Chapter 2. The Great Flood Offensive
Author's Note/ Disclaimer: Hello my brethren! Today we'll be continuing the story of Project Summoner's Lab! Of course I own none of these characters (The owner being Gumi) But I do use slight creative license with personalities. Anyway, as usual positive and constructive criticism is actively encouraged. And above all, enjoy!
*Pages turn*
The large golden gate, bedecked with dragon patterns and a large sword inscription going down the middle, opened up and revealed a large dark room. The three squads walked in single file, looking upwards and to the side, unable to see past their own noses. Powerful lights highlighted the arena and a door to a waiting room.
"Ladies and Gentlemen! Let's get ready to ruuuummblllllle!" an announcer cheered. "Here's the rules, you all have a minute to decide which of your teams will battle in the trial and the designated team will be on the battlefield while the other two teams sit in the waiting room. No poking in the eyes or kicking below the belt and doing so will result in immediate termination. Any questions? No? Good! This has been your host, Noah." He explained as an ad for Randall Dew TM a well known soft drink and Spirito's TM, Randall's choice of chips echoed throughout the room.
"Signas confuse…" She said scratching her head.
"If you'd like, we can go and you both can decide who will go next time." Darvanshel said.
"How gentlemanly. Sounds like a plan." Lava agreed
"The boss agrees." Zelnite's jewel ghost joined. Darvanshel and his platoon stepped onto the square battlefield. They all looked around, trying to find an opponent. The borders of the ring spewed a blue firewall and the whole room lit up, revealing this arena was the size of a football field. The floor was a deep blue color made of a reinforced titanium and black dragon statues patrolled the four corners of the battlefield, watching closely.
"In the blue corner! Weighing a total of Two-hundred and Sixty pounds, Mitigation Nation, Guardian Darvanshel and his company." Noah said playing an audio clip of crowds going wild and some slight booing in the background for authenticity.
"Do they think this is a game?" Michele complained crossing her arms.
"Whether it is a game or not is irrelevant… we have a job to fulfill." Darvanshel answered drawing his massive sword.
"Sigh* But I like… just got my makeup done." she whined.
"Me too…" Rashil joined in admiring himself in a mirror.
"And in the red corner, weighing a total of One-hundred and six pounds, The Great Flood Offensive, Brave Knight Karl!" He said causing smoke to erupt on the other side of the battlefield. A blue figure leaped out of the dense fog bearing a great scythe. He was a lone man: no fancy aura, no great beast following him, no long flowing japanese style hair, just a man. He extended his scythe toward his opponent and set his mark.
"Who's this pipsqueak?" Nemia said throwing her long flowing cloak to the ground. "I'm going to wreck him…" She assured as she conjured green flames around her fists. She dashed towards him channeling the grass-like aura around her grip. She feinted causing him to drop his guard and she struck him square across the face, knocking him to the firewall. The flames quickly bounced him back centerfield and left him with an electrifying feeling, so electrifying it was painful.
"Aw, stars and stripes hold on.…" Weiss groaned from the waiting room stepping out to the field.
"Nemia: 1, Loser stringbean: 0." She taunted. Karl struggled to his feet and hoisted his scythe up off the ground. Michele tapped him on the shoulder from behind and waved a little. As he began to collect himself he was met with a stinging backhand knocking him back a little. He stumbled back into the chest of Darvanshel who grabbed him by the feet and began to swing him around. He hurled him straight at Signas who was tightening her tiger-skull headpiece and readying her club, She swung her club at the perfect time and sent him flying as Noah started advertising crackerjacks and frankfurters to the imaginary crowd.
"Signas always liked game of ball and stick, hehe…" She cackled. Karl landed at the very outskirts of the battlefield at Weiss' feet.
"Karl, what the hell are you doing? You're playing like Santa Anna out there." he scolded.
"I don't know coach, I'm trying as hard as I can." He said, ashamed.
"Here take this." Weiss said passing him some kind of candy bar as the flames parted to the side for him. "You're not you when you're hungry." Karl took a bite of the sweet chocolate and instantly began to glow. His muscles bulged and a spirit came out of his shadow holding onto his shoulders. "Better?"
