The Battle of Geffenia
Episode Six
The Lord and the Demon
"We, unlike you, do not count victories, we count kills. Because at the end, a kill is what really matters."
(Theme song: Umbrella-Rihanna)
Two days have passed since Chass's death…
"We are going to finish this and bury the General in Prontera."-said Zel.
Everyone agreed without hesitation. Rain poured down, soaking the rotten corpses lay on the field. Winshley and Levitas reinforced the ice ceiling which was the only protection they had.
"Heat, then rain…not a good weather."-said Winshley.
"All this humidity will rust my armor."-said Zel.
"This kid…unbelievable…"-thought Levitas-"Thinking about the rust in his armor…"
Lenan dug out his bag which was buried near the place in which Plushe rested. Luckily, no water was able to go in it. He took out a poison bottle and tied it up to his belt. Gabe approached slowly and asking politely for one. Lenan gave him the bottle with not problems. Lenan seemed serious, and it seemed that he will be that for long. Gabe stared at the bag and noticed several boxes; identical to the one Hoshi gave him. He could not resist but to ask.
"Where did you get those boxes?"
"The Boxes of Thunder? A whitesmith in Prontera has a good stock. His name is Ebisu."-answered Lenan.
"I thought of them to be some kind of rare item."-thought Gabe.
Lenan sorted his bag. Then, he opened the small pockets around his arms, and packed them with poison dust. Cecil and Mist were coming back from patrolling.
"How are the ladies?"-asked the knight.
"They are still sleeping."-answered Zel.
No one smiled. There was no reason to smile or be happy about. And the problems piled up.
"We got food left for about a week maximum."-said Aqua.
"This is turning into a psychological war."-added Zel.
"And unfortunately, there are no animals alive around her."-continued the sniper.
"The messengers who were sent when the war started never came back."-said Mist.
"It is obvious, they were killed."-said Cecil.
"I will go check on that."-said Levitas.
"No, stay here, we don't know what may happen."-said Zel.
"I do not take order from a rookie…"-said Levitas and began walking south.
"At least take someone with you!!"-said the paladin.
Levitas stopped, and turned his head slowly.
"None of you are strong enough, and I did not come here to baby sit you."-said the old man.
"Old fart."-thought Lenan.
"This is going nowhere."-Said Levitas-"If the way is clear, I will come back for Plushe."
"You are just a coward."-said Mirage.
"Coward? COWARD??"-Yelled Levitas-"I am not a coward! Thunderbolt!!"
The bold reached Mirage in no time. The assassin could not block it with the shield. Everyone was alarmed. But it was not enough; Levitas prepared himself for another cast. Immediately, Zel raised his hand and a gigantic white cross appeared above the wizard's head. The wizard saw a pure white light illuminating from above that shifted his attention.
"Continue to cast that, and I will smash your head."-said Zel.
Anger was the only emotion reflected in Levitas's face. He wanted to kill Mirage from the day he saw him. He wanted to kill Zel from the day he noticed him looking at his daughter.
"The choice is yours."-Said the paladin-"Your way or my way."
The wizard continued walking south. He could not release the anger.
"Are you guys going to stop him?"-asked Winshley.
"Who is going to stop a 40 year old high wizard?"-said Aqua.
"Let him go."-Said Mist-"No one has to stay here."
After several hours, Plushe woke up. She looked at everyone who was quiet from the moment she woke up.
"What's wrong?"-she asked.
"Your father, Levitas, he left."-said Zel.
"What?! Where did he go?"-she asked.
"He said he was going to clear a way for you and him to go back."-said Aqua.
"When did he go? Why didn't you stop him?"-she asked desperately.
"Do you think that we will be able to stop your old man without shedding some blood first? Or maybe sending someone to Hel?"-said Zel.
. . . .
Levitas continued moving south. He aimed for Geffen, his hometown. He entered the forest that divided the two cities.
"Sight!!"-he said illuminating his way.
He kept walking until he came across two rotten bodies. According to their uniforms, they were Geffenian guards.
"They were right."-Thought the wizard while covering his nose-"Someone is preventing communication between the cities."
The silence was broken, footsteps became louder and louder. Levitas revealed the staff from under his coat. The lurking shadow moved closer and closer slowly.
