Author's Note: For NaNoWriMo, I promise to update all my shit more frequently than I currently am, because damn I expected to be done with Zone 2 by the summer but oh geez we just started November.
By the way, if you're a non-OFF fan and just happen to be one of my regular followers, I urge you to check out OFF. It's a game for cute children, come on.
Now, let me turn this switch on… here we go…
The story is now on ON.
Chapter 7: The Purification of Japhet
The upper floors of the great library is infested with spirits.
The shopping gallery has burned to the ground.
The amusement park is kinda okay but people are still losing their shit regardless.
And now, the residential area is under siege. Is there nothing sacred anymore in this Zone?
The specters with living tumors floated about the place, chasing after the fearful Elsen citizenry. In the midst of it all, Valerie had disappeared - though, a battle cry that sounds like a combination of a screech and a caw was heard in the midst of Elsen screams and rasps.
"Let's kick their asses! Or purify them! Whatever!" said Alpha.
The Batter nodded, yet he was still thinking about something - the specters that were threatening to split from their host. Using a Wide Angle, he examined a wandering specter with an analytical eye. "That is a Porter Specter and… we need to defeat it quickly."
"Why?"
A deep-voiced laugh made them turn around, and the heroes were looking at the grin of a Porter Specter. The ghost gurgled a bit as the tiny ghosts within it tried to force their way out aggressively. With a sickening squelch, a tiny specter popped out, leaving behind a bleeding wound. The host let out a death rattle as its components separated from him, leaving more and more blood behind until the original Porter Specter was nothing but a puddle of scarlet liquid on the ground, circled by tiny laughing ectoplasms.
"...That would happen." said the Batter.
The legion of tiny specters regarded them with childlike curiosity before flying off toward them. The Batter took out a few of them with one swing of the bat, while the Add-Ons rammed into the remaining ones. With those specters purified, they took a second to observe their surroundings. While they had things handled, everyone else clearly wasn't handling things as well as they did; the Elsens are still running around, Porter Specters and tiny specters hounding them while making spooky noises - ooooh! Some of them hid indoors; a few of them managed to barricade themselves into bunkers, one Elsen desperately pounding on one of the metal doors, smoke escaping from his mouth as he screamed for the other to open the door.
One Porter Specter was looming over an Elsen that tripped in his escape. A face on its back spotted the Batter and the Add-Ons rushing over, but the rest of the body failed to react in time before they struck. The assault, quick and coordinated, purified the specter before it could split up.
The Elsen was grateful, but he suddenly starts sweating profusely. "Th-thank you… I… excuse me, I feel… unwell…" he coughed. "It feels like my head will… explode… KA-BLOOOOOSH" and then it did.
"It's already starting." grunted the Batter, launching himself at the new Valzong-Burnt.
The entrance to the residential district is open, a few Elsens having opened the barricade to run into the depths of the city. The Judge, staying clear from the fleeing citizenry, regarded the whole situation with curiosity.
"Hm. This Zone really has ailed of malignancy in the past few hours." he reflected. The cat casually strolled into the residential district, still full of screaming Elsens and specters. Wishing to help, he leaped toward the nearest specter, claws outstretched; with several scratches, the Porter Specter is ripped into shreds.
"Hey, you!" shouted a voice. Alpha flown in, greeting the feline. "Do that awesome thing you did and help us clear out these shits, will you?"
"You didn't necessarily have to phrase it like that. I'm perfectly willing to assist."
The cat trotted over to yet another specter and then proceeded to destroy it in a single move.
Meanwhile, the Batter and Omega were pushing their way through Elsens and clobbering specters. However, while they did so, they were on the look-out for a certain someone…
"Ectoplasmic vandals! Go back to whence you came!" shouted a voice from within one of the houses.
Omega turned away from the pursuit of battle. "I-Is that…?"
The Batter purified a few more tiny spirits before investigating. The two went to the house where they heard the yelling, Inside, the cat, Valerie was in the process of finishing off a Porter Specter. The cat removed the scowl on his face to smile with satisfaction before regaining the scowl upon seeing the two purifiers.