"Better." Karl assured. He wiped the blood from the side of his head and swung his scythe. "Alright you bastards, time for round two… Surfs up!" Karl put on his sunglasses and a huge wave of water appeared behind him out of the ground. The wave stood erect awaiting Karl's orders.
"Well… That escalated quickly." Nemia said with a defeated countenance. Karl slightly tilted his scythe forward and the water rushed forward. The spirit forged a flat plank of ice out of the aura that surrounded Karl and stuck it under his feet. "Cowabunga!" He cheered riding the waves sweeping all five of Darvanshel's crew off their feet. Darvanshel got atop his massive shield and started paddling after Karl in the deep flood he left on the battlefield. Karl called the wave to do a complete turn around and headed straight for his opponent. Darvanshel caught the wave and dueled with Karl, surfer against surfer. The heavy weaponry clanged together and neither of them wavered even a bit. But Karl then decided to collapse the wave and the waters, submerging Darvanshel as the waters receded. When the flood cleared Karl had his foot on Darvanshel's back, who was lying on top of Nemia. Meanwhile Rashil was sipping tea atop his robotic horse with its mechanical legs extended upwards so He would not get soaked, he even had a built-in umbrella feature onto his creation.
"Hey Rashil… we could use some help here…" Michele demanded trying to wipe blood from her nose and trying to tend to a mortal wound on her arm.
"My dear, I do not battle my opponents…" He said setting down his tea.
"Signaaasss… ugh." Signas said lifting her face off the ground only for it to fall right back with a thud.
"Well… Rashil was it?" Karl joined."It looks like all your friends are defeated… Which means I'm going to have to turtlely knock you out as well." He said readying his scythe.
"I disagree, sir…. It is you who will be knocked out." He returned with a devilish grin, stirring his tea a bit.
"Shyaah? You and what army?" Karl jeered.
"Ha! Behold the power of science, bi- wait no... pri-, no that's also inappropriate… pus- RUFFIAN!" Rashil raised his wand skyward and a thick yellow haze emitted from it. Rashil flicked his wand in the directions of his comrades, sending the haze their way. The foul smelling odor overtook Michele and caused her to cough. But instantly her nosebleed clogged up and the fatal gash on her arm closed up. Not only did she feel healed, but invigorated. When the fog overtook Signas she leaped to her feet and onto Rashil, knocking him off his horse licking him wildly. Elimo was horrified, pulling her eyelids down from the observing room.
"Cryptic…" Karl commented.
"What was in that gas Rashil?" Michele said feeling her outfit was a bit tighter around the chest.
"I! the great- bleh get off me, tiger woman! I, the great Rashil, have concocted a healing gas that is not only created from the greatest healing elixirs, but also cait-sith pheromones to stimulate all of your battle instincts." He said, trying to keep Signas off him. "I may have used a bit too much because the beast woman seems to really enjoy it." He said, her head snuggled against his chest. "Oh also a hint of succubus hormones for just general blackhearted-ness on the battlefield… which is why you may feel a bit more *ahem* feminine." He explained stressfully not making eye contact.
"You cheap beast!" Michele objected drawing her hand axes.
"Hey take it out on him, not me." Rashil suggested while trying to escape Signas' grip. "I am simply a scientist. An experimenter… He over there made me resort to this." Michele gritted her teeth at Karl and charged.
"I'm still trying to follow what-" He began but he was stabbed right in the abdomen and he dropped with a grunt.
"Dammit Karl!" Weiss scolded from the sidelines.
"Alright… I see we want to play dirty then…" Karl said sliding the blade out of his body and taking a step back from Michele. "Prepare yourselves for my Flood Offensive!" He said digging his scythe into the ground. He drew water from beneath the floors and it solidified into a blue crystalline substance that seemed stronger than anything man has ever seen. The spirit riding Karl's back grabbed the scythe knowing it was too heavy for Karl alone. Karl made way slowly towards Michele and raised his scythe, swinging it with a grunt. Michele flinched but opened her eyes at the sound of a clang, seeing Darvanshel's mighty shield and his back.
