Chapter 4. The Star Of Grand Gaia
Author's note/Disclaimer: Hey guys! In this chapter we'll be covering the 2nd trial which is centered around the Elder Summoner Grahdens. Let me just say I've put more work into this chapter than I've put into any other chapter and I really hope it pays off! Please leave any type of review you can, loving, hating, constructive, whatever! I welcome it all! And as per usual I do not own any of these characters mentioned. Enjoy!
*Pages turn*
The soldiers lined up, boots firmly on the ground. Weiss was firmly in their faces, staring the pathetic ones down.
"Maggots...today is going to be a real trail of tears for you. If you thought Karl was rough you've seen nothing." He said getting in Will's face. "You see, Karl was simply a warm-up, today you'll be fighting someone much more threatening." The soldiers stood apathetically considering it was around 10 o'clock in the morning and they were used to getting sleep 24/7 for the past few centuries. Nemia and Signas were especially groggy and constantly rubbing their sore necks unsure on what exactly was going on. "Not threatened huh? Well you better be maggots because who ever performs the worst out there is on toilet duty for the next month!" He said as the gates behind him began to creek soldiers' faces filled with worry and they frantically filed in, Nemia and Signas in the back trying to stay awake. The arena was the same as yesterday and Noah pressed his button to speak over the microphone, with a deafening pitch coming with it.
"Good morning troops! Are we ready to rrrrrumbllleeeeee!" He said playing the fabricated applause sound. "Today will be a little different in the sense that we will be allowing two teams in succession of each other to fight today's opponent. So choose your squads and let's get on with the slaughter er- competition." Noah explained.
"Zelnite, we'll get first crack at them and you go for the finisher… got it?" Lava instructed.
"Yeah, yeah." The jewel ghost said signaling his team to follow Zelnite.
"Alright team. Let's go!" Lava cheered spreading her flaming angel wings setting her blade on fire. On the other end of the field an elderly gentleman entered, he walked with a slight, pathetic limp and coughed a bit upon stepping into the ring only supported by his pike. "Elder Summoner Grah?" Lava said a bit bewildered.
"He's our enemy? I would have expected a real challenge from what Weiss had said, Grahdens is just an old man with a big stick." Aisha joined readying her rapier.
"Whatever, let's not underestimate him, ready your weapons!" Lava ordered. She was in deep concentration watching his every move, but was then torn away from that focus when she heard a low buzzing and looked towards her ally, Rowgen.
Rowgen hummed to himself as he pitched his tent up and set up his grill, happily just minding his own business and paying no attention to his surroundings.
"Um Rowgen, What the hell are you doing?" Lava asked. Rowgen simply continued on his way, setting down his portable cover and trying to find the right place for his radio. "Um… Rowgen?" He unscrewed his canteen and took a swig of water. "Rowgen!" Lava scolded.
"Oh, Lava… You called?" Rowgen answered sheepishly.
"Yeah you idiot, do you not see we have an enemy right in front of us? Like literally about to attack us." Lava chided.
"Oh yeah I'm totally going to get to that, In the meantime mind lending me some of your firepower so these wieners could cook faster?" He said placing a chef's hat on his head and putting on an apron that read "Kiss the Assassin X3."
"Weiners? what the- Listen just pull out your damn rifle and help us!" Lava demanded, snapping naggingly.
"Yeah, yeah just one second, my tent looks a bit lopsided… so don't get your panties in a bunch." He retorted.
"What did you say to me!?" Lava scolded, feverish with rage.
"If I may." Grah's weak voice cut in. "I'd like to make a formal introduction." He said straightening out his back. "I'm Elder Summoner Grah and I reject you all as opponents."
"Excuse me?" Lava returned angrily.
"Yes, this whole working things out thing just doesn't work out with you guys so… Goodbye."
"Wait what does he mean he rejects us as-" Aisha began
"Apocalypse…"
"Um guys I think we should probably-" Elimo joined in.
"Now!" He cried slamming the blade edge of his pike against the ground creating a trunade of dark energy.
"Hit the deck!" Lava commanded. The massive black and purple wave engulfed Lava and company, laying waste to the battlefield. The arena lay in ruin and the only one's still standing among the purple plumes of fire and rubble of the remaining battlefield were Grah, Elimo and Logan. "Now that we got formal introductions out of the way let's have some fun."
"I don't know what constitutes as fun for you but in particular I feel-" Grah zipped past Elimo at lightning speeds and drew blood that stained his pike, Elimo stood motionless, speechless, unable to feel. Grah gently tapped the butt of his pike on the ground and Elimo dropped to her face. Lava struggled to her feet trying to maintain a good balance. Her head pounded like thunder and her limbs throbbed wildly as she battled the her strained muscles for control.
"Oh, we got a defiant one?"
"Defiant? h-ha I barely f-felt that...and oh god there goes my organs." Lava stammered dropping to one knee.
