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[Pahrak #0579]

My project "Bioni-Lords" has been going on for a long, long time, and when the Forums went offline, I had posted 130 Chapters in Book 2. There are still a few chapters left that need to be posted, but it would take far too long to re-post all of the old chapters on the new Forums. Therefore, a link to the first 130 chapters will be put in the Review topic for this: the last thirty or so chapters of Bioni-Lords Book 2: Sekai. Please enjoy!


Chapter 131: Opening


Miserix stood completely still as his enemies prepared for battle, not nervous in the least. Aile said, “So tell us…why didn’t you just start busting Gemstones right away?”
“Originally, our plan was a bit different,” Miserix said. “We were slowly but surely releasing bits of Antidermis everywhere we went, initiating a technique for brainwashing the masses. However, Teridax complicated matters so much that I decided to move on to the Gemstones and enslave the people later.”
“Oh, that makes sense,” Aile said. She looked behind Miserix and asked, “Hey, uh…where’s your back-up? You’re too smart to come here alone.”
Teridax and Icarax emerged from the nearby rock faces, and Miserix said, “Most of the Makuta are still on their way. But the three of us should suffice for now.”
“We’ll see about that!” Kharuun said, charging forth and swinging his Thunderbolt Saber.
Miserix used his Tail to knock Kharuun away, and as most everyone else engaged the other two Makuta, Aile flew towards their leader. Staff and Dragonblade collided, and beams of Heat Vision seared past Aile’s head as she flipped and used Dragonwing. Miserix held his ground and moved to strike, but an Ikhav Fantôme Kousen knocked him off-balance and Aile flew into a Rage to knock him over.
Kharuun landed nearby and used Blade Galaxy, and Aile commented, “Probably safer for you to fight the others.”
“Meh, safety,” Kharuun mumbled, shifting to Dissonance Zadakh. “I have other priorities.”
He put up a Noise Shield to block a Scream, and Miserix said, “You caught me by surprise, boy. It won’t happen again.”
“Good—I prefer not to use sneak attacks,” Kharuun said.
A Noise Typhoon kicked up as Aile swung her Dragonblade, missing Miserix and cutting a trench in the ground. The Makuta used Shadow Arm to punch Kharuun into a Black Hole, and then he Dragonslammed Aile under increased gravity, but Aile protected herself with Dragonscales and used her wings to throw Miserix off. Kharuun flew in and used Blade Dash, almost hitting, but Miserix twisted out of the way and blasted him with Shatter. Aile dodged Blackout and locked Miserix in place with Dragoneye, and then she activated her Master’s Aura and used Spirit of Dragon on her foe. Kharuun materialized right above Miserix and used Overhead Slash, willing Shuriken and Kunai to rain down at the same time, but Miserix retaliated with a Frequency Pulse and flew into the sky.
“Well aren’t you tough, mighty Miserix!” Aile laughed. “If you think this is bad, wait until the kid gets serious!”
Miserix growled as Kharuun charged in again, and using his Elasticity powers he extended his arm, grabbed his foe, and drew him into a blast of Laser Vision. Kharuun was thrown into a Hurricane as Miserix said, “What about you, Dragon-Lord? Your power far surpasses what you’ve displayed.”
Aile just smiled, and Kharuun flew at Miserix with Needle Punch but the Makuta blocked and used his Tail. Kharuun ducked, switched to Hyper Zadakh, and used Buzzsaw Punch, grazing Miserix, who punched and released Chain Lightning on contact. Holding his ground, Kharuun used Thunder Ball to stun Miserix before using some Chaos Slashes on him, but then Miserix put him in a Stasis Field and battered him with a Shadow Arm. Aile used Rage, but Miserix turned Intangible and let her hit Kharuun instead, and then he knocked the Dragon-Lord to the ground and let vines come up to strangle her.
“If you continue to hold back, this child will die,” Miserix said. “Even you must have a conscience.”
Kharuun used Chaos Control, Noise Control, and then Twilight Dash, but Miserix endured it all and Body Slammed Kharuun into a wall of rock. Gritting his teeth, Kharuun said, “You think you can kill me? Heh…don’t be so sure.”
He swung the Thunderbolt Saber but Miserix dodged and used a Vacuum blast, saying, “Foolish child—I am the leader of Les Douze Ombres, one of the most powerful beings on Earth, and the Dragon-Lord has refused her full power to aid you.”
Aile popped up behind Miserix and used Dragonclaw, a move Miserix dodged, and Kharuun fired an Ikhav Fantôme Kousen but Miserix flicked his staff and the beam was thrown off in a random direction. Miserix used Hurricane on Aile and Blackout on Kharuun, and Aile broke free and used Dragonblood but Miserix ignored it and grabbed her, Disrupting Dragonscales. Kharuun leapt up but Miserix used his Sleep powers, and as the boy plummeted Miserix dove alongside him and smashed Aile into an Earthquake.
“Not bad,” Aile said.
“Fight back!” Miserix said, blasting her with Laser Vision. “Use your full power so I can prove myself stronger!”
Aile laughed, “Haha! Miserix, my full power could drop the Hapori! Besides, my hands are tied. Destiny says I can’t defeat you.”
Suddenly Miserix felt Noise Blades pierce his body all over, and he turned to meet a Buzzsaw Punch. Kharuun asked, “Aile, are you alright?”
“Just fine,” Aile said.
“…You really could defeat him in an instant, couldn’t you?” Zadakh asked. “But you want us to defeat him for some reason. Why?”
Aile tapped her forehead and said, “Call it a hunch.”
Miserix rushed in and tackled Kharuun, smashing him through several rock pillars, and as the lead Makuta proceeded to beat the boy senseless, the other Makuta were holding their ground quite well. Icarax sent out a Hurricane and Teridax filled it with Plasma, and as their foes dodged they Teleported behind them and attacked again. The eldest Cuerveracios used Spark Breath on Teridax and then rushed forward with Dragon Tackle, and Neya and Catalina fled a series of Gravity blasts executed by Icarax.
“We need to draw his attention so Zak and Dranes can get him by surprise,” Neya said. “Catalina, you…”
He trailed off, seeing Catalina doubled over in pain, and asked, “Are you hurt?”
“I’m not sure,” she groaned. “None of the blasts hit me…I don’t know what…”
Suddenly she looked up, and then she said, “Neya, get away!”
Before Neya could ask, a pulse of dark energy shot out from Catalina, and then it molded around her and became a gateway to Subspace. “What’s going on?!” Neya asked.
Not too far away, Aile looked on and said, “The virus activated…good luck.”
Since Catalina was now gone the gateway started to close, and Neya, in a panic, wondered what he should do. With seconds to decide, he got to his feet and dove into the gateway, passing through right before it closed. Meanwhile, Miserix tossed a badly bruised Kharuun aside and looked to the sky, mumbling, “They should be here by now…”
Kharuun coughed up a bit of blood and said, “How is he so powerful…?”
“Are you not dead yet?” Miserix asked. “Give up. Your powers of Chaos and Noise might’ve defeated lesser beings, but even combining them would leave you powerless against me.”
“…Combining?” Kharuun repeated. “Could we do that?”
“Well…the Bioni-Vice does have a Double Fusion function,” Zadakh said, his voice heavy with reluctance. “But the strain is immense, and your body is already near its limits. We have no idea—“
“Do it,” Kharuun said, putting a hand on his Bioni-Vice.
“Aren’t you listening?” Zadakh asked.
“It doesn’t matter what happens to me!” Kharuun insisted. “Double Fusion—Hyper Zadakh and Dissonance Zadakh!”
Energy built up around Kharuun, but Miserix shook his head and chuckled. Preparing to taunt Kharuun, he opened his mouth, but a shadow fell over the battlefield and he remained quiet. Floating over the island was an enormous metal craft with a saucer at one end and two cylinders connected to the other, and the rear ends of the cylinders glowed as the ship came to a halt.
“At last, they’ve arrived,” Miserix said. “Mutran’s secret project…the Spirit Carrier ‘Enterprise’.”
A flash of blue light covered Miserix and he vanished at once, the same thing happening to Teridax and Icarax, and everyone else (save Kharuun) gathered near the temple and waited.
“What is that thing?” Midori asked.
“Looks like a real big Vehicle Spirit,” Aile said. “The rest of the Makuta are probably in there.”
A light flashed at the front of the Enterprise and a small orb of orange shot out, and before anyone could do anything it came into contact with the temple. The resulting explosion hurled the heroes away like leaves in a hurricane, and rubble rained down on them along with tiny blue fragments. The eldest Cuerveracios looked up, shock visible in her features, and she slowly slinked forward and whispered, “…The final Gemstone has fallen…”
“Look out!” shouted another Cuerveracios.
The Enterprise had fired another blast, but this time a wall of energy appeared to block it. A figure floated behind the energy wall—he wore pale gold armor, and a helmet with spikes in the back and two antennae-like protrusions that extended backwards from his forehead. Streaks of silver decorated the spikes on his helmet and lined his empty green eyes, and from his shoulders hung a platinum cape with tattered red edges. His arms looked like twisting tattoos with sharp fins on their sides, and lines of energy could be seen tracing across his gloves.
Most of those gathered below wondered who this person was, but Hyohana, with a mix of sureness and disbelief, said, “That’s…Kharuun…”

Spirits Used:
#648. Makuta Miserix
#500. Ryurei
#714. Hyper Zadakh
#716. Dissonance Zadakh
#577. Makuta Icarax
#625. Makuta Teridax
#628. Cuerveracios
#774. Enterprise

Review: http://www.bzpower.c...p?showtopic=448

Edited by Pahrak: Knight of Cornelia, Oct 14 2011 - 12:47 PM.

[Pahrak #0579]

Chapter 132: Death of Twilight


Union sat quietly in the Superior’s chamber, when suddenly he heard a loud crash behind him and spun around. A portal flickered out of existence over a broken table, and when Union stepped forward he saw Darkhadaz laying there, horribly beat up but still alive. Union helped Darkhadaz up and led him to his throne, and as soon as the Knight sat down an aura of light covered him and began healing his wounds.
“Sir?” Union asked.
“…They…prepared,” Darkhadaz wheezed. “All eight of them…and their Knights…I nearly…”
Union said, “I suppose you used up all the artifacts you took?”
Darkhadaz nodded, and then he turned and looked at his hand, which was clenched into a fist. He slowly uncurled his fingers, and there in his palm sat what Union knew must be the Mutant Claw. Darkhadaz chuckled, “Heh…once I’m healed, I’ll go retrieve the others…tomorrow is the Day of Dragons, after all.”

