Ch.114: Power of the Emotion Anima! Team Ravenfield's Desperate Push!
"Bring back the dead?"
Aeternus chuckled and wagged his finger at Zaros. "No, no, my dear protégé. It's not something as complex as bringing back a soul from the afterlife. Magic like that cannot be used without paying the ultimate price."
Zaros crossed his arms. "You refer to the 'Life for a Life' spell."
"You can't bring back a life back without making an equivalent exchange. That's the law of the universe." Aeternus walked through his line of shelves, each containing a container with yellow dust inside. "My magic, however, is the ability to manipulate particles. I can reshape matter and deconstruct it at my will. And the result of breaking down a living organism is what I like to call Life Particles."
"This yellow dust?" Zaros asked, poking at a container.
"Once a living creature that I had to…remove." Aeternus waved his finger and manipulated the container to crawl off the shelf. "Do you know how many people would want my head? It's no secret I've built up a reputation for being merciless. While I highly doubt that day will come, there's no shortage in preparing myself in the event I lose a limb, organ, or any other vital item in my body."
Zaros rubbed his chin. "Intriguing. Though, what does this have to do with bringing back the dead?"
"A zombie is nothing more than a walking corpse. They feel no emotion, pain, or…well, they don't have a soul. They're easy to control. And that's exactly what a mob boss needs."
Zaros pulled the container lid off and scooped up some of the dust. "Willing minions to get the job done."
Aeternus waved his finger, commanding a portion of Life Particles to swirl into the center of his palm and take the shape of a Kingler's big claw. "They're also empty vessels. Have I ever told you I knew a witch? It's a good partnership. If we were still in regular contact, it would be a good trade off. I give bodies, she…I don't know, gives me some puppets to work with."
Zaros dumped the dust back into the container. "Count Aeternus, I've never seen you use this before. It would be beneficial to have something like this to increase our forces. Our manpower would be-" Aeternus lay a hand on his shoulder, silencing the Watchog.
"Zaros, you don't get results by mass production. You get them through tests. Meaningful tests." Aeternus smirked evilly. "There will come a time where I will perform that test. After that, it's a matter of recording the results, improving them, and perfecting them.
"If you're going to make an obedient soldier from the remains of your worthless rejects, each one must be handled with a purpose. Sacrifice one soldier for the cause. That's how it's done."
The battle had just started, yet Team Ravenfield hadn't made a move, too stunned by their new opponents to proceed on. Edwin hung out in the back, chuckling under his breath, as the corpses of their fallen enemies (and one Sableye they didn't know) lumbered towards them with intimidating auras.
Ella broke from her trance and scowled. "Okay, hold the phone! This is cheating! You can't just summon new teammates, especially this many! That's against the rules!"
"Were we really expecting a group of crooks to follow tournament rules?" Tony mumbled.
Edwin chuckled and waggled his finger at them. "Don't jump the gun too soon. I assure you, this is all perfectly legal. The tournament rules stated that we are allowed one item per teammate, and summons fell into that category. Items can be shared between teammates, of course. I registered that beetle during the Puzzle Tower…"
Gwyn glared. "And the other four registered these things."
"Precisely. Aren't they wonderful?"
Griffin slammed his sword against the ground, sending out an energy wave that knocked the corpses back. He pointed furiously at them. "You desecrated the sacred land of my village! It may have been a long time, but I can recognize the faint traces of the village council in those accursed puppets, especially my own grandfathers!"
Edwin stroked his chin. "Is that so? Poor you."
Griffin snarled. "I warned you what would happen if you get in my way." He channeled his magic through his blade. "Your boss violated my land and one of your own tried to murder my teammate. I'm going to execute you where you stand."
Edwin smirked. "This is a tournament, idiot. The second you do, you'll be eliminated and thrown in prison."
"To hell with this tournament!" Griffin lunged at Edwin. "I'm putting an end to this now!"
"Griffin, wait!" Wes called out.
Edwin didn't move. He snapped his fingers and silently ordered Lexx to jump between him and Griffin and catch the blade. The hateful energy splashed over Lexx in a wide cone, diverting around Edwin harmlessly. The dead Ursaring's arm was barely affected by the Hatred Anima's intense power.
Griffin grabbed Lexx by the head and smashed his face into his knee. "Exosus Cloak!" He kicked off into the air and slammed his leg down on top of Lexx's neck.
"Exosus Release." Griffin's eyes widened as the Ursaring corpse swung its claws and released a powerful wave of magic that blew him across the arena. Wes and the others jumped out of the way to avoid getting hit.
"Griffin!" Ella cried out.
Griffin was firmly pressed into the arena wall, but pulled himself free with ease. He gripped the sides of the Grovyle-shaped hole and sneered. "You lousy, little-" The corpse appeared before him and socked him in the stomach. Griffin gasped silently against the hateful magic spewing through his body.
"Hang on!" Tony shouted, zipping over with Light Speed.
Suddenly, Caesar's eyes flashed yellowed before vanishing with only a light trail left behind. Tony reached out to grab Griffin, but was blindsided by Caesar and shoved through the ground.
"Gah!" Tony quickly used the momentum and kicked Caesar over himself before dragging his hands to slow down. He panted lightly, then wiped his lip. "Right. Speed based magic."
Caesar tumbled across the ground and slammed his head into the wall. He stared at the sky blankly, then sat up. He cracked his neck a few times. "Iubilo Rush." He sped off once against.
Tony's eyes flickered around the battlefield, tracking the speedy Sableye's movements. "You can't escape me that easily. Light Speed!" He zipped off and chased after the speedster.
Wes and the girls stood back to back as the other two corpses approached them. "They're trying to split us up," Wes whispered.
"We barely survived a fight with Griffin. Where do you even begin with this?!" Ella growled.
Gwyn clenched her fist. "It doesn't matter. I don't care if there's five or fifty of them." Her eyes darkened to a familiar deep red. "They'll pay for harming my precious Flinty! They'll all pay!"
"Yeesh, someone's fired up," Ella mumbled, who was admittedly terrified.
Gwyn pulled out a handful of seeds. "I have an idea. They're registered as items, right?"
"Yeah?"
"Wouldn't that mean we just need to remove Edwin from the fight and we win?"
Ella's eyes widened. "Actually…yeah, she's right." She smirked at Wes. "All we need to do is beat the hell out of that arrogant monkey and we win."
Wes winced. "Easier said than done if you ask me. We actually need to get close enough to fight him."
"Don't forget, Griffin said Revulsion Anima is incredibly taxing on the body. He can't defend against us forever."
Wes glared. "Good point. Alright then, let's focus our efforts on-" Before he finished his sentence, a pair of giant claws came swinging at his face. Ella grabbed his jacket and pulled him out of the way just as the claws grazed across his cheek. "Holy smokes!"
The three jumped back from the demonic looking Purrloin grinning down on them. Lithia approached them with a contrasting blank expression with her vibrant purple aura blazing around her.
"Crap, what about these guys?" Ella grumbled.
Wes stamped his paw down. "I'll handle Edwin! If I can draw his fire away, he won't be able to focus on boosting the corpses' defenses. You girls worry about dismantling these puppets."
"Yes sir!" they yelled racing off.
Gwyn decided to take her chances with the Purrloin and her Timor Persona. Gwyn pulled out her whip and grappled around the persona's ankle, then pulled it out from under her. Gwyn jumped over the persona and dive-kicked Lithia in the face. The cat collapsed without any issue.