"Well I'll leave you to that. Now you…"Grah said turning to Logan. "Congratulations you're still standing, you got moxie kid, and hohoho I like that!" He said peacefully strolling over to Logan.
"Y-you just brutally attacked all of my friends before I could even regist-" Logan began.
"Register? yeah I know, do you think the gods will be any less swift with your untimely demise? Think hard about it son. This is a training program to prepare you for what you'll see outside, I've lived for Sixty-seven years, I've seen enough to know."
"B-bastard, How could you treat my friends like this?" Logan bellowed drawing his infernal swords, two skulls levitated off the shoulder pads of his jet black armor. "How could you do this!? You monster!"
"Calm down now youngling. Here, let us have a gentleman's duel." Grah said setting down his pike and unsheathing a black katana.
"I'll kill you." Logan said swiping at Grah, being quickly and forcefully blocked and repelled to the ground.
"Do not fight angrily young one." He said stomping on the ground forcing a rock to jettison from the ground and force Logan to his feet. "Anger only leads to anguish on the battlefield."
"What do you know you bloodthirsty brute!" Logan said swiping again. Grah blocked the blow and swiped his katana and after forcing Logan to the floor he quickly retrieved his pike.
"What do I know? Son look around you, what do you see? here it's bodies, out there it'll be corpses." Grah explained sheathing his katana and readying his pike. Logan glanced around, drinking the wreckage in, Aisha slumped over lifeless. Lava on one knee trying to muster up the strength to stand. Rowgen's barbecue all in ruin, Elimo's nose deep in a book with blood oozing from her side. "This is just a sneak peek of what you'll see on the battlefield, this isn't a game sonny." He said digging the pike deep into Logan's chest. But instead of blood coming out, fire erupted instead as Logan rose to his feet, and slid himself out of the pike.
"You don't know who you are messing with…" he said, his shadow extending behind him and a massive conjuration of a desk appeared with a sorcerer sitting in it twirling his wand. Grah stood confused before the white haired behemoth. His desk was lined with gold with lion heads at each corner for a very ornate look.
"Aw, bruh… you made Logan mad, royal arse up my friend." The sorcerer said sitting up in his colossal desk. He loomed over the battlefield, being five times taller than Logan. "The name's Shida, your funeral arranger, open or closed casket?" He said patting Grah on the head with the tip of his finger. "I can get mah boy Eric to sing at your funeral if you'd like." He said picking up the dialer.
"You've gotten Shida involved with this… you've made a big mistake." Logan warned, hyperventilating.
"Oh you are so screwed and you don't even know it… Screwed worse than what Zelnite did to your wife." He said signalling Noah to play an audio track. Noah got the signal right away and played a crowd full of ooo's.
"Damn straight!" Zelnite added from the sidelines.
"Shut up!" Ulkina chided smacking him upside the head.
"Pardon?" Grah said glaring at Shida.
"Go ahead, go and kick his little bitch ass-" Shida began as Grah started to press an assault getting Logan in a chokehold, following up with a brutal headbutt and a ruthless stab to the abdomen, drenching his pike in fresh blood. "Ohhh you know… he might feel that in the morning."
"Alright I can feel my heartbeat again… Time for round two you old son of a-" Lava began swallowing her words when Grah seemingly slipped through time and appeared in her face. Lava took one step and babbled like a small child clutching her sword to her breasts.
"It's dangerous to fight alone young child…" Grah advised.
"Wh-wha?" She whimpered.
"Take this!" He said trusting a black broadsword through her sternum. He pulled the blade from her chest and let the black metal dissolve in the air and reform into a whip which reattached itself to the hilt. Rowgen lifted his head from the ground and watched Logan lash out against Grah in a blurry and bloody scene. The swords and whips were piercing through the winds swishing back and forth, but alas it was a losing battle for Logan as he continued to miss and be punished for his slow attacks. Rowgen saw this as an opportunity as he readied his rifle.
"Hey Shida do you think you can, I don't know, lend me a hand!?" Logan cried as he dodged Grah's numerous whips at him.
"You got it homie." He said firing a white ray at him. Logan's midnight black armor was now a shining white and the purple flames around him gathered around him to become wings and a halo. "Wanna go Grahdens? Get yo' voodoo ass over here and see how your black magic works against these heavenly blades?" Shida taunted.
"Simply adding holy properties to my weapons and armor won't be enough Shida!" Logan whined.
"You're right, here have a pimp hand!" He said firing a red ray at Logan giving his hands a fiery aura.
"I still have no idea what is going on…" Will muttered from the sidelines.
"Oh good show, good show indeed. I'll tell you I've never seen such a strange opponent, I'm just going to sit perfectly still her for a second to admire it all." Grah said conjuring a rock from the ground and taking a seat.
