Episode 14: The Best Place of All
The wait is finally over, people. Hope you're ready to feast, because I cooked with this one.
1602jaw: Draco really proved himself here, despite Barry getting the spotlight. I didn't want to drag the conflict with Shermie too long, and we can't forget that Light means business. Draco may be an ass, but there's some good in him, even if he doesn't realize it.
TheMasterKat: Barry played a good game. And I'm sure Bibo and Muddy would have fun with a playdate.
That guy: Barry truly was the MVP here. He surpassed his father, and is still going strong. You're right that Light is utterly detestable. His day will come soon. It's nice that characters in these fics get happier endings than in canon.
NondescriptNorbert: Ah yes, I smell it as well. Everyone was at their best last time, but I'm glad you've been enjoying the route Malfoy is going. Prepare to be amazed today.
G-Man 2.0: Yes, good for Barry. And don't worry, I've not forgotten Light and Bender's "friendship." How long will it continue to last, I wonder.
ThelastCyberKnight: I'm so proud of those two loveable dorks patching things up. I wouldn't call what Draco and Barry have a bromance, but there's plenty of unsaid mutual respect between the two of them now.
Happiness Studios: Hoo boy. Seems like no matter what happens now, no amount of explaining is going to make you see differently. It's getting exhausting at this point. Still, it wouldn't hurt to just sit back and enjoy the ride. I mean, I haven't stepped off the brakes just yet.
MonkeyBot54: Nothing more satisfying than seeing Bernie give Pete a Falcon Punch. Despite looks, she's pretty strong.
ClickClacktbeBlueGuy: Hey, glad to hear it. Hope it works out for you.
aklike95: Thank you. The two of them are really wholesome. Hopefully Light will get his comeuppance.
Now then, let us begin!
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"Last time on Total Drama, our cast traveled to Barry's hometown in the Sinnoh Region. A surprise visit from his father spurs him to win the big Pokemon battle against Futaba and her Bidoof. Unfortunately, even with Malfoy's help, he lost, but decided to challenge his father anyway. In a lady ditch effort, Barry won the battle, and gracefully bowed out of the game, feeling content. Meanwhile, Shermie manages to patch things up with Ryu and Bernadetta, and earning Light's ire in the process. Find out what happens today on Total Drama Infinite: Bon Voyage!"
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We open up to a region in Fodlan's Adrestian Empire around ten years ago. Just south of Garreg Mach and the Oghma Mountains lies the region of Varley. A very arid and mountainous region lorded over by the Empire's Minister of Religious Affairs, which is primarily tasked with maintaining relations with the Church of Seiros. In recent years, however, the Empire has distanced itself from the Church; as a result, House Varley has become increasingly involved with the Empire's judiciary, which has been the cause of some friction with House Hevring and the Ministry of the Interior.
Varley territory was a rough place to live in, if you weren't a noble. Heavy taxation, and forced labor in the mountains were rampant, with the mountains providing valuable ore for armor and weapons. The Count of Varley was recognized as a very influential and wealthy leader, but was infamous for his greed, cruelty, and classist beliefs. The man viewed himself as an untouchable god, (ironic, considering his position) and he reveled in the privilege and power…
It was a bright and sunny day outside the Varley estate. The perfect day for a child to be out and about, having fun and letting their imagination run wild. Unfortunately, we see one young boy who wasn't as lucky to do so.
He appeared to be no older than ten, with short, light purple hair. He wore a wide brimmed hat, stained brown gloves with matching overalls, and a white shirt underneath, customary attire of the estate's gardeners. This boy was just recently appointed the head gardener's assistant, and he already had about a week of experience in this new job.
He hummed a whimsical tune to himself while he was busy trimming a rose bush. Suddenly, he hears the rustling of a nearby bush, and is immediately on high alert.
"Who goes there?! Show yourself!" He raises up his shears as if they were a weapon. "I'm armed….sorta."
He sees a small child accidentally tumble out of a nearby bush. She appeared to be a couple of years younger than him. She had a messy mop of purple hair that looked like it hadn't seen a comb in quite some time. There were a variety of bruises mottling her porcelain skin, and scratches raked across her arms.
"You alright, there?" The boy asks. "That was quite a fall."
The girl quickly bolts up and dusts herself off. "Um….y-yes." she stuttered. "I'm just…very clumsy. Yeah, that's what it is. Please don't get mad! I'm sorry I interrupted your work!"
"Yes, well, it's no biggie." The boy assures. "It's the same old schtick everyday at this job, so this is a welcome surprise. Say…you're the Count's kid, aren't ya?"
The girl nervously nods. "Uh-huh. I'm Bernadetta, but you can call me Bernie if you want. That's what my mom calls me. What's your name?"
"It's, uh….. it's not important." He quickly answers. "Well then….. Bernie. What brings you out here? In my time working here, I can count the number of times I've seen you on one hand, including right now."
Bernie fidgets a little bit, and twiddles her fingers. "Well, I, uh…was out here to see you."
The boy was quite taken aback. He'd heard the rumors of the Count's daughter, and how she wasn't very fond of strangers. "Really? What is it about me that fascinates you?"
"N-nothing l-like that! It's just that…there's usually never any other kids around here. My parents don't let me play with other kids. But I just had to see you. You look after the garden and all its plants, after all."
"Is that so? It must get really lonely around here for you."
She nods. "It can be, but there's times where I enjoy being alone."
"You're an odd one, that's for sure."
"Can I….ask you for something?" She nervously asked, refusing to look up at him. "Do you want…to play with me? This garden is the perfect place to play hide and seek and, well…. it's not as fun with only one player."
The boy was quite surprised to hear her ask that. And he wondered why she was so hesitant to ask something as simple as to play a game with her. Still, he wasn't gonna say no.
"I suppose I have the time to take a little break. Alright then. I'll play your game."
Bernie's face lights up with joy. "Really?! That makes Bernie so happy!"
The boy lets out a small chuckle. "Did you just refer to yourself in the third person?"
"I-I'm sorry!" She quickly panics. "It's a force of habit sometimes!"
"No no, don't apologize. It's part of your charm."
"Oh?" Bernie's face lights up. It was such a rare sight for someone to compliment her. "What a relief." She bows so low it's almost as if she folds in half. "This garden is really important to Bernie, so thank you for looking after it!"
"Whoa, it's not proper for a noble to bow to a commoner such as myself." He reminds her. "I'm just a lowborn that pulls your weeds, after all. C'mon, I'll count first, so get to hiding."
"Okay. But….can I please get your name? Pleeease?"
"Alright, fine." The boy sighs. He didn't want to divulge his real name, so he already had an alias in mind when he got the job. "It's Alfred."
And thus, a friendship was born. Day after day, Bernie would meet "Alfred" in the garden every day once he was finished, and they would play together. Bernie would create adventures for them to go on. Sometimes she'd ramble on and on about her favorite carnivorous plants, ones they had in the garden, and ones that she'd want to add. She also went on about the stories she'd wanted to write, which definitely didn't have her as the hero. Alfred had to admit, he felt something special with her. A special kind of friendship. He wasn't much of a smiler, but his time with her gave him a grin here and there.
There was even one time when Bernie was being a little careless, and accidentally left a cut above one of Alfred's eyes with the gardening shears. Despite all of that, little Bernie had found her first friend. Someone who'd listen to her, and indulge in her silly ramblings, and who'd treat her like a person rather than a tool. It was almost enough to make the abuse and belittlement her father put her through a bit more bearable.
After weeks of this, another day is close to ending. The sun was just now beginning to set. Both Alfred and Bernie sat in front of a patch of snapdragons, watching the sun set.
"I've got to ask you something, Bernie." Alfred asks. "And please don't take offense to this."
"Hm? What is it?" Bernie asked.
"Is it really true that you have no other friends?"
She feels a pit in her stomach, and gives a rather somber look. "Father doesn't let me have friends. Especially commoners. He says they're filthy, subhuman scum only good for lining nobles' pockets with money. And other nobles don't visit our territory for very long. I don't get to see the noble children either."
Alfred sighs, growing to dislike the Count more and more. "Why doesn't he let you see the noble children?"
"Because I'm a failure. Father says I'm a useless disgrace to the family. He tells me I'm unmarriageable, and that no guy would ever marry me if they saw the mess that is Bernie."
In that moment, there was a lot he wanted to tell her. How much he enjoyed the time they spent, listening to her stories, and how cute she is, even when she's being dorky or skittish.
"But you're a Crest bearer. You're the legitimate heir of House Varley. Isn't that enough for you?"
She fiddles with a loose strand of hair. I don't know. Maybe. Father has told me lots of things, but I'm not sure how much of it is true." She itches her arm, and for a brief moment, Alfred sees some bruises on her arm, hidden by her sleeves. "Sometimes, I feel like I don't belong here. I feel lost most of the time. I want to find somewhere where I truly belong."
"You're not happy with your life now?"
"Of course not! But I don't have a choice. I've spent my life learning to be submissive, and how to make whoever my future husband is happy. But it seems like….I fail at even that. If only I could find that special someone on my own, rather than my father."
"You know he'd absolutely freak out if you did so." Alfred brings up.
She starts fiddling with her sleeves. "I know that. But I can at least dream. I want someone who's sweet and kind. Someone who'll still like me even when I mess up. Someone….kinda like you."
"Well, I'm absolutely flattered." Alfred said with a smirk.
Her brain catches up with what she said, and she waves her hands frantically in denial. "WAIT! NO! I-I DIDN'T MEAN IT LIKE THAT!"
"Calm down, I was just teasing you."
She in fact did mean it like that. But ultimately it would never work out. She, a noble, and he, a commoner. Quickly, she changes the subject.
She stands up and points to the sky. "One day, I want to be brave and strong. It's my dream!"
Alfred's interest was piqued. "Really?"
"Yes! One day, I want to be someone who's proud of who they are! Bernie will be strong! She'll go the distance, and nothing will scare her! The bravest heroes have the best friends! All of her friends will cheer when they see her coming! And she'll shout to the heavens, "I AM BERNIE! HEAR ME ROAR!'"
Alfred has himself a good laugh at her bravado.
"Hey!" She pouts. "Don't make fun of me! I'm serious!"
"I'm not laughing at you!" He assured her. "It's just that…the world is a vast place. I've even heard legends of worlds beyond our own, with lots of unique individuals. There's lots of friends out there for you to make."
"Really?!"
"Yep. I guarantee that one day…. you'll find friends who'll never leave you. Friends who'll always have your back."
"Oh, it's really getting dark now!" She says. "I've gotta get going. Same time tomorrow?!"
He nods. "Yep. Can't wait to see what your limitless imagination concocts next."
She runs off, back inside the manor. The young man starts packing up his equipment, he sees the Count walking through the garden. Very briefly, both make eye contact, with Varley giving the commoner a look of disdain. One unlike any he'd ever seen.
And with that look, he knew it had to be done. He'd complete his job tonight.
Tonight, he would finally kill Bernadetta.
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Yuri…
Yuri…
"Yuri, wake up!" A gruff voice shouts. "We got a job to do today!"
Yuri immediately bolts awake from his bed, his dream of the past still ringing in his head. Alfred was gone now. Now, he was Yuri. The Savage Mockingbird. The Underground Lord of the society known simply as Abyss.
He looks at who woke him up. It was a tall, muscular man with wildly flowing black hair. He wore a long white coat, open and exposing his abs and muscles, and black boots and gloves.
"Sorry about that, Balthus." Yuri tells him. "Had the craziest dream just now."
"Heh, I could tell." Balthus said. "You were tossing and turning something crazy. I really don't want ya missing the job today. It's probably the biggest score we've ever gotten. I may just be able to pay off all my debts and have plenty left over."
Yuri gets up from his bed and stretches. "Those pirates are a shady bunch, and that's coming from me." Yuri cracks his neck as he tries to knock away his remaining drowsiness. "They're the seediest group of cutthroats, villains, and scoundrels I've ever seen. Regardless, they're paying quite a hefty reward for this job. Abyss could always use more money. Where's Hapi and Shady Lady?"
"Constance and Hapi are already up and ready." Balthus answers. "It's you we were waiting on."
"Sorry about that, friend. Let's go rendezvous with those two weirdos."
Yuri quickly gets dressed and applies his eyeshadow and lipstick. They both leave the room, and wander through Abyss. It was an underground city, with a series of secret tunnels leading to it. Here lies many unwanted and lost vagabonds of society who find solace in its depths. Many people have made Abyss their home for one way or another.
"Hey, Yuri!" A sketchy but kindly merchant passing by calls out. "You rats heading out for a job?!"
Yuri smirks. "Quite a big one, today. You wouldn't believe what those scurvy dogs are paying."
"If it's a big reward, I've no doubt the job is dangerous. You youngsters don't go and get yourselves killed, you hear?"
"I wouldn't dream of it." Yuri says confidently. "Not with the residents down here counting on me."
Both Yuri and Balthus enter a the Wilting Rose Inn, and find two women waiting on them. One was a pompous looking blonde, while the other was a tan skinned redhead with a look of apathy.
"What took you so long?" The redhead complained.
"Apologies, Hapi." Yuri defends himself. "But you know I've gotta make myself pretty, both on and off the battlefield."
" That's your excuse?" Hapi said. "I'll never understand you."
"So what's the plan now, oh fearless leader?" The blonde asked with a hint of haughtiness.
"Once the four of us are above ground, Constance, we're to meet up with those pirates at Lake Teutates."
"Lake Teutates?" Constance said. "All the way in the Kingdom?"
"Relax, Shady Lady." Yuri assures her. "The place is known to constantly be foggy and overcast. You don't have to worry about your… condition."
"What was this crew's name again?" Hapi asked. "I heard they've been to worlds even beyond our own."
"They're the Anarchy something…"Balthus said, wracking his brain to remember their name.
"They're called the Aegis of Anarchy." Yuri answers. "Their captain is said to be a powerful man that even the entirety of the Knights of Seiros wouldn't dare mess with. And like Hapi said, they have technology that lets them traverse even dimensions. Quite the fascinating subject. I'm sure the Shadow Library may have a book or two on dimension hopping."
"We can save the reading for later, pal." Balthus said. "We gotta book it to Faerghus, ASAP."
"Balthus is right." Yuri said. "Ashen Wolves, move out!"
As they head for the tunnel that will take them above ground, Yuri's mind still lingers on the dream he had, remembering it vividly.
Varley…. that's a name I haven't heard in years. Is the goddess trying to tell me something?
He regrettably remembers the day he made the worst mistake of his life. A day he ultimately wished he could forget.
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We now move back to our trusty ship, the Jolly Rancher. The sea and the sky appeared to be rather peaceful today. Our remaining thirteen contestants were each busy doing their own thing today.
We see Futaba approach Bernadetta's room, and lightly knock on it.
"Hey Bern, it's me. Got a second? I've got this new game I want to show you."
"Uh…just a second!" The worried voice of Bernadetta could be heard on the other side. The sound of something hits the floor, and Bernadetta lets out a pained swear.
"Alright, I'm coming in." Futaba said with concern.
She opens the door, and finds Bernadetta's room a bit of a mess. There were several small papers with notes scattered on the floor, and Bernadetta was kneeled down trying to pick them all up.
"Dang it, I could've sworn I had my door locked!" Bernadetta cried.
Futaba picks up a paper and inspects it. "Are these…. note cards? With different conversation topics?"
"Um….yes?" Bernadetta squeaked. "I'm trying to make sure today goes perfectly."
"Excuse me, what?"
Bernadetta sighs. "Remember a couple days ago, when I offered to make a meal for Ryu? Well, we decided to do that today. And, well…I'm just trying to prepare, you know?"
"I'm not sure I follow."
Bernadetta sighs. "Alright, I'll level with you. I'm planning this to be just me and him. You know, share a meal together, set the mood just right, and…."
"And you're gonna confess your feelings to him, am I getting this correct?" Futaba assumes.