"Show yourself or die!"-said the wizard.
"No need to be so violet, High Wizard."-said Callaghan.
Levitas did not recognize the knight. He continued moving south while ignoring the threat. Suddenly, he had a weird feeling. He felt like Death's scythe was ripping his flesh off. He quickly turned around and saw Callaghan in mid air.
"You are going nowhere, old man!!"-yelled the knight.
Levitas dodged the blow luckily.
"I don't know you but if you do not let me go, I will kill you…"-said the wizard forming an Energy Coat around himself.
Callaghan continued slashing Levitas recklessly. The wizard dodged what he could, but most hits were nullified by his coat.
"I doubt you can last too long with that."-Said Callaghan-"Come on, use your magic."
Callaghan's words provoked Levitas into using Jupitel Thunder. The knight did not move. He waited for the electric attack with a smile, an evil smile. Moments before the impact, a distorted mirror materialized itself in front of Callaghan. The mirror absorbed the magic attack rapidly and disappeared. Levitas seemed surprised.
"Oh wait! This is just the beginning."-Said the knight-"Here comes the reflection!!"
Quickly after Callaghan's words, the mirror reappeared and launched the attack back at the original caster.
"Oh no… Kaite."-thought the wizard while getting ready to receive a spoon of his own medicine. The attack was so intense that sent the wizard flying into a tree.
"Let me introduce you to my friend, Rose, the Soul Linker."-Said Callaghan-"As you can see, she takes good care of me."
Levitas stood up slowly; he knew he had no other choice. Immediately, his hand aimed at the sky. He, then, cast Magical Amplification. It was only the beginning of his ultimate attack.
"Callaghan?"-said the linker confused.
"Do not worry, baby."-He said-"You will be fine, trust me."
"Aeolus's Breeze!!"-yelled Levitas slicing the lady into pieces.
Callaghan was somewhat happy that Levitas killed one of his minions.
"One rat less, one more soul for my list."-He thought-"Now I have got space for the lion."
He moved towards the old wizard determined to strike again.
"No more games."-He yelled-"Bash!!"
One smash was enough to stun Levitas. The knight continued hacking and slashing the wizard, dragging him around the bushes; but the attack did not seem to be lethal. A laugh filled Levitas's ears; he slowly stood up with the help of his staff. Callaghan's sinister laugh began to annoy him.
"Come on, use your power again."-whispered Callaghan
Levitas moved towards the dark knight with his hand covered with electricity. Callaghan did not move once again. He tried to show off his endurance.
"Frost Diver!! Jupitel Thunder!!"-yelled Levitas.
"Come on, you will not defeat me with that."-continued Callaghan.
They both stood looking at each other, the Lord Knight and the High Wizard. The first smiled, and the last gasped for air. Levitas knew his energy was not enough for another try. Half of the maximum energy is required for each cast, letting the caster cast only two times if the energy needed for Amplification is regenerated. The wizard began concentrating his available energy in his hands.
"Come on; force the energy out of you."-Thought Callaghan-"And the demon too…"
Levitas's hands held a blue sphere of energy. The more energy he released the bigger the sphere became. He tried to make the sphere smaller by forcing the energy to accumulate together. The sphere began acquiring a lighter blue color and later it turned green. The concentrated energy was unstable and it released wind gusts that cut down branches and bushes.
"This is not good."-Thought Levitas-"I can not maintain it any longer."
He began pressing the sphere with both hands, causing more wind gusts. Suddenly, his eyes turned red, crimson. The wizard controlled the energy with no problems. Callaghan smiled once again. His plan was successful.
"Welcome back."-he said.
"HoW dArE yOu To SpEaK tO mE, mErE hUmAn?"-said a distorted voice from within Levitas.
"Relax, I respect you."-Said Callaghan-"So you are the Dark Lord, the demon trapped inside the wizard; the one responsible for the death of numerous people, both innocent and sinners. The High priests of Prontera did a good job at vanishing you, but somehow you managed to stay asleep inside a wizard."
"So?"-said the creature.
"I have got an offer for you."-said Callaghan.
"It BeTtEr Be WoRtH iT, oR eLsE dO nOt SpEaK aT aLl"-said Dark Lord channeling energy throught his fingers.