"You! You vile criminal!" he growled. "I shouldn't have fled, I should have finished my execution while I had the chance!"
"C-calm down, er, Valerie. W-we only… wish to help." Omega said cautiously.
"Help? You think that regicide will help? You two are absolutely deplorable; for that, you both must face the sting of retribution! Listen to this song, listen to the Head Voices!"
Before the two could react, Japhet let loose with a burst of hot wind that cut into the two. Unlike the first time the Batter faced this move, he now heard melodious music being carried by the wind, invading his ears. The invading tune gave him a massive headache; the headache was strong enough that could arguably be considered worse than the actual physical injuries.
The Batter was stunned. Omega was okay due to not being able to contract headaches, but the winds still cut him up pretty badly. "What… what are you do-doing!" said Omega. "We-we're trying to help y-you… on… behalf of y-your brother st-stop it stop…!"
Valerie's battle stance relaxed, a look of confusion on his face. "Brother?"
"Brother, it's you!" another feline voice said. The Judge chose that time to stroll in, along with Alpha. "Valerie, are you of fine health? Are you suffering any injuries? Did the Batter accidentally manhandle you?"
"I'm fine, thanks." the Batter grunted, rubbing his aching forehead.
Valerie did not answer. Instead, he stared at the Judge blankly for a bit until his eyes widened, understanding hitting him. "You… you're…"
"Yes, it's me - Pablo, your dear sibling!" the Judge said.
There was a short silence shared by everyone.
"...Pablo?" said Alpha, trying to conceal his amusement. "Your name is fucking Pablo?"
"D-don't mock people's names…" said Omega, though he did find it surprising that a guy nicknamed with something cool like "The Judge" carries the birth name of Pablo.
"Don't tell me what to do."
"Shut up." said the Batter.
Valerie looked at Pablo with a sad look. "I… I can't do this…"
"Do what?" his brother questioned.
The other cat did not respond. Instead, he opened his mouth again and yet another gust of wind this time, though it wasn't the ghastly Head Voices this time. The heroes were all knocked back, allowing Valerie to pass them and escape. They quickly recovered and tried to pursue; however, it seems that the troubled cat had disappeared.
"...Valerie?" a heart-broken Judge said.
"...Hm. Well, back to business." said the Batter plainly.
"You don't have to worry about those stupid specters anymore." said Alpha.
"Really?"
"The Judge and I took care of them. Dipshits didn't see it coming."
"Hm." the Batter wonders about the Judge's combat effectiveness - it's good that he's an ally.
Just in case though, the Batter walked around the place to look for any remaining specters; as it turned out, though, Alpha and the Judge truly had taken care of them, the self-proclaiming guardian having apparently purified the last one. Gradually, the Elsens started to calm down (or at least, they stopped running and screaming); nobody seemed to be on the verge of becoming a Burnt, anymore. No structural damage was done to the area, though there were blood puddles strewn about, either produced by broken down Porter Specters and slain Burnts; the Elsens quickly got to cleaning the mess up, in fear of somebody slipping on the stuff and hurting themselves (and that's terrible). A small cluster of Elsens had gathered in the center of town, and had called the heroes over.
"Th-thank you all for your work." rasped one of the Elsens.
"The residential is safe again…" said another.
"But, um…" one Elsen's eyes diverted to the bloodied bat in the Batter's hand, and the other eyes quickly followed. "Is that… a baseball bat…?"
"...Yes?" the Batter answered, not sure where this was going.
"That's an awfully dangerous piece of equipment… we cannot allow such… dangerous things in here. For that, we must, um, evict you all. You must understand."
"...Wait, we just saved all of your asses, and you're repaying us by kicking us out?" said Alpha.
"...Well, if you put it like that… it doesn't matter that you're union, safety is the most essential thing for us."
"...Batter, can you bash the guy in the head?"
He actually considered it for a brief moment before shaking his head. "No. Besides, our business is done here."
"See? Your friend understands."
