they seem to be large concentrations of energy. I doubt that these are merely energy generators of some sort, and I can't sense any lifeforce from them. I can only conclude that these are magic constructs of some sorts."
"What? Then could they be our opponents?" Gus asked back.
"I doubt that this guy would be so cocky to send simple constructs of magic against us. We're moving back in position, and keeping our guard up. Who knows what will happen once they spring up." Richard remarked.
The two of them rushed back to a fair distance away from the panels, before they drew their weapons and adopted a combat stance each, prepared for what might come.
Soon, the large panels glowed, before they could hear the sound of locks hissing open on them. And with a whooshing sound, the panels rose themselves, to reveal what was inside of them, as it was large charging stations containing what seemed to look like humans inside of them, if not for the fact that the group could see the various wiring and machinery in the charging stations. However, it was the people themselves, that caused the duo to freeze up with expressions of pure shock.
"This... This can't be...!" Gus exclaimed. "I... This... Richard... We were both right about what we were expecting as opponents... No wonder that they would have actually made this kind of enemy for us..."
"I can understand why that crafty bastard selected them... But still... the fact that I'm seeing it before me, still surprises me." Richard answered back. "I'd much prefer something other than this combination of enemies. Especially when one part of this pair... is actually myself..."
Before them, was a copy of Richard himself, as he was dressed in a attire different to the real deal, as he was wearing futuristic armour that was coloured black and white, with pulsating silver energy lines running across various parts of the armour, as well as having some sort of glowing core on the centre of its chest, which seemed to be made of transparent material, as it was faintly glowing with a white colour. The other one was a a man with spiked up black hair, and a very bulky figure, which was prominent under his armour, which seemed to be the same as the Richard look-a-like, except with red and black colouring, and no energy lines running down his armour, nor a core on the front of his chest. And placed beside them were what seemed to be their weapons, as the Richard copy possessed twin swords, which seemed to have a energy projection device where the blade is supposed to be, and the black-haired one had a large golden blade, which seemed to have a thin blade.
"You have got to be fucking me..." Richard remarked with a bitter expression. "He actually managed to create a copy of myself, and one of Siege...? I can only say that with how life-like they look, they have to be androids. Very well-made androids. Then this guys knows a hell lot, if he is able to replicate this much onto both of them. Either way, I guess that we were right to prepare ourselves... This is going to be a real damn fight, considering how powerful I and Siege would be... and I don't want to imagine if that guy tweaked them to make them stronger than their counterparts... And then there's synergy... If they actually got more than us... We're screwed."
"I agree... This fight is going to be quite hard. They'll likely hit us with all their power to take us down. We'll need to work even harder to keep up with their power." Gus answered back. "Richard... Although it's not my part to say this at this moment, but don't let your guard down, and don't let your willpower diminish either."
"Damn right I won't. If I slip up the slightest here, and they spot it, I'm going to be torn six ways to hell." Richard grunted back. "The same to you, Gus. Don't hold anything back, but don't prematurely pop off your own form change yet. If I know my final-boss tropes well... They'll have a transformation of their own. And we'll need our own to keep the field even for us."
Suddenly, there was the sound of whirring, as they became extremely alert, shifting into a defensive stance. As they did, they saw that the charging stations dislodged the androids down on the ground, as they fell forwards. However, both of them reacted in time, as they slammed onto the ground kneeling, almost simultaneously, like synchronised beings. Soon, the Richard android slowly raised his head, as his eyes were now open, revealing his crimson-red eyes, which unnerved Richard for a moment, before slowly standing up.
"Start-up processes complete. All systems are functioning at 99.99% functionality at minimum." The android spoke in a emotionless tone, in Richard's voice. "Detecting unregistered entities within vision range. Consulting internal database for related entries... Search complete. Targets 1 and 2 are designated Richard Liu and Gus Campbell respectively. Leader and Co-Leader of the newly-formed Unmei Force. Threats Levels of targets are Epsilon 1 and Epsilon 7 respectively. Receiving direct orders: 'DWH Unit R-X058 and DWH Unit S-X625 are to engage present targets, with full power.'. Orders confirmed and execution is underway."
The Richard android then spreads his arms out, before the blades slotted in his charging station, flew out and were grabbed by the android,as the energy projectors flared into action, creating large triangular blades, which were silver in colour. At the same time, the Siege android rose up, before it then walked over to his charging station, and ripped his blade out of it with great force, before turning back to face Richard and Gus, as the blade was enveloped in a golden aura.
Cue BGM: Mega Man X8 'Winged Reploid ' [Lumine Second Phase Remix from Megaman X8, by Juan Medrano/OverClocked ReMix]
"Engaging enemy targets." The Richard android stated, slowly walking towards the duo. "Switching systems to combat routines. Beginning enemy subjugation."
The Richard clone then swung his blades up, as it charged right at its fleshy counterpart, who quickly shifted his blades to defend against the attack. The android then brought down his blades, as Richard himself blocked it with his weapon, struggling against the attack, before then kicking the android in the chest to create some distance between them.
At almost the same time, Gus noticed the Siege android rush towards him, with his blade up, as Gus counter-charged, going for a rising slash, to counter the over-head strike that the android was going to do. The two attacks clashed, as it knocked them away from each other. Gus then used the chance to fire a series of fireballs at the android, who recovered and dodged all but one of them, as one of them hit the android, yet he didn't flinch at all. The Siege android then rushed towards Gus, before thrusting his blade at Gus, who was grazed by the attack, as the blade easily cut through his robes and into his skin, as he grunted in pain.
Richard then slammed his hand down, creating a series of earth spikes that shot towards his android counterpart, whose core glowed green, as he create a large cyclone that jettisoned him into the air, where the earth spikes couldn't reach him. It then swung its now-green blades at Richard, as it fired off cutting wind projectiles at Richard, who was forced to dodge it, as the sharp projectiles of magic cut into the ground, leaving cut-marks on it.
