Chapter 90
An hour later after arriving at the hanger and getting a quick nap the group woke up by a loud crashing causing everyone to jump and wake up.
'That's not good.' Odette thought as she looked around at her companions.
"What was that? "Vil exclaimed as he jumped up from his chair.
"I don't know we should go find out." Rook said as the group went over to the charging station.
"How charged is the Thunder Spear?" Vil asked.
"Battery 30% charged." The Navi system announced.
"Oh no, it's not even halfway done." Epel complained.
"It is what it is. Not the ideal scenario but we'll take what we can get. Now let's move." Vil replied as he picked it up off the charging station and headed for the door.
'This really isn't good.' Odette thought as she gulped and hoped no one heard.
The emergency stairs lights have all gone out now so the stairs were dark except for eerily green glow that was coming up from the Underworld.
"What in the world?" Vil gasped as they got to the end of the centers to a large chamber. The floor was covered in cracks and blot.
The air was filled with the sounds of moans and groans.
"Look at all these black crystals." Odette muttered as she looked down at the edge of the chamber it was littered with black crystals. ' Is this where Grim has been? He keeps eating these things.' She wondered as she shivered at the thought.
"Ugh, the miasma's so thick here. I wonder if they've opened the Underworld gate?" Vil said.
A pinging sound began to bounce off the walls in sets of three pings.
"Vil, we're getting a call on the transceiver." Rook informed him as he headed him the radio.
"Vil in Tower 1 speaking, over." Vil spoke into the radio.
"Leona here in tower 2." Leona answered first, his voice echoed around the room and the radio.
'This room is huge, they could be another part and we can't even see them.' Odette thought as she looked around.
"Riddle Rosehearts in Tower 3, over." Riddle answered next.
"Oh great you're all on the line this is control." A technician sighed.
"What's going on, over?" Vil asked.
"The Underworld gate has started to open blot concentration is getting even higher it's extremely dangerous for you all to be at the bottom of Tartarus you need to get out of there now!" The technician insisted.
"I'm sorry what? You except us to just turn around and run back up the sitars it took hours to get down here." Vil replied.
"It was a rush job but we managed to wrest a few Chariots from Ortho's control. We're sending three of them to you now go on and get in when they get there." The technician explained.
"Hah! Leave it to the world's nerdiest nerds." Leona barked.
"I'm gonna take that as a compliment we have to stop the Phantoms and rising blot levels. So we're trying to manually shut the emergency hatches in sectors one and six of Tartarus we'll seal them as soon as you guys leave you have to get out of there ASAP." The Technician said.
The floor began to shift and the blot began to come out faster.
"This is the gate!" Odette gasped.
"Look there's the chariot!" Epel pointed out as the chariot appeared in front of them.
"Everyone get in now!" Vil ordered.
Meanwhile as Riddle and Azul where in Tower Three Riddle noticed something. "What's that?" He asked over the radio.
"What's wrong Riddle?" Vil asked.
"Look down below something's coming through the Underworld Gate!" Riddle exclaimed.
Smoke and blot began to rise out of the gate and the moaning and groaning got louder.
"I see it crawling out." He continued.
"Is it a Phantom? Wait no it's IDIA!" Vil grasped.
The blot took a form and it was Idia! Idia was before them in his over-blot form. The only real past of him they could see was has part of if face, around his crazed eyes and his hair. His hair just like regular fire and not like his normal hair. The rest of him was covered in black armor with blue highlights. There was blue fire around his elbows and blot swirled around his like a tattered cape.
"That's right, it's me!" Idia smirked, his voice sounds off, deeper.
"That form, don't tell me." Vil gasped as they Chariot stopped dozen of yard in the air away from the gate.
"He's over blotted." Odette groaned as she felt her knees go a little weak.
"Whaddaya think? Pretty slick right? Oh man I feel AMAZING! I never knew over blotting was such a RUSH well guess what I've joined the ranks of the SSR epic Troublemakers." Idia laughed throwing his head back.
"More miasma is rising up from the gate. Goodness it's dense." Rook coughed.
"Oh yeah that's probably pretty debilitating for you guys, but when you over-blot all blot based debuffs turn into buffs. So while it's doing a number on you I'm getting sweet attack buffs NGL you don't stand a chance RIP. Now it's time to kick things off. Game, set match, gate to the Underworld." Idia said.
The miasma began to swirl around him as the moans began to echo off the walls.
"The gate's opening wider, that spell, does Idia's signature spell open the Underworld gate?" Vil gasped.
Down at the actually gate there was more moaning and groaning, then there was a flashing light and suddenly a stomping sound.
A large creature with a head lamp had a blue flame and looked those that lined the emergency stairs, but was broken, blot dripped down the head and gauntlets at it's elbows. "Hey guys, I'm back." It boomed out.
"Wha, what is the blue blazes is that?" Epel exclaimed.
"I'm guessing it's Idia's Phantom since it joined with the blot oozing from him. But it said 'I'm back' and it's voice is oddly familiar." Vil pointed out.
"Everyone else has had a blot Phantom." Odette reminded them.
"Aw, you can't tell it's me Ortho." Ortho said.
"Wait what?" Everyone exclaimed.
"What do you think? I've gotten bigger huh? All the friends I made in the Underworld helped make me extra big. Turns out the curse I have is actually a blessing that empowers me the Underworld's filled with blot so I kept absorbing it and burning brightly then finally I became the Underworld itself." Ortho explained as he put his hand out and Idia stood on it.
The Phantoms that had joined Ortho began to speak up whispered about the warmth, the light and finally being free.