Nk walked along slowly, staring up into the sky. He and the others had met up not far away from the Dark Knight’s castle and were doing some last-minute training, and he had wandered off to find a place to think.
“Hm…” he mumbled.
“What troubles you, Nuva-sama?” Omni asked.
“Well, we have a complete Gathering of Les Quatre Fréres de Lame, and we’re about to head into a giant battle,” Nk said. “What could possibly go wrong?”
“Come on—what’re the chances this’ll be that disaster they’re foreshadowing?” Dread asked.
“Fairly good,” Nk said. “…What am I saying—this isn’t like me at all.”
“Concerned for your family, perhaps?” Omni suggested. Nk said nothing, so Omni continued, “If this battle is the disaster, chances are we will fall, along with your wife. That’s bad enough without taking into account there will be no one left to watch after your son.”
“…I’m not used to this heavy a burden,” Nk sighed.
“Sorry kid, but we don’t got time,” Dread said.
Death landed on the other side of the clearing, his sharp teeth curved into a smirk, and Nk asked, “What do you want?”
“What do you think?” Death responded. “Did you really think we wouldn’t notice you? Still, Shadow Knight says it’s improper to invade the enemy camp…he’s on his way to have a discussion with Norscu.”
“Did you come to tell us that?” Nk asked.
“Yeah…but I’m also allowed to fight you until he gets here,” Death said, Oblivion appearing in his hand.
Nk fused with Librum and raised both swords, saying, “So you’ll get to stop before I beat you? Lucky you.”
Servant Dread and Guardian Dread rose from the ground behind Death as he held his hand out, and then the Knight announced, “In the name of Deathtalon, I command you to rise!”
A small fissure appeared in the earth, and a group of bones rose out of it and swirled around. The bones finally assembled into a (rather small) Dread, who asked, “Where am I…?”
“Face your master,” Death said. The newly revived Dread turned as Death said, “I am the new Deathtalon, and I have called you back to aid me. I can sense the abilities you possess…you shall be called Mage Dread.”
“…Very well, Deathtalon,” the Dread said. “What will you have me do?”
Death pointed to Nk and said, “We’re going to kill Librum.”
Nk sent out a wave of Twilight Flames, but Guardian Dread intercepted it and Servant Dread attacked Nk with Dark Bones. Using his own Dark Bone power, Nk deflected the attack, but then Mage Dread raised his claw and fire rained down. Nk took evasive action and Servant Dread charged him, so he used Blaze Strike to knock away the lesser Dread and gave Death a chance to trap him in a Dark Bone Tomb. Death used the Thousand Dark Bones Impaling Technique but Nk used Twilight Rush to burst out of the Tomb, and Mage Dread launched a spear of darkness that pierced Nk’s wing. As Nk fell he quickly fused Virtue and Suffering to create Hakumei, and Servant Dread came at him with Dark Bones but Nk repelled him with a Light Swipe.
Too many targets, Nk thought, dodging Dark Flare Crash and charging at Death.
Guardian Dread blocked Nk and Mage Dread pulled him away with a hand of fire, and then Servant Dread used a Dark Bone mace to knock Hakumei into Death’s claw. Death looked over the blade and said, “How could Librum lose his sword so easily? Perhaps the Dread are the true pinnacle of our species.”
He encased Hakumei in Dark Bones and tucked it away, and Nk cast his Death spell to deal moderate damage to all his foes and create a chance to escape. Nk created a Sword of Blue Flames and cut down some Dark Bone Spears, and as a blade of shadow flew towards him he called out, “Elemental Seal: Shadow!”
The blade and Dark Bones vanished, and then Nk used Twilight Flames in a Supernova to knock out the lesser Dreads and force Death to protect himself. When Death looked up again, Nk was right on top of him, and he raised Oblivion but Nk cut through it. Death punched Nk and said, “Smart move, disabling our Dark Bones, but it won’t save you.”
“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” Nk said, casting Chaos to inflict multiple status ailments. He used Spirit of Dragon on Death, but Death soon recovered and used a Dark Flare Crash to hurl Nk away. Grumbling, Death unleashed a tidal wave of fire to strike his enemy, and in the attack the surrounding area began to burn. Nk used his powers to try to stop the fire, but Death lunged and struck him while he wasn’t looking.
“Trying to save nature, eh?” Death said, willing flames to cover Nk. “Pathetic human! Focus on saving yourself!”
Nk used Elemental Seal: Fire to make the flames disappear, but in doing so he released the Seal he placed on Shadow, so Death extended Dark Bones from his claw and impaled the Fire-Lord. As more bones extended through his body Nk tried to take Hakumei back, but the Dark Bone shell reacted violently and forced him to withdraw.
“Now let’s see…” Death said. “Which of your organs should I tear apart first? I shouldn’t start with anything vital; I want to prolong your pain.”
As he felt Dark Bones burrowing under his skin, Nk grunted in pain and thought, Dang it…how was I stupid enough to get caught in this? I…am I going to die?
Nk opened his eyes, finding himself in his mental landscape, and after he stood up he heard something grunt behind him. He turned to see a large, armored Dragon with Dark Bone ornaments on its limbs and Twilight Flames lining its spin, and Nk said, “Uh…what…?”
“Nuvakuta,” the dragon said, its voice sounding like Omni and Dread speaking at the same time. “Do you wish to die?”
“What?” Nk said. “No, of course not!”
“Odd,” the dragon said. “Your thoughts suggest you have resigned yourself to it.”
“…I don’t follow,” Nk said.
The dragon lowered its head and stared Nk directly in the eye, saying, “You see no way to escape Death’s hold. Even if you could, you expect to fall in the next battle. You expect the Dark Knights to win.”
Nk thought for a second, and then he said, “You’re Librum…you’ve got to know about the Gathering. What if—“
“What if?” Librum repeated, small bursts of Twilight Flame leaping from his mouth. “What if they foreshadow a different disaster? What if this odd Gathering foreshadows nothing? What if you have all the power you need to topple the Dark Knights? What if, what if, what if? Consider one possible future and you attempt to consider them all. You will drown in the possibilities, the uncertainty, the worry. Does light worry where it may end up as it speeds away from the sun? Does darkness worry what hides within it as it falls at the end of the day? They have uncertainty, but they carry on and fulfill their duty. Are you less honorable than inanimate light and darkness? Has you fire died, Nuvakuta?”
The lava surrounding the two began to burn hotter, and Nk said, “My fire is still burning…perhaps my honor has faltered, but if so I will redeem myself. Will you help me win this battle, Librum?”
“Why should I?” Librum snorted. “You’ve wavered once. You will likely do it again.”
“Even the strongest flame flickers,” Nk said. “You don’t want to help me? Fine. I don’t need your help.”
He turned to leave, and Librum asked, “You think you can defeat Death and his allies on your own?”
“Don’t see why not,” Nk said.
Librum raised his head and said, “I will give you another chance, Nuvakuta. To retrieve my sword, I will give you my shield.”
Twilight Flames engulfed Nk, and he returned to the real world and looked Death in the eye. A shield appeared in Nk’s hand and he smashed it into Death, throwing the fiend away, and then he ejected the Dark Bones from his body and began healing with Rejuvenate. Lifting the shield, Nk said, “Impenetrable Shield of Twilight…Avalon!”
“Impenetrable, huh?” Death said. He sent out hundreds of Dark Bones, but each one bounced off of Avalon and faded away, and Nk took a few steps forward.
Death growled and summoned Oblivion, saying, “Well, I already got your sword—I’ll just take your shield too!”
“Actually, I’ll take my sword back,” Nk said. “The synchronization between Omni and Dread is now 100%. Librum’s power is at its fullest.”
Death swung Oblivion but Nk blocked with Avalon, and then Nk knocked Death off-balance with a Sword of Blue Flames and grabbed Hakumei. The Dark Bone shell still attacked him, but this time he hit the shell against Avalon and cracked it open, setting Hakumei free. Death attacked as fast as he could, but Nk dodged, pulled back his shield, and said, “Avalon’s End.”
Nk thrust Avalon out, smashing it against Death, and then he delivered several more hits before the shield exploded and threw Death away. Calmly picking up Hakumei, Nk said, “Let’s call this off—I can sense Shadow Knight nearby. Wouldn’t want you to get in trouble with your boss.”
Nk walked away and Death stood up and growled, but he knew Shadow Knight would stop them anyway, so he just sighed and followed Nk.

Spirits Used:
S09. Death
S11. Librum


Chapter 133: Knowledge/Hatred


Shadow Knight waited as Death passed him, asking, “Will you not stay for negotiations?”
Death just grumbled, so Shadow Knight turned to Norscu and said, “Well then…I imagine you have returned to storm our castle?”
“That’s the idea,” Norscu said. “Guess you’re here for the whole ‘discuss terms of surrender and try to settle this peacefully’ thing?”
“Of course,” Shadow Knight said. “This is how gentlemen conduct warfare.”
“Okay,” Norscu said. “We’ll accept your surrender if you let us drain and destroy the power of you, the other Knights, and your Squires.”
“Unacceptable,” Shadow Knight said. “We will accept your surrender if you swear loyalty to the Demon.”
“We can’t agree to that,” Norscu said. “Guess we have to settle things with violence.”
“Norscu, you and your allies are immensely powerful…but you cannot win,” Shadow Knight said. “Surrender, and we will spare your loved ones when we mobilize to take over the world.”
“None of us could live with ourselves if we did that,” Norscu said.
“…You do know what will happen tomorrow, don’t you?” Shadow Knight said.
“Yeah…we’ll win,” Norscu said. “Khadaz is a true Ikhav—every second he spends fighting, his power increases. Think you’ll be able to beat him?”
Shadow Knight laughed quietly, and then he said, “I suppose we’ll find out…our battle will begin tomorrow. However, before I leave, Darkaea wished to battle someone.”
Darkaea emerged from the forest, and Norscu said, “I guess you want to fight Zenrei?”
“I assure you, I will end the fight before it goes too far,” Shadow Knight said.
“Well, it provides a chance to assess the enemy,” Zenrei said as she approached. “Very well, I’ll accept.”
Norscu and Shadow Knight backed away as Zenrei fused with Kotoba, and Darkaea said, “I would prefer not to be observed, but I’m short on time and must test one last Spirit. I’m so glad Language Supreme is nearby…Fusion, Language of Hate.”
Black armor and dark robes covered Darkaea, and a black Krana Xa-Kal appeared on his face as a Blade Tome came to his hand. Zenrei said, “So it is you who are corrupting the Brothers. I have been wishing to fight you.”
Zenrei used Release, her sword taking on a form resembling a Knowledge Tower, and when Darkaea opened his Blade Tome it burst into flames that then turned into a sword. Darkaea waved his hand, prompting Zenrei to make the first move, and Zenrei slid one foot forward and created a Whirlpool beneath Darkaea. Easily leaping out of the water, Darkaea dashed at Zenrei and used Cutter Arms, but Zenrei blocked each hit and swung her sword. The blade hit Darkaea but proved ineffective, and Darkaea smiled and used Inferno Fist to repel Zenrei.
“I was worried about this,” Kotoba said. “When you Release your Knowledge Blade, the damage it does is based on the difference in intelligence between you and the target. You and Darkaea are of equal intelligence, so…”
“My blade does no damage, yes,” Zenrei said. “A different strategy is in order.”
Darkaea used Jet Tackle but Zenrei Quadro-Stomped him, and she attempted Eight Trigrams Empty Palm but Darkaea ducked and used Exo-Punch. Swinging his blade of fire, Darkaea said, “Seems I have an advantage. This is very promising.”
Darkaea drew a Twayblade in his free hand and swung both swords, but Zenrei blocked, grabbed Darkaea, and used Mask Control. Dodging retaliation, Zenrei said, “You were hiding a few masks. That’s an unneeded variable.”
Darkaea used X-Scissor, and Zenrei dodged with Olmak and Jailed Darkaea before using several Climbing Blasts. Zenrei used Kaminari Slash but Darkaea blocked and used Kaminari Assassinate, and then he caught his foe in Air Constrict and used Burai Break to smash her. Force Lightning surged towards Zenrei, who deflected it with a Volt, and she used Ancient Wisdom and Unlock Potential before running forward. Darkaea used Horse Rider and dodged a Body Slam, and then he used Vine Strangle but Zenrei cut the plants down and activated Yellow Alert. Confused, Darkaea drew and swung a Thunderbolt Blade, but Zenrei protected herself, activated Sanok, and then shot an X-Ray. Darkaea leapt over a Ground Burner and used Volt Tackle to bowl over Zenrei, and then he activated Ancient Wisdom and blasted Zenrei with Hidden Powers. Zenrei felt Death and Decay take effect as she used Nightmare, but Darkaea dodged and used Dark Curse before casting Thunder over and over.
“Zenrei, I do not believe we should hold anything back,” Kotoba said.
Zenrei used her Remove Poison Disk Powers and dodged Zamor Spit, and then she said, “…Agreed. If he wants to test himself against Language Supreme, then be tested he shall.”
She activated Olmak for defense and then planted her sword in the ground, and energy radiated from her as she whispered, “Suishou no Sekai.”
The ground beneath her began turning to crystal, spreading outwards like a layer of frost and across the grass and trees, and then a layer of crystal formed over he armor and sprouted two giant wings. Zenrei lifted her sword as her wings started to glow, and Darkaea said, “Transmuting the surrounding area…what purpose could that serve?”
“I shall explain, if you wish,” Zenrei said, her Knowledge Blade now growing larger. “I have changed our surroundings to a crystal that converts and transmits energy near instantaneously. The energy of these plants, along with any excess energy floating around the battlefield, will be projected from these crystals to the wings I have created.”
“And then you absorb the energy from your wings,” Darkaea said. “It hardly seems enough.”
He used Earthquake, but Zenrei shot out in a flash and cut him, and then she spun and kicked him into the crystal with enough force to crack the surface. Darkaea smacked Zenrei away with his Thunderbolt Blade, and Shadow Knight said, “Ah, her wings are made of a different crystal, one that amplifies the energy before transferring it to her…what an interesting technique.”
Zenrei used an Ice Beam and a Climbing Blast before charging, and Darkaea used Dash to avoid them and threw a Gravity Ball at Zenrei, but she blocked with her wings and then used Kaminari Slash. Darkaea drew Suffering and used all four swords in Quadro-Block, and then he used all of them to slash Zenrei and used Off-Waves to knock her down and shatter some of the crystal.
Zenrei struggled to her knees, her wings injured but slowly mending themselves, and she thought, That attack was unbelievable powerful…this man must have access to fantastic resources.
“I think that’s quite enough,” Shadow Knight said. “You must be prepared for tomorrow’s battle, after all.”
Darkaea glared at Shadow Knight, but then he said, “Fine…I have enough data to know that Language of Hate is strong enough.”
He warped away, and Shadow Knight said, “Get a good night’s sleep, heroes. Tomorrow, we will kill you.”