"Oh, um, by the way…" another pale man stammered. "...we need to confiscate your necktie. It might, um, be tainted with violence."
"..." the Batter silently tore his tie off his neck and handed it to the Elsen. He, the Add-Ons, and the Judge walked through the exit, the barricades immediately coming back up as soon as they cleared the threshold.
"...Dicks." said Alpha.
"Even I must admit that they w-were… well, extremely ungrateful." said Omega.
The Judge walked alongside them, looking at the ground as he walked, downtrodden. "Regardless of their ungratefulness, we need to relocate my brother. He truly must have lost the tools in his metaphorical shed, if he's forgotten me."
"W-wait…" said Omega, and all eyes turn to him. "The way I see things… your brother's visited places t-that the specters are inhabiting; he was e-everywhere except for, um, the amusement park. Which means that…"
"...He's at the library." finished the Batter.
"I knew it, we're going to go confront him at the top of the library, aren't we? I fucking called it." said Alpha.
"As cliche'd as that is, it's very probable." agreed Pablo.
They all went back to the library, coming back full circle. The library is still quiet, the librarian Elsen still there.
"Oh, it's you again." said the librarian. "I've actually seen a cat this time… definitely not a hallucination. It's gone upstairs; I, um, hope that it doesn't get its fur on the books."
A confirmation. They ran up to the floor where the Batter and Alpha had first confronted "Japhet" (while the Batter swung at every Upside-Down Specter he came across), and, sure enough, the barrier that used to bar the way upstairs is gone.
"Ah yes, it's, um, been awhile since I've been in this part of the library." reminisced Omega as they began their ascent.
"What do you remember of it?" asked the Batter, hoping that he has interesting information.
"There's this, um, block puzzle that keeps the way to the roof locked. The combination is based on… a series of books strewn about the place, and the order c-can be divined from finding the correct order of the story.
"The story focuses on the guardian, the millennial fire bird. He built this city… the library… all to house and entertain the p-populace. However, the people st-started to grow ever so paranoid and eventually… they forgot their creator."
"My, what an unfortunate tale." said the Judge.
"It is, my friend Pablo."
Alpha chuckled.
"H-hey, Pablo isn't that funny of a n-name…. back on t-topic, you shouldn't w-worry about having to read the books; I've already read them before, so I've got the combination memorized."
Hahaha, yes, behold my cheapass way of avoiding this section.
They advanced out into one of the tower's balconies. The Batter froze upon stepping out, having not realized that he'd be going outside while ascending the library. He looked down at the ground, the pinkness, the block buildings; he then imagined a blood splatter on the floor with an ended quest.
"Hey, what's the holdup, Batter?" Alpha shouted. The Batter, realizing that everybody else was at the other end of the balcony, strode over to them with careful steps. "Aren't you usually at the front, trying to fight specters like a jackass?"
"Yes. Well, I-I'm not the last thing you - forget it, let's just continue on. Th-There's nothing to be scared of on these balconies, anyway."
"...I can hear the stammering in your syntax, comrade." said the Judge.
"We're looking for your brother, are we not?"
"Ah yes, that's more important."
They went indoors (putting the Batter at ease), haunted by a few Upside-Down Specters, groups of tiny specters, and Valzong-Burnts - presumably Elsens that ventured too far up in the library and went mad. While bats swung, Add-Ons rammed, and cats scratched, Omega continued to recount the story found within the books that were among the few non-plastic bookcases on the floor. "Curiously, the books accuse J-Japhet of bringing the specters into the Zone… r-ridiculous slander. Nobody controls the specters."
"Yet there are those who enable them." the Batter said, mysteriously.
"What… do you mean by that?"
"..." the Batter continued with silently beating a Valzong-Burnt to death.
"You… you never give answers, do you?"
The adventuring party proceeded up to the next floor, ignoring the readable books due to Omega having a grasp on it and because I wanted to halfass this part.
However, something was in their way…
Another balcony segment. Alpha, Omega, and Pablo continued on their way to the other end, untroubled by the height, while the Batter took sluggish steps after them.
