Another large splash erupted as another orange lacrima sank into the depths of the enormous dam, clanging against the bottom. Each splash was like music to Hanz's ears, and his smirk grew wider as he spectated the progress.
"Good, very good." He announced. "I see the progress is going nice and easy…" As his eyes narrowed, everyone sped up the work, fearing for their lives as the water nearby Hanz in a puddle began to bubble and ripple violently. Apparently his mood swings were coming in.
"All I ask is for a place nice and sunny all the time; not a damn on and off." He knew the town normally got a day's worth of full sun about once a week, but that wasn't enough to satisfy him. The more he desired a better place than Luss Citta Valle, the more he seemed to have given off a potent power, one that made his skin almost crawl, but faded away as his mood swing died down.
"Relax…relax…" He told himself. "Just a few more hours and all shall be set." He sat back down slowly and patiently overlooked the cranes and workers. "This town likes water so much; it'll get what it wants."
Far below the dam, in the valley and under the cover of lush forest, Craig slipped down a slope and jumped, landing and planting his feet into the muggy soil. He looked a little dirty, but he never cared. The heat was still a killer as his thin shirt was stuck to his chest, but he had more pressing matters to worry of.
He turned around and faced the dam high at the top of the valley. He saw an overcast overhead so the sun couldn't blind him. Thicker clouds seemed to be rolling in from over his head, so he had to work fast.
Okay Brownie, you better make sure you stall them, or I'm gonna bite into your wrist so hard that you'll lose it. He mentally threatened. He faced the trees in front and spectated them, and then looked back at the dam and grunted in fatigue of the whole scenario.
He opened his mouth, where he inserted the double blade with gold sheath in, and held up his other two swords, ready to get to work.
Earlier
"Alright Brownie, you see the mass of forest all around?" Craig pointed at the large forest and tree area around. "I'll head down there myself and slice down as many trees possible. In the meantime, you snake yourself over there and disarm those cranes."
Cana's eyes narrowed. "I get it…wait, hold on!" Cana's head whipped towards him. "What's the point of having me go over by myself to handle those guys?! Why are you going down there instead of me?!"
Craig's eyes showed immense irritation as he snapped his jaws at her, making the brunette scowl back. "Because, you helpless booze drainer." He sneered. "I know what I'm doing. Besides, haven't you ever heard of a fail-safe?"
"Huh?" Cana was stumped.
Craig growled at her. "Must I teach it to you like a schoolkid? I'm gonna go down there pass the dam and slice down as many trees so as to redirect the flow." He looked back down at the water below, his nerves racking. "I know Dynamite Lacrima, it's extremely unstable in vast quantities. With those things, you can't go wrong with a fail-safe…not ever."
Cana was in no position to argue. She had to trust Craig's plan. If she were honest with herself, she would've made her own plan, but the problem was that she had no clue as to how or what to accomplish with that kind of construction. Craig was her only hope since he's dealt with stuff like this before.
"…okay." She relented. "I'll disable the cranes and incapacitate the lacrima. I'll have to be sure to keep my distance as well."
Craig raised a brow as he got up. "Well then that won't be a problem."
"What do you mean?" She asked. "In case you haven't noticed, there's supposed to be a huge amount of workers around here. It's hard to even miss them if you get too close."
Craig crossed his arms. "Is that so? Tell me, how did you get this far up in the mountain to begin with?"
Cana just stared up at Craig, sweat dripping as the heat only made it harder for her to think. When she finally got hit by reality, her eyes widened.
"You mean…this was all you?" She mumbled.
Craog scoffed down at her. "Yeah, it was me. If it wasn't for me, you'd be caught nearly fifty feet upwards." He glanced down at the site on the other side that was close to the dam, watching another lacrima fall into the water. He then glanced back at Cana. "We need to move now…oh, and by the way…"
Cana blinked when Craig stopped and turned around, a grin appearing on his face.
"If push comes to shove, you can always stall and distract them with your sweaty body. That'll get their attention." He joked.
Cana's eyes twitched as a tick mark appeared. "Oh~, I get it. Label me a bimbo. And while I'm at it, I may as well distract them with a Sorcerer's Weekly Magazine!" She chided.
Craig rolled his head forward. "Careful, you'll get a painful epiphany with that thinking. Do your part, why don't ya? Later, Brownie."
With that, Craig slid down the sloped back down the trail Cana took, leaving the busty brunette to groan and turn back towards the dam, feeling her head hurt from just dealing with Craig.
Craig pivoted his body and let out a grunt as he spun, slicing into a tree and having it fall over. He ran right and had all blades out. "Dual Guillotine!" The trees on his left and right were sliced down and had large branches fall in the process. All of the trees falling began to slowly pile down onto one another, and Craig panted as he hurried and sliced more trees down and headed right.
Cana peered from shrubs a safe distance away from the worker site. She indeed saw the cranes the most vital priority to take out. As the men worked in keeping the Dynamite Lacrima safe, Cana was still stuck in her musings a little.
"Distract them with my sweaty body…" She murmured. "Please, I'm not Lucy. Does he think that I'm that lewd? Honestly, if he lives, I'm so gonna rip him a new one." Her attention thus drew forward at the men again, and she just came to a realization.
She needed a distraction. Bad.
"Just how am I gonna get them away?" She pondered quietly. She kept her crouch and remained low as she turned away. "I gotta get them away, but how do I get so many of them away…at…once…?"
An idea came to her mind, a rather cheap option at that. As a matter of fact, her head began to hurt from the thinking. The realization and epiphany she got in this blistering heat was making her head hazy, and she groaned in irritation as Craig had just jinxed her.
"I really hare that guy!" She groaned, having realized that the points he made, along with her small comment of Sorcerer's Weekly, followed by his mocking warning, that he was right from the start, and that she made a lead to her own plans.
Calming down, she reached into her purse and pulled out a strange card. "This should get their attention…"
Another loud splash echoed as another lacrima hit the water. The orange lacrima fell into the depths, landing on some more of its kind, of which filled up the bottom. It was a horrific site underneath the water as the bottom was nothing but lacrima, prodding and sticking out in all the wrong directions.
Hanz looked pleased as he saw the crane move to another lacrima. "Good…very good…" He turned away as he sipped some coffee, and he began to settle some more.
Sudden rustling and a big poof emerged from afar, and the workers all turned their attention to where the sudden display came from. Hanz's attention was drawn towards the direction as well, and he sure didn't seem pleased.