"Let's dominate the world."-Said the knight-"We will begin with Midgard, what you think?"
The demon smiled, the offer sounded like a kid's game. A sudden burst of energy pushed Callaghan back.
"I guess I'll take that as affirmative."-said Callaghan.
Unexpectedly, two familiar images emerged in front of the plotters.
"Be merciful; no more bloodshed, I beg you. The scar in Yggdrasil tree will never heal itself. Do you really want a second Ragnarok? Stop this….please…..please…"-said Mana.
"I am sorry. I guess you will have to kill me then."-said Callaghan arrogantly.
"We are Guardians, we can not take lives unless it is written in their destiny."-Said Seiai-"We only fulfill destinies."
"Right, it is good."-Said Callaghan-"It would be a shame if me, Nestor Callaghan, is killed by a weak guardian."
Seiai teleported himself closer, looking at the bigmouthed knight. He looked right into his eyes. He did not plan to scare Callaghan, but he wanted to point the importance of his next words.
"You, too, have death written in your destiny. It will be so cruel that no matter if your side wins or loses; they will not be able to bury your filthy corpse."-Said Seiai-"In fact, they will never be able to find it."
Callaghan remained quiet for a brief moment. He was touched.
"Burial… it is important for every member of the Knighthood to have a proper burial."-Said Callaghan-"However, I've done many horrible things already. Either way, I will not have to worry about such insignificant issue. Nothing can stop me now."
"No HuMaN fOrCe WiLl Be AbLe To StOp Us."-said Dark Lord.
"The world will be mine!"-Yelled Callaghan-"I will be the owner of Brynhildr, Megingjard, Mjolnir, Brisingamen, and Aesprika. I will control Balmung, even if it means that I must kill Jman, the head of the Guardians."
The demon glared at Callaghan and sent him flying.
"What?"-Asked Callaghan-"Alright, Brisingamen is yours."
"I dO nOt NeEd ThAt, ScUm."-Answered the demon-"YoU cAn KeEp ThE iTeMs. I wAnT… tHe WoRlD."
"We will see about that."-Whispered Callaghan-"Let's move, we got a world to kill."
"Good luck, Nestor Callaghan."-Said Seiai-"And good death."
"We will see about that."-said the knight disappearing into the woods.
"Should we tell her about this?"-asked Mana.
"No, she knows her father is not an ordinary wizard."-Said Seiai-"All we need to do is to wait. If Plushe and her friends make the right moves, we will not need to interfere."
. . . .
The night covered the lifeless field. It was Zel's and Plushe's turn to patrol. The followers of God walked side by side, protected by the paladin's skills. The night was quiet, but the rain never stopped. Plushe's shyness began to be noticed by the red haired warrior.
"So, does your head still hurt?"-asked Zel attempting to break the silence.
"No, thanks."- Answered Plushe-"I feel great, thanks for asking."
Silence reigned victorious again. The two continued circling the perimeter. She hid her hands behind her back, while he firmly held the hilt of his Flamberge. Red cheeks, sudden laughs, dilated pupils, sudden glow in the eyes… it all meant only one thing. The night began to cool down.
"I know this may not be the best moment, but I need to tell you that I never felt so alive till I saw you entering the city."-Said Zel-"It was like a goddess of peace conquering the city with her beauty."
"Zel…"-she said.
"I know that you don't know much about me other than the horror seen in this battle, but I am willing to prove you that I really love you, and I will do anything to protect you."-he said.
"But Zel… Love… is a strong word."-She said-"Most of the times, people say it without really meaning it."
Zel stopped talking. He slowly dropped his shield and removed his chest plate, revealing a white chain mail underneath. He grabbed Plushe's hand and placed it in his heart. She felt his rapidly increasing heartbeat.
"See? This is how I feel when I am close to you."-he said.
Plushe removed her hand and began to walk in a faster pace. Zel stared at her while she left. He was confused. Don't they want an honest man? He wore his armor back, picked up his shield and followed her from a distance. The night began to lose its power as the sun rose up, covered by the dark clouds. Zel decided to forget this moment, and act as if it never happened. He prepared himself to take advantage and sleep for a couple of hours. Although, he was not going to sleep at all after what happened. Winshley retouched the melting walls of ice. The assassins checked their weapons and supplies. Mist returned back from scouting.