The Siege android then attacked Gus with a series of wide slashes, which Gus parried with his weapon, before the brown-haired warrior countered with a powerful slash that knocked the android back, as it took damage from the attack, as its armour was dented from the attack, and it flinched visibly from the powerful strike.
Richard then changed tactics, as he then created a large magic circle of light-blue energy, as it spewed a rain of icicles towards the android, whose core and blades turned orange, as it then did a cross-slash, that fired a fiery cross-shaped projectile that collided with the barrage of icicles melting them to pieces. However, Richard used that as a distraction to rush towards the android, before he then sliced with both of his blades, as the android was hit several times, before he then parried his other attacks, and then retaliated by creating a ring of flames that forced Richard back.
The Siege android then swung his large blade down onto Gus, who tried to block the attack, only to see that the android was holding the blade in one hand, as he used the other hand to smash Gus in the abdomen with a powerful blow that knocked the wind out of Gus, as he could feel the attack's force ripple through his body, as he felt his own bones strain from it, making the blow very painful for him. The Siege android then dropped the blade, before he then smashed Gus right in the face with a powerful straight that sent Gus flying, as the punch was enough to break his nose to dribble blood.
"Gus!" Richard exclaimed, seeing his friend being smashed mercilessly by his opponent. He then was forced to block a attack from his android counterpart, whose blades and core turned icy-blue, as the energy blades seemed to make his own blades freeze up. Richard was surprised seeing this, as he tried to wrench his blades free from the growing ice, managing to do so with some effort, then coating his blade in flames to melt the ice off. The Richard android then thrust one of his blades forward, as a large icy torrent headed Richard's way, forcing the black-haired magician to erect a barrier of flames to ward it off.
Gus slowly rose up, as he saw the Siege android chasing after him, before he then placed a hand out, waiting for the opportune moment to attack the charging android. When the android was close enough, Gus clenched his hand, as the ground where the android was going through was showered with dark-orange flames, which seemed to look much more powerful than his regular flames, as it singed the android, whose charge was halted, as it quickly rushed out of the flames, as its skin was burnt severely by the attack, and surprisingly didn't seem to have burnt off any holes to reveal what was inside, as the android looked like it was in pain.
Richard then expelled his own barrier of flames out, as it got rid of the cold torrent, before he then quickly cast some magic, firing off several long curved beams of energy, that honed onto the android, as they seemed to strike their targets, as the android was unable to dodge the attack, instead blocking them as much as possible. It then countered with a beam of white energy, its internal energy turning the same colour, as Richard dodge-rolled to the side, before he then fired off a large fire-ball that struck his counterpart hard enough to make him flinch.
The Siege android visibly scowled at Gus, before he then pulled his blade out, before then slashing down ruthlessly on Gus, who was forced to block all the attacks, as the attacks came too fast for him to have a chance to counter with anything. Suddenly, Gus found his guard being smashed open by a powerful upwards strike that knocked his blade out of his guarding position. Siege then slashed Gus hard enough to daze him, before he then threw his blade into the air, as it spun rapidly in the air. He then jumped up into the air, grabbing the blade, as it glowed brighter than before, before he then came down from above with a swift downwards slash, which left a trail of gold where the blade went, as the attack hurt Gus greatly, as he staggered back, clutching his wound with one hand, as it seemed to have drew blood from the attack, which broke through his protections. He then threw a spray of flames forward, as it forced the android to back off.
"Alright... This is getting tedious..." Richard growled, before he then grabbed a spell-card. "Let's see you try to match this...! Declare Spell Card! Fire Sign: 'Dragon's Fury'!"
A red magic circle then surrounded Richard's figure, as he fired stream of fireballs everywhere, that snaked around the area, as well as firing off ring-like bursts of fireballs. The attack went towards both androids, as they realised that the attack was aiming for them both, as the Siege android turned his attention away from the injured Gus for a moment, and faced Richard, who was strafing through the air, all while keeping eye on both of his targets.
The Richard android focused on dodging his real counterpart's attacks, all while it's core and energy turned dark-blue slowly, as the core began to glow while it was evading the attacks. The other android was actually also dodging the attacks, although he was using the blade itself to fire golden projectiles of energy at Richard, who dodged most of them, as the rest hit against him, although they failed to make him flinch the slightest. After a while, the Richard android countered with a gushing torrent of water that sped towards Richard, as it extinguished any fireballs that were in its path.
Richard barely noticed the attack, but it was too late to do anything, as the water torrent hit him head-on, as it forcibly dispelled his spell-card, the magic circle around his figure vanishing. He then fell towards the ground, before he then regained control over himself, before he could hit the ground, swiftly twisting himself around to land on his feet, all while shaking the water soaking his body entirely.
He then noticed both of the androids heading towards him, their weapons out, as he was forced to use both of his blades to block the attacks from both sides, as he used a single blade to counter the blows from the twin-blades of his android counterpart, while the other contested with the large sword that the Siege android had. For him, it was a losing battle, as they were forcing him back, slowly cornering him, all while they were whittling his guard down with their flank attack. When he tried to block another set of slashes heading his way, he instead found himself being kicked simultaneously by the androids, as the synchronised kick, sent him flying across the room.
Gus watched with horror, as Richard slammed on the hard wall, before falling down on the ground. The black-haired leader tried to get up, only to collapse on his hands, all while Gus could see the fatigued expression on Richard's face. The androids rushed over towards him, as they were moving fairly slowly, as if they were avoiding any interceptions that they might receive on the way to reaching their opponent. Gus slowly rose up, as he was about to cast flames onto the androids, although he was too far to be able to effectively do so.
As the androids reached him, they looked down at the hunched-over Richard, as they slowly raised their blades to finish their opponent off without hesitation. However, they then saw his head rise, to reveal a triumphant expression on his face.
