Chapter 50: The Great Mobster Face-off Part 2
"You can't be serious," Gelato murmured, not believing Casco's words. "How can you be a spy while helping me and my comrades during the Gladiator Games?"
"My main objective was to gather information," Casco answered, stepping forward. "And I found out a lot of things, including your lack of talent, Gelato. Unlike Tony, you've got nothing that makes you stand above the rest! Those victories of yours were merely flukes compared to Tony's superior abilities!"
This made Gelato grit his teeth, while Adessoè attempted to comfort Megara who was unresponsive. Yet despite Adessoè's efforts, nothing seemed to change.
"Glare all you want, but you're just a kid who's in way over his head," Casco said mockingly at Gelato. "The Nine-Headed Hydra (Nine-Tailed Fox) inside you did trouble me, but compared to these legendary Mobsters (Shinobi) that stand before us you're an insignificant little bug just begging to get squashed!"
"That's it," Gelato muttered and ran towards Casco. "Homunculus (Shadow-Clone Jutsu)!"
Creating three versions of himself, they surrounded Casco who dodged most of their attacks and managed to fling some leftover blood into the real Gelato's face. This allowed Casco to kick him away and into Adessoè's arms. She in turn spat poison-tipped needles from her mouth, which Casco avoided by leaping onto the rocks above him. There, he took out a small black pill making Adessoè flinch.
"An Ichor* Pill (Blood Increasing Pill)," Adessoè realized.
"What's that?" Gelato asked, wiping the blood from his eyes.
"It replenishes one's blood when swallowed," Adessoè answered while Casco ate the pill.
"Adessoè," Hercules said, getting her attention. "You take care of four-eyes. I'll handle Typhonragazzo myself."
Grinning, Typhonragazzo used his teeth to tear the bandages off one of his arms.
"So that's Typhonragazzo, the guy Rosa was talking about," Gelato stated and turned to Hercules. "What should I do to help?"
"Guard Megara with the pig," Hercules responded.
This shocked Gelato. "But—
"Now's not the time to argue with me," Hercules interrupted. "You'll just get in the way, or possibly killed if you're not careful. Typhonragazzo's way above your league, and four-eyes could probably go toe-to-toe with Spauracchio if he wanted to."
Meanwhile, Casco wiped away some blood from his hand and placed it on Typhonragazzo's blackened arm which had a patterned tattoo on it. Hercules bit his thumb at the same time, and the two slammed their hands on the ground, summoning their respective creatures. While Typhonragazzo and Casco caused a pair of giant snakes to appear, Hercules summoned Potenza-Aquila (Gamakichi) instead.
"What?" Hercules exclaimed. "How could this happen?"
"Seems you're not taking this battle seriously," Typhonragazzo said. "Or perhaps Megara did something to repress your full power."
"A drug, most likely," Casco guessed. "Either way, it's clear who the winners are."
"We'll see about that!" Gelato shouted and bit his finger before placing it on the ground. "Aquila-Jovis (Gamabunta), I summon thee!"
There was a puff of smoke, and a slightly smaller eagle appeared.
"Hi, everyone," the eagle said.
While Gelato sighed irritably, Potenza-Aquila turned to the smaller eagle. "Hey, Piedi-Aquila (Gamatatsu), what are you doing here?"
Before the smaller eagle could answer, Typhonragazzo and Casco commanded the snakes to strike the ground causing everyone to fly into the air. While Gelato was caught in one of the snakes' mouths, Adessoè grabbed Megara but was attacked by Casco. During this, Hercules managed to land on the snake where Typhonragazzo stood.
"Gnome** Cast: Tartarus*** Swamp (Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld)!" Hercules shouted, causing a black pit to open beneath the snake.
Unfortunately, the pit wasn't deep enough to completely swallow the snake.
"Nice try, but I'm just getting warmed up," Typhonragazzo implied as his neck stretched toward Hercules who in turn made his hair turn into spikes.
"Harpies'**** Stench (Poison Mist)!" Adessoè announced just as she exhaled a purple gas which moved swiftly toward Casco.
He seemed to disappear, but then came out of nowhere and hit Adessoè in the chest with the same glowing hand. This made Adessoè collapse and breathe heavily like Megara before her.
As for Gelato, he managed to get out of the snake's mouth but was knocked into a sand-dune. Nearby, Megara was still shocked as Casco advanced toward her.
"I used to look up to you," Casco said, clenching his fist. "But this…is unacceptable!"
Casco then raised the fist, and prepared to strike down on Megara. She attempted to back away, but he only grinned and thrust his fist forward. Instead of hitting Megara, though, it was Gelato's forehead thus blackening the bruise he still had from Megara's finger.
"That's enough!" Gelato snapped. "You're not laying a hand on Megara while I'm here!"
He attempted then to make another Spiralis, this one looking slightly more complete. But Casco merely ran past Gelato and hit him on the back of the leg.
"I hope you weren't planning to run away anytime soon," Casco joked while Gelato fell to his knees and winced in pain. "Your right leg's now useless, and it seems the left one got damaged from battling the snake."
While Megara watched, Casco walked over to Gelato and started kicking him repeatedly.
"Stupid kids," Casco muttered as he kicked Gelato. "Thinking they have it easy, believing in dreams that never come true…the thought sickens me!"
His foot was stopped by Gelato's hand, who slowly stood up.
"I'm not going to run away, and I don't go back on my word," Gelato responded. "That's my Mobster Way (Shinobi Way)!"
Flinching, Casco grabbed Gelato's arm with his glowing hand and threw him over his shoulder. Gelato landed a few feet from Megara, who was still shaking. But to Casco and Megara's surprise, Gelato still got up.
"Still haven't had enough?" Casco frowned.
"Please, stop, Gelato!" Megara cried. "You'll die if you keep this up!"
"I know what I'm doing," Gelato replied and said, "Homunculus, arise!"
A second Gelato appeared, but that didn't stop Casco from taking his throwing knife out and running at the real Gelato. Instead of dodging, Gelato stopped Casco's fist with his hand despite being cut by the knife and bleeding.
"All right, Granny Megara," Gelato grinned. "That cursed necklace of yours is mine!"
End of Chapter 50
*Ichor was believed to be the blood of the Gods according to Greek mythology
**Gnome was one of the four elemental spirits apart from Sylph
***Tartarus is the Greek Underworld equivalent to Hell
****The Harpies are birds with the upper-halves of women and are known to have a foul stench that makes food inedible