"Nutrient Transvoro!" Gwyn absorbed one of her iron berries into her glove, then aimed her pal in the corpse's face. "Metal Breaker Wave!" She released a powerful shockwave that crumbled the ground and shoved the cat into a deep crater. "Again!" Gwyn blasted again, shoving the cat further down. "Again! Again! Again!" She kept blasting into Lithia, who put up no fight against the attack.
"Torture Incita: Electrocution."
Gwyn paused at the cat's murmuring before screaming out in pain as the persona struck her in the back with its claws and released a powerful shock through her body. Lithia pulled herself out of the ground, leaped up, and uppercut Gwyn across the chin. The persona grabbed Gwyn and piledrove her headfirst.
Ella wanted to help, but had her sights focused on the Cradily corpse lumbering towards her. Ella smirked nervously. "Hey. Remember me? I'm the Espeon who kicked your ass. Good times, right?"
Rubia didn't speak, instead whipped out her tendrils and smacked the ground near Ella. She dodged and pulled out Daybreak, channeling psychic energy through it.
"Okay, not much of a talker. Fine by me." Ella aimed the staff and focused the energy into the end. "Take this!" She fired a straight shot of psychic energy.
Rubia narrowed her eyes. "Dolorem Rewrite." Blue petals scattered from behind Rubia and obscured the area around the two.
Ella staggered back and surveyed through the petals cautiously. "I've seen Holly do this once or twice. Doesn't this one-?" The petals parted and redirected the psychic beam to nail Ella in the back. Ella cried out and flew forward, where Rubia grabbed her by the legs and held her over the ground.
"Sensitiva Cultro: Tange." Rubia's eyes flashed, then she slammed her head against Ella's. Ella threw her head back and screamed as the pain amplified through her entire body. Rubia slammed Ella against the ground, jumped, and body slammed the poor Espeon.
Wes whipped his head around and gasped. "Ella!" He raced to her, but Edwin caught him by the tail and pulled him back.
"And where are you going?" He punched Wes across the face, then swept his legs out from under. "Fastidium Force!" Wes flew back as the spiraling barrier slammed into him. He tried to punch through, but the magic was far too strong to fight against.
"Gah!" Wes cried after landing on his back. He rolled onto his feet in a brief stumble, then shook his head. "Mystic Burst!" He kicked off the ground and rocketed into Edwin, who raised his arms and blocked it. Edwin flinched, underestimating the power behind Wes' attack.
"I can see why the Shadow King wants you gone. You're indeed strong." Edwin smirked. "But I don't fall so easily." He went limp and allowed Wes to fly over him just before grabbing his ankle. He pulled him into a palm strike to the face, then grabbed his head and slammed it against the ground. "I don't need defensive magic to beat you. It's just pretty handy when needed."
Wes bared his teeth. "Someone like you…why are you even working for Aeternus to begin with?"
Edwin glared. "It's just business. I'm a hired hand, nothing more."
"To think you had the audacity of harming my brother…"
Edwin lowered down and whispered into his ear, "That wasn't me, genius. Not that it makes a difference. Your brother was in our way. It makes no difference who that obsessive historian went after."
Wes took a moment to catch his breath. "You see, that's where the problem…heh, the problem lies." He glared at the Simisage. "It doesn't make a difference who you went after. The results are all the same."
"What results-?" Edwin froze as Wes shot his leg into his jaw, throwing the monkey backwards and landing on his back. Edwin covered his mouth just as he tasted a faint metallic taste from his gums.
"The results? No one harms my friends. You got that?!" Wes lunged and pinned Edwin down. "Mystic Beam!"
Edwin gasped at the charging ball of magic. "Fastidium Force!" The green barrier expanded out and threw Wes off. Edwin flipped up and ran away from the Umbreon. I need to keep my distance and let the puppets fight. That's the only way I'm getting through this damn tournament.
Back with Griffin, he kept pushing back against Lexx as he tried to shove him farther into the wall. The collision had made Griffin drop his sword. An easy fix would be to summon a new weapon, but that wasn't happening. He could also feel the searing heat of the puppet's hand burning against his chest.
Griffin grabbed the Ursaring corpse's arm and sneered. "Last we thought, I made sure you were nothing more than charcoal. Not a mind to be reminded of that incident, there's probably a part of your darn body that remembers the pain."
The puppet didn't respond, though he did push down harder Griffin. Griffin clenched his teeth as the wall cracked behind him, further digging him inside. He clenched his teeth tightly, then smirked furiously.
"Let me tell you something, though. That was many, many months ago. You want to know why that matters?" His eyes lit up with magic. "It means I've grown far stronger and angrier since that day. And there's no end in sight to my RAGE!" Griffin slammed his head into the puppet's.
The impact staggered the puppet and knocked him back. A visible crack appeared through the fur. The puppet glared at it, then raised its fist. "Ira Dei: Five Destructive Fists." He grabbed Griffin by the throat and held him down as he charged his spell.
Griffin bared his teeth. "Do not play this game with a true master. Ira Dei: Five Destructive Fists." He clenched his fist and channeled the magic through it.
The air vibrated under the intensity of their growing spells. Both fists flew in sync and collided against each other. Magic crackled off them like a massive surge of lightning. The kinetic force stacking between their punches built itself up into a visible bubble of pure force before popping and throwing them apart in a violent shockwave.
Griffin grabbed the ground and dragged himself until stopping, then immediately kicked off and raced after the puppet, picking up his sword along the way. Lexx dug his feet down and came to a dead stop right as Griffin flung forward and slashed down the puppet. Lexx caught the blade between his hands and tossed it and Griffin away.
"Exosus Release." He swung his claws and sent out the magic into Griffin.
Griffin raised his sword and canceled the wave with Endless Regret's magic negating properties before channeling his own through it. "This is a real Exosus Release." He aimed the sword and fired a concentrated beam directly into Lexx.
The Ursaring puppet crossed its arms and tanked the blast as it pushed him across the arena. He roared and slashed through the beam, diverting its path. However, as the energy parted, Griffin shot through and nailed Lexx across the face, then drove his sword through his stomach.
"Exosus-!" Lexx cut the Grovyle off by grabbing his neck and choke-slamming him against the ground. Lexx raised his claws, channeling Exosus Release through them, and swung down. "Repello!" Griffin struck the claws and repelled them out of his face, sending the energy flying across the arena. Before Lexx could respond, Griffin grabbed by the robe and threw him over his head. "Exosus Release!" He propelled Lexx high int the air with the pulse of magic.
The flaming body crash landed right near where Tony and Caesar were racing by. The two traded punches through their accelerated perception, zipping around their allies while they were stuck in slow motion.
Tony flipped through the air and landed on the wall of the arena. He canceled Light Speed and aimed his finger. "Lightning Shot: Lotus Bullet!" He fired a chain of Lightning Shots into Caesar.
The Sableye puppet weaved through the storm of beams and appeared right behind Tony. The Dewott spun around with his scalchops, but froze at the glowing leg approaching his face. "Iubilo Assault."
Tony couldn't describe the next second of his life, but he was standing on the wall for one second and was suddenly planted deep into the wall on the other side of the arena. He saw a bright flash, followed immediately by overwhelming pain to his face and back, nearly simultaneous.
What his friends saw was quite different. Through the brief glance they caught of Tony, they saw him get kicked off the wall, then seemingly vanish for a split second before crashing through the opposing wall.
Tony pulled himself up and clutched his aching face. What the hell was that? What was that spell-?
"Tony!" one of his fangirls shirked above his head. "Run!"
