AN: Welp, I am back, and with Spiderman Far From Home giving me that spurt of inspiration we are back with the latest chapter.
Now, we reach the four sided battle front, with Ram, Frederica, Wilhelm facing off against their own enemies; with everyone else busy trying to take out Shaula. I wasn't kidding when I said she was goign to be tough. Did I make her stronger than necessary? Probably. Is it cooler this way? HELL YES.
Time for the struggle to commence, especially since my bosses have informed me, I have to work 1 hour extra overtime starting next week!
:C
Don't worry I'll try to keep this story coming at a good pace, but I'm still human so bear with me.
Ha, enough of my 'PERSONAL DEMONS', let's do it.
So please y'all, ENJOY!
Arc Seven: The Tower Incursion
Chapter 39: An Oni, The Sage and Aldebaran
Petra tried to get up, but with her leg constructs broken apart, she could only lean on a newly created pillar construct. Ram moved forward, fuming mad at the sudden attack. Emilia was several feet behind them, being guarded by Puck and the Lewes Clones.
Ram reached next to herself and grabbed a weapon, something gifted to her by Wilhelm, mainly due to a joke Subaru once made about the Oni heritage.
"Like an actual Oni would ever use this, what an idiot."
She dragged a kanabo, a weapon quite famous by its use by Onis in Japanese folktales, being forced to wield one.
Step by step, Ram moved closer and closer, her eyes glaring red streaks of crimson rage.
"You are a idiotic bastard, coming all by yourself and attacking us without a plan."
"Nah, my plan was really easy. I mean, isn't everyone busy with the Tower siege right now?"
"...Maybe so, but I'll be enough for the likes of you!"
"Please babe, I just wanted to get to know you better…"
Coming out of the corner of a doorway, armed with his hook swords...was the Oni, member of Exogenesis.
Wearing a quite simple brown jean jacket, with chainmail underneath...he had dark brown pants, boots and steel plates on his knees and boots. Black gloves with gold studded knuckles, with a gold scarf wrapped around his waist; the only truly unique details about him, was his shamrock green hair and lime green eyes, making him quite handsome and offset the heart design embroidered on the back of his jacket.
Ram was never amused.
"Why not just sleep with some street whore instead, you lowlife?!"
"Well I thought about that, but damn, it's just not the same you know? We have a great bloodline to look after, and having a bunch of half-breeds running around and shit; just upsets me."
"Observing by mere blood lineage is a waste, our elders and fellow Oni thought the same thing, and now they're all dead!"
"Yeah, duh! We can all agree that their stagnant and narrow mindedness let our people to be slowly trickled down to nothing."
"Then-"
"-Which is why I'll start anew with you Ram! We can have kids, which will restart the era of the Oni Clan! It's great right!? Aldebaran told me of some story from his world, Adam and Eve. Two people shunned from paradise and forced to populate the world, sinned and forgotten! Our people have sinned and been forgotten, so why not be with me and start it all over again?! Huh?! Ram and Rush, that will the legend that brings back the Oni Race!"
"...Then your name is Rush?"
"Correct my sexy babe, my name is Rush!"
With a quick thrust, she aimed the tip of her kanabo right at him.
"Like I care."
"Hmmmm, okay babe, let's have a bit of rough foreplay."
He rushed forward, spinning his hook swords.
Ram blocked his initial slashes, but couldn't move out of the way for his kick across the face. Almost losing balance, she floated above the floor and fired several beams from her ring, which he dodged with rapid jerks. He then used the crescent guard on the swords to quickly stab her in different parts of the body. Ram slammed the kanabo to the ground and held on, pulling off a masterful double crescent kick on the back of his head. But he smiled, using the hook ends of his sword to stab into her flesh and fling her right into a wall, before backflip kicking her straight through it.
After landing safely, he spun them again and grinned.
"Don't worry babe, I'm only gonna rough you up just a bit."
"RAM!"
He peeked over and saw Emilia, completely worried, with the others still ready to guard her.
"But it'd be nice to take out the rest of ya. After all, I'm here with no ones permission, so I'd rather not get a scolding with the bosses."