Bernadetta nods. "That's right. Everything has to be perfect for today. After everything we've been through, this can't afford to go wrong."
Bern feels a chill up her spine as something brushes up against her leg. Looking down, it's just Bibo nuzzling against her.
"Sorry about that." Futaba says, returning him to his Poke Ball. "He tends to come out on his own sometimes. He's got a lot of energy. Still, this plan of yours sounds quite romantic. You really do love him, don't you?"
"I do." Bernadetta said awkwardly. "After the many months we've been on this show, I never expected to find someone I genuinely love. Father always said no man would ever want me."
"Well, he's not here. He can't hurt you, he can't get in the way. Nothing is stopping you."
"Can I ask you something?" Bernadetta asked. "Let's say things go well between us, and we do end up…as a couple. You're not going to be upset or feel left out, are you? Considering we're an alliance and all."
"Not at all." Futaba assures her. "It won't change anything between us. I'm rooting for you guys."
"Really? That's a relief."
"So, what kind of meal did you have in mind?"
Bernadetta's face lights up at the question. "I'm glad you asked. I worked on it all night. I made all of his favorite foods. Hours of research on Japanese cuisine and lots of practice, and it's now ready. I've kept it in the fridge all night for today."
"That's some dedication. I hope it all pans out for you." Her eyes widened at something that caught her eye. "And is that a flowchart on your wall?! Seems like you're putting a little too much pressure on this. You've got a date with the guy of your dreams, and this is how you plan it out?"
"It has to be perfect." Bernadetta said. "Ryu deserves this. Just one day with the two of us. No marines, no self centered celebrities, and no people dressed as monsters. But if the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, then Bernie will spoil him with everything she's got."
Suddenly, they hear a loud knock at the door. Bernadetta quietly opens the door, and is left utterly speechless.
Ryu was there, but he wasn't wearing his usual three piece suit. Instead, he was wearing a white shirt with the sleeves shortened to the elbows, a cream colored tie, purple vest with a handkerchief in the pocket, white pants, and loafers. Bernadetta was spellbound with how nicely he looked. Her brain practically blue screened at the sight of him.
" Did he dress up all fancy just for me?" She wondered. "...wow." was all she could mutter.
"I, uh… hope I'm not too late or anything." Ryu said awkwardly.
"Um, no, not at all." Bernadetta quickly responds. "I was actually about to come get you. I didn't expect you to dress so…. distinguished. And here I am wearing what I usually do."
"Hey hey, don't feel obligated to change on my account. I did this because I wanted to."
Futaba, feeling the awkward tension between her two friends, knew that it was time for her to go.
"Well, I've got a new game to indulge myself in, so you two have fun, okay?"
Futaba quickly leaves the room, but not before giving Bernadetta a reassuring thumbs up.
"I….hope you brought your appetite." Bernadetta said awkwardly. "I put a lot of hard work into this."
"Well then, lead the way…. milady." Ryu said sweetly.
Bernadetta's face goes completely red from his compliment.
"Let's just go get the food." She manages to squeak out.
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"If I didn't know any better, I'm pretty sure this is a date." Ryu said. "All I gotta do is just stay cool, can't get too excited again."
He painfully remembered the really bad nosebleed he had episodes before.
"So, I had Tokageroh take the afternoon for himself so that Bernie and I can get some one on one time. I want this to go perfectly. Bernie deserves only the very best."
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Shermie is seen whistling a tune as she enters the library. Her cheerful demeanor is knocked right out of her as she sees her fellow alliance mates chatting with each other….and for some reason, Percy was with them as well. The talking died down to an awkward silence as they all look at her.
"Gee, uh…this is….kinda awkward." Pete says.
"Awkward? What's awkward?" Shermie questions. "What's going on?"
The group looks at each other.
"How do we tell her?" Draco asks.
"I'll break it gently to her, meatbag." Bender assures them.
"Tell me what?!" Shermie snapped. "I demand an explanation!"
Bender gets up and pulls Shermie aside.
"Allow me to be the messenger of bad news, lady." Bender says. "Well, bad news for you only."
"What's going on, tin can?" Shermie asks impatiently.
"Let me explain this to you in simple terms: you're out of the group."
"WHAT?!"
"Yep. I would say sorry, but I'd get branded a liar by saying that because I wouldn't mean it!"
"What do you mean I'm out of the group?!" Shermie asks furiously.
"Well, Light called everyone together, and we all had a little chat about you. He brings up how you're bad news, and more trouble than you're worth, so we're cutting you loose. Luckily, Light brought on that police chick to take your place. He said she's very intelligent and trustworthy."
Shermie throws her arms up in anger. "I don't believe this!"
She storms back over to the group and confronts Light.
"What did you do?!" She snaps.
"I figured with all the drama you've been getting yourself into, it'd be a lot easier if we went our separate ways." Light calmly answers. "Nothing personal."
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"After thinking it over, it'll be a lot more of a hassle to keep an eye on her." Light said. "So then I thought, let's just get rid of her altogether. I don't know what job she's been brought here to do, but she's more trouble than she's worth. Can't have her getting in my way."
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"If I had a nickel for every person named Yagami who's screwed me over, I'd have two nickels." Shermie said. "It's not a lot, but it's quite the coincidence that it's happened twice. Doesn't change how upset I am."
"And you're all okay with this?!" Shermie asked the rest of the group.
"Hey, we took it to a group vote, missy." Pete explains. "Turns out that everyone voted unanimously. Besides, you weaseled your way into my alliance in the first place."
"I do apologize for any inconvenience I've brought upon you." Percy formally tells Shermie. "But Mr. Yagami was rather convincing with his proposition of joining this group. And I'm all for teamwork and solidarity."
"Unbelievable." Shermie groans.
"Look on the bright side." Light says, the venom oozing from his faux kindness. "I'm sure this opens up a new opportunity for you to find other people to team up with. The competition has gotten pretty slim, so it's expected for people to team up and make alliances. Though I doubt you'll find anyone as good as us."
Both Bender and Pete laugh at Shermie, with Light giving her the most devious shit eating grin. Being left utterly cast out and humiliated, Shermie storms out of the room.
Pete looks over at Draco, who appears to be staring off into a nearby shelf of books, with a melancholic look on his face.
"I'm surprised you weren't laughing at her, kid." Pete brings up. "Usually, you'd jump at the chance to laugh at someone else's misery."
"Eh, I really don't care what happens with her." Draco drawls. "It's no skin off my back."
"You've been acting a bit weird the past couple of days." Pete brings up. "Ever since that kid you've been constantly butting heads with left."
"It's kinda weird not having Barry around." Draco admits. "As much as he got on my nerves, I have at least a modicum of respect for him. It's…kinda not the same. I was talking with that Molly kid about this yesterday, and she thinks I may miss him."
"Well, do ya?" Pete asks.
"I honestly don't know." Draco groans. "I'm just feeling a bit…lost right now."
Don't go getting sappy on us." Light brings up. "There's still a game to be played. We wouldn't want you losing sight of what's most important. You said it yourself: you can't afford to leave right now."
"What?!" Draco scoffs. "It's not like I'm going soft or anything. I just miss having that twerp around to poke fun at, is all."
Light flashes the wizard a friendly grin, perfectly hiding his true intentions. "That's good. We wouldn't want you to be just like Shermie."
"I can already smell the exemplary teamwork coming from this group." Percy said, failing to read the room.
"Anyway…this meeting is adjourned." Pete said awkwardly.
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"I'm not going soft! I refuse to look weak in front of them!" Malfoy declared. "The second I appear weak, I'll end up kicked out like Shermie. Then it's my arse in the hot seat, and then I'm the one going home."
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"I think this is the start to a great partnership." Percy said. "Usually on these shows, like minded individuals form alliances. I wouldn't use the term personally, but the benefits of it still stand. Light seemed eager to ask me to join this group. How could I refuse him?"
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In the dining hall, we see just Yami and Alucard sitting together, with the former recounting a story from his past.
"And I told him if you ever do that again, I'm dropping you to your death." Yami finishes.
Alucard has a small chuckle. "Of all the humans I've met, you've probably had quite the craziest life."
"It comes with the territory." Yami says, lighting a cigarette. "Whether in this game or not, I'm always managing groups of misfits."
"Gentleman! Just the people I've been looking for!"
They both look to see Panty smiling sweetly at them.
"Ah, it's you. The angel." Alucard remarks. "Pray tell, what business would you have with us?"
"Wait, let me guess." Yami interrupts. "You're gonna suggest something dirty like a threesome, aren't ya?"
Panty looked a bit offended. "What?! No! Though let's not throw that suggestion off the table. I've come to you two for an offer."
"An offer, eh?" Alucard wickedly grins. "What could you possibly want with us?"
"You guys aren't in any alliances are you?"
"Um….no." Yami answered. "I've done pretty well on my own so far."
"That would make two of us." Alucard adds.
"Why, are you trying to form one with us?"
Panty nods. "Yep. I was going to with Pit before he got eliminated. He and I would have made one hell of a team. But I thought, hey, maybe I should ask you two instead. You two are arguably the strongest guys left on the team. And besides, there's not many people left. I'm sure others are already pairing up together."
"I guess I'm not opposed to the idea." Yami said. "Now that I think about it, they're probably gonna dissolve the teams any day now. Factions are no doubt gonna form."
"And being unaligned will make one an easy target for elimination." Alucard adds. "But are you sure you want to team up with us? What's to stop any of us, from say…stabbing the other in the back?"
"I'm two steps ahead of you on that one."
Panty slams down a contract in front of them.
"If we do this, let's make it official. By signing the contract, you abide by the rule that none of us will betray each other. At least until we make it to the final three. After that, it's fair game."
Alucard inspects the contract, and nods with approval. "For a nymphomaniac such as yourself, you've really thought all of this out."
"I'm more than just a pretty face and body. Shit, I still wish Pit was here, as I'm sure he'd be on board with this idea. So what do you say, boys? Do we have a deal?"
"You know what?" Yami responds. "Screw it, I'm in. Somebody get me a pen."
"Heh heh, I guess it wouldn't hurt to join forces." Alucard answers sadistically. "Besides, there's a couple people here I'd love nothing more to take down, so consider it done."
Panty clasps her hands together. "Great to hear! You guys were honestly more agreeable than I thought!"
"ARE YOU KIDDING ME RIGHT NOW?!"
T three of them were shocked to hear someone screaming in the kitchen.
"What the fuck was that?!" Panty asked.
"Better investigate, I guess." Yami groans.
They go into the kitchen, and see Ryu and Bernadetta in front of an open fridge.
"What's the deal with you guys?" Panty asked.
"The food I made…." Bernadetta said bitterly. "It's gone!"
"What are you talking about?"
"The meal Bernie made!" Ryu said, starting to raise his voice. "With all of her hard work put into it! It's just gone!"
"I even left a note saying not to touch it!" Bernadetta cried. "What could have happened?!"
Ryu stands up, the look of anger on his face.
"It's obvious, isn't it?!" Ryu yelled. "Somebody stole it! If there's one thing I don't tolerate, it's thieves! Stealing makes your mother cry!"
"Slow your roll, pompadour." Yami calmly tells him. "Before you go getting all pissy, let me just say I didn't take nothing."
"And I can't eat your human food, lest I get sick." Alucard adds.
"I know you guys wouldn't steal from her!" Ryu yells. "But I'm gonna go find the scumbag who did and make them pay!"
Bernadetta started to grow concerned. "Please don't do something rash! This is all my fault! I shouldn't have cooked in the first place!"
Ryu was already stomping out of the room. To him, it was already bad enough stole Bernadetta's food, but now she's blaming herself. He knew damn well she didn't deserve any of that. Now was the time to right this wrong. He was seeing red, and someone was gonna pay.
"I'll be back." He darkly growled.
Slamming the door shut behind him, his teammates were left baffled.
"I don't think I've ever seen him mad." Panty said.
"Mad?!" Yami snorts. "The guy looked like he was going to kill someone!"
"What a delightful sight to see if he does." Alucard said, with everyone giving him a weird look. "I'm not apologizing."
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We see Kronk, stealthily sneaking around the halls, and singing some song for himself out loud like he was in a spy movie. As he snuck around, he carried what appeared to be a small bento box.
"Uh….what exactly am I doing with this box?" He asks.
"Find somewhere to dispose of it, of course!" The voice of Yzma shrieked through his earpiece. "There's some people here who may join forces because of that box, and we can't have that getting in my-I mean, your way."
"Who does it belong to?" Kronk asks.
"Somebody on the other team." Yzma answers quickly, not wanting to divulge who it really belongs to. "The details aren't very important. What is important is getting it out of sight, and out of mind."
Kronk nods knowingly, and is then startled by the sound of stomping, and somebody's angry ranting.
"WHERE ARE THEY?! WHERE'S THE THIEVING LITTLE SON OF A BITCH?!"
Kronk immediately starts to panic. "Crud, what do I do?!"
"Just drop it and run!" Yzma answers. "Abort! Abort!"
Kronk immediately drops the box and runs as fast as he can. Little did he know he dropped the food right in front of Pete's room. The big guy opens up the door, wondering what the commotion was.
"Alright, what's the big idea?! Huh?" Pete looks down and inspects the box, the food spilled out all over the floor. "What in tarnation is this?!"
"I'VE FOUND YOU!"
Pete looks to see Ryu, a look of pure anger and hatred on his face.
"Can I help you, beanpole? And what's with the outfit? You actually look normal for once."
"I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN IT WAS YOU WHO STOLE BERNIE'S FOOD!" Ryu roars. "THAT GIRL PUT HER HEART AND SOUL INTO IT, AND YOU TAKE IT ALL FOR YOURSELF YOU GREEDY FAT CAT!"
Pete was confused. "What? What are you talking about? You're not making any sense."
"COME HERE, FATASS!"
Ryu tackles Pete to ground, and proceeds to mercilessly beat him up.
"OW! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Pete wails in agony. "LET ME GO! SOMEBODY SET ME UP, I TELL YA!"
"QUIT TRYING TO DENY IT!" Ryu shouts. "I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN BULLYING HER, WHO ELSE COULD IT BE?!"
"HAVE MERCY! I'VE BEEN FRAMED!"
Ryu's assault was so loud that the other contestants appeared on the scene to this horrible sight. They were all utterly terrified to see Ryu beating this guy senseless.
"What the hell are you doing?!" Draco exclaimed. "Are you mad?!"
"I'm beating this fat bastard into the next century, what does it look like?!" Ryu answers while punching furiously. "This jerk's a thief, and I'm putting him in his place!"
Kronk could only watch in horror and guilt as it all finally made sense to him.
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"What have I done?!" Kronk asked, mortified. "That was Bernadetta's meal I stole. And now Ryu is beating up someone who did nothing wrong."
He hangs his head low in shame. "Some friend I turned out to be."
"Remember what I said?" Yzma says to him through his earpiece. "You don't need friends. And look at the drama pot this has stirred up. Nobody suspects it's you. Just don't say anything about you having been involved."
The confessional ends with Kronk groaning.
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"Frankly, he deserves it." Shermie said. "Whether he's a thief or not. Consider that karma for stabbing me in the back."
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"Please, let me go!" Pete cries, already having one eye swollen shut!"
"You want a piece of Ryu?!" Ryu spat. "Then you get the whole pie!"
As Ryu is about to throw another punch, Yami grabs his arm to stop him.
"Captain, what are you doing?!" Ryu asked.
"I love watching an ass beating as much as the next guy, but I think it's time you stand down and back away." Yami said. "Isn't it, "Innocent until proven guilty?'"
"Yeah, that's right!" Pete adds. "There's no proof! I swear I didn't steal anything! Thanks for stopping him!"
"It was in front of your room!" Ryu counters. "And you've had a bad habit of antagonizing Bernadetta lately!"
Percy steps in front of Ryu.