Tony's eyes widened, sensing the puppet right under his chin. Tony felt a sharp uppercut connect to his jaw and send him into the sky instantly. Once again, he saw the bright flash of light before it happened. His head rang with pain as he tried to adjust his eyes.
Lightning doesn't go at the speed of light. It's too slow. I've never had to move at actual light speed. Something like that is impossible for me now. Tony gritted his teeth. If I can't see where I am when I'm flying, does that mean he's…?
The Sableye puppet appeared over his head and kicked down on him. Tony's vision briefly turned fuzzy before impacting with the ground. Tony spat up blood. His aura crackled under the stress.
Don't tell me this bastard…is hitting me near the speed of light? Tony gripped his head. Any normal shmuck who gets hit with that kind of force would be atomized. I should say that's way too dangerous, but what am I to suspect from the hothead's crazy bloodline?
Tony tried to get up again, but Caesar shot down like an arrow and landed both feet on Tony's gut. Tony wheezed and fell over again. Caesar grabbed him by the vest and lifted him to eye level. He pulled his fist back and charged up another puch.
"Iubilo Assault-" He paused when Tony pressed his finger to his lips.
"Hey…bastard. Keep it down. In case…you haven't notice, I'm kind of out of breath," Tony groaned. The puppet made no comment and curled his fingers tighter. "Hey, what's wrong? Don't have common courtesy?" Tony smirked. "Sorry, I forgot you're dead. At least you aren't a rotting piece of flesh. The smell is much more manageable."
"Iubilo-"
"You only speak in spells, don't you? Yeesh, how am I supposed to mock my opponent if they won't give me a reaction? I want someone to get angry at me or something." Tony closed his eyes and chuckled. "Though, brainless or not, you guys really should take a page from your boss."
"Iub-"
"You really shouldn't let me talk."
Tony grappled around the puppet and charged his fur until it was electric blue. With a devious smirk, Tony unleashed a powerful electrical charge through his entire body and illuminated the area in a blinding glow. The puppet twitched and jolted as his skin started to burn.
"So, the Jubilation Anima controls speed, eh? Well, bad news for you, because I'm all about speed!" Tony grinned. "Let me show you real velocity, you undead son of a lunatic!" He grabbed Caesar's wrists and spun him around, then chucked him across the arena. "Light Speed!"
Caesar flew all around the battlefield as Tony kicked him left and right in all sorts of directions. He normally had to be careful about hitting someone at the speed he was going at, so he welcomed the opponents that were literally bags of petrified flesh.
"Top floor, going up!" Tony appeared in Caesar's flight path and kicked him straight into the sky. "You're clear for takeoff! Be on the look out for unexpected turbulence!" He smirked as his fangirls cheered him on.
"Tony, Tony! Fastest guy around~! Beat that loser and shut him down~!"
Tony sped over and hung from the wall. "You ladies make my victory all the sweeter." He tickled under the chin of an Aipom, making the other girls quite envious. "We'll continue this discussion later." He winked. "Some dinner with you find ladies and some more alone time." They squealed, blushing bright red.
Tony smirked as Caesar came back down, unmoving after being used as a living pinball. Tony cracked his knuckles and sped to where he assumed he would be landing. "Time to turn this undead bastard into-!" Suddenly, Tony felt his speed drop significantly. "Huh?"
His legs felt heavier, like they were moving through a pool of molasses. Tony's arms weren't moving as fast either. What happened to my-?
"Velocity Cancel."
Tony's eyes widened, suddenly feeling Caesar's immediate presence behind him. He tried to move, only to take another one of those accelerate kicks to the face, this time skidding him across the ground. He felt the instant heat of the friction rubbing against his aura, mostly likely would've resulted in a nasty road burn and bleeding hadn't not been for said aura.
Tony felt his movements return to normal after getting hit. He sat up and held his aching head. He used some spell to temporarily steal my speed. It's like Ebony's Motus Swipe, except this asshole cancelled most of my momentum instead of stealing it.
Caesar shambled towards Tony with a sinister look in his blank, gem eyes. Tony pushed himself to his feet and took a deep breath. This might be harder than I thought.
Gwyn wasn't having it any easier as she was being chased down by Lithia's Timor Persona. While the cat herself remained completely straight-faced, the persona chased Gwyn with a sadistic smile to its face. It did not help her fear of the undead, but her mind was focused on one solitary task.
I can't run away like this forever. I have to prove myself and fight for Flint's honor. Gwyn reached into her bag and pulled out an iron bark berry. She tossed it into her mouth and allowed it to change her external form.
The persona swung its claws down just as Gwyn spun around and blocked them. They grinded against her hard skin with an irritating grinding sound. Gwyn stumbled back and examined the scratch marks across her arms. She bared her teeth and glared at the cackling persona.
"My turn." Gwyn slammed her hands down. "Accelerated Growth! Plant Assimilation: Host Replica!" Roots grew out from under her hands and struck at Lithia and the persona.
The persona slashed at the roots, but staggered as its claws bounced off. The roots were coated in a thick shell of iron, just like Gwyn's skin. The roots grappled around the persona, then struck for Lithia. The Purrloin jumped around, but got caught by the ankle and dragged into the ground.
Gwyn immediately raced to the downed puppet with a sharp iron vine coiled around her arm. "I'm not sure if you're a puppet or some unholy abomination, but I'm going to tear you to shreds until there's nothing left to operate!" She jumped onto Lithia and stabbed through her head, digging the vine around inside.
Gwyn gasped from the lack of resistance inside. It was like Lithia was completely hollow. She pulled the vine out with a trail of purple vapor following it out. She could sense the fear coming from it. Gwyn accidentally got a whiff of the purple vapor and staggered back in disgust.
"Ugh! What is that stuff?!" Gwyn cried.
Lithia sat up stiffly and glared at Gwyn. "Phobia Rem: Psycho."
Gwyn waved the vapors away before finding herself surrounded in a thick cloud of it. She immediately lunged for Lithia, but she vanished among the vapor. Gwyn stumbled around aimless and tried to find her way through everything. She took a deep breath and held out her whip cautiously.
Take it easy, Gwyn. This is Fear Magic. As long as you don't let it get to you, everything will be fine. You just need to find the target, and everything will go…smoothly? Gwyn's eyes widened as a figure walked out of the vapor.
"F…Flint?"
The Flareon stood before her with his hat covering his eyes. Gwyn nearly ran up to him, happy to see him on his feet, but stopped after three steps. Her eyes shrank, realizing the error of this image.
"Wait…you're not…" She glowered and snapped her whip across the ground. "You're not my Flinty! My Flinty is bedridden because of you monsters! As much as I want to believe he's alright, he isn't!" She clenched her teeth tightly. "You need to get up pretty early to fool me with some illusion!"
The Flareon pushed his hat up and casted a dark glare at the Mew. "Tell me, dear Gwyn, does this feel like an illusion?" Right after he said that, two orange fists shot out from behind and struck Gwyn across the face.
"Gah!" she cried before receiving a fierce pummeling by the supposed illusion's Guardian. She managed to raise her arms and take some of the hits before flying out of its reach. She stumbled and fell over herself, rubbing her sore cheek while trying to keep back the tears. "Th-That felt real…"
'Flint' approached Gwyn with a sour glare. "Look at you. You're about to break down in the middle of a fight? Good grief, what did I see in you? You're about as intelligent as a sack of bricks that got ruined in the rain. A pile of mush. And my gosh, I've never met someone as panicky as you before. Do yourself a favor and grow the heck up!"