Death stared at the water as he flew, trying to empty his mind and focus on the signal. “I can sense the last two shards…they’re close,” he murmured.
An island came into view, and Death hovered over it a minute before landing. The ground opened beneath him but he flew up and into the fortress, and as he crossed the entrance hall a hologram appeared on the other side of the room.
“You are not permitted here,” the hologram warned. “Master Darkaea will be most displeased.”
“This is Darkaea’s island?” Death said. “He’s been hiding shards from me…”
He worked his way through the fortress, ignoring the hologram’s protests, and eventually he came to a stop and kicked down a door. Inside on a pedestal were two jagged, curved shards of glass, and Death stepped forward and put a hand out. The shards melded with his claws, and all five shards of Deathtalon’s Orb shone brightly as Death cackled. Spikes grew from Death’s scales as their color darkened, and his wings fused together and became a long cape that flowed behind him. His teeth grew sharper and his eyes burned brighter, and the new Deathtalon turned on his heel and said, “Now, Nuvakuta…now I will slay you and Librum in one powerful stroke!”


Spirits Used:
S01. Language Supreme
S01-C. Language of Hate Supreme

Review

Edited by Pahrak: Knight of Cornelia, Oct 15 2011 - 08:48 AM.

[Pahrak #0579]

Chapter 134: First Shadow


Norscu crossed his arms and sighed, staring at the Dark Knights’ castle. It was about mid-day, the day after his discussion with Shadow Knight, and the others were preparing themselves for battle. He tossed his Infinity Boomerang through the air and caught it as it returned to him, and someone behind him asked, “Anxious?”
Zenrei walked up beside Norscu, who said, “I suppose I am…these are dangerous foes we’re about to face. More people might die under my command.”
“I have doubts they would blame you,” Zenrei said. “At the very least, I would not. There is no point in assigning blame with your dying breath.”
“If only everyone thought that way,” Norscu chuckled. “…It’s the Day of Dragons.”
“Can you say you truly believe Aile’s prediction?” Zenrei asked.
“For reasons I can’t disclose, I’ve always had faith in her clairvoyance,” Norscu said. “It’s been a motivation behind many of my important decisions. She says not to worry, but…”
“When the spell is cast, you will be overwhelmed with the sensation of being powerless,” Zenrei guessed. “You have been among the most powerful men on the planet for over a century, and that status shall leave you in an instant.”
“On the other hand…” Norscu said, “if I find I like being powerless, I’ll never get to experience it again.”
The former Rahaga-Lord scratched his head and said, “Well, whatever. This isn’t the time for thoughts like that. Are the others ready?”
“Awaiting your signal,” Zenrei said.
Norscu fused with Fullmetal and put his hand to the ground, using the Spirit’s powers of alchemy to cause the nearby landscape to shift. A shower of boulders flew out towards the Dark Knights’ castle, and Norscu’s allies popped out of hiding and moved in. The final battle had begun.

Kharuun looked down and called, “Guys, we have to get aboard that ship!”
The Enterprise fired its Phasers at Kharuun, who deflected them with the Thunderbolt Saber, and as he came close an invisible shield was deployed to block him. Aile launched herself into the air, Aura blazing, and used Rage to shatter the barrier, and she said, “You need to take down Miserix. Leave everything else to us.”
Kharuun nodded and flew around the ship, spotting the others flying up to join him, and as he went around the rear of the ship he was met with more Phasers. One of the laser beams sliced through his cloak, and he said to himself, “I thought they wouldn’t see me back here…”
“Look out below!” called a voice.
Turning his gaze upwards, Kharuun saw Rien falling towards him, fused with Memory Rosary and sitting on the Millennium Cycle, and the Rahaga-Lord landed on the ship and rode forward. Phasers bounced off of an energy barrier surrounding Rien, and when she neared the back of the saucer section she activated Millennium Rush to plow through the wall.
The others were on the back of the ship now, and Neb asked, “Was that the Rahaga-Lord?”
“It was,” Artakhall said, landing behind him in Fusion with Knight of Gold. “The other Element-Lords are on their way. Rien was a bit impatient, and I followed to make sure she didn’t hurt herself.”
“Zadakh, looking good!” Knight called. “What form is that?”
“I haven’t had time to name it,” Zadakh said. “Speaking of which, we should really hurry.”
The heroes ran along the ship, dodging Phasers on their way to the opening Rien had made, and when they got inside they found the Rahaga-Lord waiting. “Come on, we haven’t got all day!” Rien said.
As they ran down a hallway, Midori commented, “Where are we even headed? We barely know what this place is, much less how to navigate it!”
“I’m not an expert on starships, but I believe the captain usually issues commands from the bridge,” Rien said. “Miserix should be there giving orders. And since this is probably some form of Vehicle Spirit, one of the Makuta must be controlling it directly.”
“We should look for an engine room,” Keizah spoke up. “Chances are, that’s where we’ll find the Makuta fused to the ship.”
“Okay gang, let’s split up!” Aile said.
The group reached a junction and three blue flashes appeared before them, and Tridax, Spiriah, and Bitil materialized in the hallway. “Didn’t expect the lot of you to slip in here so easily,” Bitil said. “But in this place, the walls have eyes. You won’t be bringing this ship down.”
“They sent you guys to stop us?” Azara said, resting her sword on her shoulder. “Please—I’ve dealt with two of you single-handedly, and you’re at a numbers disadvantage.”
“You know…Bitil does have the Mohtrek,” Dranes pointed out.
“We don’t have time for this!” Kharuun said, using Chaos Control to paralyze the Makuta.
He barreled forward down the hallway, and Rien said, “Hyohana, Neb, you go after him. Dranes, Azara, and I will deal with these three while the others explore.”
“Alright,” Hyohana said. “Good luck.”
She and Neb went after Kharuun, and then Selina, Zak, and Midori headed down the hallway on the left while Keelie, Keizah, Artakhall, and Aile went to the right. Rien activated her Ghost Arrow Spirit Weapon as Chaos Control wore off, and Spiriah said, “Blast…well, at least I get a rematch with you.”
“Think you’ll do better this time?” Azara asked.
Tridax charged and used Acid Spear, but Dranes knocked the weapon away and used a Doom Flare to send the Makuta through the wall. Dranes dodged a Rocket Claw and Azara moved in with Cross Slash, but Spiriah went In Hiding to avoid the hit and used his Jutlin to destroy Azara’s blade. Bitil used Dagger Throw, but Rien shot the weapon down with her bow before shooting Bitil. Spiriah used Panic, knocking Azara down the hallway, and Dranes leapt in and slashed Spiriah with both swords. Azara got up and Bitil put her in a Stasis Field, and another Bitil moved in with his Spikes but Rien shot him with a Twilight Bolt. Both Bitils charged Rien, but she loaded her sword into the Ghost Arrow and fired, cutting the wing of a Bitil, and the sword landed near Azara. The Stasis Field wore of and Azara picked up the sword, and she used Blade Dash on one Bitil while Rien fired on the other.
“Thanks,” Azara said, holding the sword towards Rien.
“Hold onto it a little longer,” Rien said, preparing another arrow. “I don’t think I’ll be needing it.”
Spiriah used Heat Vision and Laser Vision on Dranes, who deflected them with his blades and then sent a wave of flames at his opponent, forcing him into the wall and turning that wall into molten metal. Disintegrating the remains of the wall, Spiriah rushed at Dranes and used Rocket Claw, and though Dranes blocked he felt something well up inside him.
“You used Anger?” Dranes growled, Murderous Intent activating. “Bad move.”
He kicked Spiriah into the ceiling and then engulfed him in a Flame Pillar, and a gateway opened nearby and Tridax stepped out. Tridax twirled his spear and said, “You may have downed me for a minute, but now I’m—“
Dranes spin around and thrust his sword into Tridax’s stomach, using Instant Murder, and then Tridax’s lifeless body collapsed on the floor. Azara cast a glance at Tridax, and then she cast Thunderbolt and asked, “Should we be concerned?”
“Nah,” Rien said, shooting more arrows. “I figured some of the Makuta might wind up dead…Dranes should snap out of it soon enough.”
Bitil used Blackout on Azara and then swung his sword, but she parried and said, “You don’t seem very concerned.”
“Tridax was nothing but a nuisance,” Bitil said, pushing Azara back with a Swarm. “With any luck, you’ll dispose of Spiriah too.”
Another Bitil swung at Azara, who dodged and used an Uppercut to create an opening for a Magic Slash, and the first Bitil moved in but was struck by one of Rien’s arrows. Azara activated Knight’s Soul and used Thousand Stabs, destroying the clone Bitil, and then she turned and collided with Time’s Army. Rien readied an arrow, but Bitil turned Invulnerable and shot a wave of Plasma Blasts, forcing her to use Disappearing Act. Bitil Neutralized Azara and prepared to use another Time’s Army, but Rien used Leaf Whirl to confuse the Makuta and then combined a Twilight Blast with an arrow to send Bitil flying out of the ship.
Looking out the hole in the ship’s hull, Rien grimaced and said, “Ugh…hope he survives that fall…”
Spiriah, accompanied by a Blade Whirlwind, flew down the hall, and Dranes was quick to Incinerate Spiriah before he could get back up. Azara returned Rien’s sword, and then Rien Released the weapon and used a Tornado to keep Dranes away from Spiriah.
“Spiriah, you should give up,” Rien advised. “Bitil was a better fighter than you, and you saw what happened to him.”
“…Maybe I don’t have the power to win,” Spiriah said, grinning. “But I know someone who does.”
Spiriah turned into Antidermis and engulfed Dranes, who swung his blades violently to no effect, and Azara prepared to step in but Rien stopped her. Azara turned a confused look on Rien, who said, “Let’s watch for a moment.”
Flames rose from Naraku’s armor, and as Shadow energy burst outwards Dranes threw back his head and growled. The black armor started to show blotches of green, but Dranes Immolated himself and put his hands to his head. With one last roar, Spiriah shot out of Dranes and smashed against the wall, half of his armor completely destroyed.
“…Such…rage…” Spiriah mumbled, a blank look in his eyes.
Dranes raised a flaming hand in Spiriah’s direction, but after a pause he lowered his arm and sighed. “I can’t guarantee he’ll survive,” Dranes grumbled, “but he won’t be a problem anymore.”
“Well done,” Rien said. “Azara, you and Dranes stay here for a while—make sure Naraku’s calm before moving on. I’m going to see if there’s some place we can store Spiriah.”
Dranes de-fused and sat down, and Azara said, “Rien…if these guys are in Permanent Fusion, why aren’t they tougher?”
“We’re fighting some of the weaker ones—Miserix, Teridax, and Icarax are the tough ones,” Rien said. “Besides, their Permanent Fusion isn’t exactly complete. By Norscu-sensei’s calculations, we have…an hour or two? Maybe?”
“Talk about a close call,” Azara said.
Rien chuckled and went off, and Azara sat down next to Dranes and smiled. “We’re that much closer,” Azara said. “A few more Makuta, and we’re off to stop Corruption.”
Dranes said nothing, choosing to stare silently at Tridax’s corpse. “…He was evil, Dranes—he got what he deserved,” Azara said.
“…It still doesn’t feel right to kill,” Dranes said.
“Good,” Azara said. “That means your conscience is alive and well.”