"Still, there's not enough evidence to suggest it was him. And I was with him all morning. I can personally vouch for him that he did not steal anything."
"Yeah, listen to the police lady!" Pete whimpers, trying to look as sympathetic (emphasis on pathetic) as possible.
"But Miss Percy…." Ryu defends. "I-"
"But nothing." The cop responds very sternly. "I'm going to order you to let Pete go right this instant." She then slowly reaches for her sword. "There's no proof, so back down, now! If you don't….I'll make you stop, and you won't like the end result."
Ryu looks around him. Everyone looked either upset or disappointed in him. Even Tokageroh was there, shaking his head at him. He then looks at Bernadetta, who gives him a nod, hoping he'll do the right thing. With great reluctance, he let's Pete go, and backs away.
"Oh, thank you thank you thank thank you!" Pete cried, groveling at Percy's feet.
"Alright, civilians. Nothing to see here." Percy calmly says to everyone. "Please go about your usual business."
"What a shame." Alucard says as most of them leave. "I was hoping to see some bloodshed."
"You're gonna pay for this one, beanpole." Pete threatens as he walks off.
The only ones left there in the hallway were Ryu, Tokageroh, Bernadetta, Futaba, Shermie, and Kronk.
"Of all the dumbass things you've done, this really takes the cake, kid." Tokageroh says. "How do you think Yoh will feel when he sees this? Or even worse….. Anna?"
"Playing devil's advocate here, I think he had it coming." Shermie said.
"Are you…alright?" Futaba asks.
Ryu slumps down against the wall. "No, I'm not. I made a complete ass of myself just now. And maybe I did have the wrong guy."
"Yeah…. probably." Kronk said awkwardly, covering his shame.
"I'm sorry for flying off the handle, you guys."
"I know you were trying to do this for me." Bernadetta said. "I appreciate the concern, but don't go blaming yourself. This is all my fault."
Everyone looks at her, confused as to what she meant.
"What do you mean it's your fault?" Ryu asks. "You didn't do anything wrong."
"I had the idea to do this in the first place. If I hadn't done that, nothing would've been stolen, and everything would be okay. It's not your fault that I ruin everything.
"Bernadetta…. that's not true." Ryu said. "You didn't do anything wrong. This was all my fault. I was the one who overreacted, and must take responsibility for it. I'm the one who's to blame."
This did make them all feel a little bit better. But this moment was cut short when Don's voice came up over the loudspeaker.
"Attention, contestants! We will be stopping at our next destination and challenge shortly. Everyone brace yourselves to disembark!"
"Chin up, you two." Shermie tells them. "Maybe this next challenge will lift your spirits."
"I hope whatever it is is normal." Bernadetta said hopefully.
"I'm with you on that one, Bern." Futaba adds.
Oh, how wrong they were.
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"If it wasn't Pete, then who was it?!" Ryu wonders.
"Sorry your date didn't work out, kid." Tokageroh said.
"Something fishy is going on around here. And it's bad enough it affected Bernie. What was supposed to be a nice little date between the two of us is now ruined."
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"You don't think Light was responsible for all of that?" Futaba guesses. "Maybe he's simply trying to stir chaos amongst everyone? No, that's too simple for someone like him. I can't make heads or tails of stuff going on around here sometimes."
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"I'm tellin' ya, somebody set me up!" Pete said. "At least Yami stopped it before it got worse. I can't stand the guy, but I owe him one. And I mean only one. Question is, who's trying to get me into trouble?"
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(Lake Teutates)
We see a small group of people chilling by a lake. The place was foggy, with a stone walkway like a boardwalk all across the lake. The group was having a laugh as they marveled at a huge sack filled to the brim with gold coins.
"Hahaha! What a dumbass!" One of them laughed. He was blonde, wearing a purple and yellow striped jumpsuit. He had a maniacal look on his eyes, his long tongue dangling out of his mouth. "Some schmucks come rolling up with a whole shipment of gold. They were easy pickings! The captain is gonna love this haul!"
"You said it, Xy!" A woman said. She had long pink hair, all tied back. She wore a ripped pink shirt and matching skirt, black boots, and fishnet stockings. "Maybe we'll get a pretty hefty cut of this junk!"
"Whoever it was going to clearly doesn't need it as much as we do!" A large, blue humanoid shark man said. He wore dark pants, and had a mechanical hook for one of his hands. "I'd love to see them dare talk to us about it!"
"How are you holding up, newbie?" Another guy asked. He had dark spiky hair, and wore a long black sleeveless coat exposing his chest, black boots, and had tubes running across his body filled with a green liquid.
The person he was talking to was a pale skinned woman with red hair, wearing a skimpy black outfit fit for an assassin. She looked rather nervous. "Why should I say anything to you lousy sea dogs?!" She snapped.
"I'd watch that mouth of yours, Kronya." The blonde psychopath cackled. "He was kind enough to let you join our crew after we finished destroying your home and your race! Even genocide has a silver lining! HAHAHAHA!"
Kronya looks down, still upset about these scoundrels having destroyed her home of Shambhala a mere two days ago, and wiping out what was already a small bit of her race left. All their lives, the Agarthans wished to eradicate humanity, and now she's forced to join as this crew's captain's "lady." She gagged at the thought, but didn't wish to die.
"I envy your enthusiasm, Xyrian." The dark haired guy said somberly. "Even when it comes to bloody murder, you're not fazed.
"I've got a body count bigger than days you've been alive, Narmun!" Xyrian responds. "Zinna, Glades, back me up on this one!"
"Can't talk!" Zinna claps back. "Too busy counting gold!"
"My my…we're not late, are we?" A voice asked.
The pirates and Kronya turned to see Yuri and the Ashen Wolves.
"You guys got here a lot faster than expected." Glades points out.
"Ugh, more humans." Kronya groans.
"That's a lot of gold you scurvy dogs got there." Balthus says, eyeing the money greedily.
"Back off, biceps!" Xyrian spat. "Finders keepers! Or more specifically, stealers owners! Some no name randos we're pedaling this shit south, so we ransacked them!"
"You folks will get your pay soon enough." Narmun says. " If you get the job done."
Yuri spots Kronya amongst the group of rogues.
"Do my eyes deceive me, or is that one of those Agarthans I've been hearing about? I remember hearing Prince Dimitri went and wiped you all out."
Kronya growls at him while Glades laughs at this.
"Well, the princeling got most of them!" Glades explained. "The captain then finished off the rest. She's the only one left. One horrible mistake away from going extinct. I'm usually all for slaughter, but the captain was willing to show mercy."
"Laugh it up, you worthless humans! Kronya spat. "I did what I had to do to survive! You scoundrels wouldn't know what that's like!"
Yuri in fact did know what it was like to do whatever it took to survive. All the jobs he took up to support him and his mother. He wondered how she was doing these days. Despite growing up poor, they were still willing to help others
He recalls a memory from a long time ago with him and his mother. A time when they nursed an elderly man back to health. And a couple years later, a plague swept all across Faerghus, killing thousands. Yuri had gotten infected, and was at death's door, until that old man came by and repaid their kindness with a blood transfusion that saved his life. With his life saved, he wanted to use it to help his mother and the other people who suffered in this world.
"You could say I know a little bit about what it's like." Yuri retorts.
"We're getting a little off track here." Zinna says to the Wolves. "You sewer rats have already been debriefed on what the job entails. You know this land better than us, so we're gonna need your help scouting the place."
"For your information plebs, this lake is a holy place." Constance explained.
"Plebs, eh?" Xyrian remarks. "Haven't heard that insult before. I love it! Gonna have to use it one of these days!"
"She's right, though." Yuri adds. "This is said to be a sacred place tied to Saint Indech himself."
"I don't care who's place this is!" Zinna snaps. "The captain tasked us with retrieving the "treasure" this place has! Whatever it is was Saint Indiana or what's his name's most sacred treasure. If what the captain said is correct, it's guarded by a terrifying monster."
"That's right." Yuri says. He swears under his breath. "That's gonna be the problem. The Immovable stands in the way of the treasure."
"Which is where you guys come in." Narmun explains as he pours a corrosive green liquid into one of the gauntlets on his arm. "You have the home field advantage. You track the monster down for us, and we terminate it. We slay the beast, and the treasure is ours."
"I'm not saying this will happen, but what if there's anyone else here?" Hapi asks.
"Yeah, she brings up a good point." Balthus said. "What if there's other people here snooping around her for the treasure? I mean, on the off chance that that's the case?"
Narmun's face darkens. "If there's any unexpected guests…do not hesitate to kill them on site!"
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Not too far away, the Jolly Rancher stops near the coast of the lake. As Don and the contestants disembark, everyone is taking in their surroundings.
"This place is foggy as hell." Yami mutters.
"Anybody else getting chills from this place?" Futaba asked. "And I don't mean the temperature."
"That makes two of us." Kronk says. The big guy was carrying an even bigger backpack with him.
"What's with the big backpack, dude?" Ryu asked. "You bring your whole room with you or something?"
"You can never be too prepared." Kronk says quickly. "That's rule number one of a Junior Chipmunk Scout."
Kronk winces as Yzma speaks loudly into his earpiece.
"I've taught you well in the art of lying, Kronk." She says. "If only they knew the beautiful and intelligent me was inside this bag to help you win this challenge. You're gonna need all the help you can get with this one."
The group is greeted by someone who's rather familiar to those who've seen Infinite 2. It was a man with dark green hair, wearing a navy blue uniform and cape. Bernadetta gasps as soon as she recognized who it was.
"Wait a minute…Seteth?! Wait…does this mean we're back in my world?! Oh no!"
"I see you're still as neurotic as ever, Bernadetta." Seteth says, remaining rather stern. "I've already had to deal with Total Drama once, but now a second time? By the goddess, if there's ever a third time, I just may have an aneurysm."
"I'm fully aware of the shenanigans that transpired when the cast of Infinite 2 were here in Fodlan not too long ago, Mr. Seteth." Don assures. "Let me assure you that I'm nothing like Chris McLean."
"I hope so." Seteth responds. "That group last time was quite the headache. I'm only here to help with your challenge because Lady Rhea insisted. If it weren't for that, and the fact this place is rather important, I wouldn't have bothered."
"Duly noted."
"So this is your world, huh Bern?" Futaba asks. "Very…foggy."
"Do not mistake, young lady." Seteth informs her. "The rest of Fodlan is nothing like this. This is Lake Teutates, in the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus. Unlike your compatriots under McLean, your challenge will not be at Garreg Mach, but rather here."
"What's the challenge then bub?" Pete asks. The fat cat was holding an ice pack to his face, milking the injury from Ryu's beatdown earlier.
"Let me put it in simple terms, for someone who appears as slow minded as you." Seteth says, with Pete angrily mumbling something underneath his breath. "Your challenge will be a treasure hunt."
"A treasure hunt, eh?" Percy says. "Pray tell, what is it that we're searching for? Money? Some valuable trinket?"
"It's neither, actually." Seteth explains. "What you're searching for is a weapon very closely tied to Saint Indech, of course."
"Who's that?"
Seteth has himself a small chuckle. "I suppose it's time for a quick history lesson."
"Emphasis on quick, I hope." Draco snarks. "Last thing I'd want is to be bored to sleep before the challenge even begins."
Seteth shoots the Slytherin a glare. "I see you've got quite the sharp tongue on you. Very well, then. I'll keep it brief. Everyone listen closely, as I'll only explain it once."
"About a thousand years ago, there was a man known as Nemesis, the King of Liberation. He was gifted holy blood from the goddess Sothis, and the Sword of the Creator. Alongside him we're the Ten Elites, who were also blessed by the goddess. Eventually, their power corrupted them, and it was up to Saint Seiros herself and the Four Saints to slay them and put them down once and for all. This fight came to be remembered as the War of Heroes."
"Hmm, fascinating story." Light says. "Tell us more about these saints."
"Besides Seiros, there were four saints. Saint Cichol, Saint Macuil, Saint Indech, and Saint Cethleann. They were revered as the heroes of ancient Fodlan, the original holders of Crests, and founders of several Noble bloodlines."
"Interesting…" Percy says. "And you said this treasure is tied to Saint Indech?"
"Precisely." Seteth answers. "Saint Indech was very wise, but was also a very shy person. It is said that he spent most of his life in solitude, unable to open his heart to anyone."
"I like him already." Bernadetta said.
"He was, after all, a man who hid himself at the bottom of a lake." Seteth continues.
"Was it this one?!" Bender interrupts. "I bet it was this one!"
"Please do not interrupt me." Seteth calmly yet sternly told the robot. "It's unclear what lake he hid in. Back on topic, something to note about Saint Indech was that he was incredibly skilled with his hands. And that skill made him beloved by the people, because he constantly applied it to their benefit. The moral of this story is that shortcomings can be made up for with talent and kindness."
"Wow…I like him." Bernadetta said. "But I don't have any talents like that. I can't even imagine being that helpful to people. Saint Indech must have been really gifted."
"Don't be so quick to dismiss your abilities." Seteth tells her. "You and he are quite similar, in more ways than one. You possess Indech's Crest after all, do you not?"
"Um, yes?" Bernadetta responds.
"You've got plenty of talent." Futaba tells her. "You're really good at tasks that require a lot of dexterity. Almost superhumanly good, I may add. You can write, paint, sew, embroider like it's nobody's business. Not to mention you've gotten a lot better at gaming in such a short time."
"N-now you're just saying that…" Bernadetta said, trying to remain humble.
"Can we get back on track?!" Yami asked impatiently. "What about the treasure? Just tell us what to do and we'll be on our way."
"Very well, then." Seteth says. "Deep within this lake lies a temple where the weapon is. There's a fly in the honey though, as it's guarded by a large creature known as the Immovable."
"The Immovable?" Alucard asks.
"Yes. It guards the treasure, testing anyone who dares to take it. He will put you to the test in a trial, and should you defeat him, it will grant you what you desire. None have survived."
"But you guys have proven time and again that you're strong." Don quickly adds, hoping to not freak them out of the challenge. "Ergo, this should be a cakewalk for most of you. You all must split up to find the treasure, and bring it back here. The one to do so wins the challenge for their team. And the winning team will be given a special reward, on top of getting to keep the treasure."
"Which is?" Ryu asks.
"The one who brings the treasure back gets the sole vote of who to eliminate from the other team."
Everyone gasps at this reveal.
"No way…" Shermie mutters.
"Think of the power…" Pete remarks.
"That's quite the motivation." Draco adds.
"I'd also advise you all to not cause any unnecessary damage to her his place. It is a very sacred place tied to the Church of Seiros itself." Seteth warns. "There are multiple routes to the Immovable here, so it'd be wise to split up and cover more ground."
"Now that you all get the gist of what you're getting into, does anyone have any questions?" Don asked. "No? Then your challenge begins now!"
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"Aw man, just think of that reward!" Pete said, rubbing his hands with glee. "I could care less about some stupid weapon, but getting to choose who goes personally is far too tempting to pass up."
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"If I manage to get that treasure…." Light says. "Then I can finally be rid of that vampire once and for all."
"You sure you're up to the task, Light?" Ryuk asks.
"I'm always prepared." Light says confidently.
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We see our first group, consisting of Alucard, Panty, and Yami. The trio are walking down one of the many stone pathways that sat across the lake.
"So, what are we going to do once we find the treasure?" Yami asks, sounding bored. "Who gets to keep it?"
"If neither of you mind, I'll be more than glad to happy to take it off your hands." Alucard proposes. "It'd probably make the perfect gift for Sir Integra."
"Hey, fine by me." Panty said. "I could care less about who gets some stupid weapon. It's the reward that comes with it we're after."
"Might I propose who we choose if any of the three of us get that vote?" Alucard asks.
"I'm all ears, Al." Yami grunts. "You're not gonna get butthurt if I call you Al, are you?"
"Not at all." the vampire answers. "If it makes it easier for you, then by all means. I'm saying if any of us win the challenge, we're in agreement to eliminate Light."