"Ha... Got you." Richard smirked defiantly, as the androids found that their legs were being restrained to the ground, by thick ice grown from the ground. They then saw that they originated from the magic circles below them, which in turn were connected to Richard's hands, that was on the ground, connecting the magic circles through veins of energy. "You should have tried to finish me from a distance... It's statistically more safer overall, don't you think? And now you're going to regret it!"
Richard then whipped out another spell-card. "Here's one that'll hurt you hard! Declare Spell Card! Wind Sign: 'Emerald Wind'!" He declared, as there was a large green magic circle surrounding him. He then fired off a massive barrage of green wave projectiles of wind magic, as they sliced through the androids like a rain of thousand blades. "Now, Gus! Hit them with your heavy-hitting techniques!"
Gus complied, as he rushed towards the bound androids, as he drew back his blade, before he then slowly traced through the air with it, while it ignited furiously, and left behind fireballs where it went, as they followed Gus. Soon enough, there was a massive spread of fireballs in front of Gus. And with the flick of his blade, the fireballs shot towards the android, as the two-pronged assault damaged them even further, as the magic circle under their feet maintained the ice bonds for a bit longer, keeping them unable to evade the attacks, as they were unable to properly defend the attack, that was too dense and powerful to properly do so.
After the spell-card ended for Richard, he then rushed towards his counterpart, as Gus did the same with the Siege android, as they roared as one, smashing their opponent with a devastating charge attack, that finally sent the androids flying back. The two of them watched silently, as the androids skidded across the ground for a bit, before they stopped, lying on their backs.
"...Did we..." Gus stated, before he then shook his head. "No... It won't be over that easily."
"You're right about that... Take this brief moment to get a breather... We're going to round 2, or phase 2 to be exact..." Richard huffed back, before he inhaled deeply, and focused on stemming his pain and recovering some of his lost magic energy and stamina.
Gus did the same as he let the flames lick over his gashes, as the flames didn't seem to harm him, although they cauterised his open wounds effectively, leaving only small blemishes with even smaller scars on his body.
After a while, the androids began to move again, as they slowly rose back to their feet. Richard and Gus snapped out of their own recovery, eyeing their opponents carefully. They then saw the androids began to charge power to themselves, as the core on the Richard android's chest was slowly turning into a multi-coloured rainbow, while the Siege android was sparkling with golden electricity from his surroundings.
Cue BGM: Twilight of the Gods [Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia Final Map Theme]
The Richard android's energy lines turned in a multitude of colours, before he then let out a raging howl, as wings of energy in the shape of short light beams, each of the colours of elements, totalling to eight, four for each side, as his eyes cycled between colours. As for the Siege android, he let out a bellow of strength, as his hair turned golden, and a golden aura appeared around his body, before he then stared down his opponent, with much more spirit in them.
"Well, looks like they're pushing further..." Richard answered back, before he then sheathed the blade on his right hand, to prepare for his Master Form transformation. "You still have that transformation of yours...? I recall that you use it fairly little, since you're not the kind of person to end up fighting battles that require use of it, since it really drains the hell out of you, just as much as using this form of mine is."
"I do. And I won't hesitate. I'm not foolish enough to risk fighting as I am right now, since our enemies are now far more stronger." Gus answered back, before he then shifted the blade in front of him, and closed his eyes. "No matter what the cost is... The others are counting on us... This might not be enough... But I rather try and fail, then never try to begin with."
"Fine choice. Well then, if they want to take this up a notch..." Richard answered back, as he quickly transformed into Master Form. "We'll gladly oblige."
Gus took a deep breath, before he summoned the deep-orange flames that he used before, as they slowly engulfed him, covering him in a pillar of flames. When it disappeared, it revealed him, with his hair burning with dark-orange glow, and his entire body was encompassed in a set of light armour that seemed to be eternally burning in fire. The blade in his hand also transformed, as the blade itself turned from metal into pure flames, which flickered in the air. He slowly opened his eyes, which were completely orange, as a aura of heat surrounded him.
The androids attacked first, as the Siege android literally vanished from their vision. It was thanks to both Richard's and Gus's instincts, that they were able to erect defences against his incoming attack, with Richard using a short frontal barrier made of rainbow magic, and Gus with a wall of flames that seemed to weaken the attack that went through it. The Siege android cut his weapon into the barriers, which seemed to hold against the attack reliably, before he then retreated quickly, before he could be hit with retaliation.
The Richard android then prepared some magic of his own, as he created a massive magic circle in front of him, that started at a silver colour, before it suddenly turned blue, before firing a large storm of icicles at the two of them. Richard noticed the magic attack coming towards him, as he dispelled the barrier, before he then spread both of his arms out, as one hand had a red glow to it, while the other had a brown glow to it. He then created a magic circle that seemed to be a mesh of both colours, before it then spewed forth a rain of magma that shot forth, as it met the icicle stream head-on, with the cooled magma heading towards the android, who then used his now prismatic blades to slice the magma to shreds, before it could reach him, in one swift motion.
Gus then made his own attack, as he summoned blades of fire all over him, before he then fired the flaming swords at the androids, who were hit by them, as they were too many by number, and the power of them was strong enough to deal damage to them, even in this empowered form. The Richard android even tried to destroy several of the blades, and succeeding, but it didn't protect him enough against Gus's attack. The Siege android seemed to fare a little better, as his figure seemed to be built to resist attacks.
The Richard android then stepped forward, before it then shot forth, before meeting Richard in close-combat, as the two of them clashed with each other, with each of their own pair of blades, as the exchange was so fast that it seemed like a blur to the typical observer's eye, with how fast they were striking at each other. Noticing that Gus was singled out away from his ally, the Siege android rushed towards Gus to engage him, as Gus blocked a powerful charging swing from the android, which pushed him back, as the flames seemed to be stopping the blade itself.