Spirits Used:
#498. Fullmetal
#774. Enterprise
#500. Ryurei
#783. Nighturai
#689. Naraku
#644. Makuta Bitil
#606. Makuta Spiriah
#809. Makuta Tridax
#613. Memory Rosary


Chapter 135: The New Queen


Neya opened his eyes, seeing a floor in front of his face, and he sat up and looked around. He was in a dark room with no light source, so he didn’t see much, but he managed to pick up his Twayblades and got on his feet.
“What happened?” Neya asked.
“We passed through the gateway to Subspace and you passed out,” Cuerveracios said. “I haven’t seen Catalina, but I thought I heard something earlier.”
Neya created an orb of light in his palm, providing enough illumination to see iron bars on the edges of the room, and he walked over and tentatively reached out. The bars emitted a shock and hurled him back, and then the room lit up and Neya heard two sets of footsteps. A door opened on the far side of the room and a man stepped into the cage, and Neya asked, “Who are you? Where are we?”
“I am Darkaea,” the man said. “This is my laboratory. I must say, Neya, most people wouldn’t dive headfirst into a mysterious portal. You must really care about Catalina.”
“Where is she?” Neya demanded.
“Right here,” Darkaea said, stepping aside. Catalina entered the room next, but she was not fused with Metadon—she wore bronze armor and had large, skeletal wings, and there was a strange look in her eye.
Darkaea stepped outside, the door closing behind him, and said, “Regrettably, I have business to attend to, so I’ll have to make this quick. I planned just to study the girl’s Metadon, but it seems she has other uses.”
Neya walked over to Catalina and asked, “Catalina? Are you alright?”
Catalina smirked and said, “Never better.”
She swung her claws at Neya, who dodged just in time, and Darkaea said, “A few weeks ago, a new Vassal Class Spirit was discovered, and since I’ve taken such good care of Tabuu, this new Spirit was placed in my care for training. Say hello to Queen of Blades.”
Catalina said, “Your girlfriend has a lot of power, so Darkaea recommended I put it to better use. She didn’t see things that way, so I locked up her persona.”
“Catalina, don’t give in to this!” Neya shouted.
“Catalina has been suppressed,” Darkaea said. “Queen of Blades owns her body now. If you want Catalina back, you’ll have to defeated Queen of Blades.”
“Like that’ll happen,” Queen laughed. “You should get going, Darkaea—I’ve got this under control.”
Darkaea departed and Queen turned to Neya, who said, “Is that really the only way? I have to beat you to free Catalina?”
“That’s the only way,” Queen said. “But don’t worry about hurting poor little Catalina. You won’t be able to lay a finger on me.”
Neya sighed and readied his Twayblades, and then he charged in and swung, but Queen used Telepathy to dodge and then used Lockdown on Neya. “Not that they’re a threat, but I thought it might be fun to seal your Thunder attacks,” Queen said. “Try something else.”
Queen used her Bladewings to deflect a Dark Descender and sliced Neya with Great Claws, and then she flew to the other side of the room and waited. Neya used Pure Eyebeam and then swung the Twilight Tetrawhip, but Queen dodged the attacks, charged, and Ensnared Neya. Still smiling, Queen put a hand to the ground and used Zerg Rush, causing 12 insectoid creatures to rise from the earth.
“Why don’t you play with my Zerglings?” Queen said. “I’ll hang back and watch.”
The Zerglings moved towards Neya, who said, “You think these will stop me?”
He sent out a Draco Wave the obliterated two Zerglings, and then he downed one with his Twayblade before another Burrowed up out of the ground and hit him. The other Zerglings clawed at Neya, but he used his Moon Scimitar to cut a way out and then blasted one with a Crystal Enerbeam. Neya prepared to use Dragon Tackle when Queen swooped in and used Great Claws, and by the time Neya recovered the Zerglings were on him again.
Half of the remaining Zerglings were struck down by a Solar Wing, and Neya said, “They go down in one hit, but they’re such a nuisance!”
“Oh, don’t hurt their feelings,” Queen said. “You’ll anger their big brothers.”
She used Zerg Swarm to summon 8 Hydralisks, creatures that were more serpentine than the Zerglings, and Neya knocked a Zergling away just in time to dodge Infested Claws. One of the Hydralisks took a Dusk Horn but didn’t fall, and it retaliated with Swift Spines that sent Neya into the Claws of the remaining Zerglings. Neya used a Class 5 Hurricane to wipe out the Zerglings, but Queen summoned 12 more as the Hydralisks charged.
“Just how many of these things can you summon?” Neya asked, Wind Diving through three Hydralisks.
“Oh? Not enough?” Queen said. “In that case, I’ll call in some Mutalisks.”
She used Zerg Barrage, summoning four winged creatures, and Neya cursed and used Draconic Phoenix Horn to take down a Hydralisk. The Zerglings swarmed him so he jumped into the air, but a Mutalisk used Wing of Darkness to knock him down, and after taking a few more hits Neya summoned a Wind Scythe and swung it. Half of the Zerglings were taken out, and a Hydralisk sacrificed itself to buy time for the Mutalisks to use Glaive Wurm on Neya. Neya cut down a Mutalisk with his Moon Scimitar and then struck down four more Zerglings, and Queen just smiled and summoned another batch of Zerglings.
“You know what? Summon as many as you want,” Neya said, using Gust Ripple. All of the Zerglings fell, along with two Hydralisks and a Mutalisk, and Neya continued, “These things are no match for me, even in numbers.”
“Is that so?” Queen said. “Well, I do have one last Zerg you haven’t seen yet…”
Neya prepared as Queen used Zerg Might, and a massive Ultralisk rose out of the ground and roared at him. The Ultralisk charged and used Iron Tusks, an attack Neya blocked, but a Mutalisk hit him from behind and weakened his guard for when the Ultralisk used Kaiser Blades. More Hydralisks appeared on the field, so Neya used his Twayblade to knock the Ultralisk aside and used Twilight Tetrawhip to strike down four Hydralisks, but the Ultralisk quickly retaliated and the Mutalisks joined in. The Mutalisks were next to have their numbers increased, and as they all rushed Neya he shouted and summoned an Omega Hurricane. The Hurricane handled the Hydralisks and Mutalisks, and as the Ultralisk charged Neya pulled back one arm and said, “Astral Dragon.”
The arrow pierced the Ultralisk and kept flying, narrowly missing Queen of Blades, and Neya said, “Looks like you need to summon some more minions.”
“Don’t tell me what to do,” Queen said, using Evolution to power up. “The real fight is just beginning.”
She then unleashed Psionic Storm, flinging Neya into the cage, and as the bars shocked Neya his opponent used Mind Games to enhance her evasion. Neya recovered as more Hydralisks appeared, and he lifted his Scythe and took a defensive stance. Mutalisks came to the field, and Cuerveracios said, “Neya, you need to save your strength for dealing with Queen of Blades.”
“Right,” Neya said, Dragon energy radiating from him. He rose into the air, avoiding some attacks, and as a night-like effect filled the arena he announced, “Forbidden Dragon: End of Day!”
A swarm of dragons appeared out of nowhere and mauled the Zerg, ripping them to shreds, and Queen watched with displeasure all the while. One dragon got brave and attacked Queen, but she flicked her wings and disposed of it. When the technique ended only Neya and Queen stood on the field, and Queen said, “I thought you only knew one Forbidden Dragon.”
“I know three,” Neya said. “You’ve already seen two, so that leaves…Dragonroar!”
A supersonic wave of energy burst forth from Neya and struck Queen, pushing her back, and the attack had the extra effect of freezing her so Neya leapt in and dealt a powerful blow with his Wind Scythe. Queen was quick to retaliate, sticking a Parasite on Neya and then Usurping him, and Neya tried used Draco Wave to repel her but she dodged and struck him with her claws.
“You’ve done quite well, Neya,” Queen said. “You’ve eliminated almost all of my Zerg. However, they’ve served their purpose by wearing you down, and now I can finish you off.”
Queen charged, but that’s when Neya attached a Twilight Tetrawhip to all four of his weapons and began to swing them into a sphere shape, slicing Queen when she came into range. Angered, Queen used a quick burst of Psionic energy to throw Neya off, and then she flew in and used her wings to smack him into the ground. An Ultralisk popped up and grabbed Neya, restraining him, and then Queen dove and began slashing him rapidly with Great Claws.
“I can’t lose!” Neya said. “I have to save Catalina from you!”
“Easier said than done,” Queen said, slicing off one of Neya’s wings.
Neya used Pure Eyebeam, successfully hitting Queen, but the Ultralisk shoved Kaiser Blades into his back and slammed him into the ground. Queen stepped on Neya’s head and said, “Well, you successfully managed to be annoying. You were stronger than I expected, but you’re still not strong enough to save Catalina. Looks like I’ll be hanging onto her for a while longer!”
She raised her claws, but then she stopped and said, “Get back.”
Queen and the Ultralisk moved away from Neya as seven orbs of Dragon energy shot out and began to circle him, and Neya stood up and said, “Make that four Forbidden Dragons…Seven Rings in Hand!”
The orbs then formed into large ring-shaped objects, each one a different color, and as they resumed orbiting Neya, Queen issued a mental command to her Ultralisk. The Zerg dashed towards Neya and swung Kaiser Blades at him, but the rings formed a shield that blocked the attack and Neya struck back with his Wind Scythe. Neya spun and threw the red ring at Queen, burning her on contact, and the Ultralisk made one more attack before Neya used Draco Wave to destroy it.
Queen activated Cloaking to avoid another ring, and she thought, That’s unexpected…I can summon one more Ultralisk, but it probably wouldn’t be able to get near him. Luckily it has another use…
A final Ultralisk came to the field, and Neya waited patiently for it to make a move. It never attacked, however, for Queen swooped down and used Consume to devour it. Disgusted, Neya made no move to attack, and Queen assaulted him with another Psionic Storm and laughed.
Neya arranged the rings into a shield, offering him some protection, and he asked, “How could you do something like that?”
“I don’t criticize how you use your minions,” Queen said. “I would appreciate being shown the same courtesy.”
Neya fired a laser from the rings, missing, but then he used a Dark Descender to pin Queen by her wing and followed by swinging his Wind Scythe. The blue ring flew out along with the air wave, confusing Queen, and then Neya connected his weapons to a Tetrawhip again and sliced Queen several dozen times. Queen grabbed the whip and pulled Neya in, thrusting out her claws, but the rings deflected the attack and Neya used the momentum for a Dragon Tackle.
“You don’t fool me,” Neya said. “Your strength lies in overwhelming foes with Zerg. In one-on-one combat, you’re helpless, even with Catalina’s skills at your disposal.”
Queen attempted to Usurp Neya, but he dodged and used the yellow ring to paralyze her, and then all seven rings came together and began to glow. “If you’d been more active when your Zerg were around, you might have stood a chance,” Neya said. “I’ll be taking my friend back now.”
A laser shot forth from the rings, singing Queen’s armor and burning her silhouette into the wall, and Queen coughed a few times before collapsing. Neya stood still for a moment, then knelt down cautiously, and when Queen’s armor began to crawl away he jumped in surprise. Queen’s Orb rolled aside as Catalina got to her hands and knees, and the girl sighed, “Ugh…what happened?”
“Catalina!” Neya said, de-fusing. “Are you alright?”
“Yeah…I’m fine,” Catalina said as she stood up. “Where’s Darkaea?”
“I don’t know—he left a while ago,” Neya said. “He was controlling you with a Bioni-Spirit.”
Catalina picked up Queen’s Orb, and she said, “Huh…did you save me?”
“Well…‘save’ might be a bit of an overstatement,” Neya said.
“Thank you,” Catalina said. “So…what do we do now?”
“We might not have time to figure that out,” Neya said. “If we leave it here, Darkaea will just use it for something else…let’s take it with us for now. We need to find Metadon and get out of here.”
Neya blasted his way through the bars and ran down the hall, and Catalina followed him thinking, We need to find Darkaea, and then I can end this properly.