"Him, huh?" Yami asks. "I'm confused. Why him of all people?"
"Doesn't bother me." Panty adds. "He's not really my type. Too nerdy. If you want to kick him to the curb, that's fine by me.
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"Perhaps these two will be my best bet to take down that wannabe god." Alucard said. "I've signed the contract, so I've got no reason to betray them. Might as well make sure we get the job done right."
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Alucard suddenly stops walking, and draws one of his guns towards the sky.
"What's going on?!" Panty asked with concern.
Alucard does not respond, merely shooting bullets into the air.
"You trying to give everyone else our location?!" Yami snaps.
A giant bird like no ster drops down from the sky in front of them. Bigger than all three of them put together. Luckily, the pool of blood leaking from its head confirmed it was slain.
"The flying fuck is that thing?!" Panty exclaimed.
"I sense our fellow competitors aren't the only ones on this sacred ground." Alucard darkly responds. "Someone was controlling this beast. Someone…nearby."
"What?!" His teammates gasped.
"Yes. Wherever and whoever you are, come on out! You can't hide forever!"
Emerging from the fog in front of them was Hapi.
"It's some chick." Yami says. "You sure she was the one responsible?"
Alucard shoots down another monster bird. "Yes."
"I was really hoping that there wouldn't be any other people here." Hapi complains. "Still, I have to kill you all, no matter how much I hate doing it."
Yami takes out his sword and his grimoire. "Bring it on, lady! I'll turn your monster birds into Thanksgiving turkeys when I'm through with 'em!"
Hapi smirks. "You think that was all I had? I've been training my Crest to be able to control these beasts. And there's plenty more where that came from."
Hapi lets out a loud and long sigh. Suddenly, the group are surrounded by giant monsters of all types. Not just more of those birds, but giant wolves, dragons, and Demonic Beasts of all shapes were here.
"When I sigh, it summons monsters." Hapi explains. "It's a huge pain in the ass normally, but I've grown to adapt to it."
"Shit….this isn't good." Panty groans.
"What's the plan, Al?!" Yami asked.
Alucard steps in front of them, a wicked fanged grin on his face.
"Oooh, I've been waiting for an opportunity to satiate my hunger and bloodlust for quite some time!" He said devilishly.
"I'm both scared and aroused by him right now." Panty blurts out.
A pack of monster wolves lunge at Alucard and start biting into him all over. At the same time, the birds send out sharp feathers that impale the vampire. His teammates could only watch in stunned silence as Alucard was getting ripped to shreds.
Suddenly, his body dissolves into a shadow, and his body reforms in front of the monsters.
"Didn't know he could do that." Yami said.
"Not bad, you foul beasts." Alucard growls, still smiling evilly. "NOW IT'S TIME FOR SOME ANIMAL CRUELTY OF MY OWN!"
He draws his sidearms, and starts blasting hole after hole through the monsters. Hapi keeps summoning more and more of them with her sighs, but Alucard tears through all of them like a hot knife to butter. He even goes so far as to rip them apart with his bare hands. For every one his teammates killed, he killed another twenty of them.
Finally, he towers over Hapi menacingly, all of the monsters she had previously summoned now a bloody mess all over.
"You want to keep going?!" Alucard snarls. "Because I can keep going all day. And there's plenty more where that came from!"
Hapi was utterly terrified. Knowing when to fold, she relents.
"A-alright. I give up. Just please don't kill me!"
"Good girl." Alucard responds. He turns back to his teammates. "You two stay here and keep an eye on her. I'm gonna go ahead and scout for the treasure. Besides, I sense more presences here I'd love to devour!"
Without waiting for a response, Alucard is suddenly out of sight, with his teammates left to guard Hapi.
"Well, that was unexpected." Yami says, lighting another cigarette.
"I'd still fuck him." Panty adds.
They both then turn to Hapi, who gulps nervously.
"Well, you heard the man." Yami said. "You're our prisoner until he gets back."
"What else is new?" Hapi complains. "This is the worst."
"Hold on!" Panty interjects. "Are we just gonna let Al go all on his own?!"
"Have you seen how strong this guy is?" Yami points out. "I think he's got this. Anywho, who do you think we're the other people he sensed?"
"Probably my friends." Hapi answers. "Since I'm beaten now, I guess there's no point in hiding it."
"Hm? Hiding what, exactly?"
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Now, we follow a group consisting of Ryu, Futaba, Bernadetta, Kronk, and Shermie.
"No way!" Ryu exclaimed. "And they kicked you out, just like that?!"
"Yeah…" Shermie sighs. "I was more trouble than I was worth, apparently. Jerks, the lot of them."
"Never would have expected that of Light." Kronk mutters. "Pete and Bender, definitely. But Light? He seems so nice.
"How is this the first I'm hearing of them having an alliance?!" Yzma shrieks into Kronk's earpiece.
"Or Malfoy." Bernadetta adds. "Even on another team, he's still the same."
"They're a whole group of rats and snakes." Shermie says. "All of them.
"And they had Miss Percy take your place?" Ryu reaffirms. "They must've trusted her enough. I know she's not a bad person, but that worries me."
Futaba already knew full well how Light really is. While she still feared telling anybody about him being Kira, she suddenly got a genius idea.
"Shermie, Kronk, here me out on this!"
"Alright, I'm listening." Shermie says, a bit intrigued. "Fire away."
"What if I told you we had an alliance of our own? Would you be willing to join up with me, Ryu, and Bern?"
"Oh goodie…." Bernadetta dreadfully mumbles. "More people."
"Really?!" Shermie gasps. "You'd really be willing to let me join you?! Even after…all of the awful stuff I've done? Especially to you, Ryu?"
"Of course." Ryu tells her. "If you truly feel bad about what you've done, you're worth forgiving in my book."
"Man, I remember when she fried you." Kronk said. "No offense, but you absolutely terrified me after that. No offense, Shermie."
"None taken."
"Seriously, though?!" Tokageroh said in disbelief. "Need I remind you she fried you to a crisp and stole your first kiss, which you wanted it to be with Ber-"
Ryu quickly covers Tokageroh's mouth. "It's all in the past!" The shaman says nervously. "I was once a bad person that was given a second chance! So it's the least I can do! I'm given another chance to find my Best Place!"
"I've heard you talk about this Best Place multiple times." Shermie says. "But what exactly is it?"
Ryu stops walking. The look on his face brightens up, like a child.
"It's a marvelous, beautiful, place!" He beams. "It is something deep down we all wish to find. Sometimes, it's not even a place at all. It is a single flower, blooming in a cold, damp, graveyard! And at times, pure as the heavenly sky! The Best Place is within our hearts…never to be moved by anything evil others might do. When you've found what truly matters to you, where you can truly call home, then you'll have found it. Do you see what I'm getting at?"
What he said struck a chord with everyone. Even Kronk was tearing up a bit at this.
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"Just look at me." Kronk says bitterly. "As soon as he said that, I knew what my Best Place was: my friends. And here I've been, lying to them, cheating and being sneaky behind their backs. I don't deserve their kindness or their friendship. Am I truly worth forgiving as well?"
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"So I take it you guys are in?" Futaba asks.
"Sign me up." Shermie said. "If we can take out those who've cast me aside, I'm in."
"What about you, Kronk?" Ryu asks. "Think you're up for it?"
Kronk wasn't quite sure what to say.
"You don't need them." Yzma tells them. "You've done perfectly this far with just me. Why bog yourself down with these losers? Don't let them ruin what we've already got."
Kronk was conflicted, but he gave an answer that he thought would appease everyone.
"Let me think on it."
Bibo, who was walking alongside them, sniffs Kronk's backpack and begins to growl, which her trainer clearly noticed.
"Hm? What's wrong, Bibo? Something in his bag catch your attention?"
"I-it's probably the snacks I packed in here!" Kronk quickly lies. "I've seen the little fella has quite the appetite."
"That is true."
"Mangy rodent…" Yzma groans.
Suddenly, the party feel a shiver down their spine, as a disembodied voice speaks to them.
"More humans come to test their mettle, I see?!" The deep voice booms.
"Okay, I hope I'm not going crazy, but did anyone else hear that?!" Futaba asks.
"No, we heard it." Ryu said worryingly.
"Is it that Immovable thing that Seteth guy was talking about?" Shermie wonders.
"Indeed it is." The Immovable responds. "You weaklings should turn tail and run!"
"No way, pal!" Ryu snaps. "We came here for your sacred treasure, and we're not leaving without it!"
"I know well what it is you desire." The Immovable says. "If you want it, you must first complete my trial. Hm? One of you carries a familiar scent. Might one of you bear my Crest?"
"Um…y-yes." Bernadetta squeaks. "That's me."
"So the creature carries that Saint's Crest too, eh?" Ryu remarks.
"Fascinating." The Immovable says. "Judging by your scent, we're not so different, you and I. Perhaps you may be worthy of obtaining my weapon. Let the trial begin!"
All around them, shadowy constructs emerge from the ground. They were humanoid in shape, carrying weapons of varying varieties.
"Looks like it's time for a fight!" Ryu says, already going into Over Soul, his sword now appearing like a large sashimi knife. "Sushi Knife of Susano'o!"
Shermie chuckles as electricity sparks between her fingertips. "This is going to be fun."
Futaba had Bibo at the ready, and Bernadetta draws her bow. Meanwhile, Kronk is cowering in fear.
"Don't be such a big baby, Kronk!" Yzma snaps.
"Flying Filet!" Ryu shouts. He swings his sword so hard a green, pressurized air blade flies out, cutting a few of the charging shadow constructs, causing them to dissolve into dust.
"Break Shot!" Bernadetta cried. She fires out an exploding arrow that destroys over a dozen constructs.
"Nice shot, Bernie!" Ryu praises.
"Don't celebrate yet!" Futaba warns him. "Behind you!"
Ryu failed to notice a swarm of shadows leaping behind him for a sneak attack. But then, something moves quickly and slices all of them into dust, surprising all of them.
"What was that?!" Kronk cried.
This force then proceeds to move at lightning speed, cutting the rest of them up.
"Geez, save so e for me, Yuri!" A voice says.
"Now what?!" Futaba complains.
They see Balthus run up to them. The brawler is confused when he sees them.
"Who're you punks?" He asked. "You're not bounty hunters after my head are you?"
"Um…..no?" Ryu said, confused as well.
Yuri leaps down in front of Balthus and scoffs.
"Did you forget what they said, Balthus? They said kill on sight. Including these pe-"
As soon as Yuri made eye contact with Bernadetta, both of them gasp. There was an awkward silence in the air for a moment.
"Are you alright, Bern?" Futaba asked.
"Bernadetta?" Yuri asks. "Is it…really you?"
"Alfred?!" Bernadetta exclaimed. "I thought you were dead!"
"That's not my name anymore." Yuri explains. "My name is Yuri now. More importantly, what are you doing here?"
"Wait, is this that girl you talked about?" Balthus asked.
"Can somebody please explain what's going on?" Shermie asked.
Bernadetta sighs. "I know some of you know the story, but I guess I have no choice but to explain it to you and Kronk."
Before anything else could be said, more shadow constructs surrounded the group.
"Maybe let's deal with these things, first!" Shermie said.
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Next, we follow the group consisting of Light, Draco, Bender, and Percy. So far, they hadn't encountered anything out of the ordinary. Draco had used a Lumos spell to illuminate his wand, helping guide them through the fog.
"Where'd fatass go, again?" Bender asked.
"You mean Pete?" Draco says. "He told me he was gonna follow the other groups just in case. If they find the treasure, he'll swipe it from them."
"A smart plan, I'll give him that." Light says. "He's more crafty than I gave him credit for."
"As much as I am against theft, I guess I can slide as this is a treasure hunt." Percy said. "But you are correct. He may not look the brightest, but he's quite shrewd."
"Ugh, all this walking is taking forever!" Bender complained. "How long has it been?"
"I'm not sure." Light answers. "My watch isn't working out here. And with all this fog, I don't know what time of day it is."
"Guys, look up ahead!" Draco points out.
Looking ahead, there appeared to be a light, as if someone had started a….
"A fire!" Percy exclaimed. "Good scouting, Malfoy! It appears someone has set up a fire."
"Shall we go check it out?" Bender asks as he pulls out a cigar. "The treasure could be there. Besides, I could use a light."
"Wait." Light warns. "If it is the treasure, then we must proceed with caution.
"Wait…I think I hear voices as well." Draco says in a hushed whisper. "Maybe it's one of our fellow competitors.
"I've got a plan." Light tells them. "Draco, Percy, I need you two to slowly approach the light, and have your sword and wand at the ready just in case. Then if you see them, blast them out of our way?"
"Kind of like this?"
An electrical net emerges from the ground group, immobilizing and suspending them in air.
"Alright, who's responsible for this?!" Percy asks, as she struggles and fails to break free.
"Get your arse out of my face, tin can!" Draco snaps.
"That's shiny metal arse to you, meatbag!" Bender retorts.
The pompous laugh of Constance is heard as she looks down upon the group.
"Are you surprised?!" Constance laughs. "I've been practicing that spell! All it needs is a masterful name to go with it! How about, "The Nuvellian Snare!" You may praise me now!"
"You'd better let us out of here, bitch!" Bender snaps.
"I'm afraid that option is out of the question." Constance tells them. "I'm taking you all back to base camp. If you try to break free of my trap-"
Draco cries out in agony as he tries to rip the net apart. The net had electrocuted him.
"-then you'll be in for a shocking surprise. A good pun, is it not? I'm as good at comedy as I am at being a spellcaster. Now be well behaved in there, and I'll make sure the trip back to camp is as painless as possible."
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"No way!" Ryu gasped. "You're that childhood friend Bernie talked about?! And quite an attractive one at that! I thought you were a woman just by looking at you!"
"What's wrong?" Yuri teases him. "Not into guys as beautiful as me?"
"Um….no. I'm into both. I just tend to lean more towards the ladies."
"So…. you're really the guy, huh?" Futaba asks.
"I know what my father did to you. This is all still so crazy." Bernadetta says. "I thought you died."
"You thought I had, but I hadn't." Yuri said cheekily. "I was halfway to my grave, but I survived."
"Half….way?" Bernadetta said worryingly. "Then that means the half of you that survived is gonna seek revenge on me!"
"I was half dead, sure, but that really means I was able to get out with my life. If I was to seek revenge, it'd be on the count, not you. When I'm looking to make things even, it's all or nothing. You wouldn't be standing here right now if I'd targeted you." Yuri explains.
"Then where would I be?! At the bottom of a ravine?!"
"Girl's got issues." Balthus jokes.
"I wouldn't drop you off a cliff side." Yuri sighs. "Honestly, what the hell happened to you since we last saw each other?"
"Her father." Futaba said bitterly. "That's what happened."
"I know full well Count Varley is a terrible man." Yuri says. "He and the rest of the Noble Six."
"Noble Six?" Kronk asks.
"How much do you guys know of the Insurrection of the Seven?"
"Nothing at all." Ryu says sheepishly.
"Then let me give you all the gist of it. There are six noble families, and the regent of the Adrestian Empire. Years ago, they invited a coup and usurped power from Emperor Ionius IX, rendering him politically impotent. Now they control the empire. They call all the shots. One of those individuals happens to be Count Varley."
"I remember the day you supposedly died." Bernadetta says regretfully. As she painfully reminisced that day, she felt a warm hand holding her own. She looked to see it was Ryu, who smiled kindly at her.
"It's alright." He tells her. "If it's too much for you, you don't have to say anything."
"Thanks." She tells him. Still, she recalls the day that had scarred her for the rest of her life.
(Flashback Start)
We see a young Bernadetta, running outside of her manor, with a plush in her hand. It was a handmade plush made to look like Yuri.
"Alfreeeeeed!" She calls out. "Where are you?! Are we playing hide and seek already?!"