"Seriously, what's your fucking problem, besides being a possible psycho?" said Alpha, looking at the slow Batter with disdain.
"...I won't lie - I'm terrified of heights." the Batter admitted.
The other three stared at him, unsure of what to say to that information. Finally, Omega said, "You didn't need to, um, hide that information. Everybody has a… fear of some sort."
"Yes, fears are what helps define all living things." agreed the Judge. "However, there isn't anything to fear, unless you choose to gamble with your own life and lean over the guarding, but that is obviously an unwise act."
"I know, however… fears can be conquered and immunized against. Gravity's the only thing other than death that's always around." he explained.
"Come on, Batter! It's not like someone will push you off the building - unless you want me to do it for you!" threatened Alpha.
The Batter wasn't sure how to respond to that - aside from going along with them. He took a few steps toward them; the Judge and Omega looks at him encouragingly (Alpha's most likely pissed, but obviously he couldn't tell because he's a fucking circle).
"See? There is absolutely nothing to fea-" said Omega…
...before the giant shadow passes over.
"Wha-what was that…?"
"I don't know. At first glance, it resembles a cloud…" the Judge looks up into the sky, squinting at a large moving shape. "Of course, cumuli nimbus do not move that swiftly… however, it lacks the ghastly aura of typical ectoplasms - though it's naturally terrifying - so it's not a specter…"
"Not a specter? Th-then what could it…" said the Batter.
They were answered with a large groan from the shape as it approaches. The Batter and Omega looked shocked by its appearance, recognizing it as the terrifying, cold-eyed, many teethed creature that they had encountered in the Gomez Galleries.
Now having gotten a closer look at the creature, Omega recognized it from a book he read, of an old subject known as 'marine biology'. "I-It's a Whale!"
"A Whale?" asked Alpha.
"Yes... a member of the long lost cetacea family… I-I… um… I don't know why it's even here o-or how it's even flying…"
The Batter did a quick Wide Angle as it got closer. "It… yes, it's a perfectly ordinary Whale." He honestly wasn't sure whether he should bash the large flying mammal or not.
He started to wish that he had bashed it when the Whale opened up its hideous jaws and dove at him, seeing him as a tasty snack. The Batter dove toward the side as the whale bit into the part of the balcony he used to be standing in, biting into it and taking the piece of structure into its mouth. Though it wasn't what it was aiming for, the Whale was satisfied, flying off into the darkness again as it devoured the balcony.
"...Well that happened." said Alpha.
The Batter looked at the distant Whale with cold anger before turning his eyes back on the balcony. To his shock, there is now a huge gap in the balcony, which would require a good jump to clear.
"Batter, you must channel the role your garb carries, take a dash toward a metaphorical homeplate, and leap! Please ignore the possibility of plummeting and letting gravity take hold of you!" said Pablo. Of course, mentioning the latter part did not help.
"...Alpha, float over here and let me grab onto you." commanded the Batter.
"Wait, what? No. Hell no. Go ask him." said Alpha. He rotated to look at Omega, but the other Add-On didn't seem to be present. "...Oh fine." He went over to the other side of the gap, groaning. The Batter hugged his arms around Alpha's body, trying to establish a nice grip, and Alpha started to float back (at a slower speed); the Batter curled up as they passed over the gap, which made Alpha feel more embarrassed and willed him to go faster.
Upon reaching the other side, the Batter dismounted, giving a grateful nod to Alpha (who is probably glaring at him). "Hm, where's Omega?"
Omega had gone on ahead during all the shenanigans, now in a room with keypad arranged switches, some of them already activated. "...There was nothing else to be done but wait for the man who shall rise forth to destroy him. For deep inside its soul, there was no doubt what he did was Evil… that was, um… this page, I believe.."
He hit one last switch block. With that, the barricades that were blocking off the doorway at the other end of the room receded into the ground. It was just in time, too, for the others had just arrived. "Oh, s-sorry for going on ahead. I've, er, already covered the puzzle, not to worry."
"Ah, so beyond here is where my brother may be located." said the Judge.