Emilia aimed her palms, but soon glass shattered behind them, spinning around they saw hideous beast createurs, with swords and steel sticking out of their body, charging to get at them.
"Like em'? They're something Capella was able to whip up back in her Witch Cult days. I brought them just for you."
Emilia slammed her palm to the ground, bringing out ice spikes which impaled some of the creatures, but some made it past. Petra then opened her mouth, drooling blood onto the ground, which began to burn the floor, with the beasts along with them.
Rush then spun around and blocked a punch by Ram, she parried it, and led it into powerful side knee to his head. Rush then dashed under her, using the back of his sword to slice her back.
"Nee-sama!"
Ram just remembered she was still wearing the necklace that housed her sister's soul, and in realizing this, she removed it and tossed it.
"Petra!"
"Got it!"
Petra used her ring to catch the necklace mid-air and bring it to safety.
Ram then continued with a beautiful flurry of kicks...until Rush made his annoyance known.
"Fine then, guess I'm gonna have to mess you up a bit more, babe!"
His horns were summoned, and the red-pink hued energy that flowed through them gave him an even more ominous appearance.
Ram then relented and pushed on the choke collar...reapplying her Aeon Armor on.
Both ran to each other, though Rush landed more hits, kicked her away and loosely connected the blades by their hooks. The wielder swung one hook sword, in a way that the second was extended further out, almost six feet. While the second was in the air, the dagger upon the hilt slashed open Ram's face. But she pressed on using the violet energy, surprising even Rush.
Every attack he used on her was blocked by a construct, then he was stabbed or pricked by a violet energy attack.
Rush had enough and shrouded himself in wind magic, forming almost like an armor, and burst forward, breaking apart the hall behind him. Ram just stood there and took in a deep breath, as she formed a violet sword with her left hand, the aim at slicing around his head area.
So when they met, she swung at his head, he only tilted his head out of the way.
SPLOOCH.
"HUH?"
But he felt odd, and pretty much stopped his entire movement.
He felt something was not right, and decided to take a quick peek down.
A slab of bloody meat was on the floor, and there was splotch of blood between his legs. Ram's ring was glowing, having aimed at that spot without him knowing.
"Ah...Auhhhh."
"Your filthy aspirations, end here Rush."
His manhood was gone.
"GUAHHHHHHHHHH! AGHHHHHHH! DAMN YOOOOOUUUUU, RAAAAMMMM-!"
Ram swung her left arm downward and sliced off his horns. The devastating injury, rattled his tired mind, and Ram took no chances. She created violet beams and shot them through his abdomen and legs, then created dagger constructs and stabbed him multiple times, puked napalm blood through right shoulder and kicked him were his 'family jewels' once were.
"All of this isn't because you tried to assault me, or tried to attack Emilia-sama and the others, none of that is for such small things!"
Ram used a machete construct to carve off his left, guarding arm.
"THIS IS FOR THAT DAY!"
She kicked him again in his nasty groin injury, making him puke all over himself.
With a quick grab to the back of his head, and a palm under his chin...she leaned in on his face, with completely disgusting malice, mixing with the blood dripping down on her face.
"You mentioned my sister, remember?"
"Ahk."
For that, all for some small nasty comment he made about Rem, years ago...but it was enough.
"FULA."
Using wind magic under her palm, the powerful gust of wind, his head snapped back, a bulge on his neck appearing...his neck was completely dislocated and he fell back. But Ram was anything but stupid, and knew well that Oni were pretty hard to kill, so she walked away...grabbed her kananbo and walked back.
"Now, say hello to the other Oni, will you?"
He was still somewhat alive, gurgling and foaming at the mouth...which is when Ram proceeded to bash his head in with the kanabo. Again and again, over and over again...until the kanabo and his head broke apart like cheap toys.
With her task done, she tossed the broken handle away and wiped some blood off of her face.
Making her way, slowly but surely to the rest of them, she peeked at an open door.
"I do not think that was necessary at all."
"Oh come now, I was merely throwing a bone for you, I suppose."
Beatrice stepped out with her arms folded.
"Beatrice, I recognize the fact that you used Yin magic to slow him down right when I shot off his pathetic manhood."
"I was doing what I was asked to do...still, yet again the mansion will need some repairs again, I suppose."