At the same time, Richard and his android double placed a hand in front of each other's face, as there was a magic circle in front of each other's palm, as they fired off a pulse of light energy and fire energy respectively on each other, as they were knocked back. Richard recovered first, as he quickly cast ice on his palm and used it cool the slight burns on his face, taking the fire magic point-blank, while the android was fumbling around, as the light magic seemed to have blinded it somehow. Richard took this opportunity to smash the android into the air with a well-placed earth pillar, before he then created a series of dark blue and white magic circles that fired off a series of homing lasers that struck the android mid-air, before Richard finished off his attack with a summoned ice floe right on top of the android, crushing it to the ground.
The Siege android then assaulted Gus with a series of sword slashes, before then finishing off with a rising slash. Gus used his blade of flames to block most of the attacks, as he was being pushed back bit by bit with each attack. However, by enduring the attacks, he managed to get the android to expose a moment of vulnerability that he took advantage of, by create a fire pillar that engulfed the android, as it was burned even more severely, as the burns on its skin worsened. Gus then did a rising slash of his own, striking the android, and knocking him back.
Richard and Gus, after pushing back their opponents, quickly formed up on each other, standing side by side, as the Siege android noticed its comrade stuck under the ice floe, before the Richard android melted himself out of the ice with some well-placed fire magic, although it was slightly damaged from the attack, judging from the way it delayed its actions a little.
"Gus..." Richard stated, turning to Gus. "You ready?"
Gus nodded, as he then placed his blade in front of him, while Richard smirked, and slowly changed his aura into one of fire. The androids were on high alert, as they examined their opponent's movements carefully, as they didn't dare to make a move, when their opponent is already planning to attack. The flames of Gus's blade slowly began to expand outwards, as they twisted into shape of something.
"If you androids are capable of understanding what I have to say... I'm actually impressed that we're fighting at even levels... But we're just at the right moment to end this." Richard mocked them, as he slowly stepped forward. "You see, you have managed to copy the abilities of your counterparts well, I have to admit, especially when you popped off that form of yours, android me. But that doesn't mean that you're perfect as a pair. Because you forgot the one thing that's vital to a tag-team of fighters."
The fires on Gus's blade slowly moulded in a large phoenix of fire, as Gus's aura of fire was slowly flowing into the phoenix of fire, making it even larger. "A combination attack." Richard declared, before he then jumped into the air. "And this one is going to be the one strike to settle this fight."
Gus then swung his blade forward, as he fired the phoenix of fire at them, and Richard landed right on top of it, riding it while standing. He twisted his legs slightly, as he seemed to be controlling the phoenix of fire instead of Gus at the moment, as it weaved in accordance to his movements. He then leaned back, as the phoenix shot right towards the high ceiling, while the androids traced its path carefully, all while ignoring Gus, who was creating another great ball of fire in his palms, which was slowly growing in size.
When he was at a certain height, he flattened out the phoenix's path, even pointing it downwards directly towards the androids, before creating a massive magic circle that seemed to block the phoenix from flying forward. However, Richard was slowly infusing fire magic into it, as it was slowly turning red. At the same moment, Gus then completed the massive ball of fire in his hands, as the deep-orange projectile of flame impacted the magic circle, lighting it up in flames of the same colour.
"Taste the power of a master of true fire and an elementalist combined!" Richard roared, as he then leapt off the phoenix, before it then went through the magic circle. "Our combined technique! PHOENIX CRASH!"
The phoenix then entered the flaming magic circle, as it grew a few sizes larger, as well as the flames that made its body burning even more fiercer, with even flickered of dark-blue flames amidst them, as it let out a majestic screech, before it shot towards the androids. The androids reacted at the threat, as they fired their own attack. The Richard android performed what seemed like a copy of Richard's Arcana Beam, and the Siege android was in a familiar stance, cupping its hands, as blue energy gathered in its hand, before that energy turned golden. And then at the same time, beams of rainbow and gold were fired, as they clashed with the phoenix, stopping it from advancing, while the androids were still keeping their attacks up. Richard and Gus exerted even more power, as the flames of the phoenix, empowered by both of their powers, became even more fiercer, as it pushed slowly against the beams of the android units, even with how powerful their respective beams were.
Eventually, the androids' power supplies gave out, as their beams died off, and they lost all power to fight back. The phoenix then crashed right into them, exploding a massive sphere of burning fire, bright and destructive, as Richard slowly lowered himself down on the ground, while the attack's aftereffects lingered for a moment.
When the sphere of fire was gone, the androids that were hit by the attack, were utterly devastated, as their skin was charred into ash, and their expressions were sealed in wide eyes, with expressions of unnatural calmness, as if they accepted their fates, with the light from their eyes gone, mostly due to either their internal systems overheated, or even burnt into slag and useless material. Either way, to both of the Unmei Force members, the truth was apparent: They were soundly defeated.
When that fact came to realisation for both of them, Richard immediately fell onto his back, as his Master Form dissipated into nothing. "Aaaaaaaahhh... We did it, Gus... We beat myself, and Siege... or least what would pass as the best imitations of both, in a no-holds barred tag-team battle..." He heaved out in a long breath, while panting heavily. "...How does it feel...? Being satisfied that we've gone so far since the days we became mere heroes...?"
"...It feels nice..." Gus answered back, before his form also reverted back to normal, and he fell onto his knees. "And the tiredness is already kicking in... Using a combination attack like that, while we're already using energy-exhausting forms on top of that... I think that we won't be able to fight a serious fight for a while, until we have a proper rest."
"We'll have all the time to rest." Richard sighed back with a smile. "We won, didn't we...? And since I know that the others won... The trials are over... We've did it... We'll finally get our answers, and save Gensokyo once and for all..."
"But what about this place?" Gus asked back. "What about all of the people we befriended here...?"
"About that... Hm..." Richard said, before he then paused for a moment. "You know, as long as the Ryujin still have the dimensional coordinates for this certain multiverse... We can often come back to visit. Hell, we can take Elma, Ieyasu, Isara, Flora and Erika back with us to Gensokyo. They'll fit in, the odd-balls they all are... But our realm's safety is top priority... Do remember that Gensokyo is on borrowed time already... and we must continue on, so that we can solve the crisis before it is too late."