Gwyn flinched. His words were obvious lies, but hearing them under the cover of his voice made tiny cracks in her heart. She never wanted to imagine Flint saying such horrible things to her. "I-I'm not stupid! I'm just…kind of slow on new things, that's all!"
The fake Flareon smirked evilly. "'Slow' is putting it mildly." His shadow extended out under the Mew's feet, seemingly without her knowledge. "Like hell I want to spend the rest of my life protecting some weak little twerp who's scared of her own shadow."
Gwyn bit her lip. "Shut…Shut up."
"Can't handle the truth?" The shadow rose up from behind Gwyn and took the form of the Timor Persona. The demonic-looking Purrloin smirked viciously as it raised its claws.
Gwyn covered her ears. "My Flinty doesn't think that way! He would never say such mean and horrible things!" She glared at the fake angrily. "And he's certainly not stupid enough to try some pathetic trick like this!"
The persona swung down, but Gwyn dodged its claws and snapped her whip around its ankle before pulling it to the ground. Gwyn then flung the whip around the fake's neck and dragged him over to her. Gwyn closed her eyes, unwilling to see what she was about to do, and slammed her palm into his face.
"Detonation Wave!" Gwyn flinched as she felt the head blow off into hundreds of little pieces. She dared a peek and sighed in relief as it dissolved back into vapor. "Phew, I was worried that would-"
"Phobia Rem: Pyro."
Gwyn turned, then screamed as she became consumed in an intense wall of flame. The fiery face of the persona smirked down on her while Lithia watched on emotionlessly.
Ella happened to fly over the two right as Gwyn was set ablaze. "Gwyn!" Ella dove towards her friend, but was knocked back by the Cradily puppet. Ella tumbled across the ground and rolled onto her stomach. She spat dirt out of her mouth. "Gross, gross, gross." She saw a shadow form over her and rolled away from the puppet's body slam, then thrusted her staff.
"Deceptive Explosion."
Ella's staff passed through the puppet before her illusionary form condensed into a blue ball and exploded in the Espeon's face. Ella skidded across the ground and onto her face.
"Ow," she groaned. She pushed herself up and sneered, now seeing a dozen illusionary clones surrounding her. "What's next? Going to chant a ritual to some chaos god or something? I'm not seeing the candles or hearing the creepy chanting."
"Adluci Armis."
Ella looked up as illusionary knives materialized over her head, blocking out the sky. They rained down all at once with more reforming in their place. Ella spun her staff and slammed it down, forming a protective barrier around herself. The knives dissipated against the barrier, but they were driving hard against it.
Illusions are basically mental energy enhanced with magic. Can my barrier even handle that many? Ella shook her head. Grr, focus. Maybe I can try using that third eye technique? She pressed her paws to her temples. Come on, brain, make with the weird third eye, stat!
A knife pierced through the barrier and stabbed Ella in the side. No physical wounds were left behind, but it hurt all the same. Ella bit back a scream and covered her side. She checked for blood regardless of the illusion, but found herself surrounded by more knives as they penetrated her defenses.
Daybreak separated into pieces and spun around Ella protectively, bashing away all the illusionary knives. Ella sat on her haunches and patted her cheeks. "Keep your head in the game, Ella!" She stood up and glared at Rubia. "You're going to regret that."
Rubia summoned more illusionary knives and flung them directly for the Espeon. Ella closed her eyes and concentrated. Her body flickered with psychic power before vanishing. Rubia felt a sudden presence behind her and received a sharp kick across the face.
Rubia flew into Daybreak, with all seven pieces ramming across her face and flipping her onto her back. The puppet made no reaction to the impact.
Ella stumbled around, a little winded. "Phew, that…that still needs some work."
Rubia shot up and craned her neck. Her eyes flashed blue before vanishing into the air. Ella recalled her staff and joined the ends back together, then assumed a defensive stance. She scanned the grounds, trying to find a hint of movement or illusionary mischief, though with some difficulty given she wasn't searching for a complex organism.
I can't let her use any more of those illusions. If I get trapped in one, I can't guarantee I'll get out on my own. Ella slammed her staff down and cut the ground open, which then shot her up on a pillar. Ella peered over the edge. This should give me a decent vantage point.
"Adluci Armis."
Ella's ears twitched to the familiar flicker of metal. She jumped off the pillar just before a dozen knives could stab her. Ella disconnected Daybreak and rode on four of the batons, the other three hovering protectively beside her. They channeled her psychic energy and fired three narrow beams close to the pillar.
"She can't be too far. I need to flush her out now," Ella growled.
"Sensitiva Cultro: Aspectu."
Ella gasped as a blue light flashed before her eyes. She screamed and fell off Daybreak to cover her eyes, but the light persisted. She landed on her back and proceeded to roll around in a blind panic. "My eyes! AGH! It stings!"
Rubia appeared over her and swiftly slammed down on the Espeon's midsection. Ella gasped, accidentally opening her eyes and catching the briefest glimpse of the sun. She seethed in agony as the light burned into her eyes' memory. Tears flooded from under her eyelids.
Rubia extended two tentacles and wrapped them tightly around Ella's neck, then lifted her to her height. Rubia grabbed one of Daybreak's batons and raised it over Ella's head.
Ella gritted her teeth, fighting against the pain in her eyes, and snarled. "Don't think I can't see what you're doing."
The baton became engulfed in her psychokinesis and spun, twisting up the tentacle until it was viciously ripped from Rubia's head. The baton circled around and bashed into the puppet's windpipe, staggering her into releasing Ella.
Ella landed and coughed just as darkness set back into her closed eyes. She opened them and growled. "At least I can finish you without having to take a life." She reconnected Daybreak and charged.
Wes and Edwin continued with their game of cat and mouse as Edwin leaped around the arena, trying to put as much distance between him and the Umbreon as possible. He crossed his arms and unleashed Fastidium Force, bashing the spinning barrier against Wes and throwing him far back.
Edwin sighed in relief. "That should give me some-"
"Warp Pad!" Wes adjusted midflight and bounced off a magic circle.
Edwin gasped. "Fastidium Force!" The magic built up, but fizzled out. "Crap-!" Wes scored a hit against him and knocked the Simisage to the ground.
Wes pinned Edwin by the arms and grinned. "Nerves finally getting to you?"
Edwin snarled. "Jackass."
"Mystic Beam!" He charged up his attack, this time briefly before firing.
"Damage Transfero!" Edwin shut his eyes as the beam connected. The magic washed over his body and transferred through the ground, sending the two into an exploding crater.
Wes covered his face from erupting debris, then gasped as a hand clutched his throat and dragged him down. Edwin bashed Wes into the ground, then stomped on his head repeatedly. Wes dodged one of his stomps and kicked him straight in the jaw.
"Mystic Burst!" Wes flew into Edwin and bashed his skull across his.
"Damage Transfero!" Edwin felt the brief pain of the attack before the rest transferred through his arm. He slammed it against Wes' chest and returned most of the force back into him.
Wes spat out blood and flew back from the shockwave. Edwin staggered back and grasped his aching forehead. He glared at the downed Umbreon, mumbling, "Enough of this shit." He clapped his hands and slammed his palm down.
The ground crackled with his magic as a stone spear formed from the earth. He took it in his hand and charged towards Wes. Wes opened his eye a bit and saw the spear pointed for his head. "Yikes!" He barely dodged the spear just before it impaled the ground. "Aquos Mist!" He expelled a thick mist and covered his tracks.
Edwin waved through the mist and peered around, but realized Wes was hiding his aura. He held his spear out and carefully waded through the mist. He scowled lightly.
