Zatch Bell: Kolulu Story
By:CleruSonofShintetsu
[Chapter 18: Burning Bridge]
Panic set in as the party was interrupted by the blaring alarm and an announcement from Dartagnan on the speakers.
"Attention all people onboard the ship, a critical engine failure has occurred! We are close to land, so stay calm! Rescue is within reach! File out in as orderly a fashion as possible and prepare to board the lifeboats at once!" he said, surprised that Ruku and Robnos even allowed him to make the announcement.
Maruss stepped closer and closer to Tia and the others, an evil look across his face. "You know, it's kind of funny how grand this plan of his was...but to see you suffer is more than just blind satisfaction, it's so much more than that, and this plan of his only adds to that feeling of grandeur..."
Tia yelled back at him, "WHY!? WHY DID YOU BETRAY ME!? WE WERE FRIENDS, WEREN'T WE!? YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO BETRAY ME TO PARTICIPATE IN THE BATTLE YOU STUPID BULLY!"
Maruss went wide eyed for a moment, before returning to his usual expression, "Like I said...it's just the name of the game. I'll cast aside ALL of my old friendships if it means I can become as great a king as Lord Dauwan was. Trust me, it's for the better that I beat you down now. You'll be thanking me before you know it!" he said in a mixture of fading respect among former friends and genuine egotism.
Megumi opened her spell book and made ready for combat. "FOLGORE!" she began, "Keep watch on the ship, make sure we all have a way out in advance!"
Folgore took one step back and asked, "B-but Megumi! Do you-a not need help?"
Kanchome was practically crying at this point, scared of Maruss and the burning ship around him.
Megumi glared back at Folgore, "Just go! I promise we'll be okay, just get out of here!" she instructed, Folgore grabbing Kanchome and running fast.
"NO NEED TO REMIND-A ME! HURRY KANCHOME, HURRY!" Folgore yelled as they kept watch by the stairs.
The fire grew slightly more intense by this point, and Rembrant slicked his hair back. "You know, I'm not one to murder, but I think this little fire storm is a good learning experience for us. Now kindly drop your book so we can all leave with our flesh in-tact. GANZU GARON!"
Rembrant called out, Maruss unleashing an immediate volley of spiked metal balls towards Tia and Megumi.
"SEOSHI!" yelled Megumi, Tia setting up a dome around the two of them and just barely managing to weather the attack.
"GARON!" casted Rembrant, Maruss sending an iron pillar out and knocking both Tia and Megumi back into a wall.
Tia and Megumi slowly got up and unleashed another spell, glaring down at the ever-slowly approaching enemies.
"SAISU!" yelled Megumi, Tia unleashing perhaps her strongest normal Saisu by far. Definitely more painful to Maruss than it was before, but still not enough to do more than slightly slow down and even irritate Maruss on impact.
"Tch, even now you use that weak spell...what a sad pathetic waste." Maruss said as he cracked his knuckles.
Rembrant casts another spell soon after, "EI GARON!", a spiked ball on chains burrows through the ground, back and forth back and forth, Tia and Megumi jumping back and avoiding it.
While the chain was still in the air, Megumi cast another Saisu, snapping the chain and hitting Maruss in the eyes in a surprise attack.
"Gah! You stupid little-!" he yelled out, holding his eyes in pain.
"GANZU GARON!" Rembrant called out, cleverly unleashing the wider-ranged barrage to his advantage as Maruss trampled Tia and Megumi in the sea of spiked balls.
The fire spread and another bang was heard from the engine. Folgore whistled and motioned frantically for the girls to follow him.
"COME ON, MEGUMI, WE HAVE-A TO GET TO HIGHER GROUND!" Folgore urged, Kanchome already running upstairs ahead of the group and scouting the area.
Megumi and Tia got back up and scrambled for the exit. Maruss and Rembrant followed behind at a casual but brisk pace.
"You can run, but you can't escape me, Tia!" Maruss started as he followed her, "You might be lucky enough to save the fool, Folgore, but you? You're nothing but a tiny little rabbit, fit only to feed the wolves that hunt you down, and I will make sure you and your book burn by sunrise!" he threatened wickedly.
[Meanwhile...]