"...I think that we'll need a while, before we can start moving again." Gus stated to Richard.
"Then let us take as long as we like... The others can wait for the good news." Richard chuckled lightly.
After a few moments, Richard and Gus were indeed rested enough to get back up onto their feet, as they looked around for the door to leave the room. They found it, as they passed through it, although Richard did give the burnt androids one last look, before he then left the room.
In the central hub...
Richard and Gus returned back to the hub, as everyone else was there, with varying reactions to the completion of their trial, as they all turned to the recently-victorious pair.
"It was a hard job... But we managed to beat it." Richard smiled back at everyone, with a hopeful tone. "I'm sure that you all succeeded. And by the looks on your faces... There were different circumstances for all of you. Remembrance, reluctance, excitement, satisfaction... It's what I would expect from you guys..."
"That's great!" Sanae stated. "Then that means..."
Soon, the hologram image of DW returned, as all eyes turned to him. The holographic scientist clapped his hands in applause, with a praising smile on his expression.
"Excellent, truly excellent, all of you!" DW declared. "You have managed to complete all of my trials with each of your victories. Not only that, but I think that one of you learned a lesson that will be burned into your minds, and make you realise the full potential that all of you have."
Elma looked toward DW with grateful eyes, as only Reimu was the one who caught that look, although she didn't exactly care, since she wasn't sure what DW exactly meant with those words.
"Right then... Since you have passed your trials, I'll uphold my side of the bargain." DW stated, before they group could hear hissing sounds. "Stand steady, all of you, it's time to take you all down!"
The group did what they were asked to do, as the area around the circular console, turned out to be a elevator platform, as it slowly descended down into the depths of the facility. It went down a long elevator shaft, before it then entered a large room, whose walls were filled with futuristic storage pods, each with labels indicating a identification code. In front of them was a large computer console, which seemed to be on standby for the moment. The ground then heard hissing under the circular consoles, as they stepped away from it, as it slowly moved along what seemed to be rails, slowly connecting with the large console. The moment it did, the console turned on, lights, screens, and panels. The hologram of DW was still on the circular console during the whole time, as he remained silent, until the console reached its destination.
"Alright then, now that we're here... I'm going to cut to the chase." DW stated, folding his hands underneath his chin. "You know, it would to stupid not to reward you guys for going through everything you did, just to collect these X-Stones, in order to seek the truth that I promised to your leader. No, no, that would be being cheap. So I decided to offer you three boons, now redeemable, so long as they are within my bounds. And trust me, there is very little I CAN'T do, but the possibility still exists, and there are limits on how far I can go. After all, pissing off the local god and goddesses is a big no-no in my case. After I granted those boons, then you'll have your million-dollar question answered. So get going, decide among yourselves what these boons are."
The group bunched up together, as they discussed things.
"Right... So he'll give us three things, all as a favour for going through all these trials, and everything beforehand. We can't waste these wishes on something petty. That means money or treasure, for you, Velouria and Reimu." Richard stated. "We'll need something that'll help us out in the long run. Or at least can affect the short-term in a way that will keep on benefiting us potentially in the future. I'm open for suggestions."
"Well, an obvious one is that we need to get far more damn stronger, right?" Marisa suggested. "After all, you said it yourself, we got a lot of catching up to do, before we can actually keep up to all the guys we'll have to face. It's proven back when we were in that strange world with all those gods and goddesses. I think that Yukari's help did far more than we expected."
"Alright, I agree with that. Who wants to counter that point?" Richard asked back, as no-one raised any objections. "Right, no-one is unhappy about getting more power, so long as the power is gained properly. If any of you are concerned about that, I'm not going to ask for some sort of steroids for instant gains, or any shady methods of gaining power. I'll just ask if there is something to increase our potential, so that we can train past our original limits of power, and get stronger than what we could have before. That sounds legal and fair?"
Everyone nodded in agreement, as Richard mentally jotted down the point in his head.
"Richard... Should... Should we wish for youth for Flora and Gunter? I know that their age is fitting for them, considering their experience and skill..." Elma stated. "But... But their age restrains them... from achieving their true power. You're not like demons... You lose what was once your strength, when you're past your peak age... ever so slowly... I don't want to let that happen to either of you."
"Elma..." Gunter remarked, before he then sighed as he turned to Richard. "If that is the wish that we will agree upon... Then I will consent to it. I know that it may sound sinful, but I would jump at any opportunity to regain my lost youth, so that I can be stronger than ever, in order to protect Lady Corrin and those dear to her. That is my sole desire for attaining youth."
"...It seems that you are dead-set on the wish." Flora stated, before she then smiled. "I may sound as a hypocrite in accepting this deal, with all I have told my apprentice... But I understand that this is for the benefit of all of us, and I cannot make a counter-argument regarding that. So long as the method comes with a cost that I am willing to pay... Such as a fragment of my power... Then I will humbly accept."
"Right, second boon is for youth then." Richard nodded, before he then looked over the others. "Any idea what our third boon will be? I think that there is little else that we will need, since we've got mostly what we need, and the two previous requests just dealt with what we can't achieve even with all of our power and influence."
"There is one." Reisen stated, crossing her arms. "We were in dire need of numbers for our organisation. Do not mistake my words, our army is sufficient enough to act as a proper faction in this multiverse, albeit a minor one that is fairly few in number. We require more people to help us, if we are to be able to handle the various chaotic situations that this multiverse has been in. Do not forget that we were also targeted by the 'Light Incident' as well, and would have been targeted, had it not been for Yukari's intervention."
"...You are right about that. It should be easy for a guy like DW... considering what he can do..." Richard hummed. "But we can't just bring people over willy-nilly... Even if Yukari needs a very long time to transfer members of Gensokyo to us, a few at a time, with this massive distance between realities... It's not worth burning our boon over. Besides, I wouldn't be so quick to assume that this guy would be able to do what she can't. Even if she wasn't tangled up with maintaining Gensokyo... She wouldn't be able to send everyone here in one go."