"There is a huge cloud of Chonchons coming our way."-he said.
"Chonchons…"-Said Cecil-"Is it because of the rain and the heat?"
"Yes, also every field around Geffenia and Geffen is filled with those…"-said Aqua.
"When are they going to be visible?"-asked Cecil.
"At any moment now."-answered Mist.
"Minutes after Mist's words, a buzzing noise confirmed the report.
"They are here."-said Blue worried.
"Chonchons…are usually non-aggressive, right?"-asked Gabe.
"Not if there are Dragon Flies with them."-said Aqua.
The mob charged right into the party.
"Great, say good bye to my dodging abilities."-Said Mirage-"Anyways… I will have my fun."
The team was surrounded quickly. The threat was weak individually, but strong in numbers.
"Zel, wake up."-said Cecil.
"What? What's wrong?"-he asked confused.
"Just wake up, we are in trouble."-said Cecil.
"What the hell is this?"-asked Zel.
"You will recognize it when you start killing some."-said Cecil.
Everyone sliced, hacked, thrust, and smashed the flies. But their numbers did not seem to decrease.
"Let's not waste our energy."-Yelled Zel.-"Blue, use Basilica."
"I… I have no Holy Water left…"-she said.
"Oh crap…"-said Zel-"Alright, everyone. Break their lines! Grand Cross!!"
"Magnum Break!! Bowling Bash!!"-said Cecil.
"Meteor Assault!!"-said the assassins demolishing the flies.
"Sight Trasher!!"-yelled Winshley.
"Arrow Shower!!"-whispered Aqua.
A huge number of flies were annihilated rapidly. The remaining ones fell back slowly. They seemed strange. Suddenly, they began to fuse together forming a bigger insect. The six arm insect held a book in one hand, and a magical staff in another. It wore a crown and a blue royal cape made of lunatic fur. Its disgusting appearance was only seen once by those unlucky few selected to die under its claws.
"Oh great, what is that thing?"-said Zel.
"You have gone too far."-Said the fly-"It is my duty to take you with me… dead."
"Dead?"-Said Lenan angrily-"It will be hard."
"Who do you think you are talking to?"-Said the insect-"I am Beelzebub, the Lord of the Flies!! And you will be the first to die for disrespecting me!"
"Disrespect? Too much talking."-said Lenan grabbing his swords.
He reached for his Authoritive Badge and held it until the enchantment was triggered. Mirage stood beside him, he smiled while he licked his Haedonggum.
"Well, Lenny, you don't mind if I challenge you, right?"-he asked.
"We can settle our differences later."-Answered Lenan-"Now I've got an insect to kill."
"Well, you see… he is the challenge."-Said Mirage-"The person who deals the most damage wins. What do you say?"
"If you are making a lame excuse to help me… it will be better if u don't."-said Lenan.
"I will take that as accepting my challenge."-said Mirage smiling.
"You two will not make me sweat."-said Beelzebub
(Battle Theme: Aerodynamic-Daft Punk)
Lenan made the first move. The demonic insect waited with confidence. The assassin slashed the insect only to find out something weird, all his attacks bypassed the body.
"Ghost?"-thought Lenan.
"Too slow!!"-Yelled Beelzebub-"Wide Stone!!"
"I am out."-Thought Mirage-"Hiding!!"
"Everyone, run out of the area of effect!!"-said Zel.
Everyone obeyed him immediately. Every one of them was able to get out except for the unlucky blue haired assassin. His skin slowly turned gray and cold. He was turning into stone.
"Well, well, well… don't let your anger defeat you, Lenny."-said Mirage revealing himself.
"I will take care of him later."-Said Beelzebub-"Now it is your time."
"Let's play, buzzing thing."-said Mirage.
The assassin enchanted his weapon with poison and tried to break the stone. The fly quickly charged towards him preventing Mirage from breaking the curse. The fly did everything to keep the distance between the two allies.
"Expulsion!!"-said Beelzebub.
The sound wave created by the lord pushed Mirage far away, giving him the advantage.
"Soul Destroyer!!"-said Mirage.
The slicing waves punished Beelzebub with no mercy or respect.
"A long range fighter… Pneuma!!"-said the insect.