"What now?" He said. "I thought all workers were at their posts?"
The workers all prepared themselves as they looked to embrace what may have been a foe, but to their complete shock, they were left still as their faces turned red as women in skimpy bikinis emerged. They all had large assets and ruby-red lipstick, and the men were all completely hypnotized by the sudden appearance.
"Hey boys~." One woman seductively said.
"Man, just look at all of that muscle, you've all been working so hard." Another woman smirked. "We like that in a man."
"Why don't you all just take a break and let us give you some time to recharge." Another woman insisted.
The men had steam coming from their ears as they all instantly dropped their material. The men in the cranes all jumped out as they all instantly gathered around the women. Hanz himself was infuriated as his patience was thin, but even he didn't see any harm…
"Grrr…fine, but five minutes, then back to work slouches!" He barked, and then slowly advanced as a woman motioned a finger for him to come to her.
While they were all distracted, Cana appeared from the shrub, taking her head stick out with a victorious smirk. "These pigs can't resist my Sexy Lady Card." Her card was put away, and she sneaked her way towards another shrub while staying low to the ground. "Five minutes is all I need anyway."
She snuck pass the playful seen as the woman all hugged the men and focused her attention on the two huge cranes that towered right above her. Peeking through the shrubs, she made sure to stay silent and stealthy as the Sexy Lady Card only had another three minutes to go.
She took a few cards and flicked with deadly accuracy. The cards were shot like shuriken that pierced the ground beneath one big crane. She silently pumped a fist in succession before proceeding past another shrub, whilst looking at the men embraced some more and in their own world. She ducked behind a shrub in time and remained silent as she diverted her attention to the second crane, and slid another couple of cads beneath the crane.
With everything laid out, drops of sweat poured down her exhausted frame and she retreated back behind a tree not too far back. She turned and remained silent as her head peeked around to watch as the women all kept embracing.
The men all felt bliss lift itself from them as the women all got up and waved at them with smiled and soft hands. "That's all you get~!" They cued in unison. "See you later!"
"Wait! C'mon!" One of the groveling men begged as he and the horde of others were panting at the sweaty women, walking towards them like possessed beings.
"We just want a few more minutes!" Another implored.
The women all waved away and suddenly poofed away, like a trick. The men all suddenly stopped and looked away in speechlessness. They all blinked and stared where they were last scene, and then their jaws dropped.
"Wait, was that all just a hallucination?!"
"Either we're working too hard and are seeing things, or they just vanished into thin air."
"I'm still stuck on the bimbos poofing away and leaving us in despair."
Hanz, however, adjusted his tie. "Hmhm! Well good riddance!" The men all turned towards him, all looking slightly in fear as he most certainly did not seem pleased. "Break time is over! Back to work, double time!"
Cana watched as the men all scrambled back to their stations, and the few heading to the cranes were closing in on the huge objects. Cana held up her card and smirked.
"This should slow them down. Summoned Lighting!" She yelled, quite quietly.
The few cards beneath the large cranes suddenly flashed, and green bolts discharged in a frenzy. The green static ran up and all over the cranes, and the workers getting close and around looked in shock as their machinery was getting jolted.
"What's the meaning of this?!" Hanz shouted, seeing green static run through the cranes.
The cranes all went nuts, and the levers rose and fell in no control or pattern. The machine pivoted and turned, and both cranes turned slowly into the other, their discharging electricity colliding and making them smoke a great amount.
"They're gonna blow!" A worker screamed as he retreated with many more men.
Cana plugged her ears and huddled away as the cranes exploded, making powerful rupture on the side of the dam. The explosion was so big that the fires and smoke escalated to a point where the citizens of Luss Citta Vale could get a glimpse of what was going on.
The smoke and dust shifted pass Cana as she continued to hide behind a tree. She coughed a little and glanced back at the scene. To her personal victory, the cranes were in shambles. They were scattered all over the place, and yet the Dynamite Lacrima weren't at all harmed.
The workers looked back at the scene and were left in despair and dumbfounded.
"Wait, what the hell just happened?!"
"How in the world did that just…just…what?!"
"How the hell did this come to pass?! Now how are we gonna transport the remaining lacrima?!"
Hanz stood up in anger, his fists shaking. A pressure eroded greatly from him. "Who did this…?!" His eyes widened in shock as he thought back to the women, and how they suddenly poofed away, and then the green discharge. It all made sense now. "We were duped?!" He looked away in frustration. "Those idiots were supposed to keep intruders out!"
"Looks like they found out." Cana shifted back behind the tree, sitting herself down as before. "At least I was able to stop them from getting anymore-!"
She was cut short when a sudden spray of heavy marine-like bubbles were fired. The attack went straight through the tree, barely penetrating the trunk just a few inches over her head. The brunette covered up as she barely dodged that frenzy, but now found herself unfortunate as the tree began to fall down onto her.
"AAAHH!" Cana dove out of the way into the dirty earth, her sweaty and humid body gathering dirt deposits quickly as she evaded the falling tree. She winced in slight pain and looked back to where it was fired.
"Oh crap…"
Hanz retracted his hand, a moody and serious expression on his face. "Should've known this was the work of a weasel." He growled. His men all growled at her or having her make a fool of themselves by the ruse.
Cana stood up, getting on the defensive now. "Great, this is gonna go well." She sarcastically mumbled.
"You're gonna make us wish you never set foot near this site." Hanz announced. "I've had enough of distractions! You're the last straw! Men, tear her apart!"
Gathering weapons and construction material, the men all charged after Cana, and the brunette drew a card and readied herself. "How's about this!" She drew a second card from her purse and swiped them both in one hand. "Wind Edge!"
A strong air blast arose from the ground, blasting many men at once and sending them skyward and falling into many more men.
Hanz glared down the brunette. "You…I want my sunny weather!"
Cana glared down Hanz at the same time. You better hurry up, Cranky! This guy is pissed!
Elsewhere, Craig was making quick work as he sliced down several trees in one go. As the next tree fell, he briefly sheathed his blades and placed them back behind his thin jacket wrapped around his waist.
"Killing wildlife really isn't my style." He admitted, taking a few paces forward. "But as much as I want to abide by that principle, drastic times call for drastic measures."
He stepped over the fallen trees, looking out ad walking towards what appeared to be a massive pit. He got to the edge of the grass, looking down as it was against a huge cliff that towered high up. He saw a waterfall run through an opening in the Cliffside and it fell down into the hole, where there was a massive pool that water fell into; a deep reservoir sort of speak.