"I'll discuss that with Natsuki Subaru, later."
Keeping her movement going she made it to the others, and did a quick apologetic bow, happy to see they took care of the beasts from earlier.
"Emilia-sama, I apologise. I regret that a personal matter had to get you involved, please forgive my-"
Yet she was stunned by a surprise hug by Emilia.
"E-Emilia-?"
"-I'm so glad you're okay! Really, I was so worried about you!"
Puck sighed happily as he floated down to sit atop Saggitarius' head.
"Well, I'm glad to see Lia being so motherly."
Ram just leaned into the hug, actually thankful that everyone is alright. Petra held the necklace, which glimmered.
"Rem is so happy everything ended up alright."
"Yeah, Subaru will be real happy that I helped!"
"...Well, Subaru-kun has love for everyone you know!"
"...Um, yeah. Right…."
In Petra's mind, she could see how Rem and Emilia were incredibly close to him...how he always held them close or goofed off with them. Even now, he always made them happy, comfortable, everything in that scope of affection.
Inside, she was jealous, but grateful...that Rem was no longer physically there.
"Maybe I'll take her place."
"Hmmm, did you say something Petra-chan?"
"N-Nothing...nothing at all."
Amongst all this, Ram was free of her hug as Emilia went to heal Petra of her injuries. Ram looked over at Rush's corpse...making the kind of scowl that would only be interpreted of an Oni.
Shaula blocked Subaru's Shiroyama Construct, the chainsaws still pushing her back. With a knick of time, he then used his ring to fire from a lower angle, which only hit Shaula in the chin. He then flip kicked her, before breaking his construct on her face, then punched her. However, she grabbed his fist and slammed him to the floor and readied a Light Needle to stab him. Nijino, screaming, rushed in and used two chain constructs to redirect her attack away from him.
"GET AWAY FROM HIM!"
Nijino used her Revenga Art, shrouding her legs in beautiful armor, to try and kick and knee at her, but when Shaula palm striked her away, Nijino shot out swirls of violet energy. Shaula was slammed down to the ground, to which Nijino tried to get at with a diving kick. The Sage moved out of the way, but ate several orbs of violet blasts, making Shaula block with her arms.
But Shaula did get through her attacks, and performed a double backflip kick, bareling Nijino away...though it was evident, that Shaula's arms were steaming.
Some of the attacks were working.
Subaru used his violet beams to aim at her legs, and Nijino at her abdomens. Many Red Lanterns floated over and used their Rings to create binding constructs to try and keep her in place. She was stuck now, taking hits from Subaru and Nijino, and the once in a while random blasts by flying Red Lanterns, circling her like vultures.
In her mind, racing thoughts filled her head of what to do, how to do it...and of her master, Flugel.
"YOU ARE TRESPASSING IN MASTER'S HOME!"
A burst of magical energy erupted out of her, sending them flying away from, she then charged at Nijino, landing a nasty punch on her, before Subaru created a baseball construct smashing it at her face. Then created a spear construct, jabbing her; then, it was a morningstar construct which broke on her fist. He ducked under it and sent a bi-plane construct which smashed her through another wall.
"BROTHER SSSSSUBARU!"
He had now received a message from Genau.
"Genau, where the hell are you?!"
"Up above, I have an idea, but for it to work you need to get her into the air!"
Trying to keep his strategizing to a minimum, Subaru licked his cut lips, zipping his eyes around all over the place. Until he finally had an explosion rattle him straight, and he stared out of the hole...where Ovidius was flung through earlier.
"Okay, let's do it!"
He then flew to where Shaula was fighting, watching as she backfisted Kong away, cartwheel kicked Attero to the ground and shot a fast Light Needle to an oncoming Linnea.
"Everyone! Get her to the air!"
Everyone took the command seriously and Moussaka slid across the floor bearhugged her leg, before she could retaliate with a magic attack...countless strands of chain constructs wrapped her up and yanked her out through the hole in the wall. Soulfly, the giant sandworm Red Lantern, used his chain constructs to at first drag her through the sand and then with an immense struggle toss her into the sky. This was nothing for Shaula, as she spun in the air, just before she hit the clouds...but, noticed a light source was behind her.