"This is my chance…" Rowgen thought peering through his scope. He calculated the angle, took his double vision into account, possible wind, and recoil. The round winning shot could be this, he took one deep breath and focused.
"You're really just going to stand there and just look at my transformation? What am I not a good enough opponent for you!? Answer me dammit!" Logan nagged, flailing his arms around like a child.
"Calm yourself youngster, we all need to take breaks once in a while. I mean we are indeed all friends here aren't we? Lets just sit here and have a momentary honorable ceasefire. Would you like some tea?" Grah offered forming two cups out of stone and pouring hot water from his hands. "Yes… a nice relaxing hot cup of t-" He fell with a hard thump as the bullet collided with his skull.
"Too easy…" Rowgen murmured, preparing for any possible retaliation.
"D-did he just die!?" Logan bellowed rushing to him. He gaped in horror over his motionless body, lying lifeless on the ground. "So tragic…"
"Logan watch out!" Michele cried from the crowd. Shocked, Logan whipped around to see a giant stone hand looming over him which instantly crushed him with a crash.
"You want to play the surprise attack game, I'll be happy to oblige." Grah taunted rising to his feet. "If you think a simple bullet will do me in you've got another thing coming, I'm too old to die!"
"Pimp hand!" Logan screamed as he erupted from the rubble, flaming fist skyward.
"You guys don't give up huh. I like that… I suppose I'll have to beat you with my bare hands." Grah affirmed dropping his black whip and halberd.
"R-really?" Logan questioned, confused.
"Yeah… bear hands!" Grah cried as the black whip reformed into a sentient bear that leaped onto Logan. The bear let out a concise roar as it clawed right at Logan's neck.
"Well that's all she wrote." Shida said, vanishing into thin air as Logan slumped over to the ground, his armor returning to the midnight black which in all honesty, the hallowed blades and armor had no impact on the battle.
"And as for you…" Grah muttered stepping over to Rowgen.
"Ugh… I think I broke a nail…" Aisha whined as she slowly rose to her feet.
"Fooooorrre!" Grah yelled as Rowgen went flying across the arena knocking Aisha into the firewall, knocking them both out. Grah stood confidently with his magical black golf club firmly on the ground. "Thats a birdie if I've ever seen one." he cackled.
"Well… Looks like we're up." Ulkina gulped, clutching Paddle closely.
"Don't worry brethren, I shall take it upon myself to carry the burdens of this team. Cassius and the gods will it to be this way…" Narza confided grating his teeth on the side of his blade.
"Tis' I!" Zelnite cried jumping onto the battlefield way ahead of his comrades. "Elder Summoner Grah, tis' a pleasure to meet your acquaintance. But before we start I must ask, Does your granddaughter practice abstinence?" He said flashing a smile behind his golden gauntlet.
"Grah has a granddaughter?" Paddle began.
"Don't!" Ulkina chided shaking him a bit.
"Wonder if she is a witch or at least a broomstick jockey." At this point Ulkina had just decided to ignore him.
"Well let's get this crap over with…" Will said entering the battlefield last dropping his glass of ale behind him. He swore a bit under his breath as he began to draw his weapons.
"Well these opponents seem much more worthy, alright let's get started…" Grah said cracking his old bones. "Oh and Zelnite, I'll just decide to ignore that statement and forget it as I'm beating you down." He cackled forming his black weapon into a glaive. As everyone squared up Narza took a knee and began to pray.
"Oh heavenly father I ask that you bless me with the two gifts you've given me, Thine holy wicked blade and the eye of the phoenix, with these tools I ask that you give me the strength you've blessed me with all these years, Forgive me of my transgressions and deliver us from evil… Amen." Narza prayed returning to his feet.
"Narza what are you-" Zelnite began
"Zelnite, look out!" Narza warned, as he seemingly instantaneously appeared in front of Zelnite blocking one of Grah's lightning fast attacks. His bloodshot eyes pierced deep into Grah's gaze, with a grunt he kicked him square in the chest and readied to stick his sword in his throat. Grah rolled to the side to dodge the blow and formed a broadsword. Zelnite sprinted up to him and snatched the sword from his hands.
"H-hey!" Grah snapped as Zelnite saluted and ran across the field. "That's mine you damn youngster!"
"Take it up with the gods then. Nien!" Narza retorted digging Cassius deep into his back. "Forgive me Cassius he was open, Verily." The poor old man coughed blood onto the ground and muttered curses.
"So you think you've won, I'll show you, damn kids." He assured patching his wound with a bright ball of light from his hands. With a powerful show of dark magic he drew his halberd from across the field.
"Oh what is this dark horse!? This man can make use of the force!" Zelnite cried as the broadsword he held reformed into a deadly snake.
"Cheese-it! Boss drop the damn sword!" The Jewel ghost screamed smacking Zelnite across the back of his head. The snake slithered back to its master, hissing at anyone who dared approach it.