Mirage waited for the obstacle to disappear and delivered two more waves. Beelzebub dodged them. Mirage sent one more Soul Destroyer which was again dodged by the demon.
"Hahaha, you are really good."-Said Beelzebub-"Want to try one more?"
The assassin smiled. The smile alerted Beelzebub who turned around to check on the statue. Surprised, he saw the statue was damaged. That was Mirage's intention: freeing Lenan. Suddenly, the statue began to crack more and more, until Lenan broke it from inside.
"Thank you, Mirage."-he whispered while gasping.
Lenan covered his weapon with Poison and Deadly Poison., and waited for the demon to attack. Immediately after Beelzebub's charge, Mirage turned invisible. Lenan responded with a dash while crushing a Box of Thunder.
"Did he forget that demons can see invisible people?"-thought Lenan.
The assassin slashed the fly with precision, taking advantage of the venom and supported by his speed.
"Come on, Mirage! Haven't you regained enough energy to attack him?"-yelled Lenan.
"Concentrate on me, assassin!"-said Beelzebub attempting to strike Lenan with his sting.
"Oh no, I will not be able to dodge that."-Thought Lenan-"Poison React!!"
The hit was luckily reflected, dealing minimal damage to the insect. It was such a strong attack that it pushed Lenan back several yards. Beelzebub charged towards him with a killing blow.
"Soul Destroyer!!"-yelled Mirage surprising the lord from behind.
The insect quickly changed target. He used his claws to attack Mirage. With the help of his round shield, he managed to block most attacks. Lenan rapidly rejoined the battle. Beelzebub now needed to take care of two assassins at the same time. Both of them pierced the lord from all sides, making it grow berserk and weakening it.
"Enough, both of you!"-yelled Beelzebub flapping his wings.
The two killers were sent back in opposite directions. They wasted no time standing up and moved aggressively towards the target.
"Get off me, you filthy creatures!"-Yelled the fly annoyed.
Mirage and Lenan paid no attention to the cries and continued attacking without hesitation.
"They need to slow down there…"-Said Winshley-"They will cut each other."
"Don't worry."-Said Mist-"Lenan has more movement speed, Mirage has more attacking speed. They will balance each other out by lowering the speed to an equal number. Besides, both wear similar colors…ideal for this."
"Ah, so it is teamwork."-said Winshley.
"Correct, everything thing is under control; even though one is more reckless than the other."-said Mist.
Suddenly, they fly punched the assassins dragging them around the field.
"Hahahahahaha, weaklings."-yelled Beelzebub.
The assassins re-engaged in combat forming a circle around the monster.
"Very well, assassins."-Thought the monster-"Let's see how you react to this."
The pray jumped out of the trap, and alerted the hunters. Beelzebub timed his landing with precaution. The moment Beelzebub landed, an invisible line was formed by him and the assassins' positions. Rapidly, the lord shot his sting, aiming for Lenan who was between him and Mirage.
"Oh sh… time to dig."-thought Lenan.
The assassin dug the hole in three slashes, leaving his comrade worrying about his own life. Mirage noticed the incoming projectile but had no time to dodge or hide like his friend.
"Shield is up…"-thought Mirage.
The sting abruptly pushed Mirage back causing damage,
"Are you OK, Mirage?"-asked Lenan.
"Yeah, yeah, put pressure on him for a while."-said Mirage resting.
The fly moved towards Lenan, attacking him recklessly.
"Show we… interfere?"-asked Aqua.
Zel looked at Mist, waiting for an answer since he had none.
"No, Lenan is fine for now."-answered Mist.
"You sound sure about it."-said Cecil.
"Venom Splasher, Sonic Blow, and Meteor Assault specialists are good at melee combat; except for certain enemies."-said Mist.
"Can you tell me those certain cases?"-asked Winshley.
"I will not answer that."-said Mist.
"Enemies with reflective abilities…"-said Zel.
"Is that right?"-asked Winshley.
Mist remained quiet. Lenan continued engaging the insect while Mirage regenerated some life.
"No time to sleep, Mirage."-said Lenan.
"Alright, alright."-Said Mirage-"I am coming."
