50- The Battle of the Insector Shrine- Part 2

Hunter was anxious to get to Mantid. It was bad enough that the keys were stolen, but now, seeing Corona and Aqune's reactions had him more worried. Now that Mantid had all of the Oracle Keys, they were really running out of time.

"There's no way to Mantid yet, unfortunately," Brade spoke, as he blocked the incoming fist of one of the surviving Machine-Sectors. "We have to defeat the remaining enemies."

"There's not many left," Sparkle said, optimistic. "We're almost done!"

"Yeah," Hunter agreed. "Mantid hasn't won yet."

Buguese ran back to Dark Opal, and climbed into the cockpit.

"All of the Insector people… Aqune… they'll die if I can't defeat Mantid. I will not fail, no matter what!"

Mantid watched with amusement. He didn't think Buguese would be able to do a thing with his pitiful machine. Though, he didn't mind playing with his former general to prove a point.

Buguese fired a blast at Mantid. He just stood there, taking the attack point blank.

"Really, now?" Mantid commented.

"What?!" Buguese exclaimed. He decided on a rapid-fire approach next. A barrage of blasts went in the direction of Mantid. "Let's see you survive this."

There was a cloud of smoke. When the smoke cleared, Mantid stood there, unharmed, though the floor took some damage.

"Impossible!" Buguese was furious, but still determined. He leapt at Mantid, planning to crush him to the ground with the enormous hand of Dark Opal. But this attack didn't hurt Mantid either.

"Don't you realize that I have the power of all the Oracle Keys?" asked Mantid. "I am all powerful. No matter what you throw at me, I won't even be scratched."

Buguese was starting to panic, as he wondered what else he could even try.

Hearing all this commotion from within the castle drew Beerain to the area.

'What is that?' she wondered. She saw the enormous robot, in combat with Mantid. She decided to stay a distance back, not wanting to be crushed to death. She didn't have a clue what this was about? Why did Mantid look so different?

"I think I've given you a long enough turn," said Mantid, after taking yet another of Buguese's attacks. "I should finish you off."

"You will not win!" Buguese screamed, and lashed out at Mantid again. Holding out his hand, Mantid blocked the attack, deflecting Dark Opal. It crashed down, hard.

"How?!" asked Buguese. He struggled, but he couldn't even get the machine to stand up again. It had taken enormous damage from that one hit. He couldn't even call it a hit, really. Mantid had only blocked it. Had he actually attacked, Buguese wasn't sure he would have survived.

The furious Insector climbed out of his now useless machine. Not knowing that Buguese was actually inside of Dark Opal, Beerain was shocked.

Outside the castle, Hunter's blast of energy connected with a Machine-Sector. That attack was finally enough to put it to rest.

"We did it!" said Corona. "That was the last one."

"Indeed," Brade replied. "That means nothing is standing in our way to Mantid's fortress."

"I can't lose. Not yet."

Buguese didn't care that Dark Opal was useless now. He didn't need a machine to defeat Mantid. He'd rip the Insector leader to shreds with his bare hands if that was what it took.

"Now what will you do?" Mantid mocked.

"Destroy you!" replied Buguese. He pulled out his sword from under his belt and released its blade. He fired dark energy at Mantid.

"Did you even do anything?" Mantid asked. "Because I don't recall seeing any attack."

"How dare you?!" Buguese exclaimed, charging at him. Mantid forcibly stopped Buguese's attack, and threw him back, into the damaged robot.

"You're too persistent for your own good," said Mantid. "It's a shame for you, but I'm very tired of playing now." He grinned maliciously. "Buguese, you won't even get to see me destroy this world with the Oracle's power. Because you die here!"

He fired an enormous blast of energy at Buguese.

"Aqune…" Buguese spoke, cringing, knowing that he wouldn't be able to save her.

The Insector was completely disintegrated by the blast. Not even ashes remained.

Aqune fell to her knees, a piercing pain in her heart.

"What happened?" she wondered.

"Are you alright?" asked Corona, worried. She reached her hand down to Aqune.

"Yeah." Aqune took her hand, and stood. "We need to get to Mantid."

Having been witness to Buguese's demise, Beerain was horrified.

"Buguese!" she screamed, and flew into the room, to the spot where he was, paying no attention to Mantid's presence at first. "Buguese!"

"Oh," Mantid said. "It's you, Beerain."

"Mantid-sama…" she turned around to face him, not trying to hide how broken she looked. "What have you done?"

"I simply finished off a foolish traitor," he said in reply. "Buguese was so pathetic. Really, he always was."

"But why?" she asked, not really allowing herself to understand. "How did you become so powerful?"

"You're just as foolish as him," replied Mantid. "And much less useful than he ever was. I'm not sure you ever accomplished a thing for me, Beerain. But Buguese… he got the Oracle Keys for me. That's why I managed to transform to this state."

"You collected all four Oracle Keys?!" Beerain was shocked.

"Indeed," Mantid replied. "And I'll use their power to destroy every person in the Inner World, Insector and human alike. I think you should be next."

Beerain, concerned for her life, fled the room though.

"Very well," Mantid said. "It would be a waste of energy to kill you."

Though she didn't know if Mantid would follow her, Beerain managed to leave the castle. And when she got outside, she saw the Spider Riders at the entrance.

"That's Beerain!" Grasshop exclaimed.

"Is she here to fight us too?" wondered Sparkle.

Beerain landed before them.

"Get out of our way!" Hunter shouted. "We have to stop Mantid!"

"I'm not here to fight," Beerain replied. "Mantid… he…" She didn't even want to speak of what happened though, finding it too traumatizing.

"Calm down, and tell us what happened," said Hunter.

"I'm sorry," Beerain replied. "Mantid has the power of all four Oracle Keys. Buguese was no match for him. And Mantid says that he wants to destroy everyone in the Inner World."

"That was always the truth," Brade responded. "You Insectors were too blinded to see the true ambition of Mantid."

'Buguese fought Mantid…' Aqune wondered to herself

"We'll defeat him!" shouted Hunter. "We'll save the Inner World."

"But, we don't have the Oracle Keys anymore," Lumen said. "How can we?"

"I don't know yet," replied Hunter. "But we'll find a way. Never give up!"

Corona hoped that Hunter was right, but felt very uneasy.

All of a sudden, Mantid appeared up in the sky.

"Greetings, Spider Riders," he said. "And you too, Grasshop and Beerain. I do have to commend you for making it this far."

"Mantid, you won't have your way!" Hunter yelled.

"It's funny that you think you can win," replied Mantid. "Buguese thought the same, but he was proven very wrong."

"What happened to Buguese?!" Aqune shouted.

"Oh, Beerain didn't tell you?" Mantid responded. "He's dead, never to return to this world again."

"What?!" yelled Aqune. She didn't want to believe it. But then, that would explain that horrible gut feeling she had before.

"How could you kill him?!" Hunter shouted.

"Because he was an annoyance in my way," Mantid replied. "Don't worry, Spider Riders. You too will get to taste my omnipotent powers and will join him in death!"

'This is awful,' Brade thought to himself. 'I can't allow anymore lives to be lost.'

The former Spider Rider pushed back his long sleeves, revealing his manacle. He held out his wrist.

"Oracle's Faith!"

Brade transformed. But it was unlike the normal Spider Rider transformation. He had returned to the form of his younger self.

Everyone, even Mantid was surprised.