"Forget about me?" He said slightly pushing Karl's heavy scythe back. Before Karl could pick his weapon back off the ground Darvanshel swung his massive sword at Karl, slicing him across the stomach. Blood oozed from Karl's abdomen and leaked down his armor as he gagged in agony. "Looks like that weapon is a bit too heavy for you now is it? You aren't quite the heavy weapons guy like I am." Darvanshel laughed. "This is over." he said, beginning to wind up his sword. Karl blocked the shot with a miraculous surge of energy that allowed him to pick up his scythe.
"This is far from over… you've only seen part of the flood offensive." Karl warned. Karl's scythe melted into a thick blue liquid and reformed into a blue and gold halberd, lighter and more powerful than before. Karl's spirit engulfed him and changed his entire physical appearance, making him much more muscular, bearing golden armor and a crown made of ice. The spirit itself also doubled in size and now wore armor made of that thick blue crystalline substance. Nemia attempted to attack him during this but the ice spirit simply knocked her away, freezing her solid in the process. Karl's transformation was complete and he twirled his halberd with ease. "Now that I've made an ice sculpture of your friend there… who wants to go next?" Karl dug his weapon into the ground once more freezing the entire floor making it an ice rink. He started skating around the edge of the arena to gain momentum.
"Darvanshel, I have a plan." Michele began, watching Karl skate around out of earshot.
"What is it, comrade?" Darvanshel asked.
"Alright, I need you to distract him while I thaw out Nemia, when I do I'll activate my Crimson Charger ability and we'll go for the push to knock him out." Michele explained.
"Sounds like plan. But what about the others?" Darvanshel asked looking at poor Rashil still struggling to escape Signas.
"Oh I know how to handle that… Hey Signas look, Snow!" Michele called. Signas pulled her face from Rashil's chest and looked around.
"Winter is here… time for the hunt!" She said raising her club.
"Well, the sooner we defeat Karl, the sooner we can leave and the sooner you can hunt." Darvanshel joined in trying not to laugh. Signas took a minute to glance at Karl then back at Rashil, back at Karl again then once more at Rashil.
"Sorry Rashil, I must go… My people need me." She said skating after Karl.
"Right then." Rashil said re-mounting his horse. "Braeburn, enter all-terrain mode post-haste!" He commanded, kicking the sides of his horse. His horse's hooves became cleated and he was able to traverse ice without slipping. "To arms Braeburn! We shall smite this ruffian with might and mag-" he began before Karl slid by him and sliced his horse's leg clean off. Accompanying that was a catastrophic explosion that launched Rashil to the edge of the ring, lying lifeless in the remains of his horse.
"Rashil no!" Elimo screamed from the observing room, banging her fists on the glass.
"They can't compete with that kind of power…" Will droned. "It's futile, we've all lost."
"It looks like Sky Mage Rashil is down!" Noah declared playing a crowd-going-wild audio clip.
"Where is your healer now?" Karl taunted, skating around the ring.
"Dammit, he's fast." Darvanshel noted, stumbling around on the ice.
"Signas hunt!" Signas cried sliding after Karl. He turned around and blocked her blows with his halberd. Signas hammered the ground shattering the ice under him but still missing by a considerable margin. Signas began to growl and her vision became cloudy, she exhaled a hot yellow miasma and banged her chest. "Signas feel funny, this must be mad doctors mating call taking effect." Signas began thrashing around at Karl, effortlessly one-handing her massive club.
"What is this!? Is this what that quack has done? it's savage!" Karl noted while just barely dodging the many-life threatening blows. Signas took one brutal swipe at Karl as his warrior's spirit threw himself in front of Karl expecting to take the hit rather well. The crystal armor shattered and the spirit wailed in agony. Karl grabbed his chest, and gagged a little.