She ran towards the front gate, and what she saw traumatized her little mind.
In front of the gate was the body of Yuri. Bloody and beaten up, his bones broken. Bernadetta looks in horror, dropping the plush she made for him. Dark clouds gather in the sky, and it begins to sprinkle. Suddenly, she feels a cold callous on her shoulder, which could only be one man: her father.
"You see this, Bernadetta?" Count Varley coldly tells her. "This is all your fault. That little brat didn't know his place. We nobles are those chosen by the goddess herself. We are not born equal. You fraternize with commoners, this is what will happen. The last thing they'd need is a useless failure like you dragging them through the mud with you. Now come, it's time for more of your training. And if I catch you cooking for the rats again during it, or knitting them tiny sweaters, I will make you wish you were never born!"
As he drags her away, she keeps staring at the seemingly lifeless body that lay before her. She was the reason he died. It was all her fault…
"It was all my fault." Bernadetta says as the flashback ends. "You almost died because of me. And the beating I had received that day…was the worst I'd ever gotten."
"It's not your fault, Bernie." Ryu tells her. "You can't blame yourself for every bad thing that happens, like earlier."
"I know I shouldn't, but…it's just hard for me to think it's not my fault. That's all I ever grew up hearing."
"Trust me, you're not to blame. Today is chance meeting with your old friend. It's like it's fate."
Yuri looks at the two of them as they walked. He could plainly see the Sparks between them. What does she see in that weirdo, he wondered.
"If I may ask, what is it that brought you guys here?" Balthus asked. "You're clearly not bounty hunters."
"It's for a competition." Shermie answered. "Total Drama? You've heard of the show, right?"
"There's no TV in our world." Bernadetta informs her.
"No, but some of the high ups in Fodlan have recently been given access to devices that are close to television." Yuri says. "Something called "interdimensional cable?'"
"Well, that answers why you're here." Balthus said. "But what are you trying to do here all the way in Lake Teutates?"
"We're looking for Saint Treasure." Kronk responds. "A special weapon of some sort."
Yuri stops in his tracks. He grew concerned, knowing they were all after the same thing. He knew once this was all said and done, he'd have no choice to dispose of them. Maybe…
"Um….guys?" Kronk said nervously. "What is that thing?!"
They arrived to a large area where there seemed to be no fog. What laid before them was a large creature, the likes of which they'd never seen before. It was black, and appeared to be like a turtle.
"I know we've seen some weird things on this show, but a giant turtle?!" Shermie exclaimed.
"The Immovable…" Yuri mutters.
"That's a pretty big…guard dog!" Futaba said awkwardly.
" Guard dog?!" The Immovable roars. "Is it I to whom you're referring to?!"
"We mean you no harm, Mr. Magic Beast!" Ryu says, bowing to the creature. "All we ask for is the treasure you are guarding!"
"You lot have managed to make it past my phantoms!" the Immovable says proudly. "To obtain what it is you seek, you must now defeat me. Eh?"
The Immovable inhales deeply, and looks towards Bernadetta. She looked scared seeing the creature, her knees shaking.
"So you're the one with the same Crest as me?"
"Y-yes." Bernadetta stutters. "That's me."
"Fascinating. You don't feel like other humans who've tried to face my trial. All of them were treacherous snakes, who thought they knew better than I. But you seem different. I sense a lot of good in you. If you truly feel you're worthy of my treasure, then you must defeat me in combat."
Yuri looks at Balthus, and the two nod. He then steps in between them and the Immovable.
"Before we do any of that, it's time we take care of business." He draws his sword. "By killing all of you."
"WHAT?!" They gasped.
"Oh, did we forget to tell you why we were here?" Balthus says menacingly, slipping spiked gauntlets on his arms. "We were hired to take the treasure for some pirates!"
"Excuse me, what?!" Ryu snapped. He takes out his sword, and Tokageroh goes into Armored Over Soul. "You dirty double crossers!"
Yuri smirks devilishly. "There's something else you guys should know. Another thing we were hired to do. You see that giant turtle before you?"
"What about him?!" Shermie growls.
"The Immovable isn't just guarding Indech's treasure…..the Immovable is Saint Indech! And we're going to kill him!"
"What?!" Indech roars.
"You mean…this is actually Saint Indech himself?!" Bernadetta gasps.
"How do you know of my true identity, human?!" Indech angrily asks Yuri.
"The Shadow Library. It also talks of how your kind were killed, and their bones were used to make Heroes Relics. Those pirates are paying a hefty reward for your bones!"
"You miserable cur!" Indech roars. "I will slay you where you stand!"
Indech stomps one of his claws, causing sharp arrows of water to rain from the sky.
"Everybody take cover!" Ryu orders.
The contestants hit the deck as Yuri swiftly dodges the water arrows. His sword glows green, as Yuri prepares an attack of his own.
"Astra!"
Yuri slashes at Indech from all angles, faster than the eye can see. Indech cries out in agony as he collapses to the ground.
"Mr. Magic Beast!" Ryu cries out.
"Curses!" Indech says weakly. "To think….that I would suffer the same fate…as my brethren. I knew hiding from humanity was the best course of action."
"Either I'm that strong, or you're getting on in years, Saint." Yuri taunts. "You helped defeat Nemesis in the War of Heroes. You were the wisest of the Saints. What happened?"
"Before we finish gramps off, let's deal with these people." Balthus says.
"You wouldn't kill me, would you Yuri?!" Bernadetta pleads. "We were friends!"
Yuri has himself a small laugh.
"My dear Bernadetta. There's something you never knew. Why I actually befriended you."
"What?"
"I was hired to kill you, all those years ago."
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We now move to the Aegis of Anarchy's base camp. They were laughing up a storm as they had Draco, Light, Bender, and Percy still trapped in the net. Xyrian was whacking them with a stick like a pinata.
"Great idea, Light." Draco says mockingly. "Approach them carefully, you said."
"Are you seriously blaming me right now!?" Light snaps. "Of all times?!"
"Silence, knaves!" Constance orders.
"Great job catching these little rats, missy!" Glades congratulates. He approaches the net, and is face to face with Bender.
"Who sent you, shit bags?!" The shark asked. "Who are you working for?!"
"Your mom!" Bender jokes. "And I gotta say, after a night in bed with her last night, I now know you'll never be half as man as she is!"
Glades screams in anger, bashing Bender upside his head with his hook. "Don't joke about my mom!"
"Worth it." Bender said weakly.
Kronya approaches the trapped hostages, and laughs at them.
"Something funny, pasty?!" Draco spat.
"Oh, nothing." Kronya says. "Nothing brightens my day like seeing humans be tortured, and eventually murdered."
"If you're referring to us, you're sadly mistaken." Percy says.
"Shut up, blondie! No one asked you!"
"What do you plan to do with us?!" Light asked.
"Isn't it obvious?" Zinna says. "We're gonna kill y'all!"
"Your hearts will make a great addition to my collection!" Xyrian cackles.
"If I wasn't trapped in here, I'd make you ruffians taste my blade!"
"You plebians should complain less." Constance tells them. "I want some peace and quiet for my next experiment while these sea dogs brutalize you."
"Hold on!" Draco exclaimed. "How about I make a deal for you?!"
This seems to catch everyone's attention.
"A deal, huh?" Constance muses. "What kind of a deal?"
"You said you're a spellcaster, right?" Draco says. "Well, as it turns out, I'm a wizard myself."
"Where are you going with this, Malfoy?" Light asks.
"I challenge you to a duel between mages!" Draco declares. "If I win, then you lot let us go!"
Constance thinks over his challenge, and accepts. "Fine then. But if I win, I'm keeping you alive…to be my personal test subject for the rest of your life!" She turns toward the pirates. "I'd that fine with you guys?"
"Very well." Narmun says. "We could use some entertainment."
"Alright, then. So, wizard? Do we have a deal?
"It's a deal!"
"Well, we're boned." Bender says hopelessly.
"Have some faith in him, Bender." Percy tells him. "This is our only shot at freedom."
"Are you sure you're up for it?" Light asks Draco. "You're starting to think rashly, like Barry."
Draco scoffs. "If there's one thing I learned from that annoying kid, it's to not give up when things look bleak!"
"Well I hope you've got a plan for this duel. Because if you lose, we die and you become that lady's guinea pig."
Ryuk, who watched all of this from outside the net, laughs.
"You better hope he wins this, Light. I'd hate for our partnership to end so soon."
"Let us begin the duel, shall we?" Constance says. She pulls out a Rescue tome and warps Draco out of the net. "The rules are simple. Whoever manages to incapacitate the other first wins."
"Fine by me." Draco says confidently. I'm gonna have to fight dirty if I stand a chance of winning. But I'm not using the Cruciatus Curse like last time.
Both mages walk ten packs away from each other, facing away from each other. Draco grips his wand tightly, ready to unleash a spell that knock her socks off.
"On the count of three!" Narmun says. "One…two…THREE!"
Constance, quick as a draw, fires out a Sagitae spell, firing out a volley of magic arrows. Draco swiftly dodges, and counters with a spell of his own.
"Pestis Incendium!"
A large body of fire shoots out of his wand. The fire takes the shape of a giant hellhound. The fire hound glares down at Constance, growling menacingly.
"What incredible sorcery." Percy marvels.
"You think I can get that thing to light my cigar?" Bender asks.
"Ooh, this kid is talented." Zinna says in amazement.
Constance stares at the living flame, its fire burning brightly. So bright, it reminded her of when her noble house was destroyed many years ago. A day that forever scarred her.
Her face begins to darken, and she slumps to her knees, baffling Draco.
"Are you giving up that easily?!" He said. "Stand up and fight!"
"I'm hardly worthy of fighting." Constance says glumly. It was almost as if she was a completely different person. "Just go ahead and kill me, I will hardly be missed."
"Are you serious?!"
"I humbly forfeit. You are the superior mage. As a matter of fact, everyone is."
"Boo, that sucked!" Xyrian rants. "Where's the gore and bloodshed?!"
He throws a dagger at the flame hound, which enrages it. The beast begins to go out of control, throwing a fit that sets the whole camp on fire.
"Malfoy, now would be the time to call that thing off!" Percy says worriedly.
"These things have a mind of their own!" Draco says defensively.
"That's it, let's kill these sons of bitches!" Glades growls.
"Hold on! We had a deal!" Light snaps.
"We were gonna go back on our word if you won!" Zinna explains. "We're pirates! Rules for thee, but not for me!"
"You dirty crooks!"
"May my death be unforgiving." Constance glumly says, still refusing to move.
Narmun has four mechanical tentacles emerge from his back and two of them grab Draco.
"We're going to start with you, brat." Narmun says. "I'm going to tear you limb from limb!"
"Save a piece for me, bub!" Xyrian interjects.
"Feh. You'll be lucky if I leave you scraps."
The fire rages on, with those trapped in the net beginning to panic.
"Okay, now are we boned?" Bender asks.
"YES!"
As the other tentacles are about to stab into Draco, somebody tears through the fire hound like it was nothing. A familiar vampire tears through the flames like it was paper.
"Oh I'm sorry. I'm not late, am I?"
"Alucard?!" His fellow competitors exclaimed.
"The Night Walker himself?!" Glades gasps.
"Aw, shit!" Zinna panics. "The Hellsing Organization knows we're here?! How'd they find out?! Who the fuck snitched?!"
"I bet it was one of them!" Kronya says, pointing to Constance. "They probably planned a double cross.
"I have no idea what you mean." Constance glumly says. "I'm not capable or worthy enough to set something like that up."
"You liar! I'll slit your throat!"
Kronya charges at Constance, sword in hand. Just as soon as she's about to slice her, Alucard appears in front of her, blocking with his arm, leaving blood and slash marks.
"Out of my way, you blood sucking bastard!" Kronya snaps. "I don't have time for a lowly beast such as yourself!"
"Really?" Alucard laughs. "Hello pot, meet kettle."
"Shut up! I'm more powerful than you'll ever be!"
"Then take your best shot, vermin!"
Kronya moves quickly, slashing Alucard all over. Blood flies everywhere.
"What's wrong?! Not fighting back, you coward?!"
Alucard stands there, taking all of her hits as his body quickly heals from them. "Don't dare mistake my patience for cowardice."
Kronya stops slicing, having tired herself out. She sees Alucard, instantly healed from her attack, much to her horror.
"What the hell are you!
"Today has been fun!" Alucard says sadistically. "I haven't had this much fun in quite a while! What was your name?!"
"It's Kronya!" She says, stepping away nervously. She couldn't kill this man, so she was contemplating running for the hills. To hell with the ultimatum Cecil gave her.
The sigil on Alucard's glove begins to glow.
"Releasing control on restriction levels 3……2……1!"
Alucard stands above her, now transformed. His black hair now flowed like a mane, and instead of his red coat, shades, or fedora, his body now had shadowy Hellhound amalgamations coming from it, each with multiple eyes. On his chest was a big red eye that stared down at the Agarthan. Even his fellow competitors were terrified.
"Level what?!" Kronya asked.
One of the hellhounds lunges at Kronya, and bites her leg off in a brutal fashion.
"Ability restrictions for limited use until the enemy has been rendered silent." Alucard answers.
Kronya tries to hop away, but the hounds chase her. Out from one of their mouths is one of Al's guns, which blasts off her other leg. Kronya was beginning to panic even harder now.
"Just what the hell are you?!" She cries.
"The fun has just begun!" Alucard evilly laughs as he slowly approaches her. In his hand, he held one of her severed legs. "What's wrong?! You were talking all that good shit a second ago….THEN I BLEW YOUR FUCKING LEGS OFF!"
"I…..I don't want to die!" Kronya whimpers.
"What's wrong, Agarthan?!" Alucard mocks. He crushes the leg he held into a bloody paste. "Try and grow back your legs! Summon up your demons! Right now, life and death are a privilege for you! The only right you have…IS TO SUFFER! AND I'M GOING TO MAKE YOU SUFFER AS LONG AS POSSIBLE BEFORE YOU'RE SENT TO HELL BY GOD'S UNFORGIVING JUDGEMENT!"
The hounds attack Kronya, and slowly eviscerate her. Kronya cries out a gargled gasp as one of them rips into her jugular vein. The hounds brutally consume her, but keep her alive as long as possible. Both contestant and pirate watch in horror as black blood, organs, and body parts fly everywhere, though the hounds leave nothing behind.
"Help…..me….." Kronya painfully croaks.
"NO ONE IS COMING TO SAVE YOU!" Alucard cackles. "KEEP SCREAMING, YOU SACK OF SHIT! IT EXCITES ME! I'VE KILLED MORE PEOPLE THAN THE NUMBER OF DAYS EVERYONE HERE HAS BEEN ALIVE PUT TOGETHER!"
This goes on for another minute, until all that's left is a single eyeball, which a hound chomps up like a gumball.
"Ha!" Bender laughs. "Good luck sleeping tonight!"
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"What the actual hell did I just witness?!" Light exclaims.
"The guy's an utter animal." Ryuk says. "I like that."
"All the more reason that this….this…..thing, needs to go!"
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Narmun drops Draco, and slowly backs away. Alucard looks at the Aegis of Anarchy, and smirks.
"After all of the lowly creatures I've devoured today, perhaps there's room for dessert!"
"We need to get out of here!" Zinna cries. "To hell with Indech's treasure! We can't take him on!"
"Guys, touch me!" Xyrian orders. "Time for an escape!"
They do as he says, and Xyrian holds his breath, completely stopping time for everyone except for him and his crew mates.
"Grab the gold, Glades!" Zinna says. "We need to head back to the ship!"
"But what will the captain say?!"
"Just do it!"
Glades grabs the gold, and the four of them of them fun as fast as they can.
"I hope you can keep holding your breath, Xy!" Narmun says. "The farther we get away from them, the better!"
Luckily, Xy had talent and practice in holding his breath for long periods of time. By the time that time resumed, they already put a lot of distance between them.