Spirits Used:
#628. Cuerveracios
#913. Queen of Blades


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[Pahrak #0579]

Chapter 136: Facing Genocide


Zagrin stood in the courtyard of the Dark Knight’s castle, twirling his guns in his hands. “Wish he would hurry up,” Ice said. “Once we crush him, we can move on and take out the rest.”
With thunderous footsteps, War Machine walked out of the castle, and Zagrin said, “Hey, it’s about time!”
“I expected you to invade the castle with your comrades,” War Machine said. “If you want to die here, though, that’s fine.”
“You sound almost as confident as me,” Zagrin said. “What could be behind that, I wonder?”
War Machine drew out his Demon Claw and said, “This contains the power of Gahu-Shadow. With this power to aid me, you have no hope of winning! I will transcend my limitations and become Genocide Machine!”
The claw melted into the Knight’s palm, and energy exploded outwards from him in a golden aura laced with electricity. Zagrin waited a moment, and when his foe lashed out he narrowly dodged and backed away.
“Is that it?” Zagrin asked. “I was expecting some big transformation. How else am I supposed to tell that y—“
Genocide Machine was then right on top of Zagrin and smashed him into the ground, and the Knight let loose a feral roar before repeatedly driving his fists into the Ice-Lord’s skull. Zagrin used a Perfect Hason to push his foe away, but Genocide Machine got back up right away and charged straight ahead. The Ice-Lord shot Genocide Machine with Kuro and moved to dodge, but a Nebula Blazer shot him down and the Knight grabbed Zagrin before he could recover.
As he was sent flying through the castle, Zagrin thought, He has gotten a lot more powerful, but he seems completely berserk. I should take advantage of that.
Zagrin skidded to a halt on the courtyard behind the castle and got to his feet, but then Genocide Machine popped up and used a kick to send him reeling. After regaining his balance Zagrin used Ability Snipe on Genocide Machine, not wanting his foe to get any stronger, and then he summoned Frost Needles but Genocide Machine charged right through them. Rolling away from a Big Bang Crush, Zagrin pulled a sword from his coat and slashed, but Genocide Machine seemed to not even register the attack and threw another punch.
“Oh great, this again,” Zagrin said. He used Ice Moon and then sent out more Frost Needles, but Genocide Machine still plowed through them and socked Zagrin.
“Maybe it’s not that he’s not getting damaged,” Zagrin said. “Maybe he’s just not realizing it.”
He fired Shiro and Genocide Machine bowled over him, and the Ice-Lord said, “Either way, it’s not slowing him down…”
Zagrin saw Genocide Machine charge again, but this time he flipped over the Knight, created energy claws on his fingers, and delivered a flurry of cuts to his foe’s back, but Genocide Machine quickly spun and swatted him. Genocide Machine bellowed and used Meteor Gun, throwing dozens of flaming rocks at Zagrin, who narrowly dodged and struck his target with a Perfect Hason before engulfing him in an Explosion. Not expecting that to fell his target, Zagrin drew a sword and charged, taking a punch but landing a Slash of Conquest, and he managed to get in a Slash of Pestilence before War Machine smashed him.
He’s burned, and Slash of Pestilence does heavy degenerative damage indefinitely, Zagrin thought. If I can buy enough time…
Genocide Machine activated War Mode, causing his energy to burst forth with new strength, and Zagrin muttered, “Oh for the love of—“
Before he could finish, Genocide Machine punched him, sending him several feet into the ground, and Zagrin drew two more blades and used them to slash his way out. Zagrin flew into the air, but Genocide Machine quickly overtook him and knocked him back down to Earth, and Genocide Machine dove down to crush Zagrin beneath his heel but the Ice-Lord somehow managed to dodge in time. Genocide Machine charged as Zagrin used Siphon Soul, stealing some of his health, but the Knight barely noticed as he used Big Bang Crush. Zagrin dodged his foe’s fists but was hit with the splash of energy, and Genocide Machine took the chance to kick Zagrin across the courtyard.
Slamming into the wall, Zagrin grunted, “Ouch…new plan…stick to ranged attacks…”
Genocide Machine ran in, but Zagrin warped and fired shots from Shiro and Kuro, peppering his enemy with bullets, and when Genocide Machine lunged Zagrin used a Perfect Hason to blast him while backing away. Despite the setback, Genocide Machine still caught up eventually, and Zagrin warped to the ground and lifted both of his guns in unison.
“Double Shot!” Zagrin said, and with a burst of light both guns fired.
The two bullets fused into one and homed in on Genocide Machine, hitting the monster and doing even more damage a second later, but Genocide Machine roared and fired two enormous Nebula Blazers. The energy beams swept over the courtyard, singing the edges of Zagrin’s coat, but Genocide Machine teleported in front of Zagrin and dealt yet another powerful blow.
Bricks and other debris rained down and Zagrin as he got up, and Ice said, “We can’t use a ranged strategy—he’s so fast he can close the distance in no time.”
“Then I guess it’s a hand-to-hand brawl,” Zagrin said, putting his guns away and readying his energy claws.
Genocide Machine charged and Zagrin stood still, and right when the Knight swung, Zagrin twisted out of the way and slashed his face. Zagrin crossed his arms to block a punch and summoned Frost Needles around Genocide machine, who then fired a Nebula Blazer that Zagrin jumped away from. Genocide Machine bashed Zagrin with his fist and followed with a kick, but Zagrin drew a sword and used Slash of War on his opponent’s leg. Zagrin put both hands forward to catch Genocide Machine’s fist, sliding back a bit but holding his ground, and as his eyes flashed he used an Explosion to throw Genocide Machine off and then knocked him over with a Perfect Hason.
Breathing heavily, Zagrin said, “Huh…not too bad…I was expecting much worse.”
Genocide Machine got up and roared again, holding his arms open, and the massive aura of energy around him shrunk down, split in two, and moved to his fists, engulfing them in gold-colored fire. When the Knight charged Zagrin prepared to block, but the punch that was thrown carried the force of a Big Bang Crush and sent him flying far past the limits of the Dark Knights’ property. Finally coming to a stop (by crashing into a tree), Zagrin gritted his teeth and said, “You’re going to regret that…I’m finally serious.”
Genocide Machine appeared above the treetops and dropped down, and Zagrin warped out of the way and let the punch hit the ground, carving a crater and reducing the trees within a one-mile radius to splinters. Zagrin pulled out a new gun and said, “Say hello to The Equalizer!”
A bullet flew out and exploded against Genocide Machine’s skull, bringing his Fusion Energy down to the same amount as Zagrin’s, and then Zagrin summoned massive Frost Needles before flying off. Genocide Machine took to the skies and pursued Zagrin, who suddenly stopped, spun, and landed a Slash of War as his foe passed. Zagrin bolted on a perpendicular flight path before Genocide Machine realized what had happened, and the Knight finally caught up as Zagrin neared a group of mountains. Genocide Machine accelerated and threw a punch, but Zagrin warped and the punch hit a mountain, pulverizing it to smithereens. Using the debris as cover, Zagrin circled around and used a Perfect Hason, and Genocide Machine spun right into 1000 Daggers.
“I’ve gotta say, that’s some serious strength,” Zagrin admitted, looking at the ‘stump’ of the destroyed mountain. “But I guess I’d expect nothing less when you’ve got the power of a Gahu.”
Genocide Machine leapt up and punched Zagrin, launching him through a different mountain and shattering it, and Genocide Machine dropped to the ground and ran at his target. Zagrin ducked and flipped Genocide Machine, and then he used a Perfect Hason and said, “Go ahead and hit me—half of the power gets added to my own!”
Still berserk, Genocide Machine kicked Zagrin’s feet out from under him and delivered a powerful uppercut, and when Zagrin finally managed to stop he found himself gasping for air in the upper atmosphere.
“I have GOT to watch that,” Zagrin panted.
Genocide Machine came charging up, so Zagrin dodged, encased Genocide Machine in ice, and then pulled his frozen foe down and charged downwards as fast as he could. Seconds later Zagrin smashed Genocide Machine into the ground, carving a fissure with the immense force, and Zagrin quickly jumped outside the resulting dust cloud and waited.
Slowly, Genocide Machine crawled out of the fissure, fists still glowing, gashes and burns covering his armor, and Zagrin said, “You don’t feel any of it, do you? All you cared about was strength…and now, that’s all you have. You’re just a soulless weapon now…I pity you.”
Genocide Machine roared—sounding weaker than before—and made another charge, but Zagrin dug his feet into the dirt and said, “I’ve adapted now. My defense is unshakable!”
Zagrin crossed his arms as the next punch was thrown, and though energy splashed around him he didn’t move an inch. “It’s time to finish this,” Zagrin said, his armor glowing faintly. “Sento Shuryo!”
He drew twin blades and unleashed a flurry of blows, leading into a barrage of claw swipes, and then he fired an energy burst that totally engulfed Genocide Machine. A smoking trench led from Zagrin to Genocide Machine after the attack, and Zagrin slowly paced towards his disabled foe to make sure the battle was over. Genocide Machine lay flat on the ground, armor charred and smoldering, and the last sparks of energy left his fists as Zagrin came to a stop. An empty eye burning with meaningless rage bored into Zagrin, but Genocide Machine’s body was too broken for him to launch another attack no matter how hard the berserker tried.
With a sad sigh, Zagrin drew Shiro and pointed it at Genocide Machine, and as his finger wrapped around the trigger, Zagrin said, “I hope that now you can find some peace.”
Meanwhile in the banquet hall, a bullet hole appeared in War Machine’s Chalice of Malice.