"And possibly, the true Japhet." added the Batter.
They went up one more case of staircases, which emerged out onto another balcony. This time, Alpha pushed the Batter along, wanting to just get this over with. On this balcony, there is a red save block present, a ladder leading upward to the roof, and…
"Heh heh, nice to see you again - fulfilled my promise of showing up in two chapters." said Zacharie. He looked over the railing and at the sea of pink and plastic below. "It's such a nice view up here. It's a shame that I can only describe it to you in plain text." He looked over at the Judge. "Ah, Pablo. Nice to see you getting more screentime, if the writing medium wishes to call it that."
"Salutations, Zacharie. Have you witnessed my sibling ascending from here?" the cat asked.
Zacharie paused before nodding. "Only the roof's up ahead, there's nowhere else for your addled brother to run to. Your quest is coming to an end, friend; speaking of quests…" he turned toward the Batter, staring at him with his masked face. "Batter, do you wish to purchase goods from me?"
"Of course." the Batter nervously strode over and went on another shopping binge, burning through his credits.
"Much appreciated, friend." Zacharie said, counting his credits before pocketing them.
With items restocked, the Batter was going to proceed when he remembered that the only way forward was a ladder. A ladder that he could easily fall off of. "..."
"Not this again." groaned Alpha.
"I'd try to encourage you to climb myself, but that would be hypocritical, since I can't do so seeing that I am a feline." said the Judge.
"Hmm… I b-believe I have an idea." said the other Add-On. Omega floated up a few inches above the Batter. "Grab onto me, I'll try to… fly up there."
The Batter nodded and tightly gripped his ring like body. The Judge, needing a ride up to the rooftop out of necessity rather than fear, hopped onto the Batter's shoulder. Omega grunted and soon the smart mouthed Add-On was tugging them upward.
"...Hm. What an odd turn of events." Zacharie mused, watching them ascend.
"I could have been stuck with an Elsen, but noooo I get bonded with these dorks." grumbled Alpha before following after them.
A strange symbol, like some sort of cross, adorned the wall of the great library as they neared the rooftop, a fancy greeting for them. They floated up onto the level of the rooftop.
There was no fire bird up there. Only a single figure - the cat, Valerie. He had his back turned at first, looking down at the city below, when he hears footsteps landing behind him. He twisted and upon seeing the heroes, he gave them a glare. However, that expression turned to that of regret upon laying eyes on the Judge.
The Judge walked up to him slowly. "Valerie, it's me." he said slowly. "I've come to salvage you from your paranoid delusions to bring you back to Zone 0. The cellar I've fashioned in Zone 0 has room for another, a perfect place to forget one's sorrows."
Valerie looked away from him. "...I am not Valerie."
"Brother, come to your senses…"
"I'm not your brother!" the other cat snapped - which is followed by a literal snap. Valerie looked back at the group of heroes - his eyes is now blank, as if he's one of the specters. Another unnerving crack came, as the head lurched, tilting upward. Then, the cat's jaws opened up, and something squirms its way through the mouth.
The head of a bird.
A frustrated bird with beady eyes gazed at those before him. "I am Japhet, guardian of the second Zone."
The Judge lost his smile entirely, a complete look of horror on his face. Alpha and Omega seems unnerved. The Batter seemed indifferent on the outside, though he's satisifed that the real Japhet's been located.
The bird known as Japhet started to wiggle his way out of Valerie's mouth, shooting an apologetic look at the Judge. "I am sorry about your brother. The fool mistook me for a common bird and tried to devour me in my ordinary form. I could have died had I not killed him from within; I needed to feed off of him to keep me alive. You must understand that I need to live, that there are terrible consequences in store for this world if I died unceremoniously.."
The living cat didn't seem to care about his reasoning. Instead, he muttered a shocked, 'Valerie…"
"Whatever." the Batter said bluntly.
"Whatever? Dude, you can't just say 'whatever' to terrible shit like this!" said Alpha, feeling legitimate sympathy toward the mournful Pablo.