"Why are you wasting your time on this adventure? You're putting yourselves on the chopping block just to save the world? Who does that? That's like a little kid saying they want to be a superhero, but ignore the actual hardship that comes with it."
"To be fair, I like to run into danger, so this isn't anything new." Edwin swung his spear into a shadow of the Umbreon, but the image shattered like crystal. "Besides, who says we have to live a life of hardship?"
Edwin glared at the purple crystal on the ground. "This isn't some fun game you're playing. We're literally in a tournament trying to get some damn key. If my boss wasn't a lunatic who had to make things harder, I would've just stormed the place and taken the key for myself."
"And you say it yourself, you're working for a lunatic." Another shadow of the Umbreon peeked through, but Edwin pierced through it. "Why are you going to such lengths to please your boss? What do you get out of this?"
Edwin glared as multiple shadows appeared through the mist. "I don't have to answer you. You know we're more than capable of killing all of you. We almost ended your brother's life. Just stop now and you can live to see another day."
"The fact you're trying to bargain tells me you aren't a complete sadist. Don't want us dead?"
"I don't give a shit what becomes of you, but I certainly don't want to waste my time in a pointless fight."
Red eyes peered from behind the Simisage. "Then why work for Aeternus?"
Edwin bared his teeth. "Because, sometimes, you don't have a choice but to take what you can get." He threw the spear into the mist, but missed Wes. That didn't matter, though. "Fastidium Force!" The spinning barrier extended out and blew away the mist and Wes' Magi Effingo clones.
"Gah!" Wes cried, tumbling across the ground.
Edwin sighed and rotated his shoulder. "You want to make it seem like you know what you're doing, because this is how mobs handle the job." He clenched his fist and crackled magic through it. "We don't just kill. We torture our enemies."
Griffin and Lexx traded blows with their Exosus Releases, erupting part of the arena in bloody red magic. Griffin held off most of his opponent's offense with his sword, but Lexx didn't feel any of the damage scorching his body. He kept pushing through without a care for his safety.
Damn puppets have no sense of caution. Griffin sent Endless Regret back into his personal void and dodged Lexx's down strike. Griffin jumped back about ten meters and pulled his fists back. "Malignitas Force!" Griffin punched the air and fired off concussive shockwaves.
Lexx glared and mirrored his movements. "Malignitas Force." He fired back with twice the speed of Griffin.
Both sides of shockwaves battered into each other, but Lexx's overcame Griffin and pounded into him. Griffin blocked as best he could before jumping out of them. His eyes widened as Lexx appeared before his eyes and punched down on the Grovyle's head.
Griffin managed to catch his fist in his hands, but blood dripped from the side of his head as a result. His fighter instincts told him to pull out Infinity Breaker and skewer the puppet, but he was bound by tournament rules to refrain from cheating. He growled under his breath. The Power Mage just had to set up a tournament to see if we were worthy. This guy better be strong, or I am so done.
Griffin slammed his foot across Lexx's knee, then kicked him in the side. Griffin stood up and roared as his limiter activated, stretching the markings across his face. He jumped above Lexx and slammed down on top of him, pressing his burning fist across his cheek.
"Exosus Release!" He struck with his palm and fired a blazing red inferno of magic into Lexx's face. "I'm going to burn you until you're reduced to ash! You hear me?!" Griffin roared, getting angrier and angrier by the second.
Lexx responded by punching Griffin in the face. "Exosus Release." Griffin received the same treatment and blasted away from his opponent. Lexx stood up, then tightened his muscles. "Exosus Cloak." Red magic erupted from his body before he dashed into the flying Grovyle and slammed his fist into his gut.
"AGH!" Griffin cried.
Lexx grabbed his neck and choke-slammed him into the ground. Griffin tried to get up, but Lexx stomped on his legs and pinned him in place. Right as Griffin formulated a counterattack, Lexx bashed his fists down on Griffin, sinking him through the ground.
"You son of a-!" Griffin roared before getting punched down again. Lexx viciously pounded Griffin into the ground, with his power increasing gradually after every blow. Whether it be a lingering thought of revenge from his past life or the mere presence of Griffin's own rage, Lexx felt empowered with every punch thrown.
Griffin clenched his eyes shut as he tried to will his body to move. Can't…concentrate. Need to…get out, now!
Lexx raised his fist once more, but stopped when Tony flew in and kicked him across the face. "Mind keeping your grimy claws off my rival?" Tony kicked off and aimed his Lightning Shot. "Hold still, Hothead, I'll-!" A yellow flash zipped by and whisked Tony away.
"Sparks!" Griffin yelled. "Be careful! He directly counters your-!" Lexx resumed his beatdown on the Grovyle.
Tony escaped the Sableye puppet's hold and landed on his hands and knees. "Yeah, I kind of got the memo," he muttered. He stood up and aimed his finger. "Hold still and let me riddle you with holes, you effing doll bastard! Lightning Shot: Lotus Bullet!"
Caesar zipped through the wall of Lightning Shots and appeared behind Tony. Tony spun with a kick, but Caesar punched him in the chest faster than he could attack and sent the Dewott flying across the arena once again.
Tony skipped off the ground and nearly slammed into the wall again, but activated Light Speed and safely swerved himself away. He growled as he dug his fingers into the ground, then sneered at the speedy puppet. "Okay, that's getting old."
Caesar sped into Tony again, but the Dewott used Quick Step to swiftly jump over his punch. The puppet suddenly felt an immense force punch down on his skull and shove his face into the dirt.
"Impetus Pressure!" Tony called out. He jumped back and clapped his hands. "Dragon Thunderclap!" The disorienting shockwave enveloped the Sableye puppet and confused his movement as he tried to get up. "Ventusphere!" Tony summoned the wind sphere and chucked it into Caesar.
The puppet went flying in the sky, carried by the sphere, before it exploded him skyward with a burst of air.
"Nebula Rider!" Tony ran off the arena wall and took to the sky on his thundercloud. He summoned a ball of electricity and pulled his hand back while lining up his shot. "Looks like we're in for a real storm tonight, folks! Thunder God's Wrath!" He chucked the ball at the flying puppet.
Caesar reoriented himself and saw the ball flying towards him. He extended his hands and vibrated them until they were blurry. "Acceleratio Principle: Diminutio."
The vibrations passed through the air and affected the space under him. The ball of electricity reached this space and drastically slowed down within it. It continued to move on its intended path, but slower. Tony glared, seeing the magic surrounding the ball in a cone shape.
"Great, he can slow down the speed of certain spaces. How wonderful." Tony rubbed his hands together. "Well, let's see you try and block this-?"
Caesar reached the apex of his climb and fell straight toward Tony. "Acceleratio Principle: Auctus."
Caesar projected the vibrational field downward and increased his descent exponentially. Tony gasped and tried to turn his cloud, but Caesar collided down hard on him and sent the two plummeting into the ground, with Caesar gripping Tony by the throat.
They hit the ground with Tony taking the brunt of the impact. He tried to zap Caesar when he suddenly said, "Velocity Cancel." Everything from even the electricity coursing off Tony's fur slowed to a crawl. Tony desperately tried to grab the puppet, who effortlessly caught him by the wrist.
Tony gritted his teeth. Shit. He has the spell passing through me. I can't move any faster than this.
Gwyn, meanwhile, was keeping her distance from Lithia as the cat puppet slowly lumbered after her, with the persona giving more effort to the chase. Gwyn's fur was burnt with patches of it revealing skin. She dodged the persona's sharp claws that cut through ground like a saw to wood.