Craig took a few steps back and turned around. He looked at the trail of fallen trees that were either atop or sprawled all around. The open way he created with his swords snaked pass the town and into the valley, right where the lush forest cleared to meet where Craig was.
Craig looked up as the trail seemed far enough. "I hope that does the trick. If this fail-safe doesn't work…" He shook his head at the alternate outcome. "I'll never live this down…"
His eyes widened a little when he felt something off. His head whipped back up, the source coming from the dam high above in the other valley. He took a few steps ahead as his gaze was nowhere but the problem arising.
"What the…?" He saw smoke rising, and instantly grew some anxiety. "Oh crap, Brownie!" He growled, hurrying to unsheathe his dark red and blood red swords. He rushed ahead back up the trail he created, rushing back to the action.
"At least you got me time and vice versa, but this pressure I'm getting is bad!" Craig's mind flashed back to the small scene from last week's flashback, where he met a little girl named Cana. Remembering her face and the little girl's only made him agitated as the heat pounded at his thinking.
He rushed back up the valley and up the mountain. I better not be too late!
The Card Mage that was Cana fired explosive cards that met their mark. The men were all sent flying back onto their backs and sides and laid in unconsciousness. Cana held up more cards as she looked around, panting as the heat and humidity was weighing her down and dulling her senses. Her body was sweating like she bathed in it, but she was able to hold out long enough to have dealt some serious damage to the men.
"That should…take care of them." She said in between hot breaths.
Hanz stood there, his rage increasing and patience no more. "You're not ruining my chances! Ya hear me?!" He put his arms forward and a blue Magic seal appeared, firing heavy bubbles as before. Cana jumped out of the way and evaded the attack in time and retaliated with cards shot at him.
"Wave Block!" Hanz extended both arms out and created a shield of water, absorbing the cards. Cana glared off as the shield evaporated, and Hanz circled around, keeping an eye on Cana.
"So, that light-hearted fool John decided to interfere with my business after all. Even after I told him that it's nothing to worry about." He scowled.
"Wait…" Cana's eyes narrowed as she pondered. He mentioned the mayor being out on business trips, and his name… It soon hit her, and her eyes widened in realization. "You're the mayor?!"
Hanz shrugged as he grinned. "Guilty is charged."
Immediately Cana grew hostile. "What the hell do you think you're doing?! You're trying to drown your own town!" She yelled. "Why would you do such a thing?!"
"Why would I not do such a thing!" He rebuffed. "I hated the place, I hated its people, and most of all…this weather." As if irony decided to strike him, the partially gray sky began to drizzle down, with the water being absorbed into Hanz's skin. This action made Cana grow uneasy as she felt pressure growing. "Almost every day, no matter what time, we always got rain; even if it was but a few minutes, whenever it dropped down, I just couldn't take it." His body began to glow a blue, humid aura. "I want sun, nice weather! My grandfather built this town not just because of its privacy, but the fact that it can actually help others by shipping our water out. That I couldn't care less of, but the fact that we never get any change in sun and then rain has led me to having my patience drown."
Cana couldn't believe what she had just heard. She's heard a plethora of selfish things while out on jobs, but this was something that met new records, next to the Solidaster incident. Her distaste thickened greatly.
"So you would sacrifice your people and your town, all for your ambition for a better place?" She scowled. "You would drown so many innocent people so that you can wash away a 'mistake' your grandfather made?!"
Hanz's face grew dark. "Yes. I don't give a damn, and speaking of which…" His attention diverted to the scattered lacrima from the explosion, which were surprisingly still intact. "I believe now I must put matters into my own hands."
Cana was more than a little confused as to what he meant by that, but she knew regardless was that it was the exact opposite of good. She saw Hanz reach out behind her and used his Magic Power on some lengthy crate that was buried beneath the Dynamite Lacrima. It clearly had a fragile label on it, and the brunette grew exceedingly weary when the crate fell apart and opened, revealing what appeared to be a Dynamite Lacrima, but its color wasn't orange. It was instead red.
She turned back towards Hanz, only to get a blast full of brine that sent her to the ground, sending pain through her back. With her down, Hanz scoffed as he passed her, getting a closer distance to the lacrima.
"These lacrima you see are indeed Dynamite Lacrima, but have you ever wondered what makes them go off?" He asked her as he continued walking, disregarding his clothes getting damp from the drizzling. "This one before you, it's a trigger. Just one touch…and then boom."
Cana rolled over in the soggy dirt and got to her knees. "You bastard, I'm not done yet!" She pulled out some cards, but froze up when Hanz wagged his finger at her.
"Nah, ah, ah~. Careful where you aim. You wouldn't wanna have this precious cargo catch you in a blast now, would you?" Gesturing behind him to the lacrima, Cana saw the predicament. If she used an attack and missed, or if an explosive card touched the red lacrima, it's game over for both of them.
"That's what I thought." He turned away from Cana. "Now if you excuse, me, I have a town to turn into a lake, and finally be rid of this-!"
A sudden projectile was fired from the trees and forest some ways away. Hanz never got to say another word before his leg was pierced straight through by a blood red sword. Hanz screamed in violent pain as he dropped to a knee and panted,
"Who the hell did this?!" He yelled.
Cana recognized the blood red handle and turned towards the trees, her shock more than a little obvious. "…Cranky?"
Perfect timing was all that could describe the situation. Craig emerged from the forest in a hurried dash. He ran up to Hanz as the man saw him run after him. Hanz reached out and shot a blast of brine at Craig, but the cranky individual shifted and dodged. He crouched and took a big leap ahead, ramming his elbow into Hanz's gut. Blood spilled from the recipient's mouth and Craig grabbed his sword from Hanz's leg. He yanked it out, making Hanz scream in violent pain.
The mayor panted and clutched his gut and leg alike. He angrily looked at Craig and vice versa. "Look at what you've done! You son of a-GAH!" He never finished when Craig stomped on his face, making the back of his head hit the muddy ground.
Craig lifted his foot and angrily looked down, his sharp teeth showing. "I don't waste time babbling with brats like you. If you wanna wipe out your own, you're lower than scum." His eyes narrowed and gave that predatory gaze. "You're just a desperate troll."
Hanz violently sprung out to attack Craig, but all he got was an uppercut from Craig, and the impact was so violent that Hanz was shot several feet into the air, his lower jaw broken as he fell head first into the water of the dam with a big splash.