Spirits Used:
S13. Zennou Ice
S18. Genocide Machine

Review

Edited by Pahrak: Knight of Cornelia, Oct 18 2011 - 12:40 PM.

[Pahrak #0579]

Chapter 137: Corrupted Legend


Khadaz ran into the ballroom, holding a saber in his hand, and raised his defenses, but no one else was in there. “…Could’ve sworn I sensed someone in here,” he said. “Oh well…maybe I’ll just go help the army for now.”
Khadaz turned and walked towards the door, but then he stopped, looked over his shoulder, and saw Darkaea. With a smirk, Darkaea said, “I think you might want to stay. After all, I’m about to gain the power to slaughter you and your loved ones.”
“You villains always say that,” Khadaz said. “Of course, our army should be able to handle itself, so I guess I’ll hang around and give you a beating.”
“Hmhm…” Darkaea chuckled. “Do you know why I corrupted Les Quatre Fréres de Lame? It’s not just for the power each one holds, but for the power their shadows ca summon. If Les Quatre Fréres de Lame are corrupted, enhanced into Super Spirits, and united, it creates a Super Spirit of untold power.”
“Just a legend,” Vinxeng said. “Such a being exists only in ghost stories.”
“Thus far, yes,” Darkaea said, raising his Bioni-Vice. “So what I’m about to do will make history. The Dark Draco Sage…Language of Hate Supreme…the Ju-Kyu Akuma…and my specially empowered Obscura: Assassin Form…Les Fréres Dépravés, I command you to merge your bodies and minds! Bring your powers together to forge strength beyond imagination!”
Four spheres of Shadow appeared around Darkaea and began to spin, and they spun faster and faster until they formed into a tornado. Khadaz resisted the pull of the winds and said, “This looks bad…engage Spirit Weapon—Spirit: Exo-Zadakh; object: sword. Exo-Keyblade!”
The saber in Khadaz’s hand flashed with light, solid energy tracing a shape around the handle and jutting out from the tip, and when it came to resemble a Keyblade Khadaz held it ready and watched the tornado. Dark-colored thunderbolts were now dancing around the funnel, and a loud rumbling noise filled the room. Four lights could be seen glowing inside the cloud, and as the lightning intensified the tornado died down, and a few seconds later the lightning stopped as well.
When Darkaea could be seen again, he wore armor with attributes of each of Les Quatre Fréres de Lame but lined with spikes all over, and on its chest plate was a twisted zodiac surrounded by a ring of spikes and surrounding 25 holes. A scorpion tail could be seen poking out from under his cape, which had the colors of the Dark Draco Sage’s robes, and he had four arms upon which he wore gauntlets with the alphabet engraved in them. The lights that had been visible within the tornado came from the weapons he held in each hand—BionicleShadowBlades’ Kraata Spine Keyblade, Language of Hate’s Blade of 451, Zodiakai: Void’s Black Zodiac Blade, and Obscura: Assassin Form’s sword.
“Zero Force has been awakened,” Darkaea said, “and you will be it first victim.”
Khadaz held the Exo-Keyblade in his teeth and summoned Kate and Nikari to his hands, and then he said, “It’ll take more than that to kill me.”
Darkaea used Cable Crusher but Khadaz outran the attack and swung all of his blades at Darkaea, so Darkaea thrust out his tail to block the attack and used a crossing slash with his swords to throw Khadaz back. Khadaz bounced off of a Twilight platform and hurled a Twilight Fang, but Darkaea cleaved the energy wave in two with his swords and used Lion Roar on Khadaz. Twilight Shuriken rained down but Darkaea raised a wall of Dark Draco energy, and when Khadaz threw Nikari around the barrier for a surprise attack Darkaea deflected the sword and caught Khadaz in Air Constrict. Darkaea slammed the ground and sent out a Dark Draco Shockwave, nearly catching Khadaz, and then he dashed out and smashed Khadaz into a pillar.
“This power is phenomenal!” Darkaea said. “It transcends anything you could possibly achieve!”
“We’ll see about that,” Khadaz said, using Chikara Compression.
Darkaea unleashed Hidden Powers but Khadaz dodged and kicked him, shooting a blast from his foot to spin Darkaea around. Khadaz swung Nikari but Darkaea blocked; Darkaea swung a second sword but Khadaz twisted around it; Khadaz swung Kate but Darkaea used two swords to redirect the swing; and Darkaea thrust out his stinger but Khadaz spun to dodge it, landing a hit with the Exo-Keyblade at the same time.
Darkaea tried retaliating with Rat Gnaw but Khadaz used Twilight Rejection to launch himself out of range, and after blocking a Centaur’s Bow he fired a blast of energy from Nikari. The blast was knocked aside as Darkaea dashed forward, and Darkaea used Kaminari Assassinate but Khadaz dodged and used Twilight Tsunami on Darkaea. Force Lightning leapt out and struck Khadaz, and then Darkaea knocked him through a pillar with Dark Draco Laser and ran in with a Shadow Rasengan. Khadaz dodged the sphere but was knocked over by a sword slash, and Darkaea’s stinger aimed for Khadaz’s face but was knocked back by the Exo-Keyblade.
“For a legend, you’re not quite so tough,” Khadaz said, spinning and sending out a Twilight wave.
Darkaea jumped over the wave and threw Venom Daggers, saying, “I will wear you down eventually.”
Khadaz deflected the Daggers and blocked a Rabbit Stomp, but then Darkaea spun and used a Dark Draco Fang to send Khadaz backwards. Darkaea used Jet Tackle to charge at Khadaz, who dodged and slashed at the same time, and Darkaea used Quadro-Block to defend himself before using Vine Strangle. Khadaz cut himself free and ducked to avoid being slashed, and he dodged Darkaea’s other arms before using Twilight Bullet to launch into a spinning charge. Darkaea used Oblivion Ring and took the hit, and then he hit Khadaz with an X-Scissor and engulfed him in a Dark Draco Geyser. Khadaz warped behind Darkaea and attacked, but Darkaea blocked with a Dark Draco Shield and struck Khadaz with an Exo-Punch, and then a Kaminari Assassinate drove Khadaz into the wall.
“Please tell me you’ve got some other way to make yourself stronger,” Nikari said.
“Don’t need to,” Khadaz said as he punched the ground.
Twilight energy burst up from the floor, and Darkaea jumped over it and used Burai Break as he fell. Khadaz rolled out of the way and made Twilight blades rain down on Darkaea, and then he moved in to attack when the spikes on Darkaea’s armor extended and pierced his shoulder.
“You didn’t forget about Body Armory, did you?” Darkaea asked as the spikes retracted. “Fourth of the Four Forbidden Blades: Golden Chains!”
Chains popped out of nowhere and entangled Khadaz, and no matter how much he tried to break them he could not get free. Darkaea used Rooster Drill on Khadaz and said, “The Golden Chains are unbreakable. You won’t be going anywhere.”
Darkaea charged his blades with Dark Draco energy and repeatedly slashed Khadaz, and Kate asked, “Nikari, can’t you do anything?”
“I’m tangled up too!” Nikari replied. “Why don’t YOU do something?”
“There’s no blood for me to bend!” Kate said.
“Everyone calm down!” Vinxeng said.
“Calm?!” Nikari said. “We’re getting the Protodermis kicked out of us by a SUPER Super Spirit! Why should we be calm?!”
“Twilight Crash!” Khadaz shouted, and the entire ballroom exploded in a flash of Twilight. That wasn’t enough to break the Golden Chains, but it did weaken them, so Khadaz focused his energy and targeted the Chains’ molecular structure, severing the bond between the atoms and unleashing an even greater explosion. Not wanting the others to get hurt, Khadaz created Twilight walls to contain the blast, and as he crawled out from under the shattered chains he began casting Curaga in succession.
“…Oh,” Nikari said.
Khadaz stood up and looked around for Darkaea, seeing nothing but rubble, and then he suddenly felt a blade smack him in the face. Darkaea’s voice said, “Second of the Four Forbidden Blades: Stealth of Ninja. Good luck trying to find me.”
“Great,” Khadaz said. Not only could he not see Darkaea, he could no longer sense the Squire’s energy, and as another series of slashes hit him he grunted in frustration.
“Just need to focus,” Khadaz said, breathing deeply. He stood perfectly still and waited, thinking, I can’t sense him, and I can’t see him…so I’ll just have to wait for him to come to me.
Energy blasts flew at Khadaz from out of nowhere, but he deflected them and swung Kate, and when he felt the blade make contact he wrapped Darkaea in Twilight Chains and started firing a continuous stream of Twilight Vision.
“Lucky guess,” Khadaz said as Darkaea’s Stealth wore off.
Darkaea used Ice-Cold Soul to blast Khadaz away and free himself, and then he said, “I can’t believe you’re still so troublesome…I’m not taking any more chances.”
Khadaz heard a high-pitched whine, and the next thing he knew both he and Darkaea fell out of Fusion. Surprised, Khadaz looked to his hands frantically, seeing Nikari and Kate vanish as well, and the Exo-Keyblade returned to being a normal saber. Khadaz took the sword in his hand as Darkaea explained, “You seem puzzled. I have invented a device called FISSIO:N—Fusion Incapacitating and Silencing of Strength Integrated in Orbs: Noob-slaying. It seals the Elemental Fuels of any humans in range, making Fusion impossible, and prevents Bioni-Spirits from using anything but their most basic physical attacks.”
“…I see it affects you too,” Khadaz said, taking a battle stance. “I’m armed and you’re not.”
Darkaea grinned, drew his gun, and said, “Actually, I am armed. Good-bye, Khadaz.”
With a loud bang the gun fired…but Khadaz swung his sword at just the right time and deflected it. Confused, Darkaea fired again, but again Khadaz deflected the shot, and this continued until Darkaea finally ran out of bullets. Khadaz smiled and said, “Now I’m REALLY glad Xerana trained my reflexes so well.”
He ran in and swung his sword, but Darkaea jumped away, de-activated FISSIO:N, and re-Fused with Zero Force. Khadaz re-Fused with Vinxeng, summoned Kate and Nikari, and reactivated Exo-Keyblade, and then he asked, “Did I just render your secret weapon useless?”
“You think that was my only secret weapon?” Darkaea asked. “True, I never expected you to do so well—you’ve endured most of my Forbidden Blades, stood up to Zero Force, and defeated FISSIO:N…but I still have an ace up my sleeve.”
Darkaea held out one hand and summoned the Azure Crest, and Khadaz said, “A helmet…not the most terrifying thing I’ve ever seen.”
“This is the Azure Crest,” Darkaea said. “It is imbued with the ultimate power of another dimension, and when it is donned by Zero Force they both enhance each other’s powers to even further extremes.”
“Oh no…” Vinxeng said. “Then the legends are true…”
“What legends?” Khadaz asked.
Darkaea held the Crest over his head and said, “I will become the emperor of this dimension, and return it to its original state! Only I will have any power—no one will have any way of stopping me!”
“Our doom is assured,” Vinxeng said solemnly.
Darkaea placed the Azure Crest on his head, and instantly a wave of energy burst forth and sent Khadaz hurtling head over heels. Khadaz rolled to his feet and dug into the dirt, and as he saw Darkaea’s silhouette mutate he said, “Just when I thought it couldn’t get any worse…”