Once she turned around, she saw it.
A meteor, one incredibly large and undoubtedly ominous to look at.
Glancing behind it, she saw it.
A small section of the moon was carved out.
Next to this meteor, a Juggernaut sized Genau and several Red Lanterns used chain constructs to guide the meteor straight at her. Without a chance, she simply shrouded herself in golden energy, and took the hit.
Being stuck on the sheer velocity of the massive meteor, it continued on it's trek.
The clashing of steel stopped, as both Frederica and Al looked up at the passing meteor, which lit up the sky.
Once it was over the horizon, they resumed. Frederica used her cestus in excellent mastery of boxing, but Aldebaran's metallic tendrils slashed and blocked them. She spun in the air and had a scorpion tail construct stab at him, but he created an earth shield to give him the chance of escaping injury. Frederica tapped her feet onto the sand and resumed, Aldebaran used his sword to try multiple times to stab and carve her up, only getting a chance to slice open her left calf. To which, Frederica landed a brutal flying knee to his face, but he retaliated by using his sword hilt to hit her in the temple, then a powerful big boot to her abdomen. But, cleverly so, she used her power armor to stomp a violet shockwave that made Al lose balance. Her chance given, she used her massive cestus to punch Al across his body, then again with her other one, then using her suits energy she empowered her hit and accelerated her speed. The onslaught of punches made it appear as if Al was a punching dummy.
One last hit enraged Al, as his tendrils randomly fired orbs of destruction, littering their sandy battlefield in explosions. But Frederica would fly, hop and slide around the attacks, until she flung her right cestus at him, he jumped out of the way. But failed to notice that a chain construct was connected to it, so she angrily yanked it back and pummeled him down.
Letting go of the chain, and used the remaining cestus to begin ground and pound him, but he kicked her across the face and had his tendrils slice her back. The tendrils reformed his metallic arm and fired an incredible directed beam on her, forcing her to create a barrier construct. Inching her way forward, she tried to get closer...but realizing he was only upping the intensity of the beam...she smiled.
Spinning around her barrier, she threw her cestus which impacted with Al, making him stop his beam. She flew forward and began his beating. Punches across the face, clawing at his neck, kicking him in the gut, when he tried to fire another beam with his arm...she used a violet beam to completely sever it off.
He used both feet to kick her back and attempted to run off...but Frederica used her ring to fire off both of heels. He fell face forward onto the sand, right as she stomped on his back.
"Ah fuhhuuuukkk-"
With but that escaping his mouth, Frederica used her bare hand, and stabbed into his back, grabbing hold…and yanking his entire spinal cord from his body along with his head attached. She then tossed it away, into the giant hole he created in his explosion earlier, and kicked his body there for good measure.
With loud pants and heaves of tired breath, she looked up to the sky.
"URAGGHHHHHHH!"
A yell of complete victory.
Then an explosion in the distance, and falling from the sky meters away from her, was a crash landing Genau and other Red Lanterns. Following soon after, was a single object...no, a person, covered in smoke, steam and bleeding all over her face.
Shaula was back, having destroyed the meteor she was stuck on, and glaring daggers at her.
Frederica sighed and charged, dodging oncoming needles, including a very fast and massive one. Reaching her, she ducked under several punches and kicks by Shaula, before landing an impressive uppercut, then followed with a knee to the side and elbow to the face. Shaula grabbed Frederica's head and headbutted her, trying to actually pull her head off, but Frederica used her thumbs, combined with drill constructs to stab into her hands, making Shaula yelp in pain. Then, with an astonishing flexibility, she cradled herself, used both feet to begin kicking the crap out of her breasts. Shuala loosened herself before Jolokia used his battleaxe, over and over again on her back...until it finally shattered and he used his hilt to wrap on her neck, beginning to choke her.
Shaula let go of Frederica and punched Jolokia, but Genau fired his beam and used a morningstar construct to make her back off.
Yet, when she saw that the Tower was unguarded, she swung her hand and let out a massive force that tossed everyone back, running rapidly back to the Tower.
"Genau, let's follow her!"
"EXACTLY!"
They followed.