Craig aggressively looked at the water in the dam and stared. He's fought people like him before, and all he could do was pity such a desperate fool. He knew people like him would never stop until they were either locked up for life or dead.
He turned towards Cana, a scowl on his face. "What are you looking at, you filthy Brownie?"
Cana disregarded how muddy and dirty she was and just gave a raised brow and frown at Craig. "I'd be damned if I was wrong about your insidious comment, but you still came at just the right time."
Craig rolled his eyes. "Whatever."
Cana's gaze then grew serious. "But you didn't have to do that you know." She chided. "He could've just been incapacitated. What was that for?!"
Craig's brows furrowed as his eyes and teeth showed how vicious he was as usual. "You know what, I couldn't give a remote crap of how you do your business, so you should be wise to just keep those questions and yourself away from how I handle my prey!" He lashed back, his breath giving a snarl that made Cana uneasy. She could tell that he was very mad; more than agitated, similar to how he quarreled with Grander.
"I have been through this countless times. Guys like him don't stop until they're dead, and you've witnessed that, remember?" He paused to let Cana remember what happened in Solidaster. "I don't know and I most certainly don't care what you and your little barnyard of a committee does, but you have no idea on how the real game is played. There are monsters of people out there worse than what any guild can handle, and you think it's best to seal them up or hand them over to authorities…" He shook his head. "No, there are drastic times…when you need to take them down with your own hands."
Cana's eyes were wider than ever.
"You fight and work just to pay off expenses, as I do…but when I'm out there alone, I fight to survive in this mortally damaged world. There are so many things wrong in this world that you've never seen." His spite never sounded so scornful. "And you treat it as some joke, well now you get the picture."
The brunette was left baffled with Craig's speech as rain poured harder than before. He just stared at her with a vicious gaze, one that was like a savage predator, or someone, as she now realized, has seen every bit of evil the world had to offer. Thinking back to it, Craig was savage, but she had no idea so that he could just survive. By his tone, it sure wasn't pretty how he went down the road.
Cana saw it as a crossroad, where she and Fairy Tail took a bumpy road, but Craig…there was no road, it was just a minefield of hazards and treachery. Now she got it. Craig's game was survival of the fittest.
Craig turned away from her. "Great, now you just made me babble. That was the last thing I wanted!" He looked over his shoulder back at Cana. "Brownie, I hope you're very proud of seeing such a scornful-!"
The water suddenly exploded, and before Craig could turn his head around, Cana's heart pounced as some sort of vicious looking creature sprung out. It had fin-like wings over its scaly blue humanoid body. The legs seemed bulky and stout with rough scaled of blue. It also had a tail with a finned end. The neck had two large orange circles, and the eyes were compound and nearly connected. The eyes were multi-cell and orange and glowed with viciousness. The top of the head had a fin, while the mouth had small pincers. The most shocking part of all was the hazardous scaly blue arms that had hands inside two huge blue pincers.
A massive hiss bellowed and the creature snapped its pincers down onto Craig as he turned around, snaring him by the left shoulder and right abdominal region. Craig yelped as he was caught off guard and hauled into the water.
"Cranky!" Cana screamed.
"Get the lacrima-!" Was all Craig could bellow before the beast plunged him underwater. Cana couldn't see the air bubbles rise because the humidity was messing with her head and the rain poured down so hard now and pounded the water.
Cana brushed her hair back and looked like she was gonna have a panic attack. She needed to save Craig from that monster, but he told her to get the lacrima. It was a tough choice, and she mentally would hate herself, but after wincing it out, she got moving.
"Cranky, if you die, it's your fault!" She yelled as she ran through the mud pass the Dynamite Lacrima.
Underwater, Craig was hauled down to a fair depth. He was able to get some oxygen into his cheeks as he sank into the dark waters. The creature suddenly let go, and it swam with the wings folded and faced Craig, its bug eyes eying him.
Craig's eye narrowed in suspicion. Is that…?
"Surprised?!" The beast exclaimed, sounding and revealing himself to be none other than Hanz. The beast let out a mocking laughter as Craig was left shocked. Hanz remained still as he eyes Craig. Another snickering laugh escaped before Hanz spoke in a harsh hiss.
"My power, this is what you see…my true power!" He hissed a snicker. "The power of Aquatic Take Over and Water Magic is a combination of pure terror, and the benefit is that my power is at its fullest when in water."
Craig grunted as his lungs were starting to get to their limit. The bastard! He thought with a sharp look in his eyes. This is bad, he's got an advantage, and to add insult to this wound…His eyes twitched a little as he looked up at the surface, and he felt his lungs starting to hurt. I'm not a strong swimmer.
"I'll be taking that lacrima and be blowing up the dam now." Hanz hissed, his pincers twitching uncontrollably. "Time to eliminate the nuisance!" He aimed both his huge lobster-like claws at Craig as he tried to swim up. They opened up, and he fired a powerful blast of brine. Craig's eyes widened and he was blasted, sent skyward closer to the surface.
Craig gagged and bubbles rushed out of his mouth. He hated many things, but one of the things he's developed was a dislike for being underwater. He couldn't hold his breath very long, and by now he had it rough.
With everything he had, he kicked and swam like crazy upwards towards the surface. He soon breached, and a heaping gasp escaped from his mouth. His lungs expanded and took in fresh air.
Cana was seen grabbing the red lacrima when she heard the sudden splash, and her head whipped back to see Craig. "Cranky!"
"Brownie-!" Craig was suddenly dragged back under, and Cana's eyes widened in horror as she saw the vicious beast's fin tail but for a second and then fall back into the water.
Underneath, Hanz snapped one of his claws down into Craig's right shoulder, sending a high level of pain through his circuits. Craig hurried and used his left arm to sheath the dark red sword. Though there was great water resistance, he didn't apply that as he pointed the sword behind him and thrust underneath his right armpit, puncturing Hanz's scaled arm. The attack made Hanz recoil and hiss.
"GAH! You brat!" He scowled.
Craig got a back grip to the handle and swiped in an arc. Hanz was slashed across the chest and he recoiled back further. The maniacal mayor hissed sourly at Craig and watched him bare his teeth and hold his dark red handle sword.
Hanz's multi-cell glare reflected Craig. "You're so annoying! But I can't waste time like this any longer!" He opened up his huge claws again and fired heavy bubbles that jetted with furry. Craig held the dark red handle sword and slashed and intercepted the numerous bubbles that jetted after him. It wasn't a very successful maneuver however as Craig could only intercept and bisect so much and so many at a time, and he never really had much experience with underwater combat.
