AN: sorry for the lack of action in the last chapter, I honestly didn't think the space I gave them was enough for five separate fights. However, I make up for it in this chapter, and even explain what that explosion was.
x-X-x
Chapter 50: The Fallen
Gaze waited for someone to follow him through the hole just to see if anyone would. Then he heard one of the twelve call out, and shortly after, Nomad and Grim came through the hole.
"Good, I get to have some fun," Gaze said before heading off again to the higher levels of the building.
Grim and Nomad were close behind him, and soon they had Vox and Kraik following them, with Wiseman, Dragoon, Dea, Edge and Sin bringing up the rear. They traveled silently and quickly, Gaze having a location in mind, and the other Heads seeming to share it.
Finally Gaze stopped at the top of the sixth staircase. He waited patently for the others before launching his attack on Grim, sending him into a wall.
Nomad came from behind and dug his spear into Gaze's back. Gaze voiced his pain and spun quickly to face Nomad, the spearhead was twisted out of Gaze, but the wound widened in the process. Nomad took a step back and the wrappings that covered Gaze's torso lunged out at him, rapping around his wrists and ankles, arms, legs, neck and torso. The spear fell from his hand.
It wasn't the force of the attack that made Nomad drop the spear, or even the shock of it, but rather the shock at what the wrappings concealed on Gaze's torso. The skin of his chest was pure black, and in the center was a large eye.
The pupil was a slit that went from Gaze's navel to his neck. The iris was purple, and it appeared as though Gaze's entire torso was its socket, as it spun around to look out his back.
"What the hell is that?" Nomad asked.
"It's my other eye, didn't you know?" Gaze asked.
"What do you need it for? What purpose could it serve?" Nomad asked slightly shaken.
"It can see your soul. And with it, I can find out if the soul will benefit me or hinder me. If it hinders, I kill it, if it benefits, I eat it and gain its powers," Gaze said.
"How the hell did that come around?" Nomad asked.
"Tis the will of god," Gaze said.
"None that I know of," Nomad said, he had regained his composure and was now trying to get his spear again, but the wrappings held him tight.
"Now now, you can't be going anywhere, your soul is good, I must eat it," Gaze said as the wrappings started to pull Nomad closer.
Just about then a white blade swung between Gaze and Nomad, cutting all the wrappings. Nomad fell forward from the suddenness of the cut. Grim was on his feet again, his head in his skull helm, and one of his bone swords in his hand.
"Sorry, they'll be no soul eating while I'm here," Grim said helping Nomad to his feet.
The eye in Gaze's chest looked at Grim, "Your soul is even better, I'll just eat you first then," Gaze said.
Before another move was made something came bursting through the floor towards them.
x-X-x
Vox stopped running once they reached an open floor, Wiseman, Edge and Sin stopped with him. Gaze continued onwards, Kraik and the others still following.
"The momentary deterioration that will presently be found within the captivation of these hollowed halls is ironically to be held betwixt the educational variations of unimaginably vast proportions, and yet it is curious that only the greatest expenditure of such a high caliber is so forcefully captivated and condemned to be hidden beneath the thickest of all crania," Vox said drawing one of his four katana once the others had continued onward.
"Yeah, you do that," Sin said drawing his axe again.
"Edge, we got room now, no need to hold back," Wiseman said drawing his twin katana.
Edge nodded drawing his six katana and sticking them in the ground around him, his claymore held firmly in both hands. Sin and Wiseman looked at each other, Wiseman nodding. Sin nodded in return and three spikes sprouted from each elbow, one large one in the center, and a small one on each side. His knuckles spiked up through his gloves and two thin ropelike structures wormed their way from his back, creeping under his shirt.
'Damn this all, I used too much energy sneaking in, I should've realized they Head's might show up,' Wiseman thought spinning the katana in his left hand.
"Whether you are prepared for the reception of my offensive display, it will be coming henceforth," Vox said before jumping at Wiseman.
Wiseman blocked Vox's one blade with his two. One of Sin's tentacles wrapped around Vox's ankle and threw him across the room. As soon as he was in the air Edge started after him, claymore in hands ready for the attack, his six katana floating in front of him, moving faster towards the enemy.
Vox slammed into the wall making it crumble on top of him. The six katana flew into the smoked and the sound of metal on metal was heard several times. When the smoke was gone Edge had reached Vox, who had two katana drawn, one in each hand, successfully blocking all six of Edge's swords.
"This could be bad," Wiseman said.
Edge called his katana back to him, a few feet away from Vox. Vox took this chance to stick both katana into the ground on his left; he drew his other two katana and stuck them in the ground on his right. Vox raised his arms above his head and two more burst through his shirt underneath his original ones, these ones having only three fingers. The two new, lower arms grabbed the katana closer to Vox as the upper, original ones grabbed the further ones.
"Dearest of ancestral personages whom finds your current proper position at the apex of opposition to that of mine, please grant me the grand pleasure of casting you into the depths of the eternal slumber along with those who find their present location along the same lines of yours, and are of the inequitable framework," Vox said with a grin.
"This is bad, he's one of mine," Sin said.
"We're screwed aren't we?" Wiseman asked.
"If need be, I still got the Yard," Sin said hefting his axe.
"Can you even use that here?" Wiseman asked.
"If need be," Sin said.
Edge had backed away from Vox to be by Wiseman and Sin again, "I think he wants you Sin," he said once he reached them.
"You're probably right," Sin said taking a few steps closer to Vox, "best not keep my descendant waiting," he said before running at Vox.