But as Genau and Frederica curved in their flight path, they noticed someone, laying on the floor waving at them. Squinting their eyes, they immediately saw who it was.
"OVIDIUS!"
"BROTHER OVIDIUSSSS!"
They landed and saw him apathetically waving, both rushed to him, but also saw the large splotch of blood on his chest and covering the sand.
"It's so nice to have someone finally notice me."
"Hang on!"
They carefully helped him up, though were unnerved by the bloody state he was in.
"Ovidius, please forgive me for saying this, but I think-"
"-I forgive you, really I do, but more than anything I need to get back into that fight."
"...Even if-"
"-Of course."
The determination in his eyes, the blood he held in chest and the armor practically glimmering, gave the both of them pause. Yet, when he nodded his head, the two of them only exhaled in determined agreement.
"Do you need help?"
"Thank you Genau, but I just to focus is all."
The three of them floated up and made a fast path to the Tower. Neither of those two, noticing the tired, exasperated state Ovidius had his eyes in.
Kong howled as he tried to perform a one inch punch on Shaula, just for Shaula elbow it, almost breaking apart his wrist, and unable to block eye beams that shot through his shoulders. Genau slashed at her back, then fired beams of violet magic on her back. Frederica used her cestus to begin trading massive and gut churning punches against Shaula, all the while being shot and sniped at by other Red Lanterns.
Shaula landed a knee to her chest, but ate a straight kick to the face by Nijino, who then focused...and surprised the sage with what she saw.
Crimson armor so beautiful, elegant and mesmerizing with small butterfly wings on her back. But had a skull like mask with gorgeous markings of roses and vines on it. It was her final gambit.
"Revenga Art 3: Itzpapalotl."
Not caring any longer, Shaula charged, just for Nijino to outmatch, like a ballerina that could use their complete balance and precision to get the job done in a fight. Spinning like a top, Shaula was hit in four different parts of her body, but when she threw a punch, Nijino slid down in an impossible back bending position and had her toes impact Shaula's right eye.
So...Genau did the same. And with complete bloodlust, with an ominous and nightmare inducing smile and aura, he floated in the air.
"REVENGA ART 3! HELLION ELECTRIC EYE!"
He flew up and shot into the sky. Shaula was unsettled by it...until Mimi suddenly surprised her, having waited for a moment to strike. She used a curved dagger to stab into her singed forearms, before being knocked away and using a combination of her staff and power armor to fire violet beams.
"Mimi's Revenga Art 1!"
Mimi kicked the ball construct to her face, she slapped it to pieces but she didn't let up and used a sledgehammer construct to hit her but failed to make the landing. So Mimi hopped back, listened to her fox scarf and pounded her fists together.
"Mimi's Revenga Art 3: Rhythm Nation!"
Constructs of noise amplifiers and bass speakers surrounded Mimi, leaving only a microphone in front of her. Taking a large breath, Mimi focused on Shaula, making the Sage try and get away. Only for Subaru to wrap her in binds and Nijino to knee her, followed by Frederica punching her.
Now in place, Mimi screamed releasing a sonic screech that shot out more than any bomb could've, shattering walls and shaking the Tower once again. The sage, their enemy, was sent flying across the desert, flinging about and crashing into dunes before rolling to a stop. Just as saliva drooled down, blood mixed in, and her eyes twitched which came from her scalp...she looked up.
Genau was floating there, with a muzzle-like contraption that stretched out into tendrils on his back, which housed...a small orange red sphere of energy, with a radiant yellow brilliance. Anyone with even the slightest brain power, could see what he went to get, what energy he was able to acquire, that which was hurting him and burning his back.
The sun.
A portion of the sun's energy.
And with a roar, he fired off his back, guided by a cannon like apparatus...with an eye symbol on the front of it.
Shaula blocked...and was now fired away.
If one could see it from space, they would see a faint light that shot across the entirety of this flat world. It was haunting, incredible, and a testament to what Genau himself could do.
Yet the damage was done and Genau fell to the sand, his back smoldered and his expression the most exhausted he had ever been. But he looked up, and smiled...being kicked across the face and making a new hole through the wall of the Tower. Subaru and Nijino rushed to check on him.
"Genau! Hey man, how are ya doing?"