Everyone was piling out and getting ready to board lifeboats. Suzy was running around frantically, looking for Kiyo and her classmates. Fortunately, her other classmates followed close behind and prepared a lifeboat just for their group, Suzy and Kiyo included.
Lori looked down in frustration, and Kolulu noticed and held her hand. Feeling the warm and gentle hand grab her own, Lori looked down and started to relax. "I'm so sorry..." she said.
Kolulu shook her head, "It's fine, I had fun while it lasted at least..." she said with a reassuring smile.
Ruku would walk out, holding Dartagnan at stun-gunpoint as he allowed the rest of the ship's crew to run off to other lifeboats as they saw fit, no longer needing them as hostages.
"If you want the old man to walk away un-scathed and without risk of...cranial damage, to be polite, I'll need every spell book you lot have! If you resist, then you'll be clobbered senseless by Robnos." Ruku instructed, seeming more cold and dead than usual.
Lori stepped over to him with an angry look on her face. "You know, I never did get a chance to look at you. You're the one who set up the ambush that hurt Kolulu, and now you're here, risking the lives of an entire boat full of people, along with it's elderly captain?"
Dartagnan protested, "Watch who you call elderly, girl! I'm old but I'm as sprightly as ever!" he said, shaking his fist.
Ruku bapped him over the head with the butt of the stun gun. "Quiet, fat man! You! Hand over your book or else!"
Before Lori could answer, a spell was cast nearby. "JIKIR!"
Hyde unleashed a blast of wind that knocked Ruku on his feet and sent Dartagnan skidding across the ground, safe but a bit scuffed from the fall.
"Graahh!" Ruku growled in frustration as he slowly rose to his feet. "You imbeciles! You think I'm scared of you?"
Kiyo spoke up, "Just give it up already! You're outnumbered, and I don't exactly see your Mamodo anywhere. How about you learn when to fold em?"
Ruku then sees something in the corner of his eye and grins widely. "You sad little boy...you have no idea what happens to those who underestimate me."
Just then, as Suzy was about to board a lifeboat, Robnos grabbed her by the back of her dress and held her close with an arm around her neck, having merged back into his true form as the hulking three-eyed robotic being he was. Suzy let out a scream in fear as she struggled to get out.
Kiyo, Eido, Lori and the other Mochinoki students collectively yelled out, "SUZY!"
"Let her go!" Kiyo demanded, running over, only to be backhanded half way across the boat by Robnos with a nasty bruise on his cheek as a result.
"Kiyo!" Lori and Suzy said in unison.
Robnos began to chuckle, even laughing outright shortly after. "You know...I've always wanted to pull off a scheme like this. Frankly, I'm glad I had this chance to test my prowess as a great mind, but this is far from the best I can do." he mused, proud of himself regardless.
"Just what the heck are you yapping about anyway?" Hyde asked, already annoyed with Robnos. "You're just a third-rate Mamodo with a fourth-rate fashion sense." he japed.
"Hah! I'll let you have that one, ginger." Robnos replied with a grin. "None of you have any hope of stopping me, not even THAT one and her crazy wild side."
Kolulu pouted, "And what's that supposed to mean? Nobody is invincible after all...probably not even the king." she asked.
"It's no secret, I long for the one who can pierce my defenses. Not to be an egotist but my body is made out of a high durability plate metal, all-natural and capable of taking on all but the toughest of low to mid-class spells and completely resistant to anything light or laser-based. Nothing short of a gigano-class spell has a chance in hell of consistently piercing me, and I'd like to see if that freak alternate personality can prove me wrong in some way." he explained with nothing short of unadulterated pride and confidence, with a chuckle for good measure as his eyes widened. "So go on, cast Zeruk and fight me with your raging inner demon, Kolulu!" he urged with glee.
Lori grit her teeth and made ready to cast the spell. "I'm sorry...I never enjoy doing this...ZERUK!"
Kolulu rapidly began transform, eyes going red, hair sharpening, the whole nine yards as her evil side came out to play. "IT'S ABOUT TIME, I WAS GETTING TIRED OF THAT STUFFY-PUFFY CRAP-FEST ANYWAY!" said Evil Kolulu with a toothy grin.
She bolted forward, claws out and raring to go. Lori yelled out, "WAIT HE STILL HAS A HOSTAGE!" as she reached out but failed to grab her.