"Blind fool!" Narza cried as he tried for another stab to Grah's back.
"Yes, Alas for you." Grah retorted dodging the attack and sticking his pike deep into Narza's chest.
"Ohh…. You know that probably could have gone better… Verily"
"Sigh* Never send a crusader to do a witch's job… Paddle! take to the skies!" Ulkina ordered sitting on him.
"Oh yeah, now you're speaking my language!" Paddle said soaring into the sky. Ulkina's cat, Ping, escaped from her master's purse and jumped atop her lantern. The balloon-like cat steadily breathed flames into the lamp causing pong to grow out of control and break free of his confinement. He grew into an enormous dragon made entirely of sulfur and fire and he spread his wings behind Ulkina, making her look dazzling what with the shadow cast over her figure and the beautiful wisps of flames that descended upon the battlefield.
"Move it Narza!" Ulkina ordered restraining pong with her wand. Narza simply nodded and casually slid out of the pike. His armor and bones made metallic creaking sounds as they inched off the blade. "Pong, go! Dragon's Garden!" Ulkina commanded as Pong fired a massive fireball onto the ground creating a great explosion. "Keep going!" Ulkina demanded pointing her wand forward. The men below scrambled to dodge Ulkina's wrath as fire rained down on their heads, but out of the chaos Grah leaped up to Ulkina and sliced Paddle in half with his black katana.
"No! My hard wood!" Paddle complained as he went lifeless and fell to the ground along with Ulkina. She screamed as she plummeted, afraid that her life had ended there until Ping inflated himself and caught her like an airbag. Pong had fully burned out without Ulkina's magic and disappeared entirely. Grah landed gracefully on his feet and stood at arms length from Edea ready to slit her throat right there. He instead stood straight up and sighed as she ran to the corner of the arena.
"I'm tired. I'm going to take another break." He said creating another rock to sit on.
"Wait… what?" Will said, mouth agape.
"Yeah, just don't attack me for a minute." He said wiping some blood and dust off his robe.
"Wait what!?" Will said drawing his sword.
"Would you rather me continue my assaults?"
"Well… yeah kinda! We're in the middle of a battle and-"
"Will! Shut the hell up!" Ulkina chided smacking him upside his white helmet.
"Welp! Breaks over then!" Grah cheered drop kicking Will in his knee. The poor holy knight went down with a cry unable to stand back up. "Now I do believe there are supposed to be five of you… where is the other one?" he asked looking around. Edea sat at the very far end corner of the battlefield sobbing. "Oh… I see, well then I suppose I could fight Nar-" Grah began as he looked to Narza lying in a pool of blood pale as a ghost.
"I'll go heal him…" Ulkina groaned walking slowly towards him.
Grah let out a large, disappointed sigh "You guys are supposed to be our last hope for repelling the gods you know, you're all pathetic. You know what, no! I'm done with all of you! You've done nothing but poke a few holes in me and/or made the room slightly hotter! I'm ending this annoyance now." Grah ranted readying the head of his pike. "Apocalypse… now!" He screamed when the suddenly ceiling burst open and helicopter sounds filled the room. Grah rose to his feet and squinted and everyone followed. A ladder slowly descended and a hulking man in a suit and sunglasses holding a little girl in one arm rode it down. He had jet black hair, a robust mustache and nicely tanned skin and the girl he held had some kind of family resemblance.
"Apocalypse? Well I suppose now is my chance to cut in." He said jumping off the ladder halfway through its descent. Upon his landing the ground screamed and he was perfectly fine. His daughter popped her pink bubble gum getting some on her creamy white skin. He was a huge man, six feet tall and incredible muscles, which was the mark of a real manly man when accompanied with whiskers like his. His beautiful daughter had incredibly voluminous black hair kept in a golden hairpin and a stunning red dress to boot, along with her stunning eyeliner and cherry red lipstick. "Where is all of your showmanship huh? My daughter is fiercer than all of you." He said as she giggled. He waved his brass knuckles on his right hand that spelled ALMA on it in diamond encrusted letters.
"Hogar! is that you!?" Weiss shouted jovially over the loudspeaker. he simply laughed with a manly swagger and turned his head to the observation room, flashing a photoshoot worthy smile.
"The one and only. Is that you general?" He asked stroking his wonderful mustache.
"What the actual hell is going on?!" Will cut in, gripping his knee in pain.
"Do you not know who I am?" Hogar asked as his boisterous laughter filled the air over the helicopter ruckus. "My name is Hogar, the greatest star on all of Grand Gaia!" he boasted as the paparazzi began to flood into the summoner lab cameras brightening the entire room.
*Book marked*
Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Next time we'll delve a little deeper into who this Hogar character is and what he's doing here all of the sudden, stay tuned for the epic conclusion of the 2nd Trial!