"..." Omega was unsure whether this was a lawful act or not.
The Batter ignored them both, feeling his blood rush, as he confronted Japhet. "Guardian of Zone 2, your time has come. I'm going to finish the job the Judge's brother had started and purify you."
"Purify me? How dare you speak of purification, heathen!" screeched Japhet. "You know what will happen when I am purified, correct? Who will care for the citizens of this world? Who shall be their savior from the specters?"
"Me."
"You speak in nothing but delusions! Regardless of your mental state, regardless of your purificatory work, you must be executed for your sins against this world!"
Valerie's lifeless, inhabited body started to shake.
"Valerie…" the Judge quietly said again, watching the body of his dear brother quake.
"I apologize sir… but it was… necessary…" Japhet cawed loudly and a grand light burst from the inside of Valerie's the ground, the Elsens looked upon the light, wondering what it was about, then ran for cover, scared for their lives. On top of the grand library, the combatants (and the Judge) heard the ruffling of feathers and the further cracks of bones.
The light faded, the transformation complete. The body of the cat was now nothing but a mere hat for a towering bird, atop a head looking down at the heroes with vengeful eyes. The bird now stood atop legs, stretching its glorious wings that radiates light.
"Behold, my true form!" bellowed Japhet, "How lucky for you to be able to gaze upon my true form before your execution, Batter!"
The Batter grunted, taking out his bat and holding it out in front of him. "Purification in pro-"
Japhet shrieked, letting loose with a harsh Tenor with a combination of batting wings and soundwaves. The Batter was blown backward by the wind…
...and off the building.
The Batter made a harsh noise as a thud was heard.
"B-Batter!" screamed Omega, going after him, leaving Alpha to deal with the guardian. He floated down, back to the last balcony, where the Batter had landed.
The baseball player was crumpled on the ground, unmoving, his mouth open as if he wanted to scream. The Add-On quickly rifled through the Batter's inventory and pulled out a card - a Joker. He placed it upon his boss' body and it suddenly jerked back to life.
"..." the Batter did not say anything, trembling a little. Then, he trembled in actual, physical pain.
"Ah, you're posioned as well…" said Omega, recognizing the symptoms. He used Overdone Perspective and the Batter's trembling became solely psychological. "There… please remember to patch yourself up, as well."
They heard a chuckle around the corner of the balcony - Zacharie is still where he was, casually chewing on a bit of beef jerky. "Shouldn't you two return to battle?"
"Y-yes, we shou… hold on, w-why didn't you help the Batter?"
"I'm an item shop, not an inn."
"Hm. Omega, will you carry me again?" asked the Batter. Omega bobbed in agreement.
Another laugh from Zacharie. "I hope you'll get used to flying quickly; please note that this battle will be different from its game incarnation." The man and the Add-On looked at him with confusion. "You're no longer limited by engine limitations - look up!"
The Batter looked above, just in time to see a shadow pass over. Though, the shadow was not given off by a Whale this time, but rather, Japhet. The towering bird is flying off the rooftop, being circled by Alpha, who was trying to lay down strikes while avoiding Japhet's wings and soundwave attacks. Alpha shouted obscenities when he got struck by a powerful Soprano, forcing him to flee, with flapping wings pursuing him.
A bead of sweat rolled down the Batter's forehead. This wasn't going to be good, at least, for him.
However, he couldn't expect just Alpha and Omega to fight the guardian by themselves. His purifying bat needs to join the conflict, if they wish to defeat him.
The Batter tried to steel his nerves, stopping himself from trembling. "Omega, I need you to carry me in order to fight Japhet."
"Carry you…? Won't you be…"
"I'll try not to be scared. This mission is important."
With those words, Omega's doubts of the Batter faded, or at least, were pushed aside. Is the Batter truly evil? He certainly wouldn't risk himself for an evil plan - real villains would just send their henchmen ( in this case, the Add-Ons) toward their enemies. Truly, the Batter must be fighting for the side of good, the side of justice, if he's willing to go through this trouble.
A reassured Omega agreed to this. "Grab on, Batter."