Spirits Used:
S05. Twilight Sage
S07. Zero Force


Chapter 138: Imprisonment


Norscu watched the western courtyard of the Dark Knights’ castle, where a chaotic battle was taking place. Corinwood had called up a small army of Light Force agents to siege the castle, but the Dark Knights had sent their own legion of troops to stop them. Kohena and Corinwood were busy fighting amongst their underlings, and Norscu just remained where he was, waiting for an opponent to find him.
Zenrei approached and said, “It’s a stalemate at the moment. How do you wish to proceed?”
A portal to Subspace opened behind them, and Norscu turned around and said, “Back me up.”
Multilance, in Fusion with Infinite Lancer, stepped out of the portal and said, “Ah, Norscu…would you care to join us?”
“You seem familiar,” Norscu said. “Have we met?”
Multilance shrugged and said, “Maybe…you could find out more by stepping in.”
“That does not seem especially wise,” Zenrei said.
“But it would be rude to decline their invitation,” Norscu said. He and Multilance stepped through the portal, and Zenrei sighed and followed them into Subspace.
Tabuu waited inside the void, and Norscu looked up at him and said, “So you are still alive…how’re you holding up?”
“DIE!” Tabuu shouted, firing an Off-Laser.
Norscu dodged and charged at Tabuu, and Zenrei said, “Another Vassal…I was under the impression that Shadow Knight was the only one in this organization.”
“So the great Zenrei is wrong sometimes!” Multilance said as he powered up. “Good to know!”
He used Lance Stab but Zenrei teleported out of the way, and then she teleported back and struck Multilance with her Knowledge Blade. Multilance stumbled back but managed to block a Body Slam, and Zenrei said, “My Knowledge Blade seems fairly effective. The logical conclusion is that I have the intellectual advantage.”
“Ah, whatever,” Multilance said.
He swung his lance and Zenrei dodged, but then he surprised her with Impale and linked it to Wrath of the Gradivus. Zenrei skidded back and stood up, showing she held a Lost Tome in her hand, and it went up in flames as Multilance realized she had taken Gradivus Regen. Zenrei activated Sanok and sent out several Ice Beams, but Multilance deflected them all and said, “Fourth of the Four Forbidden Stars: Prism Laser!”
The seven beams of light shot out at Zenrei, who carefully positioned her crystalline sword to reflect them in another direction, and she said, “Interesting…I did not anticipate you to use a Forbidden Star.”
“Oh come on,” Multilance grumbled. He swapped Spirits, now fused with a Power-Up Blue and Vezok, and he used Blinden to distract Zenrei while he summoned a Watersaw.
“It seems you have a variety of skills,” Zenrei said. She used Disk Powers to shrink down, avoiding the Watersaw, and then used Pressure, but Multilance dodged, used Flash Freeze, and then struck with Impact Vision.
Meanwhile Norscu wove through a Bullet Spray, and when he got close enough he used Genetic Transmutation to nullify Tabuu’s effect. The Spirit barely noticed however, and began beating Norscu with Cutter Arms, and Norscu slipped away just in time to avoid another Off-Laser. Tabuu cackled madly and threw Chains of Light, but Norscu used Metal Guard to reflect them and said, “He really did break your mind. You were much smarter the last time we met.”
“I’ll still destroy you!” Tabuu said.
He teleported behind Norscu and used Steel Fish, followed by a Cutter Dive that was interrupted by the Infinity Boomerang. Norscu paralyzed Tabuu with a Whip before launching into Twilight Dash, and for the finishing blow he slammed a Super Spiral Sphere into his enemy. Tabuu hit Norscu with an Off-Shuriken and used Master of Subspace, summoning a Subspace Juggernaut Darkmech, a Subspace Yin-Yang Darkmorph, and three Subspace Grunt Darklings, who all charged at the Rahaga-Lord. Norscu leapt atop the Darkmech and clapped his hands together, and then he used Alchemical Assault to make its body tear apart into blades that impaled the others and released energy bursts on contact, wiping them all out.
Tabuu battered Norscu with Dark Wings and then unleashed Boom Sparkles, and Norscu said, “Still just as powerful…”
Norscu used his bladed arm to block Cutter Arms and fired an Alchemy Blast, but he accidentally triggered a Spark Field and was sent flying. Tabuu teleported over and smashed Norscu between Cutter Arms, and then he used a powerful laser to send the Rahaga-Lord straight into the invisible ‘ground’. Norscu endured a Bullet Spray and dodged an Energy Ball, and then he used the Infinity Boomerang as a distraction and rushed forward with a Super Spiral Sphere.
Not far away, Zenrei used Hidden Powers to repel Multilance as the Watersaw sliced her arm, and she began regenerating her armor when Multilance jumped in and used Tail Whip, making her drop her sword. “That should give me a good advantage!” Multilance said as he swapped Spirits again.
Now fused with Power-Up Red and Hakann, he sent Zenrei reeling with a Mind Barrage and summoned a Sword of Blue Flames, and Zenrei quickly used Olmak to dodge a slash. Zenrei used a Climbing Blast and ran towards her sword, but Multilance used Power Forge to strike her down and then pinned her with the Sword of Blue Flames. Multilance used Heat Vision, but Zenrei ignored the pain and used Nightmare, blasting him off with a beam of Shadow. Zenrei warped over to her sword, grabbed it, and warped over to Multilance, but Multilance switched to Infinite Lancer and used Wrath of the Gradivus to assault her with a vicious barrage.
“…I believe I have deduced your identity,” Zenrei said as she recovered. “If I am not mistaken, you are Scyllus Charda, the Second Shadow-Lord.”
“What does it matter?” Multilance said, switching to Power-Up Blue and Vezok. “Whoever I am, I’m going to kill you here!”
“I would beg to differ,” Zenrei said.
Multilance threw a Watersaw but Zenrei used Eight Trigrams Empty Palm, thrusting her hand forward and emitting an invisible pulse of energy. The pulse destroyed the Watersaw and hit Multilance, who switched to his Powered-Up Hakann and charged with a Sword of Blue Flames. Zenrei parried a few slashes and was hit with a Mind Barrage, but she recovered and activated Yellow Alert to protect herself. Multilance attacked, but Zenrei evaded and slammed a Zamor into him, and then she ordered, “Defeat yourself.”
Zenrei turned to see Norscu using his arm blade to parry a Cutter Dive, and then Tabuu unleashed a Bullet Spray that he followed with Energy Ball. Norscu reflected Chains of Light and threw the Infinity Boomerang, saying, “This is getting repetitive, Tabuu. At this rate I’ll have you defeated in no time.”
“Heheheh…” Tabuu chuckled as he rose into the air. “AhahaHAHAHAHA! Destruction! Death! I’ll blow you all up! AHAHAHA!”
The mad Vassal used Off Waves, radiating dozens of pulses of pure destructive energy that battered everyone in the immediate area. Norscu writhed in pain and looked to Zenrei, seeing that she was in even worse shape, and with great effort he stood up and clapped his hands together.
“AHAHAHA!” Tabuu laughed. “Still alive? Not for long! I’m going to kill you now!”
Tabuu flew at Norscu, who remained perfectly still, and when they were right next to each other Norscu reached out and grabbed Tabuu’s head. A circular glyph appeared beneath them and they were bathed in a blue light, and Tabuu roared in frustration while Norscu just held a focused glare. When the energy died down, Norscu threw Tabuu away and dashed over to Zenrei, asking, “Think you can use Olmak to get us out of here?”
“A moment will be necessary, but it is doable,” Zenrei said.
As the dimensional gateway slowly opened up, Norscu looked to Multilance, who was now hunched over on the ground. “Sorry, Scyllus, but this will have to be your prison,” Norscu said.
Multilance looked up, hatred in his eyes, and Norscu and Zenrei jumped through the portal just as Tabuu was getting up. They landed outside the Dark Knights’ castle as the portal closed, and then the both of them sat down and sighed. “They will return, no doubt,” Zenrei said.
“No,” Norscu said, shaking his head. “I used a special transmutation I developed specifically for when I’d meet Tabuu again. I took away his control over Subspace portals.”
“…So they will remain trapped there,” Zenrei said. “I wonder how long they will survive.”
“I’m sure they’ll be fine,” Norscu said. “It takes more than that to keep a villain down.”


Spirits Used:
#903. Infinite Lancer
#498. Fullmetal
#702. Tabuu
#804. Power-Up Blue
#801. Power-Up Red
#176. Hakann
#177. Vezok
S01. Language Supreme

Review

[Pahrak #0579]

Chapter 139: Corrupted Legend 2 (Dimensional King)