"Woah… She's strong…" Karl complained, shoving Signas away with the butt of his weapon. Signas slid back on the ice slightly and suddenly went berserk, her palms emitted Rashil's yellow fog and her eyes went bloodshot. Signas discarded her club and got down all fours, growling savagely. She leaped at Karl but was restrained by the reinforced steel of Karl's weapon. She roared at him and glared at him with her now crimson pupils."I think you need to… chill." Karl grinned, suddenly freezing up Signas' arms and torso. In a matter of seconds, she was entirely encased in ice and Karl stepped back, marveling at her. However, Karl's warrior spirit gripped his sternum, beginning to breathe heavily. Darvanshel attempted to ambush Karl from behind but with an obvious battle cry as he wound up his attack. Karl turned around and with a very powerful strike, kicked him to the other edge of the arena.
"Who the hell yells as their attacking! Come on troops!" Weiss screamed from his seat in the observation deck. Darvanshel slid quickly to the edge of the ring, rapidly approaching the firewall. "Come on hit the edge, hit the edge, hit the edge!" Darvanshel managed to prevent himself from touching the firewall and began emitting the yellow miasma out of his pores. "Awwwww….." Weiss moaned disappointedly.
"Here I come, puny man!" he cried running, crushing the ice beneath his powerful footsteps.
"I'm going to have to ask you to freeze! Frozen… Axe!" He said slamming the axe side of his halberd on the ground causing a fierce blizzard to erupt around him, freezing everyone simultaneously. Ice sculptures of Darvanshel and company stood all around him and he stopped to admire his work. The snow fell softly from the ceiling and there was nothing but complete silence. "Well it looks like I win." Karl said.
"Not yet Karl, take a look." Weiss said. Under the thick ice Darvanshel could be heard growling as he fractured his frozen prison. With an eruption of flames he managed to break free, shivering under the snowfall. "What? That's impossible! You should have died." Darvanshel exhaled frost from his mouth and rubbed his frostbitten hands together.
"N-not yet… I still got a bit of fight in me!" Darvanshel affirmed with flames and fog pulsating off him..
"No matter, I'll simply do it again. Frozen-" Karl began.
"Shield Nova!" Darvanshel retorted placing his shield in front of him. Out of the gem in the shield's center came a raging fireball that erupted into a gigantic heatwave, thawing the battlefield and pushing back Karl only slightly. Red wisps of fire fell from the sky and armored Darvanshel and his now thawed comrades.
"I-I'm alive!?" Nemia said examining herself.
"Michele! Now is good time to charge!" Darvanshel ordered.
"Yes sir!" Michele affirmed, starting to draw flames to her axes.
"No! I won't let you!" Karl avowed. "Frozen… Axe!" He said slamming his halberd deep into the flooring. Another blizzard erupted but as the frost engulfed everyone, the wisps of fire shielded them, blocking a huge portion of the impact and preventing the freezing.
"Ah yes, The legendary Darvanshel and his shield… They say he has to power to armor an army and make his opponents yield." Zelnite chimed.
"Armor an army? With just his shield?" Edea questioned.
"Yeah I mean it's big but I've seen smaller men carry bigger things around." Lava joined in laughing to herself.
"They say his commanding officer gave him a shield that held a great aptitude, By calling down fire from the heavens and ash from the gods, he could brace his comrades for even the greatest magnitude and overcome all odds." Zelnite went on.
"And how do you know this?" Will asked.
"Oh I stole the crap out of that great treasure and read the note enclosed with great pleasure." Zelnite cackled.
"Almost fully charged!" Michele reported with her axes shining with an intense pyre.
"No… Flood Offensive!" Karl bellowed, encasing his halberd in the thick blue coat. He lashed out wildly at Darvanshel who repelled him with ease due to his sluggish movements. The spirit began to moan as if it were slowly weakening. "Damn it, I'm running out of time... So let's wrap this up! Cursed Blue Slash!" Karl cried swinging his halberd, fecklessly tiring himself out. The flaming wisps continued to ever so gently embrace Darvanshel and his team, falling so elegantly onto their skin. Karl's spirit was not only showing signs of fatigue but seemed to be becoming progressively more compliant, unhappy with Karl's performance. Karl desperately swung back and forth at Darvanshel, either missing or doing no visible damage at all as the wisps blocked his every attempt. "That's it, I'm going to stop you all… cold. Come my warrior spirit, it is time for the big finisher…" He said. With a sigh the spirit raised his hands and bestowed much of his power to Karl. "Take this! Blue Execution!" With a grunt, Karl jumped high into the sky and sliced downward, creating a great blue trunade of energy that descend upon the ground like a guillotine. The ground furiously exploded like, as Weiss would describe, sphere harbor. Karl dropped to the ground and his warrior spirit covered his forehead with his hand very compliantly. Dust and frost clouded the area, obscuring the battlefield. Karl felt himself rapidly weakening and his spirit began to shrink, losing it's armor and heirlooms. The spirit sulked, pouted and whined and Karl felt the full weight of it's fatigue setting in on himself.