"Then we'll just ask him to send what we can." Reisen proposed. "We can compromise, since we are not in grave danger at the moment."
"Send what we can... But even so, then they'll need to train to get stronger. It's going to be a hard time trying to get them to our level, after we spent years training ourselves in much more hellish environments, just to keep up with the power scale here." Richard sighed, before he then thought of something. "Wait... Actually, I might have an idea with all of this. It may sound overly creative, and thus hare-brained, but I think that this can benefit all of us further than just simply sending them over to us."
"I'm listening. Shoot." Fox responded back.
"If it can be possible, we can actually have DW mould them into summons of some sort. Although this only means that they only have a brief presence in this reality... The power that we can stand to gain... and the contribution they will provide in the future battles... It will be worth more than what would stand to lose, many times over." Richard explained. "Think about it, in terms of game tropes, having summons to dish out burst damage to annihilate enemies that would be a few tiers above us, is a unmistakable boon for all of us, don't you think? And besides, summon or member, the girls still can socialise with us, and stand to gain along with us. In fact, think about it, Eidolons, except they actually can level up and get stronger and stronger. Wouldn't that be pretty damn sweet?"
Sanae was nodding excitedly, as the imagery in her head, stimulated her joy of the idea greatly, while the others thought about it.
"Of course it would!" Sanae cried out. "If the guys from the Ultra Hero Alliance can do it, with the likes of the FF classic Eidolons, and many other powerful entities, then we can use the same thing to our advantage! Not only that, but it would be so badass to see all of our friends kicking ass with their ultra-destructive moves!"
"Tone down the enthusiasm." Richard answered back, gesturing for Sanae to calm down. "But yes, you make a good point. Summoning Eidolons is not our speciality and we'll be extremely unlikely to achieve that... But summoning in general, especially with entities of immeasurable power... That we can achieve. So, thoughts everyone?"
"I wouldn't disagree on it, if you believe that the idea is sound." Corrin stated. "I have personally seen the powers of your friends, and if they are further enhanced... Then they would be forces of nature that cannot be easily stopped, not even by gods and deities."
"Well, I can't see anything wrong with that. If that DW guy tries to scam us on that, I'll personally make my own complaint on that bastard." Reimu added. "However strong he and his little facility is, it won't easily handle getting a Fantasy Heaven smashed right into it point-blank."
"So the two of you agree with it then?" Richard stated, before he then saw the others gave looks of approval, and nod a little as well. "And you all seem to have agreement on this. Flora, you're the one whose expertise is on esoteric magic, which should including summoning. You don't have any arguments about this one, like with the boon for youth for you and Gunter?"
"I cannot say for sure what he will provide us, but he seems to be genuine on his word. I'll see how he will provide for our previous two boons, before I make my final decision on the matter. Summoning is fairly difficult, but it is possible nonetheless. It's the matter of what one would summon, that is to be questioned. Powerful entities... If there is a way to truly control and reliably summon them to fight for our sake... I will not raise complaints against it."
"Right, then we've made up our choices." Richard nodded, before he then turned to DW. "Oi, DW!"
"Yeah? You finished discussing? I heard some of what you said, especially what your friend Sanae shouted out aloud, but not all of it." DW responded back. "Mind if you clarify what boons you were discussing about, and have decided upon."
"Gladly." Richard responded back, before raising a finger up. "Our first boon to be requested, is for a means to, in specific detail, to raise our own limits for our potential, in magic and power. If there is a cost to acquiring this kind of boon, what it would cost upon ourselves, in either blood, spirit or mind, we would like to be informed on that."
"So you are not requested for a instant power-up, but requesting for the means to get stronger. You do have our own ways of doing that, but you don't seem to be happy with just that, even though the training does have an effect on you, because there is always a cap on how strong one can become, before pushing past it gets tedious and difficult." DW muttered to himself. "A reasonable boon, and one that I can grant."
Soon, from the large console itself, a large drone popped out of it, as it went to one of the storage units, before activating it to open, collecting its contents inside its storage compartment, before it then flew down, and slowly dispensed the contents inside of it slowly in front of them, right on top of the holographic projector. It was revealed that the contents of the storage unit was actually small flasks that contained a small dose of liquid that seemed to swirl between red and purple colours.
"Here is my own patented potion, used to deal with that little problem. With a single dose inside of these flasks, you'll find yourselves feeling like Goahn after his visit to Elder Guru." DW answered back, as Richard grabbed one of them swishing the liquid around its glass flask. "You'll find that your own limits have been pushed further, meaning that you can train up more of your potential strength and power. In terms of gaming terms, this would be akin to limit breaking, and a effective one at that. What's more, is that the solution is easily absorbed, so you won't feel crushing bouts of pain and agony. That's old-school. It'll diffuse itself in a matter of days, even weeks, making the process quite smooth."
"Hm. It perfectly fits our needs." Richard remarked, before he then grabbed the flasks, and handed them to Gus and Antonio to hold onto, as there was enough doses for all of them. "But I assume that there is more to that, is there."
"Well, you can keep on dosing yourself as much times as you need. Hell, I'll even send your friends the recipe and method to create these kinds of things. It's extremely difficult and precise, and making them takes a year on average. Not to mention that the ingredients to make this, are in places you have yet to know of, or have visited yet. But you'll eventually find all you need for it, which is why sending you this would help out." DW replied back, keeping his cheerful tone, before his expression hardened. "Although there is one little problem with this, and that's one that is really, REALLY, fatal. When you take this kind of thing, you better be sure that you've wrung out 100% of the potential that you have gained from the first dose, before you take the second, and so on for each following dose. Because this solution actually requires a certain level of power in order for it to work properly. No less, not even by a single iota. If that happens, well... I did say that it wouldn't be painful, but that's only if you manage to abide by what I'm saying. Those who fail to use it right... will feel agony that would last a few lifetimes, before it kills them utterly. There are roundabout ways to avoid that kind of death, but the pain will make you wish you died, and it'll leave you crippled for years, even if you DO survive, and that's extremely unlikely, even if you're a physical god. I won't be kidding about this, do NOT try to abuse yourselves by going against my words, I rather not be blamed for something that I did warn you against."
