AGNOMAKHOS
by Ulquiorra9000
Chapter 21
Alex didn't need the machine's presence to feel emboldened. All he could think about was smashing through the Reverent Army and storming the city hall. Seeing the machine's beam carve open a hole boosted his morale further; he was nearly there. The rebellion would win this day, but there was work to be done.
Both Argyros and Lakram ran off to hunt down Army officers, while Estello perched herself on a rooftop to snipe. Alex, meanwhile, took a deep breath and waded into the battle, right toward First Battalion's ranks. With a cry, Alex drew back his fist, charged his arm with seething red mana, and released a flaming punch. A sheet of fire crashed down on the hoplites' shields, and the rebels took this chance to strike. Swords and maces cut some hoplites down, while the rest retreated.
Then, just as Alex hoped, another presence emerged on the battlefield. It was impossible to mistake Kulla's immense aura of steely white mana, nor the man's stern expression as he approached the front lines. He already had his blades strapped to his wrists, and he motioned to nearby platoons, barking his orders. Obediently, the hoplites backed off and engaged the rebels elsewhere, clearing a wide space between Kulla and Alex.
"I've been waiting for this, you know," Alex commented, his heart racing as he clenched his hands into fists. Red mana oozed from between his fingers. "To prove that you're wrong, that the whole Army's wrong to defend the council. You've been blinded."
For just an instant, Alex thought he saw doubt flicker on Kulla's face. Then, the usual look of aloof superiority settled in. "I'm only doing my duty," he argued.
"To the council, but not our city. It's different!" Alex snapped. He knew it was no good, but it damn it, it felt good to let it out. "Perisophia and the others don't even care anymore what happens to our people. They have to be held accountable!"
"And you would join violent rebels to that end," Kulla pointed out. "You've made yourself my enemy, Alex. No arguing your way out of it."
"Believe me, I'm happy to fight it out."
"Then we will." Kulla took a few deliberate steps forward, and as he went, white mana flowed across his arms and into his blades. The sharpened steel hummed and glowed brightly.
Suddenly, Kulla was right behind Alex.
I forgot how fast he is! Alex's heart leaped in his throat as he whirled around, his nerves tingling uncomfortably. He had only a split-second to react, or Kulla could easily take his head off.
Alex remembered his righteous fury, his hot defiance against Perisophia's wicked ways and the Army's blind obedience to her, and how Meletis suffered for it. Alex shouted in rage as he swung up his right fist, flames filling the air.
Kulla slashed down his left arm in a flash of white mana. Sparks sprayed everywhere as his mana blade collided with Alex's flaming hand, and for a second, both warriors strained against each other, superheated mana wafting into the air between them.
Got to divert his energy. It's too much! Frustrated, Alex bared his teeth and wrenched his arm downwards just as Kulla's blade started to cut through his mana. It worked; Kulla's blade swung downward, exposing Kulla's flank. Eagerly, Alex snapped out a kick at Kulla's exposed side, more flames on his foot.
Kulla ducked the blow, his stern eyes not leaving his enemy. His other mana blade shot through the air, even faster than before. Protective flames surged up to protect Alex's skin, Kulla's sharpened white mana carved right through Alex's red mana and into flesh.
Hot pain flooded from Alex's side and he scrambled back, clutching a hand to the wound. His breath came in rapid gasps and he realized that a close-quarters fight wouldn't go in his favor. Unless I soften him up first!
Alex crouched slightly to steady his frame, then drew up a massive chunk of his red mana, fueled by by fury. The very air around him wavered and distorted with the extreme heat, flames surrounding Alex like a wreath. He grinned when he saw Kulla hesitate, the red fire reflected in the man's eyes. See how you like this, Kulla!
Small but deadly fireballs hissed through the air rapid-fire as Alex repeatedly punched his arms back and forth, directing pieces of his flame aura toward Kulla. The fireballs arced through the air in all directions, converging on Kulla like a pack of wolves. Expertly, and with fluid grace, Kulla weaved through the air, gliding on his white mana. Annoyed, Alex summoned more flames and kept up the assault, determined to not give Kulla a chance to retaliate.
However, Kulla was still too fast. The colonel zig-zagged through Alex's barrage and shot toward him like an arrow, too fast for the human eye to see. Just as quickly, he brought down both blades on Alex's head, the blades crossed like an X.
This time, Alex was ready. He gathered up the mana wreath and molded it into a round shield, and the whole ground quaked when the full strength of Kulla's blow came crashing down on it. Alex supported his shield with both arms, his whole body trembling as he fought to keep Kulla at bay. For a second, Alex thought he had the colonel at bay. But then he saw Kulla's blades start to slice through the flame shield, threatening to tear the whole thing apart.
Why can't I stop him?! Enraged, Alex collapsed the useless shield and formed a dense ball of flame that he hurled defiantly at Kulla.
Whumpf! The fireball rammed Kulla right in the stomach and flung him right into a temple's stone wall. The colonel jerked as his body slammed into the wall, causing deep cracks to spread on its surface. Kulla limply slumped to the ground.
Encouraged, Alex started toward Kulla, panting for breath but ready to finish the man off. He dredged up more red mana and wrought another fireball in his hands. "This is what you get for turning your back on the people of Meletis." And he hurled the fireball with all his might.