Ruku smirked and yelled out, "BIRAITSU", causing Robnos let go of her, stare down and target Suzy's ribs, and blast Suzy to the side with a heavy, singular laser shot.
Suzy screamed as she tumbled across the ship and landed near Kane. She had mild burns on her right side and was starting to cry tears of pain.
"Mommyyyyyyyyy, I don't feel so gooooooooooood!" she spluttered out as she heaved in agony.
Kane knelt down and said, "H-holy crap! D-dont worry, you'll be okay Suzy! I'll..." he said, letting his fellow classmates take care of her as he took off in an olympic sprint in Robnos' direction. "I'LL KICK YOUR METAL ASS FOR THIS!" he said, trying to land a drop kick on Robnos' chest, only to bounce off and land on his own rear.
"You stupid monkey, did you not hear me? Or did the majority of the panicking partygoers distract you? You were among the few who stared and listened to me, weren't you?" he asked, holding a hand out with an evil smile. "Oh well, you're next..."
Ruku cast another spell, "BIRAI!", causing Robnos fire a burst of three smaller laser blasts at Kane's face, making the big lad roll on the ground in pain while holding his face.
"NO, MY FACE!" he yelled as Kiyo tried to drag him away.
"Stop being stupid, will you!?" he said, Kane slowly getting up and running off towards a life boat.
"Enough of the chaff, let's get back to busine-" Robnos began, but he was cut off by Lori casting a spell.
"ZERUSEN!" she yelled, Kolulu launching her fists into Robnoss' face, dealing next to no damage. Notably, Robnos rubbed his cheek, clearly flesh and blood, and Lori kept that in mind.
Ruku repositioned himself a few feet to his left, closer to Robnos, and cast another spell. "GANZU BIRAITSU!"
Robnos held his fingers to his temples and unleashed a barrage of laser shots from his eyes, all of them having a decent width to them and all but two of them nailing Kolulu as she lunged and failed to connect a follow-up attack to her former spell.
"Owwww...hit me harder, that was weak!" Kolulu said as she grinned menacingly. She rushed in and took rapid jabs at Robnos, who simply stood there and tanked it. Of course, she eventually reached his cheek and pierced it, causing Robnos to frown and punch her square in the mouth.
"Ah! Damn freak! It'l take more than slashing my gorgeous face to ribbons to defeat me!" Robnos said, regaining his confidence quickly as Kolulu tumbled back again.
Eido and Hyde, who had been watching the battle from nearby, ran in to help Lori and Kolulu in battle. "Hold on!" said Hyde, "We're coming!"
Lori held a hand out, stopping them. "No! I want you to use your spells to help anyone struggling to get onto a lifeboat or saving those who fell into the water! Understood?" she asked desperately.
Eido nodded, but Hyde stared at Kolulu for a moment, hesitant to leave her alone. Eido grabbed him by the shoulder. "She'll be fine, Hyde, especially when that other personality comes out. Besides, who are we to deny the ladies eh?" He said with a smug smirk.
Hyde glared back at him and nodded. "Despite your idiotic manneurisms, I agree. Good luck, you guys!" He said as he looked back at the two fighting Robnos one more time.
"JIKIR!" Hyde cast below them as he hopped on the hoverboard. Hyde would follow soon after, scrambling to board the hoverboard and blasting them off to circle the ship.
[Meanwhile...in the middle floor of the ship...]
Folgore, Kanchome, Tia and Megumi all reach the dining area, the fire spreading around the room slowly but VERY surely and forcing the group to bob and weave around knocked-over tables and other junk laying around.
"O-Oh no...Dios Mio, what if-a there's any-a people stuck in the ship still? I couldn't leave-a them on there own!" Folgore worried, looking around the room frantically in case someone needed saving.
Megumi looked at Folgore with a worried frown, "Hey, it's okay, I'm sure everyone got out, and if they didn't? We'll find them as we continue to run. In fact..." she said, looking down and clutching her free hand, "Leave the enemy to us, this is our fight, Tia's especially. Okay?"
Folgore was conflicted, knowing that he was a grown adult, a superstar, and an idol, an inspiration to all, especially the young and sprightly. He couldn't leave her alone with good conscience...but he sighed deeply. "You are-a so brave...don't do anything reckless, you hear-a me?" he warned her.