"Accelerated Growth: Mad Party Mutation!" Gwyn slammed her hands down and casted an array of plants to rise up and wrap around the persona and puppet.
The persona laughed and shredded through them like weeds. Lithia waved her hand. "Phobia Rem: Aqua." The persona took the form of water, passed through the remainder of plants, and crashed into Gwyn. Gwyn screamed and found herself caught in a whirlpool.
"Let me go!" Gwyn cried. She dug into her bag and pulled out a magican. "I need a power boost, quick!"
Right as she went to throw it in her mouth, a water tendril smacked it out of her hand and sucked it into the whirlpool. Gwyn tried to dive after it, but continued to be thrown around in the currents.
Lithia waved her hand again. "Phobia Rem: Trypano."
Gwyn's eyes widened as hand of water reached out from the whirlpool and took the shape of dangerous looking needles. They thrusted at her, to which Gwyn flailed around like a Goldeen on land and contorted around the needles. Bad needles, bad needles!
Gwyn pulled out her whip and cracked it into the ground before pulling herself from the water. She tumbled onto her stomach, soaking wet, and immediately absorbed her sakura berry into her glove. "Scatter Storm!" She clicked her fingers and fired a twister of sakura petals from a magic circle.
Lithia recalled her persona and had it block against the petals. "Stalking Presence." She reached into her persona's back like a deep puddle of water.
Her hands came out from within Gwyn's shadow and grabbed her tail. Gwyn shrieked before being dragged into her own shadow. Lithia pulled the Mew out through the persona, who turned around and grappled the Mew in a tight hug.
Lithia clapped her hands. "Torture Incita: Water Cure."
Gwyn's eyes widened. W-What the heck is water cure?! She felt her arms melding inside the persona's body, unable to free them. Then, the persona's arm transformed into a hose that dripped with water before thrusting it inside Gwyn's mouth. Oh no!
The hose pumped with water, manifested by the persona itself, and Gwyn felt the water shooting into her mouth. Gwyn flailed her feet in muffled screams as she tried to spit the hose out. This shouldn't be legal! This shouldn't be legal! AAAHHH!
Even the announcer didn't seem to like the look of this. "Uh, folks? It appears one of the members of Team Ravenfield is…oh Arceus, uh…hey dude, someone is going to make sure the kid doesn't get hurt, right?!"
Edwin overheard this as he traded blows with Wes and sneered at the cat puppet. "Lithia! Under no circumstances will you kill her! The second she passes out, drain all that water out of her system immediately and make sure she's still breathing-!" He blocked a jab from Wes, who looked quite infuriated.
"If that thing hurts her, you will be dealing with two angry Ravenfields!" Edwin ignored his threats and continued to keep his guard up.
Right as that was going on, Ella flew around blasting Rubia with psychic beams. The plant puppet dodged them and continued to fire off more illusionary knives that came close to nicking the Espeon.
"Getting in close would certainly be a disaster, but I can't keep flying around," Ella grumbled. "I'll have to end this in one blast." She carried herself in her telekinesis and aligned her batons into a ring shape. "I've got to charge up as much psychic energy as I can and wipe that smug Cradily off the face of the earth."
Rubia followed Ella's movement and flashed her left eye. "Sensitiva Cultro: Aspectu."
Ella covered her eyes before the flash occurred. "You're not getting me this time- WAH!" However, it appeared to serve as a distraction for the puppet to grab Ella by the neck and drag her down. She underestimated just how fast and agile these darn puppets were. "Let me go!" She channeled her energy through her gem and fired a beam straight into her head.
"Dolorem Rewrite."
The blue petals obscured Ella's view and redirected her attack to her. Ella flew from Rubia's tentacles and skidded off her back. She rolled to her feet, shook her head, and focused on channeling through her batons again.
"A battle of the minds is hardly worth the effort." Ella stamped her paw down. "Come on, you want to defeat me? Hit me with your strongest illusion, unless you're too afraid to get your ass whooped like last time!"
The Cradily puppet, of course, made no reaction to her mocking. Her eyes, however, faintly glowed blue as she stared intensely at Ella. "Dolorem Demise."
Ella stepped forward. "Come on, I'm not afraid of-!"
The Espeon's entire body froze instantly. Ella suddenly lost the color in her face as she stared at the ground with shocked eyes. She saw her hindlegs dangling off the ground, with trickles of blood racing down her sides and soaking into her clothes. Ella turned her head to observe the damage.
Metal spikes had risen from the ground and impaled through both her forelegs, and now hung her in full view like some scarecrow. What's worse, she felt sections of her body melting off, starting with her left hindleg. She was too stunned for words or even a scream. She couldn't force the sounds to leave her throat.
Her batons lost flight and collapsed in a ring around Ella's dangling body. Rubia stepped towards the paralyzed Espeon and summoned more spikes from her body, impaling them through Ella and melting more of her body away. She felt the sloshing of every limb and part as they plopped from her body.
By now, the predicament with his teammates dawned on Wes. He stopped in the midst of fighting and saw all four of his teammates incapacitated. "Guys!" He tried to run to them, but Edwin leaped onto his back and pinned him down.
"Where do you think you're going? It's rude to leave in the middle of a match." He shoved Wes' face against the dirt. "Oh, it must be eating you up inside to see your friends in mortal peril. I can assure you, no harm will come to them for as long as we remain in the eyes of the public, but no such promise in private."
Wes pushed his head against the monkey's grip. "No…you…won't! Infernius!" He breathed the white fireball that nearly singed Edwin's face off. Wes threw his head back and bashed it into Edwin's nose, then kicked him off. "Hang on, guys!" Wes activated Warp Pad and started for Gwyn first, given she was the most in danger.
Edwin stood up and slammed his hand down. His magic reached Gwyn before Wes could and erected a wall to block him off. Wes tried to bounce around it, but Edwin summoned up another spire to nail Wes in the ribs. He flung in the air and came flying back to where Edwin was.
"Your other friends couldn't stop!" Edwin shouted, punching Wes as he came down. "What makes you any different?!" Wes bounced off the ground where Edwin leaped and slammed his feet onto his stomach. "I get results when they are needed. That's the only way to make it as far as I did in the Anguis Organization."
Wes growled. "You won't…" Edwin pushed his head down, keeping it firmly in place.
Edwin pulled his ear up and whispered, "Count Aeternus trusted me to take on this magic because I'm the only one who can guarantee results. It's not wise to disappoint the good count if you still want a head on your shoulders. Your brother got off lucky, but it shows we can stop you and your friends at any opportunity. Just look at your friends. We have them subdued and at our mercy."
Wes stopped struggling against Edwin and rested with a sharp glare pointed at the grass monkey. "…Yeah, you're right. We are setting ourselves up to die if we continue going the way we are. However, do you want to know why we're still fighting?"
"Because you're idiots?"
"Well, that may be one of the reasons. The real reason?" Wes smirked. "There's nothing that can stop Team Ravenfield from achieving their hopes and dreams! That's what it means to be a Ravenfield! We won't let anyone stand in our way!"
Edwin scoffed. "Is that supposed to scare me?"
"I would hope so." Wes reached under his body and touched an amulet. Edwin gasped as the Umbreon's body was sucked into a red and green spiraling portal.
"What?!" Edwin stood up and looked around. "When did you have-?!"
"Tony passed it off to me. You didn't see it, given he and your puppet were moving too fast to keep up." Edwin was punched from nowhere and knocked onto his butt. He glowered as Wes stepped back out into the open. "That's something you need to remember. When we aren't planning, we think on the fly."