Kulla was already gone when the fireball crashed into the wall. Chunks of molten stone scattered across the street upon impact, but Kulla stood a short distance away, his fists clenched. His blond hair was no longer stylishly slicked back, and his stern expression was gone. He panted as he regarded Alex, his hair frazzled and his face spiteful. "You've gone too far this time, Alex," he warned. "I tried to make a respectable mage out of you in First Battalion, and while your power is great, it's misplaced. Chaos is not the answer to our problem."
"Our problem?" Alex repeated, blinking. "Besides the civil war itself?" Does a small part of him realize that the council of Twelve really is to blame?
"Here's what's going to happen," Kulla huffed. "The colonels and I will subdue your rebellion, and we'll take you to the council to talk this out. There must be a way to reconcile our people."
"You think I'll trust you after all you've done to me? And to our citizens? I remember your actions at the city hall deonstration." Alex sure as hell did. He still remembered the sound of Kulla snapping a man's arm.
"Then I'll take you in by force." Kulla drew himself to his full height and crossed his arms protectively in front of his chest. "I'll show you my ultimate technique. I call it 'Three Avatars'. No one in First Battalion has ever seen it, not even Olivia. She doesn't even know that I can perform it."
Suddenly cautious, Alex backed up a few steps and gathered fire around him in a defensive ring, ready for whatever Kulla threw at him. But for now, Kulla stayed his ground and enshrouded himself in glittering white mana.
As Alex watched, the mana encased itself onto Kulla like a shell, then hardened into sheer gold, even covering his mana blades. Just as Alex thought the technique was finished, however, the gold plates stretched and morphed. Two thick globs of gold broke off from Kulla's body and formed two pillars that coalesced into the shape of a man. More specifically, into the shape of Kulla, complete with blades on their wrists, just like the original.
He really did turn himself into three people! Alex did a double take at the sight of three Kullas. An avatar of justice and honor, or whatever. And I thought one Kulla was bad enough! He felt his mana aura falter with his will, the anger phasing into panic at the sight of such overwhelming strength.
The center Kulla examined his gold left hand. "I haven't done this in months, not since I invented the technique." He looked up at Alex. "You'll be my first real opponent to test it on."
"Wow, I'm so honored." But Alex didn't feel as calm and in-control as he sounded. Already he was planning a way to retreat back into the battle, to have his fellow rebels cover him. Maybe the machine's beam could melt Kulla's clones into slag...
In the meantime, the three Kullas strode forward as one, raising their right arms to prepare for a deadly strike. Then, in three white blurs, the Kullas surrounded Alex and brought down their blades as one.
With a puff of hot air, Alex shot out from under his three gold opponents just in time. Chunks of shattered bricks sprayed into the air as the three Kullas' blades smashed into the ground where Alex had stood. The gold men looked up and Alex, scowled, and shot toward him again.
I've got to lose them! There was no hope against three Kullas; instead, Alex could possibly break up their formation in the battle's chaos and take them out one by one. Bracing himself, Alex positioned himself on a cushion of superheated air and slipped into the rebels' ranks.
SIlently, grimly, each Kulla plowed its way through the crowd, and just as Alex hoped, the nearby rebels turned on them with swords and magic. The Kulla avatars expertly blocked and deflected the mundane and magical attacks, but it was distraction enough. With a shout, Alex soared into the air with a raging fireball on his fist, and swung right at one Kulla's exposed head.
Whoom! The Kulla crossed his arms over his head to block the blow, but the flames washed right over him and started to boil away his gold plating. Alex grinned and increased the pressure, elated.
Suddenly, the other two Kullas converged on Alex, and one of them stunned him with a hard kick to the stomach. Alex scooted back on his air cushion, wheezing and gasping for breath. But the last Kulla was already on him, and the avatar filled the air with a complex pattern of slashed and jabs.
Damn him! Alex tried to squirm away with a blast of flame for cover, but not before the avatar's blades reached their target. Alex threw up a barrier of protective red mana, but Kulla's blades tore right through it and raked Alex's flesh, drawing more blood.
Crying out, Alex released another flare of hot air and retreated into the crowd of rebel soldiers. Far overhead, the machine spat out another mana beam, and Alex realized that he'd have to get creative. He motioned to the machine's crew, then ran toward an open stretch of street to provide a clear view. And just as he hoped, the three Kulla avatars followed him.
"What's the matter, Kulla? I thought you were going to kill me!" Alex taunted, stalling for time. He watched the machine's round wooden head turn to face him, the mages inside charging up their mana dish. Not much longer...
"I don't have to take your life," the three avatars said together. "Enough people have died today. Stand down, Alex, or I will have to subdue you."
"Oh, yeah? Subdue this." With a flourish, Alex dashed out of the way just as the machine's mana dish spat out another beam.
A wave of heat, hotter than anything Alex could ever muster, washed over the street and Alex shielded his face. The machine's beam carved a deep, molten trench into the street as it tracked toward Kulla, and one of the avatars was too slow to dodge. The gold man shrieked as the focused red beam tore into him. His body distorted and became liquid, then scattered into vapor.
The machine's beam exhausted itself and shut off, but Alex was grinning. So he had hit one of Kulla's clones, leaving only two avatars. Even though Alex was bleeding and exhausted, and his mana was wearing thin, he felt a surge of confidence as he watched Kulla's shocked expression on both faces. Now to finish you off!