Sin was nearing Vox when an explosion sounded out that destroyed the ceiling above Vox and sent Sin skidding backwards on the ground. Wiseman and Edge were knocked on their backs, and Vox was sent to the floor on his face.
The smoke was slowly clearing when the building started to shake. All four warriors were slowly getting to their feet when they heard the building start to collapse.
"It's falling, we gotta get outta here," Sin said.
"Vox, which way it the fastest way out?" Wiseman yelled across the room.
"Plummeting into the depths with the stone structural confinements we find ourselves in," Vox said sheathing his katana.
Wiseman was about to answer when the ceiling came in on them.
x-X-x
Kraik stopped the floor after Vox did. Gaze, Nomad and Grim continued on to the floor right above them. Dea and Dragoon stood as his opponents. Dragoon drew his katana, Dea took out a dagger. Kraik drew both his katana and smiled.
"This is the force the Twelve Terrors have chosen to stop me? You'll need all the luck you can get," Kraik said with a laugh.
"We're feared for a reason," Dea said.
"Sure y'are, or were, back in your first life," Kraik said.
Dea was about to respond when Dragoon put his hand in front of him, stopping him, "we can't talk him dead, we have to beat him into it," Dragoon said.
Dea nodded and Kraik smiled again. Dragoon jumped at Kraik who blocked the attack and kicked Dragoon into the wall. Kraik charged Dea who dodged the attack and managed to cut Kraik on the outer thigh. Kraik turned to follow Dea who was now on the opposite side.
Kraik took a few steps towards Dea before he was forced to stop when Dragoon stabbed him through the lower torso with his katana. Kraik made no sound of pain, he just dropped both his katana and turned fast catching Dragoon off guard. Kraik punched Dragoon in the face with is right as he turned and grabbed him by the neck with his left once he was facing him.
Kraik pulled back and threw Dragoon into the opposite wall a second time. Then the katana that was through him was spun around before being removed. Again Kraik didn't voice his pain; he just turned and grabbed Dea by the shirt in both hands. Dea stuck the katana into Kraik's stomach before Kraik threw him through the ceiling.
Grim and Nomad stumbled backwards but Gaze remained where he was as Dea came up through the floor.
"Dea, you okay?" Nomad asked running up to him.
"Fine, I'll be fine," Dea said getting to his feet. He then got a look at Gaze, "what the hell?"
"The eye sees souls, and Gaze eats them, watch out for the wrappings, he controls them," Grim said.
Kraik then came through the hole, "the other stopped moving, it's three on two now," he said standing next to Gaze, Dragoons, katana had been removed, and he was holding his own again.
"This new one has a good soul, almost as good as the bone user, but I've no idea what I get from him," Gaze said.
"Either of you hurt him yet?" Dea asked.
"Not a scratch, how bout you?" Grim asked.
"We ran him through twice, didn't even flinch at it," Dea said.
"Maybe it was a bad idea to take students," Nomad said.
Dea smiled, "stand back, this might hurt," he said taking a few steps closer to Gaze and Kraik.
"Here comes the first, you better get ready," Kraik said.
Gaze pulled his mast off revealing a wide grinning mouth. A line went from the center of his jaw to the top of his ribcage, where the top of the eye was. Gaze opened his mouth wide, and the line proved to be a seam as his jaw opened into two and his neck opened as well, teeth lined the opening. He closed his mouth again, grinning at the shock on his enemies faces.
"What the hell?" Grim asked.
"Well, he ain't one of mine," Nomad said.
Dea put his dagger away and started ruffling up his hair.
"Dea, what are you doing?" Nomad asked slowly.
"Ending this," Dea said as he continued to mess up his hair.
"Not like that though, we can beat him, you know we can beat all of them," Nomad said.
"You know what my name means. I'm already dead, the cursed boy who can't do too much or else he might die, killing everyone close to him," Dea said.
"What the hell are you saying?" Grim yelled.
"Let's see how Gaze likes what my soul gives him," Dea said with a smile.
"DEA! NO!" Grim yelled reaching for him.
"Dea started after Gaze, and turned to look back at Nomad, "Don't bring me back," he said before running all out at Gaze.
"DEA! STOP!" Grim yelled again.
"JURET! DON"T DO IT!" Nomad screamed at the top of his lungs.
Dea jumped at Gaze, his dagger was back in his hand and raised for the attack. The wrappings shot out at Dea and wrapped around his wrists and ankles, pulling him towards Gaze. Grim and Nomad started for Dea, but they were to far away to do anything. Gaze's mouth opened wide, and down his neck.
Dea was pulled into Gaze's mouth and pushed down his throat whole. His head was last, and before it was pushed down, he managed a few last words, "at least I got one."
That's when the blast came. From inside Gaze Dea exploded. Grim and Nomad were sent flying and the floor, ceiling, and walls were decimated. Grim got to his feet, Nomad still on his back.
"Kraik's gone too," Grim said.
"I…can't see…" Nomad said from the floor.
Grim ran over to him, "you're fine, you just got a lot of dust in your eyes," Grim said pulling Nomad to his feet.
The building started to shake and the walls began to crack further, "we gotta get out, this place is going down," Nomad said moving his head around.
"Can you see it?" Grim asked.
"No, I can feel it and hear it," Nomad said.
Then the ceiling came down on them as the upper 5 stories collapsed. Gaze fought on the fourth floor, Kraik on the third, Vox on the second, the others on the top of the two basements. When the building fell it went through both basements and made half the tunnel cave in.