Lexx continued to punch mercilessly on Griffin, digging him deeper into his grave, until Griffin stopped one of his fists. Lexx's eyes widened as the Grovyle was now covered in tattoos from his head to his hands and ending at his waist. Griffin panted heavily as he scowled at the puppet. Lexx tried to strike with his other fist, but Griffin caught that one, too.
"Thanks…for that. All that punching gave me enough time to loosen up my limiter a bit." He clenched down on the puppet's fists and broke them off.
Lexx staggered back and attempted to shoot Exosus Release from his mouth. Griffin responded by punching the bear's stomach so hard that the entire back exploded off. Lexx lost his concentration and unwillingly canceled the spell. He fell forward onto his knees.
Griffin stood up and cracked his knuckles. "You took my grandfather's essence just to get some cheap power boost." He pulled out his sword. "No doubt in my mind there is anger lingering in that very essence for this transgression. I'll be taking it for myself! My grandfather's vengeful anger!"
He impaled the puppet and lit him ablaze in his magic. The puppet threw his head back and roared, crumbling to pieces while the anger essence flowed through Griffin. He felt it become absorbed into his limiter.
He pulled the sword out and sliced the remainder of the puppet to pieces. All that remained mostly intact was the head on a pile of ashes. Griffin settled his sword over his shoulder and watched the essence of his grandfather leave the head and travel into the sky.
Griffin narrowed his eyes. "May your eternal rest remain undisturbed, Grandfather."
Caesar pressed down on Tony's neck while channeling another spell to deal the final blow. Tony continued to struggle against the slowness coursing through his body, but then ceased and smirked. "So, you have me trapped, huh?"
"Acceleratio-"
"Hey, hey, hey, it's rude to ignore someone when they're gloating!" Tony snickered. "I may not be able to move my body quite as fast, but I realized something. Velocity Cancel slows down a living creature while that Acceleratio Principle speeds or slows a selected space."
"Accel-"
"To put it in smaller words…you should've just let yourself fry earlier." Tony snapped his fingers.
Caesar, through the reflection of Tony's eyes, saw a blinding blue light coming down on them. He looked up just before being struck with a powerful lightning bolt. The puppet threw his head back and shrieked as his skin and eyes burned away against the intense heat.
"Thunder God's Wrath!" Tony remained completely unfazed by the lightning, feeling his movements return to normal. And that's what you get for taking on a genius!
He kicked Caesar off and grappled his legs around his neck. Tony rubbed his hands together, creating a powerful electrical charge, and slammed them down on Caesar's face.
"Tempest Impes Fulgo!" The energy concentrated solely on Caesar's head and built up inside before it violently burst open in a bright flash. Tony flew back, but landed on his hands and feet safely.
He took a deep breath, then grinned as the yellow magic left the puppet's body. "Heh. Nice to know there's still some corners left to explore for my magic."
Over with Gwyn, she continued to flail and scream internally as water poured down her throat faster than she could draw a breath. Lithia stared at her intensely, waiting for her to pass out. However, too much time was passing. Despite her limited functionality, even the puppet thought Gwyn should've lost consciousness by now.
The puppet extended her claws and stepped up to the Mew, but froze to a sharp pain shooting through her back. Lithia looked over her shoulder and saw a wooden spike digging into her skin, with something pumping through. She whipped her head back at Gwyn, who stopped struggling, but was still fully conscious.
In fact, she was smirking triumphantly.
The Mew's tail was curled around the persona's leg and took the form of her informis oak. Droplets of water were leaking out through her tail.
Lithia looked herself over and began to feel the sloshing of water through her system. She clapped her hands and ordered the persona to release Gwyn at once.
The second Gwyn felt her arms come free, she pulled the tube from her mouth and shoved another magican into her mouth. "I wouldn't let my guard down just yet!" Her magic exploded outward with her eyes darkening. "I delivered a little something extra with that water!"
Lithia lunged at Gwyn, as did her persona, both extending their claws. The puppet's claws came within an inch of Gwyn's face before she froze on the spot. Lithia twitched and contorted as something twisted inside her body. She saw the Mew's left hand glowing and aiming right at her.
"Accelerated Growth." Gwyn grinned. "Sometimes people let themselves get buried after death to let their natural nutrients to help a tree grow. You're technically dead, so I'm sure you would appreciate the honor." She flicked her wrist.
Lithia threw her head back and let out a silent shriek just as branches grew out of her mouth. Her limbs pulsated before ripped apart in place of new branches. Her torso ripped to pieces with a new trunk growing out. Her legs twisted into the ground and dug in with their roots.
The puppet was torn to shreds in a matter of seconds, with the persona screaming its head off and fading into oblivion. The tattered robe of the puppet was all that remained, waving off one of the small tree's branches.
Gwyn held her hips and grinned as the magic left the tree. "Haha! That's what your organization gets for hurting my boyfriend!"
Gwyn stared triumphantly at the tree, then frowned in realization. "Wait, if I actually did this to their living members…" Her eyes widened in horror. "Oh Arceus!" She covered her mouth and doubled over with her stomach churning.
Over with Ella, the Espeon was barely hanging on as Rubia hovered in front of her. The puppet smacked Ella repeatedly and relentlessly with her tentacles, throwing more of the Espeon's body across the ground.
Ella flinched as her body parts sloshed against the ground. "This is…ugh…can't even…"
Rubia wrapped her tentacles around her neck. "Adluci Armis." Knives surrounded the two and pointed at Ella.
Ella panted heavily, then chuckled weakly. "So much for my first match. To think I'm letting myself get whooped by a stupid puppet." She narrowed her eyes. "A real shame. I bet there's not much going on up there. Just enough awareness to cast illusions. Isn't that the basic principle of casting illusions? A superior mind can outdo them, right?"
Rubia sent the knives into Ella and constricted her throat, squeezing her head off and sending it splashing down onto the ground. The knives impaled what remained on the gooey body hanging by the spikes. Rubia lifted her foot and stomped on the mush that was Ella's head.
"I really have to thank you." Rubia's eyes widened. The muck vanished into dust before her eyes. "Thanks to this wonderful experience, I've been able to learn a bit more about myself. Though, in all fairness, your magical control doesn't hold a candle to Holly's."
Rubia whipped her tentacle, but struck nothing. "Don't bother trying. You're caught in one of my illusions now. A direct invasion on your limited mind. And now, I've already beaten you."
The world distorted a bit until Rubia could see properly. And floating before her eyes was Daybreak in a ring shape, charging a mass of psychic power in its center.
Ella stepped out behind it and grinned teasingly. "Not the rematch I expected, but I do hope you find your way to the afterlife nicely." She finished it off with a wink and flicked her paw. "Daybreak, obliterate this unholy thing!"
Rubia tried to run, but the beam fired faster than she could move. Her entire body was enveloped in seconds and torn to shreds, ripping off the head especially. Rubia's body tumbled lifelessly across the ground and smoked with the Sorrow Anima seeping its way into the sky.
Ella collected Daybreak and settled it over her shoulder. "And that is how you get things done."
All that remained was Edwin, and all eyes were set on him. Edwin backed away as Wes approached him with his teammates joining behind, looking ready to take the last of their anger out on him.
Edwin retorted with, "I beat Team Shatter Star just fine on my own! You won't be any different!"
"You're welcome to try," Tony insisted deviously. "I promise only two of your arms will get broken."
"I only have two arms!"
"Exactly."