The Batter grabbed onto Omega with one hand, holding his bat with the other. Omega started flying up, lifting the Batter off the balcony, the latter trying to stay calm as he did so. With them in the air, Omega then shot up toward the clash in the skies.
Zacharie regards this with an amused chuckle. "This is such a strange story."
The clouds, thick with smoke, acted as a hindrance to the fight, much to Alpha's dismay; while the Add-On was troubled, Japhet wasn't, being used to fighting in the air. Japhet would now and then disappear behind one of the thick clouds and emerge elsewhere, hitting the Add-On with a gust of wind and/or fire. Alpha would try to counter this, chaining his Chain Competences against the giant avian; despite the cuts the Add-On is giving him, Japhet didn't seem too bothered, though, he was impressed.
"It's unfortunate that you had to be an extension of that criminal scum!" screeched Japhet, "I would much rather have you enforcing the will of the Queen; your will is quite impressive!"
"Gee, thanks. But since you're still trying to kill me, I might as well beat the tar out of you!" Alpha flew right at Japhet, taking him into an Awaited Embrace, infecting him with poison.
The bird coughed, feeling the area that Alpha had struck burn, "Cutting me like a poisoned dagger, eh? It will be you who shall be hoist by their own petard!" Japhet prepares another attack - another Head Voices - with Alpha in clear range. However, before he could unleash it, he saw something in the corner of his eye - right before he felt a bat smacking the side of his head.
The Batter swung, trying not to lose his grip on Omega after the assault, while making sure he didn't drop his bat into the city below. "About time you chumps got here." said Alpha. "Got over the heights thing?"
"No." the Batter answered, gritting his teeth and trying to tighten his grip. "I'll m-manage, though."
"You!" Japhet's head shot up to look at him; the Batter had given bruises to both his head and Valerie's unmoving arm. "Your crusade shall end here!" The guardian created a storm like wind, cutting into the heroes again; the Batter had it the worst, being the only one who couldn't fly, having to hold on for dear life with only one hand while the gale scratches him up.
As soon as the whirlwind had subsided and the Batter regained his grip, Omega goes on the offensive, flying at Japhet. He turned, his edge facing Japhet, and he sliced through Japhet, while the Batter did a quick hit and run attack with his weapon. While they did that, Alpha delivered a quick Chain to his stomach; to further the damage, the bird felt a burning sensation inside of him, the poison still running its course. Japhet, starting to feel weariness and annoyance, smacked them away with his flapping wings.
"Enough of this foolishness! Why must I use my other skills - a case of Head Voices will do their trick in eliminating you pests!" a storm of hot wind carrying powerful, headache inducing noises - he continues to unleash the wind upon them. With the situation worsening and the headaches and wind wearing them down, the Batter started to issue out Saving Base heals while Omega handed out Fortune Tickets. However, they weren't enough, Japhet's ever-present attack wearing down their bodies faster than they could heal them.
"W-we need to distract him from using that… without… ack… getting close enough t-to take the full brunt of his Competence!" said Omega.
Alpha searched the clouds, looking for an answer in the darkness. Then, he thought of something. "Hey, you giant prickass!" the angry party member shouted to seemingly nobody in particular. "That's right, you! Get your ass over here, there's fresh meat!"
"Wha-what are you doing?"
The Batter, catching on, shouted. "I d-dare you to face my bat again, beast!"
"What are you guys talking about?" said Japhet, feeling ignored. "I am in the middle of executing you, you can't simply ignore me… like… the citizens..."
Now Omega was starting to understand, shouting alongside his allies while throwing out heals. "Yes, come hither! Y-you may be stated to eat krill, but there's a bountiful feast to be found here!"
Japhet's head twisted in confusion. However, his Garu/Zan onslaught continued. "Has madness overtaken you three? I'm trying to enforce justice but-"
That's when his attack was finally interrupted - a horrible groan was heard from one of the smoky clouds before a Whale (or perhaps, THE Whale) emerged, headbutting into Japhet, who saw as a bigger meal.
