The Smurfocalpyse Chapter 115: The Search for the Savant Cure Part 17: The forest falls! A warzone of fire and lava!
The combination of the forest fire caused by Jupiter's Smurf essence and the complete wasteland created by Raptor has finally taken its toll on the woods. The forest was falling apart before their very eyes. The smoke and the falling trees provided a land of death where a tranquil forest once stood. Zarus grew restless on Falconer's arm. It was time to leave, now.
"Hefty Zarus can't take much more! If the smoke rises any higher he won't be able to escape!" Falconer shouts.
Hefty focusing on the battle scowls in frustration. The forest was no longer safe for his friends to survive in. He swiftly made a choice.
"Everyone retreat! Return to the place we last set camp!" Hefty commands.
"Are you crazy!? I will not leave you here!" Smurfstorm said.
"Plus what about Sweepy? He's not with us he could be out there somewhere!" Archer said.
The group of spectators pause and look to each other in a moment of desperation.
"I will not leave this place without Sweepy. He's like a brother to me. I would die for him." Farmer said.
"Nobody else dies tonight! Hefty has ordered a retreat we do as he says." Falconer said.
"We can't just leave without Sweepy." Smurfblossom said.
Mammoth then approaches the group gaining their attention with his presence alone.
"I will search for your friend." Mammoth said.
"Like hell you will!" Smurfstorm said getting in his face.
"Why would we ever trust you?" Archer asked.
"Because I'm the only hope you have." Mammoth said.
"Mammoth…" Compy said.
"Hefty Smurf has ordered a retreat. To go look for him would go against his orders. He never told me to do anything nor does he have that authority." Mammoth said.
Smurfstorm glares at him before aggressively grabbing Compy by the arm and yanking her towards her.
"The Smurfling stays with us, and if you dare to show your face again without Sweepy I will personally execute him in front of Sweepy and Timber's loved ones." Smurfstorm said.
Compy looks noticeably scared and starts shaking when Mammoth puts a hand on his shoulder to comfort him.
"Don't be scared Compy. I will return. Justice is calling my name. You have to have faith, and believe in and fight for what is right in this world. Never forget that. Carry those words with you for the rest of your life." Mammoth said.
Mammoth then disappears into the burning forest. Smurfstorm scoffs and drags Compy along with her as she walks.
"The group is assembled Hefty!" Smurfstorm said.
"Great now go! Hurry!" Hefty said.
Smurfstorm nods and flashes a hand gesture signaling for the others to follow her as they disappear from the sight of the arena.
"How noble. Seems there is honor even among scum." Raptor said.
"Your taunts won't work on me so stop trying. You're embarrassing yourself." Hefty said.
Smurfstorm's group begins their full scale retreat and as they are running Compy finally speaks up despite his fear.
"You aren't really going to kill me are you?" Compy said.
"Of course not! Why would I do something like that?" Smurfstorm said.
"What do we do with him if Mammoth doesn't show up with Sweepy?" Smurfblossom asked.
"That's for Hefty to decide not me." Smurfstorm said.
There was a moment of silence. Smurfblossom knew Smurfstorm was worried about Hefty, but she wasn't going to say anything out of fear of embarrassing her.
"Hefty will come back. We'll see him again I know we will." Farmer said.
Smurfstorm's eyes widen as the subject is brought up.
"He needed my help, and I'm running away." Smurfstorm said.
"Stormy… no, you're helping him out more than you know just by being you." Smurfblossom said.
"Hefty wouldn't be able to focus on using his full strength if he thought we were in danger." Archer said.
They finally make it to a part of the woods where the smoke isn't as intense, and Falconer mounts Zarus and they take flight.
"I'll meet you all at the rendezvous point. Zarus needs to get out of this smoke." Falconer said.
"Take care cousin. We'll be there soon." Archer said.
Falconer slightly smiles and nods before Zarus speeds off into the distance. The scene then returns to the arena as Hefty tries to find a way to penetrate the Volcano Point.
"For the first time in my life I can unleash my full power at no risk to those I love. Prepare to be destroyed." Hefty said taking his stance holding his sword firmly.
"Interesting! Although, it makes little difference. It's only a matter of time before you're burning alive. Raptor said.
"We'll see about that." Hefty said.