He was shot back through the water, and his back slammed into the dam, sending levels of pain through his body. Hanz hissed as he rammed ahead after Craig. Craig, on the other hand, shook his head and looked back behind, noticing the dam and how he was close to the surface.
His wits came to their peak, and he smirked, despite how his oxygen was low again. As Hanz raced after him, Craig raised his sword and did the same thrust underneath his arm, embedding the blade into the dam. He maneuvered onto the handle and then used it as a stepping stone, all while taking the sword with him up.
Hanz smacked his head into the dam, making his head feel great pain. The mayor hissed sourly as he felt hazy for but a brief moment before Craig stomped down onto his face, making him lower to the depths.
"You'll pay for that!" Hanz bellowed. He aimed his open claws and exposed hands to Craig. "Brine Gunner!" He fired the brine yet again and attacked Craig.
Craig sheathed his dark red blade and smirked. He twisted his body so that he was looking up at the surface. Perfect. The Brine, though rather painful at first, blasted and pushed him to the surface. Craig shot out at the top of a geyser and he used the momentum to unsheathe the dark red and blood red sword alike and thrust them behind, and he used them as support to keep himself perched high up the dam, away from the water.
Hanz's scaly head and had prodded from the water. "You brat! How dare you use my attack to your advantage!"
"You made it too easy, you sick fish." Craig responded. "Do you honestly believe that this is the solution you've been looking for?"
Hanz hissed up at Craig. "Silence you! I don't care how it's done! I want this town dead! I never want to look back at this pathetic excuse of a reservoir again!" He turned back towards the shore. "Now it's time I make that a reality…"
When he looked back, however, the red lacrima was not in its place. "What?!" He looked and saw Cana rushing away with said lacrima in her arm, making sure to get as far away as she possibly could. "Hey! Get back here you little bimbo!"
Hanz swiped his arms, and as Cana ran off, she looked back as she felt the rain changing direction and aiming for her. The rain's velocity increased, and Cana felt as though sharp needles was trying to puncture her.
"He can manipulate the rain to attack a target?!" Craig exclaimed.
Cana nearly fell over until the controlled rain finally stopped and went back to being regular rain. Hanz hissed as he slowed her down and his eyes flashed. He was atop of a small current that carried him off towards Cana, reaching far out from the water.
"Brownie, head up! Behind you!" Craig yelled.
Cana turned around and was wide-eyed as Hanz hissed and jetted in after her. The brunette barely got to her feet and dodged Hanz riding the narrow current, blasting right through a tree. The brunette slid back and fell on her back in the mud.
Hanz's feet slammed against the ground and hissed at Cana and turned his head, his eyes set on the lacrima. "Give me that!" Without hesitation, he opened up the huge claws. "Megalo Pistol!" He fired heavy bubbles at Cana with massive weight and pressure as before.
Cana's eyes were wide as she held the lacrima and tumbled away from the exploding bubbles. The shockwaves sent her sliding through the humid and warm mud on her shoulder and slammed into a tree. Her body felt a numbing shock pulse through, and the lacrima flew out of her hands.
Still in pain, Cana couldn't seem to react as Hanz leaped and sprung forward with the help of his tail, snaring the lacrima in his clutches. "Finally! Now all I need to do is drop this in and be rid you a-!"
He was met with a harsh slam on his right, making him fall and slide on his left side. Craig howled as he ran ahead to attack. He leaped to strike once more, but Hanz's vision caught him in time to raise his right claw and fire more brine. In midair, Craig unsheathed his dark red and blood red blades. He crossed and slashed in an X formation, slicing right through the pressurize brine.
"What?!" Hanz exclaimed.
Craig landed in front and sheathed his blades. He lunged ahead and shoved Hanz into a tree with a thud. Hanz hissed and opened up his claw again as the other still had the lacrima, but as the Megalo Pistol was ready to be fired, Craig downward elbowed the pincer and made the pincer target the ground.
Hanz's eyes widened as it was too late, a blue explosion erupted and Cana covered up as strong winds blew through the area, picking up shrubs from their roots. "Aaaah!" She felt herself get pressed against the tree, and she managed to catch both Craig and Hanz in the air, both looking in shock as the lacrima twirled as well.
"Cranky!" Cana screamed.
Hanz, Craig, and the lacrima all unfortunately fell into the water, submerging. Craig felt like he hit the ground rather than the water because the impact was so hard, and Hanz sourly hissed in pain from that misfired assault.
Both their eyes opened underwater, and Craig straightened out while Hanz swam ahead. He snapped his claws down while Craig opened his mouth and sank his sharp teeth into Hanz's shoulder while the recipient snapped his claws down onto Craig's sides. Both thrashed about in the water, tumbling through the waves and not letting their grips go, but of course this left one problem to float down towards the bottom.
The red lacrima sank deeper and deeper, soon almost coming into contact with the other lacrima in the far depths. Hanz and Craig both hissed and showed teeth as their grips and bites dug deeper. Their eyes caught note of something red floating down, and their eyes stared as the lacrima's end touched one of the orange lacrima on the bottom.
It felt like time froze their bodies, and only one thing came to Craig's mind. …oh damn.
That moment, everything just went kaboom. The entire depths of the dam were brightening with explosions that quaked and sent shockwaves everywhere. The explosions set off one after another, and the rattling and blast waves everywhere, making Hanz and Craig spiral and sway through the blast uncontrollably.
On the surface, Cana ran up to the dam's side after she recovered. She panted as the harsh rain was still pounding her, and the heat added made it no fun. She came to a halt when the ground violently shook and geysers erupted through the waters. She covered up as water sprayed everywhere.
"Cranky! Craig!" She screamed as she looked back as the quaking kept on going. Her shock never stopped as the dam cracked up, and the brunette's eyes widened in horror as water sprayed through the thick wall.
"…no!"
The dam fell apart from the dynamite explosions, and the whole structure creaked and burst in several parts, soon erupting into many spots, and it eventually shattered like glass. A massive torrent sprouted and began to roar down the valley. The whole torrent plowed through many fallen trees, raging like a tsunami.
Through the raging current, Craig sprouted out of the water with a gasp of air. His eyes were wide as he looked around and saw that the river was raging down, along with him.
Hanz emerged as well with a harsh hiss. "Yes! Drown this town! Gaaahahahaha!"