"So a bunch of Phantoms fused together into on giant form?" Rook guessed.
"Unbelievable you're telling me that sinister monster is Ortho?" Vil asked.
"Wait, hold up look on Ortho's shoulder." Epel shouted as he pointed to Ortho.
Oh Ortho's shoulder was a feral Grim who was muttering "Stones, black stones."
"Did he get Grim too?" Odette groaned. 'How many did he eat? Will he stay like that?' Odette thought as a small sob escaped her lips. She bit her lip and tried to calm herself down. 'Keep it together Odette, you can't give up hope now.' She silently remained herself as she saw everyone glance at her.
"My word, I wasn't expecting him to be lost in the Underworld and overtaken by Ortho." Rook gasped.
"We gotta get him outta that thing but how?" Epel asked as he placed a hand on her shoulder and gave it a small squeeze.
"How else? We have to stop them here and now. Otherwise we'll never get Grim back and we can kiss our lives as we know them goodbye." Vil answered.
The phantoms began screeching and crackling at them.
"Tch, even more Phantoms are comin outta the Underworld now." Leona said over the radio.
"This is bad, most of the staff who are closing the emergency hatches are noncombatants. They won't stand a chance against a wave of Phantoms." The Technician explained.
"Oh no we have to do something." Rook exclaimed.
"Vil! Leona! Take your Chariots and rescue them Azul and I will keep Idia and Ortho busy for as long as we can." Riddle volunteered.
"Rrh, I think that's our only option. Leona you go to sector six I'll head to sector one." Vil ordered as they began to steer the chariot up.
"Ugh, what a pain, why can't they just hide like good little impalas? Givin me all this extra work." Leona grumbled.
"Riddle, Azul we're counting on you." Vil said.
"Did you you seriously volunteer us for the most dangerous assignment without even discussing compensation? Our Thunder Spear isn't even fully charged!" Azul exclaimed.
"Heh! You can fuss all you want but you know as well as I, that this is the best plan." Riddle smirked confidently.
"Yes, yes, after all on the off chance we screw this up, they'll all whip up up another plan in no time." Azul said.
"There you go okay you drive and I'll shoot let's get in the Chariot." Riddle ordered as he hopped into the Chariot.
"Wait hold on you want me to drive?"Azul asked pointing to himself.
"Well I don't have a driver's license then again this is private property maybe I don't have to worry about that." Riddle commented.
"I don't have one either you know I can barely ride a broom as it is and you except me to drive a vehicle I've never even seen before? I can only indulge your unreasonable demands for so long." Azul remarked.
"Don't worry chariots are technomantic vehicles they're not like brooms at all all you have to do is turn the steering wheel it balances itself it'd take a lot to make one flip over it's just like a blast-cycle now hurry." A staff member explained over the Chariot's radio.
"I'm a merman remember Blast-cycles are even more foreign to me than brooms." Azul reminded them exasperated.
"Hm, in hindsight I should've taken driving lessons and gotten a technomantic vehicle license." Riddle sighed.
"This is no time for reflection." Azul countered.
The tower began to shake violently.
"Ack! Ortho's climbing up the wall he's just about here." Riddle exclaimed.
Oh! Fine! Whatever! Just hold on tight and try not to fall off." Azul ordered as he took ahold of the steering wheel and took them down towards to Ortho and Idia.
"Right! We got this Azul!." Riddle reassured him as he turned on the Thunder Spear.
"Whe hee looks like stage one is a ranged DPS and healer combo C'mon Ortho let's get out there and cut loose!" Idia chuckled as he saw them coming.
Ortho just giggled in response as did the Phantoms he had merged with.
The battle began quickly and once they had a clear shot at Ortho they shot the Thunder Spear at him. Idia was hit with the edge of the blast. Thunder rumbled through the Tower.
Ortho screamed as he fell back down towards the Underworld Gate.
"Ortho!" Idia yelled as he looked behind him. Red flames, lots of flames surrounded him as he himself turned red as he looked back at Riddle and Azul. "Blast, how DARE you peons treat Ortho like that!"
"We did it! Direct hit!" Azul cheered.
"Hopefully that should buy everyone some time." Riddle huffed bend over.
"Yes, my word. Riddle your hair!" Azul exclaimed as he looked Riddle over. Riddle's hair was now snow white.
"Huh? What about it? What's going on?" Riddle whispered then fainted to the floor of the Chariot next to the dropped now dead Thunder Spear.
"Riddle! Stay with me!" Azul shouted as he knelt beside him and shook him.
"Hoo boy! That's what happens when living people get too close to the Underworld, and Ortho." Idia explained to them with a smirk.
"What?" Azul gasped as he turned towards Idia.
"Living people can't go through the gate to the Underworld. C'mon you can't be that stupid Azul. Just put two and two together." Idia taunted.
"No! Leona, Vil this Azul You can't get too close to Ortho, and by extension the Underworld. It's too dangerous, Riddle's hair has gone white and he's lost consciousness." Azul shouted into the radio as he went back to the steering wheel and drove them away from Idia.
"What? What's going on Azul?" Vil asked.
"The closer you get to them the more of our life they can siphon off they make us grow old." Azul explained. "We've exhausted our Thunder Spear battery and our magical reserves. Our blot tolerance is at its limit. We have to blow out now the rest is up to you all."
Thanks for reading and sticking around. I hope your enjoyed this chapter. I can't believe we've made it to 90 chapters! We finally see the others again but only for a short time. We to probably the best part of this arc and it's nearly over. I hoep yo see you next time.