"Oh, jusssst peachy."
He spit out a tooth, and grinned.
"But I got the bitch real good."
Mimi pointed and yelped, everyone faced the new hole...and saw Shaula, her arms completely burned, her face bleeding profusely and her eyebrows burned off, most of her clothes were melting off and her legs were cut up.
Jolokia got behind her and landed a brutal overhead strike with a construct of his battleaxe. It caught her by surprise, right before Linnea created a giant sickle construct and landed a strike on her back. Mimi tackled her to the wall, leaving a crater, before being kicked off. But as she tried to leap of, Nijino triple spin kicked her, and left space for Subaru to smash her with a construct of Priscilla's sword. Still stuck on the wall, she watched as Subaru created a handgun construct and fired madly at her, using her badly injured arms to block, they actually created nasty holes on her flesh. Using her eye beams, he was blasted back, before he growled at her.
"Revenga Art 2: Hama Yumi!"
He fired his assault rifle constructs insanely at her, making her squint her slightly gouged eye...but it was impacted by a bullet, causing her to cover her face. Soon every Red Lantern in that room fired beams from their rings to making her fall to the crumbling ground...unable to do a damn thing.
"Keep it up!"
Frederica, Mimi, Genau followed suit by having blasts of violet energy also begin pummeling her.
Her skin was beginning to peel, her hair was ripping off, blood soaked out of her mouth.
Even the precious durability and strength she seemed to have, was not enough, she was actually beginning to gain nasty bruises all over her body.
Yet. She. Still. Found. An. Opening.
She flicked a needle to the ground, which bounced off the ground and hit Mimi across the face, giving a gap in which she shot out even stronger eye beams at, thrusting her head around and hitting away everyone.
Shaula ran towards Mimi, punching across the face, and grabbing her head and slamming her to the ground, punching and punching, not letting up.
Subaru, Linnea and Moussaka created sword constructs to begin hacking at her back. A simple donkey kick to each of them, made them back off, until Frederica and Kong both began punching and kicking her off of Mimi, allowing Attero to use his fangs to pull Mimi out of there.
Her mind was flickering with memories.
The Dragon.
The red haired swordsman that scared her.
Her master.
The silver haired woman.
The jealousy she felt against her.
The war that resulted from it.
Her master leaving, asking her to fulfill her duty.
The loneliness.
The desolation.
The day the Algol Tree suddenly fell.
A vision, of a strangely armored giant and a multitude of strangely costumed people charging at him. She...could've sworn she saw herself amongst them.
These…FREAKS, who would dare to take what was her Master's, even remembering some of them, in that very vision.
Enough was enough.
"You are intruders! Daring to smear your nasty boots on my master's perfect construction! We all had a hand in building this place! And you freaks have come to do wicked ass things to it!? NEVER! I'll make sure to kill every last one of you! You and anyone involved in letting you loose on this sacred place! I'LL DESTROY EVERYTHING YOU ALL LOVE, FOR TAKING THIS ALL AWAY FROM ME!"
Her screams raged across the building as she charged straight at them.
Wilhelm blocked more and more strikes, but he simply was having a hard time trying to match Reid. The swordsman then flipped in the air, knocking down two more Red Lanterns and slicing the air, sending a projectile air slash against an oncoming foe.
Wilhelm raced up to the air to meet him in combat, utilizing his power armor in tandem with his extra arm constructs...creating even more sophisticated swords, with the tips swirling with energy. Reid only grinned.
They began clashing in the air, with Wilhelm struggling to keep up with him, but...landed a kick to his side, giving him a chance to begin cutting him with only superficial levels of damage. Reid then swung down, hitting Wilhelm downward, smashing him through some spiral stairs.
He got up and saw Reid land down, slicing and kicking away other Red Lanterns.
"Wilhelm? Come in Wilhelm?"
Wilhelm realized that he was getting an audio message on his ring, and so answered back.
"Yes? Come in?!"
"Wilhelm it's me, Ovidius!"
"Ovidius, what's going on out there?!"
"Nothing particular, life and death struggle with this Sage. And yourself?"
"Somehow they have Reid Astrea, some kind of, astral being of some kind."
"...Okay, listen to me very carefully."