"Hey, they disappeared all of a sudden!" Draco said. "Where'd they go?!"
"Hard to say." Alucard said, returning to his normal look. "But for now, I am quite satiated."
It was then that Yami and Panty show up, with Hapi running from them.
"Ah, I thought I told you two to stay back and keep an eye on her."
"She ran from us, and we followed her here!" Panty says as she tries to catch her breath.
"Coco!" Hapi cries, running up to Constance. "Are you okay?! They didn't hurt you, did they?!"
Constance, to the surprise of everyone, had appeared to be back to her cheery self. "I'm quite alright, Hapi. That red clad gentleman had actually saved my life."
"That wasn't necessarily my intention." Alucard mutters.
"What was up with you a few minutes ago?!" Draco asked. "One second you're self loathing, and now you're back to this!"
"Oh, I think I know what you're talking about." Hapi explains. "Coco doesn't really…do well in sunlight. Or anywhere bright for that matter. In simplest terms, she has a split personality."
"Hey, the vampire just saved your life!" Bender points out. "And you did lose the duel! How's about letting us out of here, huh?!"
"Oh, right." Constance remembers. "Unlike those pirates, I uphold my promises."
With a snap of her fingers, the net disappears, and those trapped within it fall to the ground. Light looks up to see Alucard grinning down at him.
"Look at what your planning got you." The vampire gloats. "And I had to come in to save your ass. Doesn't that really chafe?"
Light grits his teeth in frustration. Of all the people who could save him from one of his mistakes, it was his worst enemy.
"Now that that's all taken care of, what do you say we get back to looking for that treasure, eh, Al?"
"Wait, that's what we were here for!" Constance exclaimed.
"I think we should all just head back now." Alucard said. "I can sense that one of us has already obtained it."
"WHAT?!"
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
We see Shermie send a flying kick to Balthus's head, slamming him to the ground and knocking him out cold. Meanwhile, Ryu is fighting Yuri head on, sword to sword.
"You're good, but I'm far superior!" Yuri brags, dodging all of Ryu's slashes. Even with his Armored Over Soul, Yuri had the advantage in pure strength and speed.
"Shaddup!" Ryu snaps. "I'm not losing to you! And what did you mean you were hired to kill Bernie?!"
Hiding next to Indech was Bernadetta, Kronk, and Futaba, watching the fighting take place. Bernadetta had this near catatonic look on her face, wondering the same thing. She was still coming to terms with what Yuri said.
"As you know, House Varley is one of the six most powerful ruling families of the Empire!" Yuri explains. "They have lots of enemies. I was taking on any job possible at the time to support my mother, and one such individual was going to pay a lot if I brought them the head of House Varley's heir! And what better way to get an in than, say, a gardening assistant's job?"
Bernadetta gasps at this reveal.
"All this time….our friendship was just a lie?!"
"You were the only one I'd ever managed to let slip through my grasp! The biggest mistake I'd ever made!"
Shermie tries to sneak attack Yuri from behind, but he's had his fair share of enemy sneak attacks. He swiftly turns around and punches Shermie so hard he sends her falling into the lake."
"Shermie!" Ryu cries.
Bibo runs and dives into the body of water, attempting to save her.
"You've got to go out there and help Ryu!" Futaba tells Bernadetta. "He's clearly fighting a losing battle!"
"I can't!" Bernadetta cried. "I'm too weak! I'm not brave enough!"
"I've made the same mistakes as you, young lady." Indech says weakly. "I know the feeling of fear. What it's like to hide from everyone. I've spent a millenia hiding here at this lake, and look what happened. You're very much like me, so don't make the same mistake. I wasn't brave enough to help protect my kind."
"Indech…"
"Bern, don't you see?!" Futaba tells her. "The bravest people aren't those who are born fearless. It's the ones who are willing to face their fears. Especially for the people they love."
Their words really spoke to Bernadetta. Before she could say anything, Bibo comes out of the water with Shermie, dragging her to them by his teeth.
"Good boy, Bibo!" Futaba praises.
"Is she gonna be okay?!" Bernadetta asks.
"I know CPR!" Kronk says. "Let me help her!"
"Bern, you know what you have to do." Futaba says.
Bernadetta nods, still scared, but willing to fight through her fears. For him. Suddenly, she feels something in her hand. It appeared to be a bow, but not her usual steel one.
It was silver colored, with a blue sheen shining across it. It felt light, fitting in her hand as if it were a perfectly fit glove.
"What is this thing?"
"It's my sacred treasure." Indech explains. "My bow, the Inexhaustible. It is now yours."
"This is your treasure?" Bernadetta asks, still in awe.
"Indeed. One of many Sacred Relics I've made, but this one was made with my Crest in mind. May it bring you good fortune."
"I-I don't know what to say. Thank you."
"Now go out there and help him out." Futaba tells him.
Bernie runs out into the battlefield, but the sight before her looked anything but promising.
Ryu was defeated by Yuri. Still conscious, but too weak to move. The Ashen Wolf had the Shaman by the collar of his shirt.
"Ryu!" Bernie cried.
"B……Bernadetta…." Ryu says weakly. "I'm sorry…I wasn't…good enough."
"Even his fancy schmancy ghost crap wasn't enough to beat me." Yuri brags. "I love it when I'm right."
"You can't give up now!" Bernadetta tells him. "You never give up!"
"I'm all out of Furyoku…I can't do much more, even if I wanted to. I wasn't strong enough to help you…you must really hate me now."
"That's not true!" Bernadetta says, tears beginning to stream down her face. "I think…you're an amazing person. You're so brave, sincere, and sweet. You do what you say. No matter what life throws at you, you face it head on, even if you're afraid…..head held high with a smile. Do you know how inspiring that is?!"
"What are you getting at?" Yuri asks.
"You've helped me leave my room." She continues. "I know we didn't start off on the right foot, but things are different now. I completely misjudged you. You're easy for me to talk to, always quick to reassure me, not afraid to be silly or goofy around me, and never fail to make me smile. You bring out my inner child, and make me feel safe. When I was pushing people away, you insisted on being my friend. And my closest one at that. As corny as it sounds, you've been a shining light in my life."
Ryu was absolutely touched by her words. If this was the end for them, it was now or never. Time for him to come clean.
"Bernie…" Ryu says. "You know, I used to be…a really bad guy. Just a total good for nothing scumbag, till I met the Chief. And then I met you. I've been on the road to finding my Best Place, and along the way, you taught me how to actually be a better man. One that'd be worthy of you."
"What are you saying, man?!" Tokageroh said, beginning to cry himself. "Why are you talking like this is the end?!"
"Don't die now!" Bernadetta tearfully tells him. "What about your dream?! Finding your Best Place?!"
"But I did." Ryu tells her. "It may have been a little late, but I did find it. And she's standing right before me."
The weight of what he said deeply struck a chord with Bernadetta.
"Are you…talking about me?" She asked.
"Yeah." Ryu tells her. "I am."
Finally, Shermie manages to wake up, gagging up a bit of water.
"W-what happened?!" She asked. "What did I miss?!"
Bernadetta tries to run towards him, but feels someone scaly holding her back.
"Let me go, Tokageroh!" She cried. "If I don't do something, he's gonna die!"
"I won't let you get dragged into this as well!" The ghost said.
"When I'm with you, I feel like I'm truly home." Ryu continues. "You're talented, creative, sweet, and beautiful inside and out. You've never been useless or a failure to me. You're perfect just by being you."
"Can you two hurry this up?" Yuri asks impatiently. "I've got a job to finish, and places to be."
"I'm sorry this came a little late, but there's one last thing I wanted to tell you." Ryu says.
"W-what is it?" Bernadetta's breath catches in her throat, a slight blush forming on her cheeks. "Just…say it."
"Is he really going to do it?!" Futaba says to herself.
Ryu swallows nervously. Time to drop the big one. "See, the truth is………I love you, Bernie. So much. I always have."
Bernadetta lets out a small gasp. She didn't want to believe it, but his words were plain as day. Still, she couldn't find the words to respond. As happy as she was to hear this, it was overshadowed by the predicament they were in.
Ryu begins to cry himself. "All I wanted was to be with you. To be by your side, forever and ever. I'm sorry if this wasn't the best time to tell you, but I felt you needed to know. You at least deserved that. That's why I'm giving my future to you. Please...live enough for the both of us."
"I've had enough of this." Yuri says, raising his sword.
"Take the treasure and get out of here, guys!" Ryu says. "Tokageroh, promise you'll look after Bernadetta like you did for me!"
"I promise!" Tokageroh cries.
Everyone watches in horror, as Yuri's blade comes for his chest.
"And Bernie? I'm happy...I got to be your commoner friend."
As soon as those last words left his mouth, the sword slashed him across his chest. He falls on his back, a perfectly content smile on his face.
"NO!" Everyone cries out.
Bernadetta breaks free from Tokageroh's grasp and runs towards Ryu's body. She quickly sets the bow on his legs, and lifts up his torso. She starts muttering to herself in despair as she tried to see if he was okay.
"Come-on, please be okay! Please be okay! You can't be dead!"
Her tears start to fall down her face, hitting Ryu's. Most of the warmth from his body was disappearing fast.
"Bern, we need to go!" Futaba tells her. "Now!"
"She's right, you know." Yuri tells her. "Such a shame I had to make an example out of someone cute. Tell you what, I'll cut you a deal. You leave the Inexhaustible here, and I let you and the rest of your motley crew go free. Sound fair? If you refuse, my body count increases."
Bernadetta's sadness and fear were starting to falter, being replaced by anger….and rage. She stands up, picks up the bow, and glares at Yuri.
"Sticking to that stubborn noble pride, eh?" Yuri sneers. "You must surely have a death wish."
"Shut. Up." Bernadetta snaps. "You're going to pay for what you've done today. I don't care if you were my friend. I don't care if it was all fake and you just wanted to kill me. None of that matters right now. I'm going to make you pay. This time, Bernie isn't running away!"
Yuri couldn't help but laugh at her sudden burst of bravado.
"That's priceless. You really think you're man enough to face me? When we were kids, you were just a friendless crybaby who followed me like a lost puppy. Last chance to back out now."
Tokageroh quickly floats over to Bernadetta.
"You can't win this!" He tells her. "What about taking Ryu's advice and making a break for it?! Last thing I'd want is for him to have died for nothing!"
"I'm not running." She boldly responds. "Ryu never ran away from a fight. Especially if he was standing up for his friends now, wouldn't he?!"
Tokageroh then grins mischievously. "You're right about that one. He's stupid, but he's no coward. Glad to see you're taking a page outta his book. Let's kick this pretty boy's ass!"
Bernadetta nods confidently. "Good, because I'm going to need your help with this one."
"What difference does some ghost make?" Yuri asks.
Tokageroh goes into Spirit Flame Mode, held in the palm of Bernie's hand.
"Well first, I'm gonna kick your ass." Bernadetta states. Then, while you're picking yourself up off the ground, I'm gonna gather up my friends and I'm gonna leave. You hear that? I do have friends, like you said I would long ago."
She takes the Spirit Flame, and puts it into her new bow. The two of them undergo a transformation of their own. Bernadetta now wears a green, vine like cape with purple highlights, dark green arm guards with a green, scaly combat skirt, and a thorny headdress. Emerging from her back were eight green dragon heads, with Jaw's that appeared like Venus flytraps. She's engulfed in a heavenly green aura, shocking her friends.
"So majestic!" Kronk praises.
"Kick his ass, Bern!" Futaba cheers.
"But how's she doing that?" Shermie wonders. "Last time I checked, she isn't a shaman."
Yuri, however, was still not impressed. "Really? Ooh, I'm quivering in my boots. Face it, I can tell you're scared."
"So what if I am?" Bernadetta calmly says. "The bravest people are willing to face their fears. Especially for those they care about."
Yuri scoffs, and his sword is coated in light magic. "Then how about I eliminate your friends. Then where's that bravery, hm?" He swings it towards her friends, sending out a pressurized light blade.
Bernadetta was quick to react, moving at mach speed to deflect the attack with her bow.
"Fast now, aren't ya? Well, you've shown me your bark…NOW BACK IT UP WITH YOUR BITE!"
Yuri moves quickly towards Bernadetta, matching her speed. His sword clashes with her bow, as purple sparks start to crackle around them. A plant dragon head lunges at Yuri, attempting to bite him, but Yuri slices the head off. Like a plant, it quickly regrows, only two heads take it's place like the Hydra from Greek mythology.
"First time trying this out." Bernadetta says. "Guess spending a lot of time around a shaman has given me enough spiritual awareness to do what they can do. I call this, "Botanical Bernie."
Yuri leaps back, and sends out more light blades. Bernadetta draws her bow, sending out an arrow that breaks into smaller arrows that move much faster. Each individual arrow destroys all of Yuri's projectiles. She fires another arrow at the ground below his feet. The ground beneath him explodes, sending him flying into the air.
"She's handling that weapon like it's an extension of herself." Indech says proudly. "I knew I chose the right person."
Bernadetta leaps into the air as Yuri begins to fall back down. All of the dragon heads lunge at Yuri, with the assassin changing his trajectory in midair to charge at her. He slices through head after head, but they keep regrowing faster than he can keep up. Each head was making good cuts him.
"This is impossible!" He cries in defiance. "I can't lose! Not to somebody like you!"
Bernadetta was above him, with a point blank arrow ready for them.
"I don't like to fight, but there's one thing you should never do." She says proudly. "Don't poke the bear. The Bernie Bear!"
This last arrow hits him, launching him into the ground in a huge explosion. She lands gracefully on the ground, and her and Tokageroh separate.
"Bernie prevails!" She says triumphantly.
"Nice shooting!" Tokageroh compliments. "Y'know, for my first time using an Oversoul with someone other than Ryu, you're not half bad."
Yuri lays in a crater, unconscious and groaning. Bernadetta looks back at her friends and grins. They all run up to her and congratulate her.
"You've been holding out on us!"
"That was amazing!"
"I wasn't doubting you one bit!"
"Gotta admit…" a familiar voice says. "You're probably a stronger shaman than me."
Bernadetta turns around and sees Ryu, looking alive and healthy.
Without thinking, she drops her bow and tackles him to the ground in a hug.
"Ryu! You're alive!" She happily cries. "Wait…. unless you're a zombie!"
"I don't feel different." Ryu says. "But now I'm pretty sure I died, because there's an angel in front of me."
"I can assure you that's not the case." Indech informs him. "That bow holds restorative properties. Those who touch it have their wounds and injuries heal. The effect is almost instantaneous if you bear the matching Crest."
"Well, what do you know?" Ryu says, getting up and dusting himself off. "Looks like I was halfway to my grave, but I survived. All because of you, Bernie. I'm proud of you."
The two look at each other longingly, albeit in awkward silence.
"Look, about what I said earlier," Ryu begins. "I just want you to know it doesn't have to be more than this if you don't want it to be. No matter what, I'll always be your friend Berna-WHOA!"
He's interrupted as Bernadetta grabs him by his collar, and pulls him in for a kiss. Ryu was shocked to see such boldness from her, but he leans in and embraces it. The feeling was electrifying to both of them. So much so you'd swear you could see sparks. The two continue to passionately kiss before they inevitably separate for air.
"I…..wow….." Ryu says, his face completely red.
"Bernie loves you too." She tells him.
"Feels like I've been waiting forever for that." Futaba says proudly. "Atta girl!"
"So, um…what now?" Ryu awkwardly asks.
"I don't know." Bernadetta answers. "I…didn't think I'd make it this far."
"Well, whatever comes next, I know we've got each other in the other's corner." Ryu says, gently taking her hands into his own. "At least now, I can love you with all my might."
Tokageroh approaches Ryu, and snakes him in the back of the head.
"Ow! What was that for?!"
"You nearly scared me to double death with that stunt you pulled!" Tokageroh snaps. "Don't you ever do something stupid like that again!"