Hefty was going to take a gamble and use the most Smurf essence he had ever used in his entire life. Now that he was able to do so without risk of harming the others, Hefty could fully experiment with his power. He stands in place and flexes as his aura flares, the blue Smurf essence reinforcing his strength as his appearance changes to reflex his increase in power. Hefty's muscles expand further making him assume a form that could never realistically be achieved normally even with a lifetime focused on fitness. His Smurf essence flared around him adding extra protection slightly parting the lava as it flows closer to him. He had to muster up the strength to penetrate the Volcano Point or else his opponent would likely never leave it making the battle impossible to win. As he is focusing and generating never before seen amounts of Smurf essence a molten rock the size of a basketball shoots out of the top of the volcano and begins falling down towards him. Hefty leaps back to avoid being crushed and lands on his feet a distance away before holding his sword out in front of him with both hands. He then leaps high into the air and slashes the air with all his might sending an arc of wind soaring towards the volcano only for his attack to not do any damage.
"It's clearly going to take more than my usual amount of strength to penetrate it." Hefty thought as he witnessed his failed attempt.
Attacking up close and personal like Hefty was used to doing was an impossibility due to Raptor not only being protected by the volcano, but the lava it is spewing that's pooling around it. Hefty's situation was not advantageous at all. He was going to have to rely on something he rarely relied on: ranged attacks. Not only was the lava a complication, but the state of the forest and the fire made things even more difficult putting Hefty in a spot he's never been in before. There was no guarantee that even if he survived this battle that he'd make it out alive.
"Times running out for you Hefty Smurf! No creature has ever survived the Volcano Point!" Raptor shouts from the safety of the center of the volcano.
Hefty grits his teeth and swings his sword with all his strength at the air in front of him sending another arc of wind towards the volcano. Once again the attack is rendered useless on contact. All the while he is running out of ground in the arena to stand on.
"I need more power!" Hefty thought in realization.
He pushed the limits of his very being further by generating more Smurf essence causing his aura to wisp and crack aggressively. This new fighting technique developed by the Raptors of Blood Mountain known as an Essence Point concentrates Smurf essence generation on the physical body rather than the environment around their aura. This Essence Point has many different forms as we've seen based upon the Smurf essence type of the user. Rather than using ranged attacks, area of effect, or environmental alteration using Smurf essence the Essence Point concentrates essence generation in just the body of the user resulting in things like the Volcano Point being possible. The anatomy of the Volcano Point is that of a normal volcano, but rather than the source of the lava being the earth the source is Raptor's Smurf essence as he generates it from within the volcano which in itself is a sturdy structure generated by his Smurf essence concentrated into a single 'point' that point being his body fully protecting him while giving him a means to attack through the opening of the volcano. It's highly likely his newly awakened Smurf essence is what resulted in the Essence Point being perfected in such a way that he can attack while assuming it. Hefty having a Strength type Smurf essence allows him to benefit from what would be a weaker passive Essence Point as the majority of his Smurf essence goes into his muscles strengthening them and making damaging him with normal weapons not impossible, but difficult as though he had the stone skin of an ogre.
Hefty powers up further growing slightly in size as his body transforms to compensate for his increased muscle mass. He dodges another sizable rock before leaping into the air and once again slashing the air with all his might sending an arc of wind through the air. This time the attack collides with the volcano and progress is visible as his attack chips away at the volcano around the center sending fragments of Smurf essence generated rock flying before they disappeared into purple essence. He was getting closer, but the strain he was putting on his body was not like anything he was currently used to. He could feel his stamina draining faster than usual while in the midst of battle. Although his body is experiencing this Hefty chooses to ignore it and focus on the perilous situation he is in, taking note of his increased power and thinking of ways to conserve it long enough to figure this out. The spreading lava forces him back further as it consumes the arena, each passing second Hefty is losing ground. He remains headstrong and brave and continues to send arcs of wind towards the volcano, the strength of his swings increasing as the essence he generates accumulates.
"Not good enough. I have to think of something else." Hefty thought.
Hefty's brain went into overdrive as he searched deep within him for an idea he could put into practice. Ranged attacks were not his specialty and his Smurf essence didn't even allow him the ability to use one meaning he has to rely on his strength and raw technique alone. With the lava slowly backing him into a corner literally Hefty is running out of time. The forest burns and falls apart around him adding to the danger he faces yet he still stands tall… for now.