Reid stabbed into a Red Lantern and tossed her into the floor.
"Man, if this lady was more willing, we'd have a good time, you agree don't you?"
He then faced Wilhelm once again, but noticed it, something that freaked even the mighty legend out.
Wilhelm was smiling sinisterly.
"What? You excited about the bashing you're about to receive? I really don't know what you guys are, but to be excited for death or a close enough fate, is the pinnacle of ill indulgence, isn't it for you?"
"Why certainly not Astrea-dono, it just seems we've found a way to beat you without prolonging this senseless battle any longer."
"Hmmm?"
Reid glanced down...and saw his arm was beginning to become colorful static. For the first time since this started, he began to panic.
"You see Astrea."
Now the famous swordsman stared at Wilhelm, in perpetual anxiety.
"We are the Red Lantern Corps, and in truth, there is no one we cannot defeat. That means even you."
"Bulshit."
"For you see...one of my best friends has seen through you."
Ovidius pressed his ring onto the outer walls of the Tower, as projected screen constructs, like a hyper advanced holographic A.I. system.
Searching combing through it, ignoring the blood dripping out of his abdomen, he scanned his eyes over all the intricate shapes, lines and magical incantations.
Until a hideous smile formed underneath his helmet.
"AHHHhhhhhhHHHH...there it is."
He saw it, the hexagonal lines, surrounding a glowing sphere...similar to the one he used for Rem, to house her soul.
With the power of his ring, he created finely crafted wire constructs to begin stabbing through them, making the sphere loosen.
Reid continued his crazed attempts at defeating Wilhelm, but it was quite fruitless, he began staticing in and out, with him losing balance and clarity on what he was doing. Making matters worse, the other Red Lanterns still continued firing at him, tossing spear and lance constructs at him.
"I am the strongest, the best around and, the one who cannot be defeated by a bunch of punks with magic rings!"
"...Then you never were that good to begin with."
His sharp words, stung into Reid and he flew into a rage.
"DAMN BAS-"
He swung down, only for his arm and sword to static, slowing him down enough, for Wilhelm so slice his arm off, which burst into particles of light. Wilhelm did not let up, he sliced and slashed at him, carving off pieces of the struggling Reid.
And with one powerful striking pose...he remembered his wife.
"If your damned Divine Protection was not created, if your accursed duty didn't exist, my wife...she'd maybe still be here!"
He did a massive slash, completely shattering Reid, the illusion that was his soul, was defeated. Wilhelm sat on his behind, breathing raggedly, before using his sword to help himself stand up, dissipating his Revenga Art. A wolf beastman Red Lantern hurried over to him.
"Wilhelm-sama, are you alright?"
"I am fine, but there is no time for rest, do you not hear it?"
They could hear it, and feel it, the battle ratting the Tower they were in.
"Hurry, the others need us!"
Wilhelm created his 2nd Revenga Art, and used through gigantic sword to blast a hole in the wall, allowing all of them to fly out, circle around and make it into the fight.
Shaula was ready to pummel a fallen Mimi, but Wilhelm, roared out and swung his gigantic sword, with Shaula stopping it with on hand.
Giving Genau the chance to fling several beams of violet energy, further bruising and scraping her skin. So she twisted her wrist, made the sword stab into the ground, kicked Wilhelm and chokeslam Genau to the floor.
20 Red Lanterns, jumped onto Shaula, forcing her to claw and punch them off of her, they continued trying their best to overwhelm her...but the tip of her scorpion styled bride, shined.
She slammed it down, releasing an explosion...which was contained by Nijino and Frederica, who used their barrier constructs well before it erupted, sending most of them being pushed back.
Right there and then, as everyone was prepared to once again attack her...they all stopped...they all made path, letting the Sage see exactly who it was.
"Shaula."
Shaula simply squinted her tired and bloodshot eyes at the unknown person.
Not recognizing him, not liking him, but remembering, how she shot him out of the Tower earlier.
"You're that asshole with the mask."
"Please, I am Ovidius Loman, and I'm here to kill you."
"HUH?"
"You killed my brothers, destroyed my family, and ruined my face...I will achieve these years of struggle and end all this, right here, and now."