Everyone was silent, as they noticed the sternness from DW's tone, as Richard nodded back. "Your words are heard loud and clear." Richard quietly answered back. "We are not fools enough to risk ourselves doing that."
"Good. Then with all that serious stuff out of the way... I'm sure that's one of your boons fulfilled." DW smiled again. "Now then, what's your next request?"
"This one's a simple one." Richard smiled. "I ask that you give us something that'll revert Gunter and Flora back to their youthful years."
"That's all...? Well, that's fairly humble, but considering that both of them are wizened humans, that still are powerful as hell... I can guess your reason for doing so." DW answered back, as the drone fetched something from another storage unit, as it was two glowing green potions. "There are many ways to revert you back to youth, in all of these worlds, but I decided to mix and match between them to create something that is easy to digest and comes with no cost. Enjoy, my own potion of youth. I assure you that this was not backfire. I tested it myself before, many times, and there is not a single failure. I don't expect my results to betray me now."
Richard then grabbed the potions, before handing them to Gunter and Flora. He then gave them a nod, as the two of them looked at each other for a moment, as they then seemed to reach a solemn agreement, before they then drank down the potion at the same time. As soon as they did, they jolted still, as they took the potion of their lips, as Richard quickly grabbed the empty potion bottles from their hands. Their expression creased greatly, as if they were struggling against something, although they didn't seem to be in pain, but instead some discomfort.
The group watched with interest, as the two elderly members of the Unmei Force slowly turned young again before their eyes. Gunter's grey hair turned to a healthy black once again, as the wrinkles faded from his skin, and his figure seemed to become much more sturdier than before. Flora's hair turned to a vibrant orange, as she looked much more beautiful than she did, as her eyes showed much more spirit in them. After their age reversion was completely, the two of them were left dazed for a moment, before they then moved again, as they blinked several times looking at themselves.
"I've... This has truly worked upon me...!" Gunter remarked, his voice much more youthful and stronger, as he looked at his own body, which seemed to have drastically.
"This youth... I have never thought that I would feel it again." Flora stated softly, as she moved her hands over to the hairband, as she untied it, letting her orange long hair flow free, as she smiled with unmistakable joy. "Truly, this is a miracle that not even the gods would have expected."
"So... It did work without a hitch..." Sanae stated, before she looked at Flora, as she was a little wowed at the younger Flora's beauty. "This is what the great witch Flora would look, if she was younger... Dazzling..."
"And so you can see, that I didn't peddle you snake oil there." DW chuckled. "Same goes with the enhancement potions. Now then, your final boon?"
"This one's not going to be something like a potion, I'm afraid." Richard answered back. "Our final request, is that we have a means to summon our friends, who are faraway from us, as summons of immense power. If you know your stuff, then you would imagine this like summoning great beasts or Eidolons."
"Ah... That's an interesting request. So that's what you meant and why your friend was yelling excitedly about what you were going to get." DW stated, with hand on chin. "You are in luck, as this is something that I can achieve, although it is one of the things that really test my limits on what kind of boons I can give. Still, I have a means for that, and you'll be surprised with what you're going to get. Drone, if you will..."
The drone then moved along, as it seemed to enter the large elevator shaft, flying up it, much to everyone's curiosity. Everyone then waited for a few moments, before it then returned, slowly returning to the console, before then dispensing something, a thing that actually ended up shocking Richard, and everyone else in his group as well.
"What... What the...!?" Richard exclaimed, as he saw the completed X-Stone in front of him, before he then looked up at DW with a flustered expression. "The X-Stone...!? But I thought that thing was a mere Macguffin to bring us here! Why would this be-"
"I think that you know the answer to the question." DW smirked back. "You did witness what the fusion of the X-Stones brought, right? I'm sure that you seen the massive burst of power that resulted from it. The X-Stone ain't just a key, you know, but it is a literal power-device, one of divine proportions, enough to fuel entire worlds with magic power. This, in turn, makes it a suitable conduit for summoning, and it also has the power to convert those friends of yours into the powerful summons you are expecting. I myself don't know the results of this, but I can assure that they are anything but underwhelming."
"Damn... I never thought that..." Richard answered back, as he took the stone in his hand.
"All this time... we were holding onto a power source of unimaginable power..." Fox stated, before he then sighed and placed a hand to his face. "Ah jeez... And not even the great deductive Richard could figure that thing out."
"Summoning with this is very simple, just channel the image of your summon in your head, then channel your power, and release!" DW stated, as he raised a arm into the air. "Like this! Now then, since I have finished granting the boons onto you all... I suppose that this is the time to give you the answer you have been waiting for."
Richard nodded back, before DW shook his head.
"Sorry, but this is something that I can only tell your leader." DW answered back. "Whatever is heard here, is going to be reality-shattering, and I mean the metaphor. Don't get me wrong, you guys wouldn't blab to anyone, but he's the one who wants the answer the most, and the one who has a reason for needing this answer alone by himself. You guys would respect that right?"
"So long as you don't-" Velouria stated, before Richard cut her off.
"Don't, Velouria." Richard scolded her. "...I agree to hear the truth alone. If it is something that the others cannot bear to hear... Then I will bear the harsh truth alone. I have seen a hell beyond mortal imagination. I can handle whatever you have to say."
"Atta-boy, Richard." DW clapped back. "Now then, off you go, the rest of you. The talk will be fairly short."
The others complied, as they stepped onto the elevator platform, as Richard gave them a nod to assure them that he will be fine, before it then rose out of the room.