Ryu merely laughed it off. Tokageroh, despite being shook up about all this, couldn't help but laugh alongside him. They all share a good laugh over it.
Just then, we see Yuri emerging from the crater, still weakened from the fight.
"What?! You ready for round two, tough guy?!" Ryu asks. "Because Bernie won't hesitate to stomp another mud hole in your ass."
"No…." Yuri groans. "She beat me fair and square. But I have to say…I'm sorry I ever doubted you."
"What are you talking about?" Bernadetta asks.
"Deep down, I'm proud of how far you've come. You're clearly not the same Bernadetta I knew a decade ago."
"Yeah…our fake friendship. You know, where you tried to kill me?!"
"Listen, there's more to that story." Yuri tells her. "More that you don't know."
"If you think this means you're off the hook, you got another thing coming." Ryu warns.
"Yes, I was hired to assassinate you." He explained. "As you know, House Varley is one of the six great noble families of Adrestia…the true rulers of the Empire. And you're the heir…with a Crest. Tons of people wanted you wiped out. Like people who want to eradicate House Varley. Or a relative who wants all the glory for themselves. That particular breed of treacherous nobility…is the kind that'd hire a kid to do their dirty work."
"And you found an in as the assistant gardener of the estate." Bernadetta finishes.
"Yeah. But my biggest mistake? Getting to know you. I crept into your room one night, and readied my blade. The whole thing had been a breeze, up until that very moment. I couldn't bring myself to do it."
"What?!" Bernadetta gasped.
Yuri continues his story, looking somber. "While I hovered there, hesitating, your father came in and caught me in the act. You know the rest."
"Why are you telling me all this?" Bernadetta asks. "I'm so confused."
"Because I want you to look at it objectively." Yuri answers. "I was hired to kill you. Your father protected you from me, a filthy assassin. He was looking out for you. You're lucky to have a father who cares enough about you to do that."
"Protected me?!" Bernadetta exclaimed in disbelief. "I think you got that wrong! Even if he did save me from you, he didn't do it out of genuine love! He protected me like a farmer would protect their precious tool! I'm nothing but a meal ticket to him!"
Yuri looks down regretfully. "I see. That explains a lot. I'm sorry I didn't have the full story."
"It's alright." Bernadetta assures him. "Honestly, it's a bit of a relief to know why you didn't go through with it. It's because we were friends, right?"
"Well…"
"You were my first friend. The first person who cared about me."
"The whole thing was probably a sham anyway." Yuri says. "Though you know…even if it was, I did have a lot of fun with you."
"What a heartfelt story, Yuri." Balthus says, putting an arm around his friend's shoulder. "You never told me that part."
"Ah, looks like someone's finally up from their nap." Yuri says jokingly. "C'mon, we need to regroup with the others and figure out where to go from here."
"Oh? Then what do I do with this guy?"
Balthus holds up a short man, dressed in knight's armor.
"Let me go, you mongrel!" He snaps.
"Who are you, runt?!" Shermie asked.
"An envoy of House Varley who's been spying on Miss Varley for quite some time."
"Father's been spying on me?!" Bernadetta said nervously. "Oh no…"
"A spy?!" Ryu snapped. "How long have you been spying on her?!"
"I've kept an eye on the show for quite some time!" The knight said nervously. "Now please let me go!"
Balthus drops the little man on the floor. "Now scram, bub!"
The man skitters off, but left behind was a small electronic disk. Curiously, Ryu picks it up.
"What do you think this is?"
"Looks like a communication device of some sort." Futaba hypothesized."
The device suddenly lights up, with a voice on the other end.
"Hello?! Are you there?! Blast these new devices! Still getting the hang of it! What's your status?!"
Bernadetta's eyes widen as soon as she recognized the voice.
"That's him!" Bernadetta quietly cries. "That's my father on the other line!"
Ryu noticed the worried and panicked look on his now girlfriend's face. He gives her a reassuring look that tells her, "I'll handle this for you."
"Hello." Ryu speaks into the receiver. "Who may I be speaking to?"
"What the-you're not Germain!" Count Varley snapped. "Who are you?!"
"I'm Wooden Sword Ryu!" Ryu says sternly. "Perhaps you've heard of me!"
We cut to Varley Manor at that exact moment. The Count sat in his study, twirling a glass of wine. On his desk were newspapers of the events with Gjira, and Robin and the Marines. Also on the table were some wanted posters, particularly Ryu's and Bernadetta's, with the former having a dagger stabbed through the face.
"Ah, I've heard so much about you, Umemiya!" The Count spat. " You're speaking with none other than Gregoire von Varley. Bernadetta's father."
"I know damn well who you are, fuckwad!" Ryu snapped. "You horrible sack of shit!"
"Excuse me?!" Gregoire says with disdain. " How dare you speak to a noble like that?! You all have no right to do so! If you'll excuse me, I'm taking her back! This show's gone on long enough!"
"You're talking about Bernadetta, right?" Ryu says. "No way, man!"
"I wasn't throwing out a suggestion." Gregoire said smugly . "I was giving you a command! I've had my eye on this show ever since this whole Marine incident. Imagine my shock when I found out she wasn't at Garreg Mach! I'll be taking her back now, and she's to return to Varley territory immediately!"
Ryu looks over at Bernadetta, who shakes her head.
"Sorry to burst your bubble, but you're not getting what you want!" Ryu retorts.
" What?!"
"You're a horrible monster who treats his own daughter like his property rather than what she really is….a person!"
"What I do with her is none of your business!" Gregoire snapped. " You commoners are always sticking your noses where they shouldn't be! That's why I feel nothing when I have to kill one of you for thinking we're equals! It's a joy to flex our power, as we are the children of the goddess!"
"Who cares if you got fancy blood?!" Ryu tells him. "Who cares if this world views you like gods?!"
"Because we are-"
"Zip it! You're lucky I can't hurt you through this phone! Otherwise, I'd rip your balls off with my bare hands!"
Gregoire lets out a scared scream, but tries to remain calm and in control.
"How dare you threaten a noble?! We live in a hierarchy where those at the top can do as they please! Especially towards little punks like you who're inferior!"
"I'm not threatening you!" Ryu angrily responds. "I'm just warning you! Don't mess with anyone in Total Drama! If I ever see you, or if you ever hurt Bernie in any way again, not even your goddess can save you when I get my hands on you!"
Yuri watches this altercation, utterly slack jawed at what this funny haired man was doing.
"You're all going to die!" Gregoire yells. " Your threats are like declaring war against the whole Empire! You can't challenge me and expect to win!"
"Bring it on, Count Jerkface! Bernie isn't coming back to you, ever! End. Of. Story!"
Gregoire crushes the wine glass in his hand, gritting his teeth at this pissant who dares defy him and steal his heir away from him. This wasn't over.
"This'll be the last time we see each other!" Ryu finishes. "So eat shit and go to hell!"
With that, Ryu crushes the device in his hand, with everyone cheering him on.
"Thanks for doing that for me." Bernadetta says. "I hope you're not mad that I wasn't brave enough to talk to him myself. I'm still working on myself."
Ryu gently kisses her forehead. "It's alright. You're still getting there. Overcoming fear and anxiety takes time. I'm fine with going at a pace you're comfortable with. I'll be there every step of the way."
"You were quite gutsy to speak to the Count that way." Yuri says. "Too bad he now has the right to kill you in any way he sees fit. I hope you're ready to face his wrath."
"Nah, I'd win." Ryu confidently states. "But seriously though, we need to start heading back."
"Good for you guys." Yuri says. "A small win is still a win."
"You're not…coming with us?" Bernadetta asks.
"Sorry, but my home is Abyss. It and it's people are precious to me. You could say it's my Best Place."
Bernadetta approaches Yuri and gives him a hug.
"Thanks, Yuri. For being my friend. I'll never forget everything you've done for me."
"How touching." Yuri muses. "As much as I'll miss you, I'm not gonna cry. It'd ruin my makeup. I do appreciate the sentiment, though."
"You've done well." Indech tells her. "You've learned a lesson that's evaded me until today. I do hope you'll continue to carve your own path, with the gift I've bestowed upon you."
Bernadetta nods, and tries to look for her bow. Only to realize it's nowhere to be found.
"What?! Where is it?! I only put it down for a couple of minutes!"
The others began looking around frantically, until Ryu realized another one.
"Kronk is gone, too! You don't think something could've happened to him, so you?!"
"I don't know…" Futaba says. "Maybe he already made a headstart back to the ship."
"Without the Inexhaustible, we're coming back empty handed." Ryu says.
"Do head back." Indech tells them. "I sense my relic is already in someone's possession as we speak. All the way back to your ship."
"So someone stole it, huh?" Ryu says. "Probably the same person from this morning."
"Well, let's not waste any time." Shermie tells them. "We've gotta head back."
"I'm so tired." Bernadetta groans. "All of that fighting wore Bernie out."
"Yeah, those Oversouls are taxing." Ryu says. "Especially for a first timer." Suddenly, he had an idea. "Let me help you get back."
He scoops her up and holds her bridal style. Bernadetta was quite flustered at first, but that went away as soon as she realized how safe she felt in his arms. It was almost as if she was in one of her homemade romance stories.
"Oh wow…" she mutters.
Shermie giggles at her reaction. "Lead the way, Pompadour!"
The group heads back to the ship, with Ryu singing a song as they travel.
"Weeeeeell, we're going through the fog, and we don't know where to!
We've got no map and we got no food!
Your cute friend Yuri turned out to be a dude, oh whoooah!"
As Yuri and Balthus watch them leave, Yuri gives a long winded whistle.
"What a day, B." He says. "Too bad it looks like we're not getting paid."
"Aw, cheer up." Balthus tells him. "There's plenty of more opportunities to make some moolah. You know that."
Yuri smiles. "True."
"Although all the money we could've got today would've been way more than enough to get me out of debt."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Meanwhile, we see Kronk running, as if he was running for his life. In his hands, he held the Inexhaustible.
"I can't believe I went and did that!" He says worriedly. "Why did I do that?!"
" Keep going, Kronk!" Yzma tells him. " All the way to the finish line! I told you taking that thing and making a break for it would work!"
"But what about them?!" Kronk asks. "They're gonna find out I did-OOF!"
Kronk wasn't looking in front of him, and and fell on his back when he ran into someone.
"Well well well, lol okay what we have here." A familiar voice sneers.
Kronk looks up and sees it was Pete.
"Oh, Pete. It's just you."
"I saw that, you know." Pete says bluntly.
"Um…W-what?" Kronk stutters, trying to play it cool.
"I've been tailing you guys the whole time. And I saw you steal the bow away from Bernadetta. Naughty naughty~. Somebody's a little thief. Now I know who set me up earlier. You're the last person I'd expect to do that."
" Don't you dare say anything!" Yzma hissed.
"Please don't tell them!" Kronk begs. "They're my friends!"
"Really?" Pete says smugly. "Then why steal from them? Why hurt them like this? If they were to find out about this-"
"I'll do anything!" Kronk pleads. "Just please don't say anything!"
"Sure, sure." Pete says. "Just give the bow to me, and let me have the reward."
"What?!"
"It's either that, or I squeal. Besides, they'll find out anyway if you win the challenge. The choice is yours. But I'd take the deal, as I'm doing the both of us a favor."
Kronk relents, and gives him the bow.
" What are you doing?!" Yzma shrieks.
"Pleasure doing business with you." Pete says as he walks away. Little did he know that Pete had his fingers crossed in his pocket the whole time.
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The last group of Ryu, Futaba, Bernadetta, and Shermie finally makes it back to Don and Seteth.
"Finally!" Draco says. "We were waiting on you guys!"
"Sorry." Ryu says as he catches his breath. "We had the treasure, but we lost it."
"But I've got it right here." Pete says, holding up the Inexhaustible.
"Hey, that's mine!" Bernadetta says angrily. "It was given to me fair and square!"
"Here, you can have it back!" Pete tosses it back to her. "I already got what I want."
"What?!"
"That's right." Don says. "The Fairies win, with Pete getting the sole vote for elimination."
"That's it!" Ryu says, pulling up one of his sleeves. "I'm going to pound you into Hamburg steak for this one!"
"But why?" Pete says with fake concern. "I didn't steal it. Kronk, who stole it from you guys, gave it to me."
Everyone gasps and looks towards Kronk. The big guy looked to be in distress, sweating nervously.
"Hey! You promised!"
"I had my fingers crossed, bub! And guess what?! He's the one who stole that girl's food! Not me!"
"He did what?!" Bernadetta cried.
Ryu has a bit of a disappointed look on his face. "Kronk…is that true?"
Kronk's eyes darted around nervously, looking for an excuse, but to no avail. All eyes are on him.
" Don't you dare!" Yzma commands.
Both Kronk's angel and devil appear beside him.
"I think you know what you have to do." They both say in unison.
Kronk drops to his hands and knees and starts crying.
"YES! IT WAS ALL ME! I ADMIT IT! I'M NOTHING BUT A DIRTY CHEATER!"
" YOU BUFFOON!" Yzma snaps.
"Cheater?" Don asks. "Nobody said anything about cheating."
"That's the thing!" Kronk says. He takes the backpack and opens it up, with Yzma tumbling out.
"Um…who's this?" Yami asks.
"Hey, I know you!" Ryu exclaims. "You're that old bag I met in Twinleaf Town!"
"Yeah, I'm not following." Panty says.
Kronk grabs the watch on Yzma's wrist and pushes a button, with her turning into her Ms. Teri disguise. Now it clicked with everyone.
"Wait…that old hag was Ms. Teri?!" Shermie says.
"Ohhhhh…Ms. Teri. Mystery. I get it." Percy says. "Clever wordplay."
"What are you doing, Kronk?! You've blown my cover!" Yzma panics.
"She's been helping me behind the scenes." Kronk says glumly. "That potion in the martial arts challenge? That was her. The drink that gave Out the runs? It was her as well, though it was intended for Yami."
"Phew, dodged a bullet there." Yami remarks.
"She gave us an unfair score in the karaoke challenge, and had me steal from Bernadetta today!" Kronk finishes. "I'm nothing but a dirty cheater, and I couldn't keep lying to my friends. Because I don't care about the money! Because the friends I've made here are my treasure! Or at least…..I guess it's former friends now."
"Your compassion utterly irritates me!" Yzma snapped. "I'm done helping you out!"
"Well good!" Kronk snaps. "Because I quit, Yzma! We're done!"
"You've got some nerve!" Yzma spat. She takes out a vial and drinks it. "You won't be so cocky when I turn into an elephant and stomp you!"
Yzma is engulfed in a pink cloud, but to everyone's surprise, she wasn't an elephant. She was a small cat.
"Good grief." She groans in a high pitched voice. "Not again!"
"You know, you really should label those things better." Kronk smugly tells her.
Yzma sees Bibo growling at her. "Um…nice rat. Heh heh!"
Bibo chases her in circles, until Don grabs her by her tail.
"Well, looks like the cats out of the bag." Don jokes. "But you're fired, effective immediately."
"Fired?!" Yzma cries. "But I'm one of your best workers!"
"Don't care."
"But I-"
"Don't care. You're done."
"Rats!"
The host drops her back into Bibi's grasp, and looks over at Kronk. The look of disappointment was plain on my face. "You do know this is the same thing that got Starscream in trouble, don't you?"
"I do." Kronk says somberly. "I know I'm disqualified. But I'd rather leave on my own terms than stay and keep hurting my friends."
"You're taking this rather well. It takes a real man to own up to his mistakes. Luckily for you, it's starting to get late, so you'll leave tomorrow night with whoever Pete chooses. Now everyone, back to ship! Mr. Seteth, thanks for having us."
"It's no problem." Seteth says. "You guys weren't much better than the last group."
As everyone is heading back, Ryu pulls Kronk aside. He was face to face with him, Bernadetta, Shermie, and Futaba.