The river raged downwards, frightening and panicking the Luss Citta Vale residence. The shock of it all was that as the river was closing in, it suddenly arched its way away when it hit a massive wall of thick tree that bordered it and made the current digress.
"WHAT?! NO!" Hanz screamed. "How was there a valley of thick trees being used as a wall?!" He looked at Craig, seeing the scoffing smirk on his face. "YOU!"
"Took you long enough, freakshow." Craig exclaimed through the current as the current digressed and ran along the thick wall of trees. "I planned ahead, so that your little victory would never come to pass. I cut down as many trees to redirect the current and make it run pass the town. We're heading right a waterfall basin as we speak!"
"You bastard!" Hanz yelled violently.
Craig grabbed onto a branch that was carried by the current. "I learned something from an old friend of mine! Always have a fail-safe!"
"GRAH!" Hanz hissed angrily and sprung out of the water, falling down on Craig and smashing the branch. His claws got Craig and gripped him tightly as they both plunged back in.
As the current raged on, Cana's eyes were wide as the whole thing was actually running against thick trees like a wall. She couldn't help but be amazed at how Craig's fail-safe actually worked. "That wacko's plan actually worked…"
Her eyes widened when she saw something down in the valley, and she actually saw Craig popping his head out of the water, and Hanz was chasing after him. "Hang on, Cranky! Don't go drowning on my watch!" She raced down a slope that was like a shortcut and the mud made her sail down and stop at a patch of grass. She jumped up and made it down to the current, where she started to run as fast as she could alongside the river.
Her vision caught sight of Craig as Hanz snapped his claws and grip his upper body, and he used the other claw and jabbed Craig's head, forcing him into yet another plunge.
Under the raging water, Craig was caught in Hanz's psycho grip. A laughed hiss emitted from Hanz as both claws snapped down on Craig as he could hardy move underwater. Craig grunted as small bits of blood spilled from the gashes the sharp pincers made. Hanz swung his pincers through the raging current and threw Craig ahead.
"Grah!" Craig gagged as he was thrown onto the thick bark of a down tree, the shock running through his body and rendering him immobile, long enough for Hanz to open his claws again.
"Megalo Pistol!"
The heavy bubble fire raged and shot Craig up to the surface. Craig gagged as he shot up and into the air, the action shocking Cana as she was running alongside the current. Her eyes caught Craig as he fell and landed on a piece of bark that broke his fall that raged through the current.
Craig couldn't feel anymore humiliated at the moment as he laid on the bark. He was a terrible swimmer, and there was no way he could swim to the shore at this rate. He never liked the idea of swimming long distance, that was one of his fatal points.
As Craig tried to regain himself on the bark, Hanz emerged and pounced out again, snaring his claws both into Craig's side, digging through his shirt and skin. Hanz pressed down hard, making Craig suffocate on a choke as the bark snapped, making him plunge back into the river.
Underneath was where he was vulnerable yet again. He grunted as Hanz had him on his left side, both claws digging as the current swept them away. "You and that bimbo ruined my plan!" He screamed, griping down tighter, making bits of blood spill from Craig. "Once I'm done with you, I'll kill her and then this town by force! I'll redirect the current again if I have to!"
Craig was feeling himself lose oxygen bad, and the pressure of the current dragging him didn't help him in the slightest. This sucks. At this rate…He glanced at Hanz again and his huge multi-cell eyes. Seeing as how he was underwater again, and how he was so helpless, brought back a bitter time, a time and day where he learned the hard way of always going with a fail-safe. His teeth were bared as he remembered that bitter day.
16 Months Ago
In a domestic yet urban sanctum in the dark night in the country known as Bellum. The country was during a very crude time, in which had of Bellum was split and one side was against war with the other over the purpose of ascertaining a very prominent core, said core was possibly more powerful than so-called Etherion. One side wanted that power badly, though some on their side thought otherwise.
Craig and an elderly man with a high level of attire fit for battle were both pit in a corner of a grand ravine that ran through the city they battled in, which was the heart of enemy territory.
Nester was what they called a living fossil because he never seemed to die through wise experience, though an enemy at some point, Nester knew it was best to leave the core alone, and he and Craig secretly joined in an operation to get to the core and protect it…although easier said than done since they have to escape the city and flee across the country to where the core is, but they were occupied with one of the highest and youngest combatants and his huge sea serpent.
Reef laughed harshly as he swiped his arm and shot blue arrows at the two. "Try and school me! Will you?!"
Craig unsheathed all of his blades and inserted his mouth blade in a hurry. He swiped all of his swords in a frenzy and managed to deflect the shots and energy arrows, protecting Nester.
"You still do not understand, Reef!" Nester insisted. "The king wants this power for his own selfish gain. He does not care if your life is forfeited, and you'd be such a moron to not realize that."
Reef's eyes twitched. "Quiet you old dog!" He put both arms forward, firing a blue beam that matched his long blue hair. His pale skin brightened from the blast as the blue was a brighter shade than his battle uniform. Said beam traveled in a hurry and Craig let out a shrill cry as he swiped his mouth blade, bisecting the attack.
However, he wasn't spared when Reef's sea serpent accomplice struck him by the side with his finned tail. Craig yelled as he tumbled, barely keeping his mouth blade inside of his mouth.
"Crag!" Nester shouted. He turned back towards the sea serpent and reached out, sending orange spark from his hand that zapped the sea serpent and made him wail. As he applied cover for Craig for him to get up, Nester looked at Reef. "Reef, abandon this foolish war and know what's good in your heart!"
"Silence you!" Reef denied. "I'm not like that son you lost in war!"
Nester's eyes narrowed.
"Don't think I haven't looked through your records now. I wondered how you always were the war strategist over the years and now I know. You lost your son when you lead him and your little party into an ambush!"
Nester felt his mental pain of his beloved and brave son give him grief, but he thus moved on. Craig looked back at Nester and back at Reef.
"Sucks to be you two! Craig Crius, your time is up! Go Slithera!"
Slithera, the great sea serpent, opened his mouth and his red eyes glowed. The serpent howled as sudden globs of water began to expand all around, frightening Craig and Nester. The globs of water kept increasing in mass as Reef maniacally laughed.
"Nester, what the hell is going on?!" Craig exclaimed.
Nester clenched his fists. "This Magic…can't be so deranged to use Drench World like this!" Nester stepped forward. "Reef, that you lost your mind?! You'll flood the city ravine!"
"That's the idea old man! Slithera, go! Drench World!"