Megumi giggled, "I'll be fine, you might be an iron man, but I'll have you know I'm an iron maiden myself!" she said with a wink.
Kanchome stomped his foot and nodded, "C-come on Folgore! We gotta move! Let them take care of that bully and his book owner!" he said, barely containing his fear.
Folgore, understanding what he had to do, ran off in another direction, towards the kitchen no less, just to check if anyone was still trapped inside or nearby. He then skid to a halt and gasped, "THE UNCONSCIOUS GUARDS! I know what we have-a to do now Kanchome!"
Kanchome nervously nodded, "R-right! B-b-but...h-how many of them are there exactly?" he asked.
Folgore tapped his chin, trying to remember. "There were only four left in the hallway, the rest having most likely woken up and ran off. If we can wake up even two of them, we can carry the rest back with us. Or heck, even-a better, we won't have-a to carry any of them if they ALL wake up!" he said confidently with a finger pointing upwards.
Kanchome laughed in relief, "Yeah! We'll be just fine Folgore! Come on, let's go check on the guards!" he said, running off ahead of Folgore as the two made their way, albeit the long way around, back to where the knocked-out guards were.
Back at the dining hall, Rembrant and Maruss arrived, staring down Megumi and Tia in the middle of the ever-more-burning dining hall and stage. Megumi and Tia took up a position on that stage, staring down in defiance of the two enemies before them.
"You know, I'm getting really really sick and tired of you defying me. It's not like I'm hurting you for blind fun like that mad machine Robnos is. Face it, it's all part of history, your suffering now will only make the rest of us stronger once I'm on the throne." Maruss said, holding a hand out in Tia's direction.
"Don't pretend you care about anyone but yourself," Tia spat viciously, "you're nothing but another bully, willing to toss people aside the MOMENT a thousand-year rule as King is put on the plate. You burned that bridge like you burned this ship, and I'm never going to forgive you...!"
Chuckling bitterly, the tone surprising Tia slightly, he held his face and shook his head. "The things I have to sacrifice in Dauwan's name..." said Maruss as Rembrant perpared a spell.
"GARON!" Yelled Rembrant, Maruss turning that hand in Megumi's direction unleashing a pillar of Iron at her head.
Jumping to the side, Megumi yelled out, "SAISU!", having Tia unleash a blast directed at Maruss' spell book. Rembrant barely noticed at the last second and turned his body, taking the cut to his shoulder with a grunt.
"GARON, GANZU GARON!" Rembrant yelled out, Maruss unleashing the spells in sequence, one at Tia's feet, and the other in a barrage aimed up at the stage. The second spell would hit both at least once, each of them falling over backwards as a metal ball hit them in their respective guts.
Rolling to her feet along with Tia, Megumi stood tall once again, refusing to give in so easily. "SAISU, SAISU, SAISU!" she yelled, trying to emulate what Rembrant just did. Tia would unleash three more Saisu's, all aimed at the enemy spell book as her hands with forth, back, and forth, each movement unleashing another shot of Saisu.
Each time the shot would be blocked or barely miss the spell book, much to Rembrant's frustration due to having to tank these slicing spells himself.
"Maybe you should keep better track of the book, Maruss!" He growled in frustration at the boy.
Maruss spat on the ground, "Shut up, just give me another spell so we can end this twerp already!"
Rembrant looked around, knowing that time was NOT on anyone's side right now. "Hmph, I think I'll do that...this ship is burning down, and I don't fancy ANY of us burning to death...so try this, superstar!" he said to Megumi, mustering his power from within for a big spell.
Megumi realized what was about to happen, and she took deep breaths as she too mustered her own power from within for the new spell.
Maruss grinned, "Time to go home Tia, YOUR BOOK IS TOAST!" he yelled out, pumping himself up for the spell.
"The only book that burns is YOURS, Maruss! I'll NEVER forgive you, NEVER!" she reiterated from before.
Rembrant and Megumi would cast their spells accordingly.
"GIGANO GARANZU!"
"GIGANO SAISU!"