Shaula sighed, steam and blood escaping from it. Ovidius, took up a judo stance, as the streams of violet light radiated from his Aeon Suit.
"You'll be the first I am going to kill…but question, a quick one."
"Sure."
"Why ain't you all coming at me, I'm surrounded, so you could finish this at any point maybe?"
"...Because they all understand, why I am the one who needs to do this."
The Mad Genius, Ovidius; The Keeper of the Watchtower, Shaula,...both stared daggers at each other. Everyone else surrounded them, making a sort of personal ring for them.
Thus it became Subaru's job, to announce it.
"GO!"
Both of them rushed at each other, as the rest of them roared in response.
In Kararagi, the battle was fierce.
Men were stabbed as they laid on the ground, some were trampled by Ground Dragons, others shot from a distance with crossbows. But what was clear was the fact that Gusteko made great strides into their invasion.
The forces of Kararagi struggled to push them back, even a mile.
Rasputin, his bushy grey beard, looking like a perm more than anything, going against his extremely bald head raised his palm forward.
His dark blue eyes glimmered at the sight of their superiority.
"Go men, take these lush lands for the glory of Gusteko!"
As they continued this massive assault, pushing through the oncoming blasts and magical bombardments...something smashed between the two armies, sending hundreds of men from both camps flying in the air.
A blue pillar of light shot up into the clouds, ceasing everything that was occurring.
Rasputin was stunned by the attack before something behind him startled the commander. He looked and saw Felt and Jamiroquai there.
"Hey Ras, something you up to here?"
"Lady Felt, this a simple matter between two autonomous nations."
"Looks to me, that you're causing a ruckus over some stupid crap."
Felt narrowed her eyes, but it was Jamiroquai, who spoke to diffuse the issue.
"Rasputin Imaginos-dono, it has been so ordered by Natsuki Subaru-sama, that the area of strike just now, will be the new so ordered border between Kararagi and Gusteko."
"...Is that so?"
"That is was we have been informed."
His sharp yellow eyes stared back at him, his long tail swished around along with his sharp snake tongue. The lizardman nodded, as Rasputin took a look at everything...and sighed.
"It is better than defeat I suppose. Very well, my army will remain, but only if Kararagi's forces return to their masterless state."
"That will not be an issue."
This was because the Kararagians were fleeing at the sight of him, the one who caused that massive attack earlier.
The smoke still going wild, he stepped out.
"I do apologize for that, but it was a favor asked of me by my King and her trusted advisor."
Now, he wore his black long sleeve undershirt, without the white coat he was famous for. His white pants had spiral dark purple designs that ran across the sides all the way to the bottom, much like celtic symbols. His hair, burning red, now long but tied as rugged looking bun, matching the forming red beard he had.
All of this, not helping to focus away from his piercing sky blue eyes...or the mighty sword on his hip, using instead a crumbling simple sword to do his previous deed.
"This faithful sword, has come to put this fighting to an end."
Reinhard Van Astrea, appearing so vastly different than before, stood there unchallenged, single handedly putting an end to the Kararagi-Gusteko War.
Speaking of which…
Kararagi - Gusteko War
Kararagi Casualties: 12,120
Gusteko Casualties: 6,026
Results: A state's worth of land is ceded to Gusteko, both nations are to sign a peace treaty. It is the shortest war in this world's history.
The land of snow and trees, mist and sands were done with their mere squabble.
Yet, it was the land of dust, blood and fire, that still continued their vicious performance of furious killing.
But it was very close, to the final moment.
...TO BE CONTINUED...
AN: Reminder, I do a lot of references, here they are:
* Itzpapalotl - A warrior goddess in Aztec religion, known as the "Obsidian Butterfly", who was the basis for all of Nijino's Revenga Arts
* Rhythm Nation - Song by Janet Jackson
* Rush - Canadian Rock band
* Imaginos - Album of same name by Blue Oyster Cult
* Hellion Electric Eye - Name of two songs by Judas Priest, "Hellion" and "Electric Eye" from their album "Screaming For Vengeance"
And with that, there are 2 chapters left of Arc 7.
Next time?
Chapter 40, "Embolism"
Have a great rest of the week, and see you all later.