Japhet's painful attack dissipated, distracted by the Whale. "What! Begone, mammal of the old seas! The sky is not your domain!"
The Batter watched Japhet attempt to bat the Whale away with his wings. Then, he gets an idea.
"Omega, drop me on top of the Whale." said the Batter.
"Wh-what?" responded Omega.
"Just do it. I have an idea."
Deciding not to question him while the opportunity is ripe, Omega floated toward the heated conflict between the two giant animals, dropping the Batter on the hydra- I mean, Whale's back; neither combatant noticed his arrival.
Japhet finally decided to stop it with the diplomacy nonsense, categorized the Whale as a specter, and hit it in the face with fire, killing it instantly; despite its terrifying looks, the Whale wasn't very strong. "I apologize!" Japhet said, noting that he should refrain from killing endangered species.
The Whale started to descend, while at the same time, the Batter ascended up its falling body. His bat was positioned behind his head, prepared for a swing as the Batter Ran with Grace.
It was only then did Japhet noticed him. The guardian snapped to attention, intent to kill in mind.
The Batter lept off the Whale, trying not to think about the ground below him.
Diamonds formed at Japhet's mouth, starting up a fire attack that would blast his adversary out of the sky.
Then, the Batter swung - directly at Japhet's head, nailing him with a Special Homerun. Japhet made a shocked squawking noise as a bruise that looked more like a dent was made, releasing a glob of blood. The Batter started falling, the cons of his reckless move finally setting in; he prayed to himself that somebody would catch him. Alpha. the nearest Add-On, decided to do the job - though not before taking a chance to strike the dazed guardian. He flew toward Japhet, who was still reeling in pain, aimed for a wing, and sliced himself through him, causing the bird to let out another harsh noise. As Alpha descended to retrieve the Batter, Omega decided to follow Alpha's example, slicing right through Japhet's other wing.
Japhet spun in the air, sight blurring, blood starting to seep around his body. His wings felt weak, the bones inside heavily damaged, if not outright broken; he felt an intolerable pain inside his head - poetic vengeance for Head Voices, he supposed; if falling due to lack of support and head trauma didn't do him in, the poison coursing through his blood certainly would. He did not choose to pursue his enemies. They already won, he had to acknowledge that. However, if the guardian is to die, he has to die in the place he loves the most.
Zacharie stood right next to the Judge on top of the tower, comforting his friend. "As questionable as the Batter's methods are… at least Valerie is avenged."
"..." the Judge did not respond.
From up above, Japhet was performing his last swan song, lowering down to the top of the great library. Upon reaching the surface of his glorious tower, he collapsed, the state of his mangled body making itself known. Blood started to pool, the bird resting his head in a pool. His eyes darted toward three figures in the sky, flying like angels. "So I've been slain… you can be proud to have accomplished your mission, Batter…" As he said to the Batter earlier, his arms were as strong as his spirit; he however hoped that his arms would be overcome by his last remaining friend. He closed his eyes, the guardian wishing to sleep in the embrace of his books. He heard tiny paws step up to him.
He was sure that the cat was examining his brother's body one last time.
"Pablo… we need to leave." the bird heard the man named Zacharie say in an alarmed tone.
However, Japhet could tell that the cat didn't want to budge.
Over in the sky, the heroes floated over the mass of pink buildings for one last time. The Batter was smiling, satisfaction overriding his fear. He had unfortunately dropped his bat during the fall; however, he could always acquire new arms. For now, all he was focused on was his success.
"Japhet, guardian of Zone 2, has been defeated." the Batter reflected, embracing the finality of the fact.
He looked back at the library, now a resting place.
"This Zone is now pure."
Then everything faded to white.
The story is now on PAUSE.
Author's Note: Finally, I'm finished with Zone 2! Oh man, I can't wait to see what I can screw up in the next Zone. Anyway, thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed the finale to this arc. Please inform me of any errors I made in this chapter; aside from the Whale's diet, of course.
(Also I am insulted that the Add-Ons don't have their own character tag. How sad.)