Slithera roared and raised his head, and the huge globs of water all exploded as they fell to the ground. The entire ravine was bombed with water that began to quickly fill up with large waves, and Craig and Nester covered up as they both were washed by the Drench World that turned the huge ravine running through the city into a river.
A current began to sway and Nester was able to keep control, but Craig was another story. Craig was swaying his arms as he tried to remain in the still place Nester was, but he was way too unfortunate as he couldn't be anymore pathetic.
Nester looked over wide held breath and wide eyes as he reached and managed to grab Craig before the weak swimmer could be swept away. Nester looked ahead back at Reef as he could breathe with his magic.
Reef laughed maniacally as he caught Nester and Craig in their tracks. "What's the matter, the little monster there not a strong swimmer? Well too bad, I'll just put you guys out of your misery! HRAH!" With a great raise of his arms and swiping them, a raging cyclone in the water.
Nester and Craig were helpless as the two were let go of and were caught in the cyclone. Both felt like their worlds were spinning greatly, and Craig flailed as he had low oxygen.
The cyclone's rage dwindled, and Craig and Nester both headed down the current still underwater. Slithera opened his mouth and began to charge up a huge energy in his mouth. Reef laughed as his serpent was charging power.
"Time to finish you two off! Go Slithera!" Reef screeched through the water. "3…2…1…GOODBYE!"
"HRAAAHHH!" Slithera fired a pressurized yet extremely massive sphere of energy that blasted through the water like a huge cannonball. The blast was heading their way and Craig tried paddling out of range, but he was no good.
Nester looked at Craig for a moment and back at the incoming impact. His eyes were hollow, but inside he knew what had to be done. He saw Craig struggling and he swam over with help from the current.
"Craig!" He gurgled out.
Craig turned with wide eyes as Nester suddenly shove him through the water and had him swirl around until he grabbed onto some vine that was sturdy enough to hold onto. His eyes were wide as his cheeks were puffed, but the look Nester was giving was one he saw before.
"Craig! You're the fail-safe! Protect and fight for the cores protection!" Nester shouted. "Hurgh-!" He began to hoke as the current began to sweep him away, and the ball of energy was sweeping in.
Craig's eyes were horrific as he held onto the vine but tried reaching out. "NESTER!" He screamed through the water.
Nester's eyes closed in the water as everything began to blur. '…Veronica…Maurice…my wife, and son, is that you I hear…?' He began to see the blue sphere heading his way. In a way, he saw a woman around his age, long blonde hair and refined cheek bones that made her emerald eyes sparkle. The second was a young man in a battle uniform with the same eyes. They both grinned at him.
'Forgive me.' He wished. 'Veronica, I'm sorry to let you lay on your deathbed, and to my son, who I had killed…at least this time, for once in my life, I was able to save someone who meant great value…' Through the loss of oxygen, he smiled as his head reeled back.
'Craig is a good boy, I was glad to have saved him…'
The blast was seconds from reaching him, much to Craig's screaming through the water.
Nester's eyes finally closed as the attack hit him. 'I'll see you soon! My sweet wife, and brave son!'
With that final thought, the attack reached and exploded upon impact, sending volatile waves through the water. Craig screamed as the vine swung uncontrollably and swung him upwards through the raging current, leaving Craig's crying tears to be whisked through the current while he gasped and cried upon hitting the shores.
Craig felt his breath hitch as he glanced back at Hanz, still underwater. His teeth were looking sharp like a dinosaur's. No, not again! He shifted his body and tried thrusting his body around, catching Hanz losing his grip through the swirling pivot and Craig opened his mouth and sank his sharp teeth into Hanz's neck.
Hanz screeched underwater as his scales were bleeding from his sharp bite. Craig used his left hand to grab Hanz's throat and used his other hand to reach behind and hold onto a wing, causing Hanz to hiss as neither side had control in the water.
Both parties spiraled through the current until Hanz hit a down tree, making his body immobile from the shock long enough for Craig to let go and drive a fist into his face, square in the pincers. Hanz hissed in pain and Craig let go and use his head as a stepping stone to reach the surface. Craig gasped as his head popped out and took another deep breath as he arched his body and dove back underneath.
Hanz shook his head and looked up, only to see Craig's arms tucked in as he swam down with an open mouth. His sharp canines dug into Hanz's head fin through the membrane and all. Hanz screech and swayed his head in riling agony, but Craig held on by the back and kept a volatile grip, digging his monstrous jaws into the head fin.
"What the hell are you doing?!" Hanz screeched. He hissed harsher than ever as Craig let loose but a little only to crunch down harder. Hanz kept swaying and he reached back, trying to snare Craig into his claws, but Craig nudged his body away and he finally yanked one last time, completely ripping off the fin on his head.
"Aaaaaahhh!" Hanz screamed as he felt pain through his head, and then Craig opened his mouth once more, crunching into his scaly neck again. Hanz knew he had to get away from the beast of a man, so he jabbed Craig in his face with a claw, making Craig lose his hold, and Hanz swam away.
Craig snatched Hanz by the tail before he could get out of reach and was hauled up to the surface as Hanz was trying to do so.
Cana, on the surface, ran along the current as it was getting close to the basin. "Cranky! Cranky-!" Her eyes widened when a large splash erupted from the water. She watched in awe and slight horror as Hanz sprung in midair, but at the same time Craig was in midair too. Craig let out a vile snarl as his body arched and he snapped his jaws in slow motion down onto Hanz's neck, plunging them both back into the water.
"What the hell?!" Cana screamed. "Is that freak trying to make him his dinner or something?!"
Back underwater, Craig thrashed his head side to side as Hanz screeched. Hanz on the other hand was feeling his advantage was gone. "Let go of me you psycho!" He yelled. He reached back and snapped his claws down on Craig once more, and managed to get him off by twisting and throwing his body through the raging current.
Craig spiraled through the water, but straightened out and sprung off of a fallen tree submerged. He sprung at Hanz and opened his mouth once more, this time biting into his right claw. The fangs were gruesome as Hanz felt the exoskeleton beginning to break under his vicious jaws. Hanz screeched in agony as Craig let go and dove back in with a harsher bite than before, crunching right through a chunk of the claw and swung his head, letting said chunk get washed away in the current.
"You're a maniac!" Hanz shouted.
Craig used his right arm and pried the rest of the damaged claw off, using his vicious strength to send the large claw through the rapids as well, having blood spill as Hanz's scaly hand was exposed. Craig thus used his left hand and grabbed the wrist, hurling Hanz deeper into the current ahead and making his back hit another fallen tree.