"Are you done yet?" Darvanshel said fanning out the dust and debris with his massive sword.
"Uh oh…" Karl sheepishly droned, watching his halberd melt and reform to a scythe in his hands and his armor slowly recede to it's original form.
"I'm all charged up Darvie!" Michele cheered.
"Permission to wreck, sir?" Nemia asked, cracking her knuckles.
"Permission granted." Darvanshel said.
"Heheh… Buckle your pants lightweight." Nemia warned, fists ablaze from Michele's charge, and her veins glowing yellow from the pheromones.
"Why would I- woah!" Karl began blocking a massive straight with his scythe. His weapon snapped in half and Nemia began winding for an uppercut as Karl's spirit cringed and braced for impact. With an explosive sound Nemia struck Karl right in the chin knocking him into the air and dissolving his spirit.
"K.O.!" Noah cried, echoing all sounds in the room causing Karl's moans to reverberate over a loudspeaker.
"Holy shnikes they actually did it."Rowgen commented.
"Cassius, did you see that? Nien. Look! Karl is not moving. He reminds me of my bunkmates back at boot camp when they crossed us, isn't that right Cassius? Verily." Narza said pressing his face up against the glass.
"Hey… it may just be because I'm not human but did anyone else find Signas to be attractive when she went all beastly?" Paddle insinuated.
"Oh shut up Paddle… Signas is a tramp and we shouldn't be speaking of her." Ulkina chided.
"Oh Ulkina, you're so cute when your jeal-"
"Silence Paddle!"
"Well… I'm glad that's over… My clothes are ruined now…" Michele complained. Rashil turned over and raised his arm slightly.
"Very good team, Good to know that I, Rashil the Great, can rest knowing he defeated this blue menace single hand-"
"Oh shut up!" Michele scolded, stomping on his rib cage. Weiss stepped onto the field with a bag of popcorn in one hand and a foam finger in the other saying "Go Maggots!".
"Well done maggots, you sure went D-Day on him in that spectacle. Alright, hit the showers then, you all smell like communism." Weiss ordered, walking away. The soldiers saluted and carried Rashil off the field. Weiss marched back up the stairs and made sure all the other soldiers had filed out of the summoner hall. He sat with Noah and sighed with grimace.
"Don't worry about it, Weiss. They'll get stronger. It's their first day in more than half a millennium." Noah said punching in numerous commands into a computer.
"You had it set to sleepwalk difficulty and they still struggled, that mission was meant to boost morale of the troops."
"Well they seem pretty high in spirit right about now."
"Yeah, well what happens when Maxwell is knocking on our doors ready to wipe us out?"
"Do what I always do… Lie on our backs… and sob loudly."
"Yeah, thank you Noah."
"Alright listen, where is the Weiss who bravely lead all sorts of 'maggots' through the war that we were all certain we were going to lose? Where is the Weiss who became a legend and a long-known hero for his many crucial victories against the gods after building his regiments from the ground up! Without that Weiss, of course these maggots are hopeless and I know we didn't summon an imposter." Noah acclaimed.
"Well…"
"Look, if you're still worried you can always hang up your coat and the position over to Emil-"
"You know I suddenly have renewed confidence, good talk Noah, good talk!" Weiss interrupted storming out of the room.
"Course…" Noah chuckled. "Always gotta be the hero don't we Weiss?"
*Book Marked.*