"Alright, no-one can hear us here. Not that they could, with how deep this room is, inside this large island." Richard told DW. "Lay it on me... Is there a way to save Gensokyo? I want to hear everything. What it will cost, what the consequences will be, and what I must do to achieve this. Not a single detail must be left out."
"I suppose that you earned the right to the truth." DW nodded. "Very well then. The bare truth will be laid onto you, fully."
Richard then took a deep breath, as he listened closely to DW's words.
Inside the central hub...
The group were standing around the elevator, as they were talking amongst each other, as Fox examined the potions they were given.
"Hm... So the guy said that once we take this, we'll be far stronger. But to prevent us from being greedy, we have to reach our limits, completely, before we can take another dose, or it'll end extremely bad for us." Fox summarised DW's advice, before he then smirked slightly. "Interesting way to make things fair, since greed for power brings one's fall if not done properly."
"Either way, if this can give us what we need to get yet stronger... We will take that risk." Corrin answered back. "In all of these worlds, we are not without our faults or problems. If we were stronger... Richard wouldn't have to let the God Hand succeed in their plans."
"And if we were better... Perhaps at Ghirlandaio..." Sanae trailed off, remembering how Selvaria lost her life, before shaking her head. "No, even if we were powerful, we couldn't have prevented that, since her will was to make her last moments a glorious sacrifice. I wouldn't dare disrespect that."
"Either way..." Gus stated, as he looked at the potion in his hand. "If I take this... Then perhaps, just perhaps... I might be able to prove as Richard's equal eventually. He made me stronger, so that I wouldn't have to live in his shadow. Making me the leader back in the war against the Empire, trusting me to take care of the others... He knows that he is only one leader, and he'll need me to take care of things, if something were to happen to him. If that happens... then I'll prove that he didn't make the wrong choice in entrusting me to lead in his stead. That I swear..."
Soon the elevator rose, as it revealed Richard, who seemed to be strangely calm, as everyone turned to him.
"Richard. You're back." Reimu greeted him. "Did that guy tell you...?"
"Yeah, about that..." Richard stated, before his expression twisted slightly. "Not even he has a way to help with that problem."
"So it was in vain then..." Meiling shook her head sadly, hearing the crushing news, while the others from his reality seem to be equally sorrowful to hear the news, as the others saw the sorrow on their faces, as they tried to understand what made them so sad to hear the news.
"Everyone, this is not the time to let out spirits be crushed." Richard told the others firmly, as it made everyone shake off their sadness momentarily, as they saw that Richard's face was determined. "It's not in vain. We gained the means to become stronger, and this is merely one step towards the real answer. He did leave me a hint though. And that is, if I grown yet stronger, then perhaps... just perhaps, I will be able to save Gensokyo by combating the reality glitch itself."
"What... What do you mean?" Elma asked back.
"He told me that my powers, if I develop them enough... I can alter reality itself, much like Yukari would have. In short, I will need to reach the same level as she has, in order to save Gensokyo. With two of the same power, one to protect, one to cure... The reality glitch will become nothing if Yukari was able to focus her full power on it." Richard answered back, before he then smiled. "And the best place to do it... is in this very reality. We will make allies, use the power of bonds and friendship, in order to gain the power to fight against that blight. We will achieve our goal, and nothing will stop us. I'll make damn sure of that."
"So you're telling us we've got a long way to go, until we can help our reality...? And to do so, we have to keep on staying in here?" Velouria asked, before she then shrugged and chuckled. "Ah, why the hell not. We made quite the few friends here, and we're making a reputation from place to place, so why not keep on the business?"
"If our path is to continue spreading justice and equality... Then I would not argue against continuing that duty." Ieyasu answered back. "We are sworn to help those in need, and I will not turn back when there are many worlds where such people exist."
"I'll help you all the same, Richard. Together... We'll make a paradise, so that you'll have a place where you'll see our dreams come true." Elma stated with a smile.
"You guys..." Richard answered back, moved by how his members, especially those who only recently joined, were agreeing, as all of them looked determined. He then wiped a tear from his eye, before he then smiled. "...Ah, that's right. We swore to stay by each others' sides, and stay true to our hearts and ambitions. We're Unmei Force, after all... And Unmei Force... it is a organisation forged of everlasting bonds."
Richard then moved, as he headed to the exit of the building. "Now then, let's head back... You all deserve a break, a long one, after everything we went through." He told everyone.
As he left, Gus could briefly notice Richard's right fist clench for a brief moment, as the others were too distracted about what Richard had said, to notice it.
'Richard...? He... He doesn't look as happy as he does...' Gus thought. 'What might be ailing him now...? Could it be... No. I think that the reason for that is because he's a little frustrated that he couldn't get the answer he wanted right now. But he knows that the path ahead is long and hard, but it will grant him a end to all of this. After all... Richard would never give up on the homeland, the one that welcomed and changed him...'
He then followed after Richard, as they moved up the stairs.
'No matter what... No matter how... I'll keep pressing on... for the sake of our homeland and our friends...' Richard thought to himself. 'All the friends we have made, all the people that we have saved... And everything we felt and experienced... All of it will guide us forward... Forward to a future of hope, a future where everyone can be happy and free.'
Richard then exited this building, holding his own ambition to heart, as he continued on, with friends by his side... into a new quest.
Unmei Force: Inherited Will
E N D
And yet another chapter closes in the story of the Unmei Force...
Their story continues on yet, as their quest has not ended...
Will you be there to witness the new page to their history?
Unmei Force Volume 1
Finished
A/N: The volume is finally over, after all the years and months I have put into this. I hope that you enjoyed the volume as a whole, since the Unmei Force, much like the member teams of the Ultra Hero Alliance will return in a new set of tales. Don't leave the story yet, as the story itself isn't finished, as there will be two future chapters to this, that will be told in the perspective of two new factions. One that has been mentioned before, one that might come to the surprise of many.