Edwin clenched his fists. "You think you can stop me?! I'll spam Fastidium Force until you all can't move!"
Wes narrowed his eyes. "We both know that's a bluff. For as impenetrable as that spell is, it has one glaring drawback. To make a barrier that offensive and impenetrable, it requires a brief cooldown between uses. Your other spells are no problem, but that one guarantees a brief window of safety."
Griffin glared. "On top of that, you're already beginning to look winded. All that time trying to take hits and nullify them with your barriers, you've been expending energy."
Gwyn cracked her whip. "So, how do you want to do this?"
Edwin growled. "Once Count Aeternus and the Shadow King hear about this, they will launch an invasion on this city to take the Power Key. Can you live with yourselves knowing another city will be destroyed?"
"Let them." Wes rocketed at Edwin. "We're more than ready!"
"You're insane! Fastidium Force!" He expanded the barrier and knocked away Team Ravenfield as far as the barrier would allow.
Wes gritted his teeth. "Gwyn, Tony! Neutralize him! Griffin, Ella! Hit him hard!"
"Yes sir!"
As soon as the barrier lost its power, Tony grabbed Gwyn with Light Speed and got in Edwin's face. Tony struck his stomach and sent a powerful electric current that locked up his joints and muscles.
"Damage Transfero!" Edwin quickly activated the spell and sent the power and impact into the ground, allowing him free movement. He reached for Tony's face, but he moved out of the way for Gwyn's turn.
"Venenata!" She exhaled toxic flames into his face, which Edwin unintentionally inhaled. "You may be able to repel physical damage to your body, but what about toxins?"
"Grr!" Edwin slugged Gwyn across the face, but Tony tackled him with Light Speed just before most of the impact transferred through Gwyn.
"Dragon Thunderclap!" He clapped in Edwin's face. The intense vibrations rang through his ears.
"Tony!" Tony looked up and saw Wes standing by, charging Mystic Burst. "How about some tag team assistance?!"
Tony smirked. "Done and done!" He zipped over to the Umbreon.
Edwin stumbled around and coughed as Gwyn's poison coursed through his body. He growled before sensing Griffin and Ella coming down on him with their weapons. He raised his hands and yelled, "Obice Cancel!" The barrier formed and stopped their attacks in place.
Ella reached out to Griffin and teleported them both behind the barrier. Edwin reacted faster and stopped them with another Obice Cancel before they could strike. The barrier may have been nullifying their attacks, but his stamina was depleting rapidly with all these defensive measures he was taking, not helped by the poison.
"Can't…let them…win," Edwin groaned.
Roots sprung up from the ground and struck hard into his stomach. They coiled around his body and held him on display. Gwyn, channeling her magic through the ground, shouted, "Now!"
Ella and Griffin raised their weapons and fired down with psychic beams and Exosus Release. Edwin activated Damage Transfero and sent the damage through the roots, blowing up the ground with them. He waved the dust away and tried to find his bearings when he caught sight of Wes and Tony.
Tony was swing Wes around by the forelegs, channeling his Light Speed through Wes' Mystic Burst, empowering the aura into a lightning blue. Tony smirked. "Now?"
"Let a rip!"
Tony chucked Wes at Edwin at breakneck speed. The air pushed into a cone around Wes with the electricity crackling off him.
Edwin gasped, then raised his arms. I can't let that hit me! "Fastidium Force!" With the cooldown over, he unleashed the spinning barrier and expanded it out, throwing back Gwyn, Ella, and Griffin, as well as thwarting Wes' attack. The Umbreon went from a hundred to zero in an instant, simultaneously flying backwards after hitting the barrier.
Edwin grinned. "I win!"
The barrier grinded into Wes' body, which resulted in something unexpected. Wes' body shattered within his aura and scattered along the barrier.
Edwin gasped. "What?!"
"Magi Effingo!" The barrier faded, and the dust cleared as into a familiar scene of Tony spinning Wes around.
Tony laughed. "Thanks for spoiling your cooldown too soon! Now, for real!"
Edwin raised his hands. "Obice-!"
"Too late!" Tony chucked Wes at Edwin, this time stronger and faster than the crystal clone.
Edwin didn't have time to do anything. Wes rammed hard into his stomach and blasted Edwin across the arena before slamming him hard into the arena wall. It didn't end there. Wes punched furiously with the electricity empowering his limbs, a quick flurry of paws pummeling into the grass monkey.
The impact with the wall created a large ball of dust that obscured the scene. Team Ravenfield picked themselves up and gazed upon the dust ball while the audience looked on in anticipation. Silence crept in the air for thirty seconds.
A paw stepped out from the dust first. The team grinned as their team leader limped toward them, carrying Edwin on his back. The Simisage hung limply over Wes' back, gawking and unconscious.
Wes dropped Edwin beside himself and fell on his haunches. He took a deep breath, then raised his paw.
The crowd exploded with cheers.
"It's over! It's over! The Shadow Bringers are done for! Team Ravenfield advances through the finals!" DJ Chance cheered. "What an exciting match, ladies and gentlemen! Team Ravenfield has been given the honor of battling the champion! Will they succeed and overtake the title, or will this be as far as they go?"
Wes sighed and collapsed onto his face. "I'm wiped."
His teammates ran over and helped him up. Gwyn trapped him in a hug. "You did great, Wes!"
"Way to break out a win!" Ella commended, hugging him as well.
Wes chuckled. "Come on, guys, it was a team effort. I wouldn't have been fast enough to get through his defensives without you guys."
Tony chuckled. "Yeah, true. You needed us. Hahaha!"
Griffin took a deep breath and sent his sword into his personal void. "I'm just glad most of the council's essences has been safely removed." He glared at Edwin. "Most of them, at least."
Ella chuckled weakly. "Yeah, uh…I never want to go through that ever again." She flinched. "I'm going to have nightmares of me melting for a week."
"Or drowning," Gwyn mumbled. "I'm not going swimming for a while."
Wes patted her head. "Flint would be proud of you." She beamed brightly. Wes then frowned. "Edwin was right, though. The shadows will go for the straightforward approach soon enough."
Tony glared. "Like we care. I'm about done with their shit."
Wes sighed. "Same here." He groaned and tried to get up on his legs. "I'm about ready to take a nap."
Griffin glared at Edwin, then grabbed him by the jacket. "Not just yet. There's still one bit of business left to take care of."
Tony raised his brow. "You do realize the tournament staff is going to ask why we're dragging out beaten opponent out of the arena, right?"
"I don't care." He lifted Edwin up and slapped him twice on the cheek. "Wake up! We need answers!"
"Ugh…huh?" Edwin grumbled, blinking his eyes a few times.
The medical staff came out and rushed over to the group. An Azumarill stepped up to Griffin and said, "Young man, please put him down. We need to run some tests to make sure he is okay."
"In a minute," Griffin growled.
Azumarill glared. "Young man, I will not be denied my duty. Hand over the patient immediately."
"And I said- WAH!" Right as Griffin was going to give the woman a piece of his mind, Edwin slid out of his jacket and raced out of the arena, despite the pain he was in.
"Wha-?! Get back here!" Azumarill shouted.
"He's trying to escape!" Wes cried.
Tony scoffed. "Trying is an understatement. You guys meet me outside. This shouldn't take long." Tony sped after the grass monkey.
Wes nodded at his team. "Let's hurry!" They nodded back and followed after Tony.
Up in the stands, Ava narrowed her eyes at the scene, then stood up. "Come on." The group looked at each other confused, then followed Ava out of their seats.