A giant drill manifests above Maruss' head as he looks on in surprise that Tia had gained a spell that strong. Likewise, Tia would reel back her arms as she unleashed a HUGE version of the crescent-bladed spell from before with a heart shape on it for good measure. The two spells would connect and push against each other as their Mamodo would grunt and growl, trying to exert more energy than the other and struggling to gain an edge.
Eventually after roughly 10 seconds of this, their spells burst into a magical explosion, causing the area to collapse further and the fire to spread farther. Some of the embers caught on Maruss' clothes and he was forced to throw off his shirt and lunge for Tia.
"ENOUGH! GIVE ME THE BOOK YOU INSECT!" he screamed, Tia lunging after him and causing them both to crash into a table and break it. The two wrestled on the ground, Tia trying to strangle him while Maruss tried for direct punches to the head.
Tia, not quite as strong as the clearly toned boy who, unlike Zatch, was able to better overpower her physically, knew that she couldn't take too many hits to the head before she became woozy or worse. After tumbling away from another blow to the skull, she reached around for anything she could find. Her hand clutched something...something silver... a fork! A large fork no less. She got on her feet, and waited for Maruss to lunge again. Once Maruss lunged, she twirled the fork in her hand, reeled back, and lunged forward, stabbing Maruss square under his left armpit, causing him to yell out in pain.
"GYAH! How DARE you stab me so cheaply!?" He said, grabbing her by the shoulders and trying to pin her down, distracted by the bleeding pain of the fork in his armpit. "WHY CAN'T YOU MAKE THIS EASIER ON US, TIA!? WHY CAN'T YOU JUST GIVE UP AND GO HOME!?"
Tia, hearing this, realized something. While his actions were unforgivable, perhaps part of her old friend still laid dormant within his heart. Even if she may never be the same around him again, even post-forgiveness, should such a thing even happen, she at least had a newfound resolve to win this battle. The battle had taken so much from her already, so in defiance, she rose to her feat, her eyes sharp with determination as she stared him in the eye, startling him as he let go.
"You're just another victim of the throne...and it's my job to send you back!" she said, kicking him in the mouth and knocking a few teeth out as he skid backwards.
By this point, Megumi had caught up, and Rembrant had gotten his leg stuck in debris nearby. Maruss knew his book was in peril, and tried to jump to Rembrant's aid.
Megumi said but one thing before she launched her spell. "Get the heck out of here, don't burn like the book and the boat! SAISU!"
The spell flew off, grazing the top of Maruss' hair and nailing the book square in the middle, nearly cutting it in half as it caught fire.
Rembrant stared on in horror as he dropped the book, his hopes and dreams of greatness sinking down the tubes in an instant.
Maruss would yowl out in despair, "GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH! HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN!? THIS...THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE MY PROVING GROUNDS, MY MOMENT OF TRIUMPH! The last...the last chain to be broken...I..." he said, tears slowly dripping down from his face as he stared back at Tia defiantly.
Maruss had deeply hoped Tia would be an easy win, wanting to put her out of her misery due to his prior connection to her. Instead, he was met with justice...a swift defeat, just as he swiftly discarded Tia on the other boat all those weeks ago. In complete defeat, he reached out as his body began to fade, screaming up into the air, "LORD DAUWAN! I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY I FAILED TO LIVE UP TO YOUR LEGACY! GYAAAAAHHH!" he cried out, vanishing for good right then and there.
It was a startlingly quick fight, but perhaps it was better that way. Not all duels need be so long and drawn out, and Tia knew it. She stared down at the spot where Maruss collapsed when he vanished and sniffled. "I...I didn't want to lose you...but you gave me no choice." she began, flashing back to the good times she had with her old friend-turned-foe. "That...that is why I will NEVER allow the throne to fall to anyone but Kolulu and I. We'll break the cycle...and then nobody will have to back-stab each other ever again..." she said, turning around with a dark shadow over her eyes.
"Come on, Megumi, let's get out of here..." she said bitterly.
Megumi looked down, heartbroken at the sight of her partner before following suit. She looked back at Rembrant and motioned for him to hurry along, and ran away with Tia at her side.
Rembrant stared down at the burn mark where the book once was, and shook his head. "If that kid taught me anything...it's to never be that obsessed with glory again...get well soon, Maruss. I really did like you like a nephew." he said, getting up and, after avoiding some falling flaming debris, sprinting away and heading for an exit.