"Look, just let me have it." Kronk says bitterly. "I deserve it. I understand if you hate me."
"I'll admit, that was some rather disheartening news." Ryu says. "What you did was bad. But remember what I said? If you truly feel bad about what you did, you're worth forgiving in my book."
"Really?"
"Yeah. I know you meant well. You just had a bad influence in your life."
Bibo had Yzma's tail by his teeth. He swings her round and round, and sends her flying into the horizon.
"Don't think this is the last you all have seen of meeeeeeeeee!" She screams.
"And that bad influence is gone." Ryu says proudly.
"I forgive you, too." Bernadetta tells him. "I know you never meant any ill will."
"Besides, I've met backstabbers who were way worse than you." Futaba adds. "Compared to them, you're a saint."
"So…we're cool?" Kronk asks.
"Of course, man." Ryu says. "You're one of us. Now bring it in."
They all join in a big group hug. Kronk begins to tear up.
"I don't deserve all this kindness!" He sobs. "You guys are the best friends a guy could have!"
"Ahem." Seteth clears his throat.
"Oh. Sorry." Ryu said awkwardly. "Didn't realize you were still here."
"You'd better catch up with the rest of your…traveling circus." Seteth says.
"Ah, right. C'mon, guys."
They all head back, but Seteth pulls Bernadetta aside real quick.
"He really trusted you with that bow, didn't he?" He asks.
"Yes." Bernadetta answers. "You were right about Saint Indech."
"You've come so far. You're not the same person now like you were your first day at the academy. You've found a great group of friends, and have started coming out of your shell. That's why Professor Byleth chose you. Don't forget that."
"Don't worry, I won't."
"Good. Now run along. I'll let Lady Rhea know of your heroic actions today. You just keep that chin up."
"I will. But….can I ask you one more thing?"
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"Honestly, I'm relieved they forgave me." Kronk said. "As said as it'll be for me to go, it's what's right. I'm leaving with my head held high. It might take some time for me to forgive myself, even if my friends already have."
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We now transition to a flying pirate ship, known as the Grand Plunderer. Inside the ship's party room, we see Narmun, Zinna, Glades, and Xyrian bowing their heads in front of a large seat.
"We're really sorry, captain!" Zinna cries. "We didn't get the treasure, and we lost Kronya!"
"But we did bring back a ton of gold!" Glades adds.
The chair swerves around, and we see a large, overweight gentleman. He had wavy taupe colored hair, small shades, a pointy nose, and wore a black suit with gold accents.
"Well, you win some, you lose some!" The captain laughs. "At least we got something out of it!"
"So…you're not mad?" Narmun asks.
"Well, I'm upset we lost that little hottie, Kronya. But a small win is still a win."
The door to the room is slammed open, the crew gasps at the man that stood before him. He was tall, pale skin and pure black hair that was long and spikey. His right eye is entirely black. He had a thin, curly mustache and a short, goatee beard. He is clad with a long, gray coat with fur on it. He wears shaggy pants and boots. His left arm was a long, black hook, dripping black blood. He also has black horns.
"Ah, Simffuring!" The captain says jovially. "As I live and breathe!"
"Xahahaha!" Simffuring laughs. "Cecil D. Pugwash! My old chum!"
His crew slowly backs away from Simffuring.
"What's he doing here?!" Zinna asks. "Does the captain not know who he is?!"
"The captain and Simffuring go way back." Glades explains. "Old drinking buddies, and partners in crime."
"Speaking of drinks, I'm parched." Cecil says. He pushes a button on his chair, and the floor switches to an indoor bar. "Care for a cold one, for old time's sake?"
Simffuring laughs boisterously. "How could I refuse?! You always know how to hook a guy up!"
Cecil turns to his crew mates. "The rest of you, scram! And tell Halby he's on mopping duty today! I want the deck spotless by dinner!"
With a quick nod, they leave the room, leaving Cecil and Simffuring.
"Care to play a drinking game?" Cecil proposed. "I could drink you under the table."
"Now that's a lark." Simffuring says. "You know it's impossible to beat a Black Hole in a drinking contest. But I appreciate your enthusiasm."
"What brings you here, then?"
"Thought I'd catch up with my old friend." Simffuring says, downing a whole bottle of vodka. "It's already hard to believe some of the old legends have fallen. First Namora, and now Gjira as of recently."
"I'm well aware." Cecil says, swirling his glass around. "It's now our turn to turn these worlds upside down. Just like we promised. And as of recently, I've surpassed Gjira in power."
"Ah, you sapped him too, eh? First Locke, then Gaia, and now him? You've hit the superpower lottery. How many abilities have you acquired now?"
"I've lost track. But now that I have the power of Gjira himself, I'm practically unbeatable."
"What's your next course of action, then?"
"Well, today's events have been a small blow to our reputation." Cecil says, a devious glint in his eye. "For now, I'll lay low. But when we return, I have a few stops in mind before I enact my grand dream."
"Ah, that's good for you. As for me, I'm still going to be raising hell out there." Simffuring raises his glass. "To a new era that's ours for the taking!"
Cecil grind, and raises his glass as well for a toast.
"To a new era!"
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That night, we see Kronk, dragging Ryu by his hand. The shaman was blindfolded, and wore the same suit he intended to wear for his date earlier.
"Alright, man. What's this all about?" Ryu asks. "Can I take this blindfold off?"
"Just another moment." Kronk tells him. "Okay, now!"
Ryu takes his blindfold off, and sees he was out on the main deck. In front of him stood a large, candlelit spread of food. Behind that stood Bernadetta. She was dressed in a simple purple dress with a short skirt. Now it was Ryu's turn for his brain to blue screen.
"Bernie….wow…." He mutters. "I didn't think you could get any more beautiful, but I'm so glad I was wrong. What is all this?"
"I'm finishing what we originally planned to do today." She says. "A date. Just me and you."
"Well, I'll let you two lovebirds be." Kronk says. "Gotta pack my bags for tomorrow."
He heads back inside, leaving the two of them alone.
"Well…" Bernadetta says shyly. "Let's dig in. I put my heart and soul into it….again."
The both of them sit down, and both of them stare at each other in silence for a moment.
"I-I hope you like it." Bernadetta says. "Please, help yourself. This time I made stuff from my world."
Ryu grabs a plate, and puts a little bit of everything on it. He wanted to try everything she made. He takes a bite of one of the meat kabobs. His eyes water at how delicious it tasted.
"Soooooooo good!" He gushes. "The meat is so juicy and tender!"
"I'm glad you like it." Bernadetta says happily. She nibbles at her plate, not quite as hungry as Ryu.
He tries it all, from the sweet buns, to the fried pheasant, the stir fried vegetables, and the peach sorbet made for dessert. As he ate, he kept going on and on about how good it all tasted. Finally, his plate was licked clean.
"I gotta admit, Bernie, you're quite the whiz with food."
"Oh, stop it." She says humbly.
"I'm serious. This kind of food would be a hit back at the inn!"
"I guess so…" Suddenly, Bernadetta realized something she wanted to tell him. "Wait, that reminds me of this idea I have. And I hope you don't laugh at it."
"C'mon, you know I'd never laugh at you." He assured her. "Fire away."
She nervously taps her fingers together. "What if…I returned home with you when this competition is over?"
Ryu spits out his drink in surprise. "What?! Where's this come from?!"
"Well, we've already burned the bridge with my noble house. And I talked to Seteth about this. I'm going to denounce my nobility and my claim to House Varley."
"Really?!"
"Yeah. And when I told him my plan, he said he'll have Rhea let me graduate early as a thanks for saving Indech."
Ryu was still shocked. "I'm not opposed to that idea one bit. But…are you sure that's what you want to do?"
Bernadetta nods. "I've put quite a bit of thought into this. It's time for me to carve my own path. And I want to walk that path with you….my Best Place."
Ryu begins to tear up. He picks Bernadetta up, and swings her around. At first, she protested, but she soon laughed as he spun her around.
"If that's what you want, who am I to refuse?" He tells her. "I'm sure Miss Anna won't mind. She might ask you to pitch in here and there, but you'll be free to indulge in all of your hobbies as you please."
Another thought crossed the girl's mind. "Um, what about your friends? You think they'll like me?"
"Are you kidding?! They'll love you! Except for Ren, but he doesn't like anyone, so don't take it personally. We've still got a game to play, but when it's all said and done…it'll be just us. Living peacefully at our Best Place."
She smiles sweetly at him, humans pulls him in for another kiss.
"Hard to believe I wanted to leave on the first day. Now…I can't picture myself leaving yet. I'm so happy I met someone like you, Ryu. I love you."
"I love you too, Bernie."
The two continue to make out some more, but Bernadetta breaks away again.
"Something wrong?" Ryu asks.
"The night's still young." She says a bit nervously. "Why don't we…head back to my room? Watch a movie or something, and…see where the night takes us? The date doesn't have to end with dinner."
Now it was Ryu's turn to blush. He was still a little new to dating. "Um, y-yeah, sure. A movie sounds great, Bernie Bear. I mean, sorry. I know you're not fond of that nickname since people always called you that. I just think it's rather cute."
"Well, I mean...it's fine since it's you. You could call me that all day. Maybe i need to think up some pet names. Now, let's head back to my room."
She takes him by the hand, and leads him to her room. You could swear the stars in the night sky were dancing, for such a joyous night.
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We see everyone heading to elimination. As they walk, Light whispers into Pete's ear.
"I hope you know to make the right choice." he whispers.
"Oh, don't worry." Pete assures. "I know full well what I'm doing."
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"Looks like it's curtains for Alucard." Light says triumphantly. "Once again, Kira wins."
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"This is my alliance." Pete states. "Just 'cause you're smart doesn't mean you call the shots. It's my choice, and I know full well who I'm picking!"
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The Black Bulls all sat at elimination, with Don and the Fairies at the front.
"Well, looks like you two had a great night." Futaba says to Bernadetta and Ryu.
"You…could say that." Ryu says, still having several lipstick marks on his face. He even had some on his chest, if you looked hard enough. Bernadetta looks away, hiding her tomato red face.
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"It's always the shy girls that are the biggest freaks." Panty says. "And that chick writes smut as well. Damn, if she wasn't so stubborn about it, I want to read some of that shit. But these two were getting it on like rabbits in heat, and you can't tell me otherwise."
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"Pete, you know the drill." Don explains. "Choose one of the Bulls to eliminate."
Pete steps forward, his shifty eyes looking at all of his potential victims.
"Oh, decisions, decisions." He remarks. "All of you suck eggs, but I can only pick one of you!"
"Just hurry it up, fatass!" Panty says. "I got three guys I invited and a keg waiting for me in my room!"
"Thanks." Yami groaned. "Now that image is burned into my brain. But she is right. Hurry up, I'm crowning over here, and I've got a date with the porcelain throne."
"Geez, you guys are all weirdos!" Pete says. He raises his hand. "But enough suspense! The person I choose to eliminate is…"
…
…
…
…
…
"... you."
His finger points at Bernadetta. Everyone gasps, while Light looked pissed.
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"How petty is this fat bastard?!" Light snaps. "The one chance we had, and he wastes it on the least threatening person on the other team!"
"I don't think I've ever seen you this upset." Ryuk muses.
"Upset doesn't even begin to describe how I'm feeling, Ryuk! Who does this guy think he is?! Somehow, some way, he's going to regret this!"
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"Wait…me?!" Bernadetta exclaimed.
Ryu stands up in protest. "This is bullshit!"
"My decision is final." Pete says proudly. "Maybe next time don't beat me up for something I never did."
"As sad as it is, he has the final say." Don says. "Bernadetta, it's been a pleasure to have you here, bit your time on this show has come to an end."
"Damn it!" Ryu snapped.
Bernadetta calmly grabs his hands. "It's alright." She tells him.
"It's not fair!" Ryu says, beginning to cry. "And after we just got together!"
"And there'll still be plenty of time for us after the game is over. Don't let this elimination throw you off. You've proven to me how strong you are. Don't give up just like that. Stay strong for us, okay?"
Ryu nods, and wipes away his tears.
"Don't worry. I promise."
"And...look. I know I'm not the easiest person to be around, but," The look of happiness on Bernadetta's face was hard to describe, crying tears of joy. "...thank you for always being so patient with me."
"C'mon, Bernie. You're absolutely worth it."
"Bernadetta, Kronk, your raft awaits." Don says.
"We're gonna miss you guys." Futaba says.
"Have a safe trip home." Shermie adds.
Before she leaves, Bernadetta gives Ryu one last kiss.
"See you soon."
Everyone goes to watch the two of them be off. With one last wave, the raft drops, and the two of them float away.
"I'm really going to miss them." Percy says. "It won't be the same without either of them."
"With this elimination done, I have one more announcement for you guys." Don says. "Congratulations to all of you. You e all officially made it to the merge."
"What?!"
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"Now I'm even more pissed!" Light snapped. "Now it's gonna be a lot harder with Alucard around!"
Light composes himself, and takes a deep breath.
"No matter. Very rarely have I faced setbacks. But, like always, I will overcome it. As long as this alliance stops having their heads up their asses."
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"Honestly, I didn't think I'd make it this far." Draco says. "But I guess I'm in it to win it now."
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"Wow, we've already reached that point, huh?" Panty remarks. "Now it was the perfect time to form an alliance. From here on out, it's me and two insanely powerful studs."
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"Now heres where the real fun begins." Alucard said devilishly. "That wannabe god failed today, and i won't rest until he's vanquished in every sense of the word!"
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"You going to be okay?" Futaba asks Ryu.
"Eventually." Ryu says. "But right now, I got bigger fish to fry. Oh Pete~!"
Pete looks to see Ryu glaring at him. He tackles the cat to the ground, and wrestles him a minute later, he has Pete trapped in a large birdcage.
"Hey! Let me out of here!"
"Now I can kick your ass for something you did do!" Ryu said sinisterly. "Until the next challenge, you're my bitch!"
"Aw, c'mon! Is no one going to stop him this time?!"
"Well, he did upset Ryu for something he did this time." Percy says as she walks away. "I only intervened last time because he didn't do anything. I'm sure Ryu will work the anger out of his system."
"Are we seriously letting him do this?" Draco asks Light.
"It's what he deserves." Light said darkly. "For his idiocy at tonight's elimination, this is what he gets. Let that be a lesson for making a mistake under my watch."
Draco felt unnerved by Light's words. He didn't like his old team, bit as much as he didn't want to admit it, maybe he did miss his whole team. Now, he found himself allied with a fat bastard who made stupid decisions, a robot who'll pickpocket him the first chance he gets, and now Light. He was ruthless enough to kick Shermie out, and let Pete be at Ryu's mercy. He hated working for Voldemort, but with Light around…it was almost as if he still worked for him.
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Phew.
Well, this one was a long time coming. Hope you all enjoyed it. This is probably my longest chapter yet. There was a whole rollercoaster of emotions going into this one, and I hope it was worth the wait. Reunions, gruesome bloodbaths, and everything in between. Wonder if we'll ever see Yuri and the Ashen Wolves again.
Now, we say goodbye to Kronk and Bernadetta, which I'm sure plenty of you are upset about. But don't fret, as they'll be back for Infinite 3. Kronk left on his own terms, and Bernadetta leaves a different person. Just to let everyone know, she isn't cured of her trauma and anxiety or anything. Life doesn't work like that. Slowly but surely, she's learning to adapt to it and cope with it better. And now, she's got a big living teddy bear to help her every step of the way. Writing their growing relationship has been a treat for me.
Now, we've reached the merge. 11 players remain. Light, Draco, Shermie, Yami, Ryu, Bender, Percy, Futaba, Panty, Pete, and Alucard. Who'll win it all?
Here's what we got for next time. Remember that phone call from Goenitz that Shermie got?
It's been two weeks.
Well, that's all for now. Until next time, feel free to read and review. Till next time, this is MemeKing, signing off