"GAH!" Hanz couldn't feel anything, and Craig bared his teeth. With himself practically immobile at the moment, Hanz was carried by the rapids up to the surface. He panted as water was spraying everywhere.
Craig popped from the water and had a snarl as he paddled the best he could, using the current to assist in his help. "Hanz!" He shouted through the current. He reached for his mouth blade first and put it in his mouth. He then reached for the blood red and dark red swords, bringing forth his unique style. "Luss Citta Vale ain't no pool that you can fill! There is life, and you tried snatching it away! Time to learn the hard way!"
As Craig latched onto some bark as a makeshift raft, Hanz screeched out at him in defiance, though he couldn't steer himself well now that Craig ripped his head fin off. Still, he had a sick look in his eyes. "Listen you pathetic monster! I am the mayor! I have power! I will drown that miserable rainy place! I WANT MY SUNNY WEATHER!" He bellowed hysterically.
"Craig stood up on the bark and rode it after Hanz as he was on his back. He crossed his swords. "Enjoy all the blistering heat in hell! You won't get a drop of water there!" He jumped off the bark as he looked like a savage animal. Hanz screamed hysterically as his ambition was all he wanted, but instead rain poured down through the humid atmosphere.
"Devil's Cross!"
Craig fell atop of Hanz in the water and at the same time slashed his swords horizontally and the mouth sword swinging up vertically. A mixture of blood and water splashed when Craig plunged onto Hanz. Underneath the water Craig was below Hanz as the freaky-looking guy had a gash running up from his abdomen up to his chin, and both arms had gashes. Hanz didn't hiss as his life slipped away, as did his chances to succeed.
Craig sheathed his blades back behind his thin jacket and turned his body up. He watched from below as Hanz's body never reverted back as his lifeless body was carried by the current, where ahead Craig's eyes widened as he saw the body disappear ahead down what seemed to be a…
Oh crap! Craig realized that they had reached the basin, but he was too weak underwater and his oxygen was short. He paddled but to no avail as all he could do was pop his head and arms up before he felt the water arch down.
"This sucks!" Craig screamed. He braced himself as he felt himself plunge into the basin, but his eyes remained closed as he felt a strong grip on his wrist.
His eyes opened slightly, and he noticed that he was right beside the downward waterfall. Craig couldn't believe what on earth just went on. "What? Aren't I supposed to be…?"
Craig turned his head up and his eyes squinted as the rain poured on his face. But even so, he was left in shock when he realized the fact that Cana was reaching down and hanging onto him for dear life.
"Brownie?!" Craig exclaimed in shock. He wasn't sure what on earth to say, mostly because he forgot about her as he was in his fight.
Cana held on as she pulled Craig up. "Just hang on! Oh god you're heavy!" She shouted as she tried pulling him up.
Craig looked away in distaste. "Good, makes it worth it to see you strain yourself."
"Do you want to have me lose my grip and make you fall?!"
Craig growled up at her. "Depends if you decide to keep your mouth shut for the rest of the time being.
Cana growled as she turned her head away, still yanking Craig back up over the edge. This guy's just plain…plain…She never could find the answer. The first thing that came to mind was endless swearing to describe him, but seeing him attack viciously made her see the guy who had the look of an avenger. Just what is he?
It had taken up to the next day to sort everything out. Overnight, the Rune Knights investigated and apprehended the workers and the remaining Dynamite Lacrima. They all then managed to recover Hanz's body in the basin, with some great effort included.
The story was described in detail to the Rune Knights and citizens of Luss Citta Vale by Cana, since Craig decided to sleep elsewhere far away. And so the award for Cana was given, with a small bonus for the lives saved. The remainder of that night was Craig sleeping somewhere in the city while Cana was given permission into a cozy inn.
The next day around noon, Cana left the now safe town and started her way up the hilly trail up to the lush forest. She put her hands over her head as she looked back at the overview. When she did, a small grin was plastered on her face.
The giant structure was no longer there, but instead there was a massive, flowing river that passed the town and off to the basin disclosed. She snickered as she turned ahead. "I still can't believe that freak of nature actually pulled it off."
"Experience gets you far. You learn first-hand." Cana looked up at a small hill on the trail and Craig was looking down at her. Cana didn't show any surprise as Craig pounced down from the dirt cliff and blocked her path on the trail.
"Look who decided to show up. Cranky, you monstrous piece of filthy work." Cana crossed her arms but grinned.
Craig crossed his arms and raised a brow, smirking. "What? You actually thought my plans ever fail? That look you have is just too priceless. I was right."
Cana's eyes squinted. "I'll admit that on my deathbed." Her eyes narrowed at him. "As for you, what an embarrassment. You're such a sucky swimmer."
Craig turned back, baring his face in humiliation. "Shut up. I did most of the work!"
"You're not getting away that easily, little guppy. Now I know what I can beat you at." Cana scoffed and looked away from a growling Craig. She then glanced back. "Well I guess…I should say thanks as well."
Craig rolled his eyes with a smirk. "Look at you getting all soft on me." He teased sourly. "Any more fluff you pull off and you'll become mush."
Cana squinted her eyes at Craig, but she smirked at him. She had one ace in the hole that she was about to use. "Ah-ho? Well then I'll be sure to see you break first before I ever get soft on ya, Cranky."
Craig looked back. "Oh yeah, Brownie?" He challenged. "And how are you gonna do that?"
Cana's smirk widened. "I seem to recall our last encounter in Solidaster. Remember that deal?"
Craig raised a brow and suddenly frown. He tried to recall, and his memory traced back to last week. He started to recall backhanding Fairy Tail in front of Cana's group, and then remembered…
Craig realized that he was saved for once by Cana, and then everything he ever knew stood stiff. He remembered the deal they made, and he mentally wanted to go jump into the basin and miraculously survive.
"…oh crap." He muttered. "Brownie…I really hate you now."
Cana nodded and gave a mocking smirk. "I thought so. So, Cranky…where'd you want that guild mark to be?"
Tada! How was that? Crazy? Hanz's transformation was based on the Bakugan Lythirus, just so you guys got the reference. Now you know one of Craig's weaknesses, that he's a terrible swimmer, but even so, he fights hard!
I'll have more of Craig's memories arise next chapter since he'll be in the guild and will be around Cana more, but don't expect him to be nice!
Reviews and comments are appreciated! Hope this was worth the wait!