The Haedonggum wielding assassing continued attacking the monster. Both assassins attacked faster than before. Making it harder for the fly to block or dodge. Suddenly, Lenan dashed around Beelzebub while sheathing his Cutlus, stopping behind Mirage. He grabbed his comrade by the neck of his shirt and leaped into the air. Immediately after both were in the air, an explosion took place, dispersing a purple smoke.
"Wow, Lenny, I almost died from your prank."-said Mirage laughing.
"Do you thing this is a joke?"-Said Lenan-"He did not even notice it!"
"Sorry, I was too captivated by his screaming that I did not see you use Venom Splasher on him."-said Mirage.
From the smoke cloud, thousand of Chonchons flew high towards the assassins.
"We got a bunch of weaklings coming at us."-said Mirage.
"We won't able to dodge that."-said Lenan.
"It's your call, Lenny."-Said Mirage-"Show me your ultimate attack."
Lenan's silence had more value than a painting.
"I will take care of it, then."-Said Mirage-"I need a favor."
"What?"-asked Lenan.
"I need you to hurl me higher. So I can take more advantage of the distance."-said Mirage.
"Drop your buckler."-Said Lenan-"Quickly, we are losing altitude."
Lenan sheathed his second Cutlus after Mirage let go off his shield. The poison user grabbed the blood lusting assassin with both hands and hurled him higher.
"See ya later, Lenny."-said Mirage.
"Better not die."-said Lenan descending rapidly.
Mirage smiled, and then closed his eyes. In a second, the length of his Haedonggum doubled itself and began to glow bluish-like.
"Symphony of the Cross!!"-he yelled opening his eyes.
He began slashing the fragile air, releasing bursts of energy. Every slash killed dozens of flies. As the seconds passed, he slashed faster and faster. The sound of his energy cutting the wind was higher and higher.
"Symphony, uh?"-Said Gabe-"Never thought that a killing beast could love music... even saying it sounds funny."
"What a showoff."-thought Lenan.
"This is not my limit yet."-said Mirage slashing faster and faster.
The cries of the killed were the melody of his masterpiece. The numbers decreased at an exponential rate. The last ones reintegrated Beelzebub once more.
"Only one survives!!"-yelled the insect.
"That is always true."-said Mirage.
"You can't fly!!"-said Beelzebub.
"But I can kill you."-said Mirage piercing the insect.
Pain filled his ears. For him, it was a favorite sound.
"How do you like that?"-said Mirage pushing the blade deeper.
Both fell down rapidly, hitting the ground. Beelzebub released a green and sticky matter all around the zone of impact.
"Oh no!"-said Zel running towards Mirage, followed by the priestesses.
"Is he alive?"-asked Zel standing beside Lenan.
"No idea."-answered Lenan coldly.
Suddenly, the assassin emerged from under the dead lord, covered in green.
"Oh damn, this smells."-he said.
"He is alive!"-yelled Plushe filled with joy.
Blueberry healed him from afar while the rest arrived.
"Now, how am I going to remove this?"-asked Mirage.
"Don't worry, the rain caused some flooding. So I am allowed to do this."-said Winshley.
An orb of water began to take shape above the wizard's head.
"Oh no… Everyone heal me!!"-yelled Mirage.
"Water Ball!!"-said Winshley.
"Assumptio!!"-said Blue.
"Heal!!"-said Plushe and Zel in unison.
In no time, the dirty assassin was washed from the smelly substance. Everyone was happier than before, except for Lenan. He began walking towards the bridge. After a couple of steps, Mist appeared in front of him.
"Where are you heading?"-he asked.
"I've got some business to finish."-answered Lenan.
"Something is wrong with you lately…"-said Mist.
"I got my reasons."-Said the blue haired assassin.-"Now, please, I must go."
"Go where? For what?"-asked Mist.
"If you really must know…"-Said Lenan alerting the rest-"I must master my ultimate skill."
Mist looked confused. He always thought the contrary.
"If I am going to fight Callaghan, I must master it."-said Lenan.
"I understand."-Said Mist-"Are you going to leave your bag here?"
"If I don't return… take it with you."-answered Lenan.
"I guess I can not stop you."-Said Mist-"See you soon."
The rain stopped, and the sun hugged the earth warmly. Lenan looked at the rest of the people who have endured so many things in these battles. He waved good bye and disappeared.