Khadaz looked up at Darkaea, silently marveling at what his enemy had become. Darkaea now looked like a humanoid black hold with the arms and weapons of Zero Force, and from atop his head the Azure Crest gleamed. With a cackle, Darkaea said, “This is what all my work has been for—Zero Singularity! With this Super Spirit I am beyond the reach of any being in this dimension, for I am now its ruler!”
“So I get to overthrow a king!” Khadaz said, taking a battle stance. “This should be a lot of fun!”
“Hmhm…you Ikhavs do seem to achieve the impossible, don’t you?” Darkaea said, raising his arms into the air. “Therefore, I’m not taking any chances.”
An odd sensation filled Khadaz, and once again he lost his Fusion Armor, Blades of Souls, and Spirit Weapon, but this time he just smiled and readied his sword. “You’re using FISSIO:N again?” Khadaz said. “I beat it last time, I can beat it—“
“Khadaz,” Vinxeng interrupted. Khadaz turned and jumped back, seeing Vinxeng and every other Spirit from his Bioni-Vice standing next to him, and then he slowly turned back to Darkaea. “If he was using FISSIO:N, he wouldn’t be in Fusion either,” Vinxeng said. “This is something much more horrible…”
“I trust you are familiar with the origins of our universe?” Darkaea said, crossing two of his arms. “A world of humans and a world of Bionicles were merged into one, and as a result new power was born. But Zero Singularity has the ability to remove that power from all but itself. Humans have been reduced to the way they were in their original world—just animals with a developed brain, with no Elemental Fuels to speak of. Bioni-Spirits have been reduced to what they were before—mere Bionicles, without any special abilities or their nature of turning into Orbs. Fusion between human and Bioni-Spirit is impossible, both species are heavily weakened, and I have the power of a god…nobody can stop me now!”
“I still have my power over Twilight,” Vinxeng said, readying his Keyblades. “I can still fight against you.”
“Don’t you remember the legends about Zero Singularity?” Darkaea asked. “It is said that only a union of human and Bioni-Spirit can defeat it. Clearly, I must show you why.”
Darkaea clapped two of his hands together and released Off-Waves, blowing away Khadaz and his Bioni-Spirits, and Khadaz eventually came to a stop and groaned in excruciating pain. When not a single foe stood up after the attack, Darkaea laughed and rose into the sky, and down below Khadaz gasped for air. His vision darkened, but he did see a hand move over him, and just as he felt himself slip away…he felt himself instantly returned to top condition. Khadaz immediately sat up, seeing Yume standing next to him, and he was about to ask a question when the girl indicated for him to be silent.
“Zero Singularity is incomplete,” Yume said. “The Azure Crest is so powerful that even Zero Singularity cannot fully synchronize with it unless he absorbs a Berserk Gene.”
“…He knows where to find one, doesn’t he?” Khadaz asked.
“He does,” Yume said, “so time is short. Due to the incompleteness, the effects limiting you only affect a small area around him, and my master can create an energy field around you to shield you from the effect. Go after Darkaea, and stop him from getting the Berserk Gene at all costs.”
Khadaz nodded, turned to Vinxeng, and held out his hand, and when Vinxeng took his hand they fused once more. After recreating the Exo-Keyblade and summoning his Blades of Souls, Khadaz thanked Yume, turned in the direction Darkaea had headed, and took off.
Meanwhile, Darkaea was soaring along at a leisurely pace, clearly in no hurry to reach his destination. He then heard a yell behind him and looked over his shoulder, seeing Khadaz approaching, and he took a moment to laugh. “His Fusion will end when he gets too close, and then he’ll fall to his death,” Darkaea said, turning his attention back to his flight path.
A few seconds later, however, he felt a powerful blow in his back that sent him crashing into the ground. Darkaea stood back up as Khadaz landed near him, and with an astonished voice he said, “How…? This is impossible! You can’t…wait…you’re not doing this yourself, are you?”
“Yume’s master decided to lend a hand,” Khadaz said. “He wants me to take you down while you’re still vulnerable.”
“You’re surrounded by a veil of transdimensional energy…” Darkaea said. “So that girl serves an incredibly high power…”
Nikari’s chain wrapped around Khadaz’s wrist and the blade floated beside Khadaz; Kate manipulated a small amount of blood around her handle and lifted herself into the air; Khadaz held the Exo-Keyblade with both hands, and spikes of Twilight sprouted all the way down both arms. The hero glared at Darkaea, took a deep breath, and leapt into action.
Darkaea blocked the Exo-Keyblade, not the easiest feat due to the weapon’s extreme cutting power, and then the Twilight spikes on Khadaz’s arms extended and curved towards him. Jumping out of the way, Darkaea prepared to fire four Draco Lasers, but Nikari came around and forced him to spin out of the way, and Kate swooped down to send him right back into Khadaz’s attack range. Khadaz surrounded Darkaea with a wall of Twilight so he couldn’t escape the Exo-Keyblade, but Darkaea quickly struck back with Crab Pincers and then smashed Khadaz into the ground with Kaminari Assassinate, creating a splash of Dark Draco Energy.
Have his skills become sharper? Darkaea wondered, fending off more blade attacks. Norscu did say that Khadaz gets stronger as he fights…but how could that be possible?
Khadaz used a whirlwind of energy to pull Darkaea in and Nikari and Kate moved to attack, but Darkaea knocked them away with Venom Daggers and then blocked when Khadaz charged. Darkaea kicked Khadaz, sending him flying away, and then created a Dark Draco Fission in his path, but Khadaz used a shell of energy to protect himself and then charged right back. With a sigh, Darkaea shot a Light Blast at Khadaz, but the target vanished on contact and the real Khadaz landed a hit with a slashing uppercut. Khadaz dodged Obscure and danced around Thunder attacks, and Darkaea used Zamor Spit but Khadaz narrowed his eyes and the sphere burst apart. Darkaea warped next to Khadaz and swung two blades, but Nikari and Kate blocked and Khadaz used a massive Twilight Laser to push his foe back. Khadaz and his blade surrounded Darkaea, aided by a legion of Twilight swords, but Darkaea used Rooster Drill to push past Khadaz and then, using Body Armory, willed spears to extend from his arms and pierce Khadaz.
“Stay down,” Darkaea ordered. “You stand no chance, even with that girl’s master protecting you. If you attack again, I will kill you.”
“Heheh…it’s about time you made the stakes higher,” Khadaz said, wiping some blood off of his face. “I tend to pull off a few tricks under pressure. Go on, try to kill me. I’ll find a way to pull through.”
“I warned you, fool,” Darkaea said, his blades lighting up. “So be it. Just remember you brought this on yourself!”
Darkaea surged forward and launched into a furious blade combo, but Khadaz reinforced the Exo-Keyblade with Twilight energy and carefully parried each blow, and all the while Nikari wove around Darkaea until he finally had the villain entangled in his chain. Kate latched onto Darkaea and filled him with destructive energy, and Khadaz focused as much power as he could into a single slash and swung.
Enraged, Darkaea used Off-Waves to blast himself free, and then he said, “Third of the Four Forbidden Blades: Magic Mirror!”
A large mirror appeared in front of him as Khadaz stood back up, and Khadaz tentatively shot a Light Laser at the metal object. The blast was reflected, so Khadaz knocked it aside, and then Force Lightning shot out of the mirror and electrocuted him. Darkaea called, “This Mirror will reflect any of your attacks while still allowing me to attack you. It does have a breaking point, but I wouldn’t recommend trying to reach it…”
Khadaz dodged Air Constrict and thought, Is he just bluffing? Seems like destroying the mirror will do something bad…seven years’ bad luck, perhaps? Just to be safe, I should believe what he says…
Dodging another onslaught of attacks, Khadaz charged and coated his Exo-Keyblade in Twilight, and when he got close he said, “Twilight Lance!”
He thrust out the weapon, punching a hole in the mirror and sending Darkaea reeling, and now that the Mirror was free from its master’s hold Khadaz grabbed it and gently set it down. “Not completely broken, so I have nothing to worry about,” Khadaz said.
“…Curse you…” Darkaea growled. “I didn’t want to do this, but you’ve left me no choice! I will finish you off with an attack that does one million damage!”
Powerful energy built up around Darkaea, and Khadaz raised his defenses as high as he could by the time Darkaea pointed all four blades forward and shouted, “True Final Command!”
A beam of energy blasted out from the black hole that made up his body, engulfing Khadaz and raging endlessly, and after several minutes Darkaea finally lowered his blades and the attack faded to an end. Khadaz lay at the bottom of a smoking trench, mask destroyed, robes in tatters, the Exo-Keyblade lying several feet from him, and Darkaea loomed over him and said, “This is where your life ends, Khadaz Ikhav. You were a fool to your last breath.”
Darkaea walked away, thinking, I’ve used up more power than I expected. That girl will choose someone else to challenge me, so I need to head straight to where I can find the Berserk Gene. At top speed it should only take…
He trailed off as he heard the sound of coughing, and he slowly looked over his shoulder in disbelief. Khadaz was still alive, up on one knee and leaning on the Exo-Keyblade for support, and Darkaea turned to face him and took a step back. After coughing a few more times, Khadaz stood up and sighed, and then he took a battle stance and said, “One million damage my foot.”
I…impossible… Darkaea thought, gradually backing away. Nothing can withstand True Final Command…how is he still alive?!
Khadaz steadied himself and thought, Don’t know how I survived, but I sure am thankful! Nikari’s regeneration effect is still going strong, so I still stand a chance.
Darkaea growled, “No…YOU CAN’T STOP ME!!”
He jumped into the air and flew away, but Khadaz took chase and fired a volley of Twilight blasts. Darkaea wove through the attacks and deflected Nikari, but then Khadaz broke into a Twilight Dash, overtook Darkaea, and smashed him downwards. By now they had reached the coast, so Darkaea splashed in the ocean and Khadaz landed on the beach, but soon the water exploded as Darkaea fired a Dark Draco Laser. Khadaz warped out of the way and kicked Darkaea further out over the water, and then he caught up and began clashing blades with the villain.
As their altitude lowered, the power radiating out from their blade clashes made the seawater leap up in walls around them, and Darkaea said, “I can’t lose…not now…not when I’m one step away from ultimate power!”
Darkaea unleashed Lion’s Roar, but Khadaz dodged and threw Darkaea into a nearby lighthouse, slowly moving to catch up with him. From beneath the rubble Darkaea blasted his way out, looking around in a frenzy, and when he laid eyes on Khadaz, the hero was pointing the Exo-Keyblade right at him. A beam of white light shot out from the Keyblade and struck the Azure Crest, and Khadaz said, “You clearly don’t know how to use that power. Looks like I’ll just have to Seal it.”
The Azure Crest lost its glow and Darkaea reverted back to his Zero Force form, but then his Fusion Armor melted away and he collapsed on the ground. Khadaz teleported next to Darkaea, who said, “I can’t believe it…this wasn’t supposed to happen…”
“Don’t feel too bad,” Khadaz said with a grin. “It’s like you said—we Ikhavs have a knack for making the impossible happen.”
Darkaea put a hand to his Bioni-Vice and said, “This isn’t over, Khadaz…I will return.”
He vanished in an instant, and Khadaz said, “Well that was a pain…”
Khadaz reached for the Azure Crest, but it crumbled into dust the instant he touched it. With a shrug, Khadaz turned back towards the Dark Knights’ castle, and then he put away his weapons and flew off.


Spirits Used:
S05. Twilight Sage
S0. Zero Singularity


Chapter 140: Wolf Tamer


Kharuun and Neb flew down the hallway of the Enterprise, Hyohana following them on the Shiva Cycle. Suddenly Kharuun came to a halt, prompting his companions to stop as well, and the ceiling ahead of them exploded in the next second. The resulting cloud of debris obstructed their vision temporarily, but once it settled down, five figures stepped towards them.
“Here you are,” Nuhvok said, his allies assembling behind him. “I expected you to get caught up in the Makuta’s mess, so it seemed a good opportunity to strike you down once and for all. This ship was most unexpected, but it is no great hindrance…now, let us begin.”
“You think we have time to kick your butt? Again?” Kharuun said. “In case you haven’t noticed, we’re in a hurry. Get out of the way.”
Nuhvok crossed his arms as the other Shade-Gangsters readied their weapons, and Hyohana said, “I’ll handle them. Kharuun, Neb, go on ahead.”
Kharuun used Chaos Control so he and Neb could get past, and Hyohana dismissed the Shiva Cycle and activated Frozen Fang. Nuhvok said, “Oh well…I can always pick you off one-by-one.”
Hyohana summoned Gelée and said, “Even together, you pose no threat.”
“Tough talk, Ice Demon,” Suukorak said.
“I’ll crush you, girl,” Tuma said.
“…She has gotten stronger,” Tuyet muttered.
“No matter,” Nuhvok said. “We’ve learned how to make our own Spirit Weapons, and I’ve got a few that should tip the balance in our favor…”
The Major hit a button on his Bioni-Vice and an energy pulse radiated out from him…and then Tuma, Tuyet, and Suukorak suddenly doubled over in pain. “What are you doing?!” Suukorak shouted.
“I’ll be needing your Spirits,” Nuhvok said. “I’m sure you understand.”
The three Shade-Gangsters collapsed, Fusion Armor vanishing, and three colored lights began to orbit Nuhvok. The lights flickered and then merged with items Nuhvok was carrying—the brown light went into a band of metal on his head, turning it into a black crown with tusk-like extensions; the blue light went into a sword in his hand, turning it blue and making a carving of the Kanohi of Intangibility appear on its blade; and the white light went into the whip at his waist, transforming it into what looked like a strand of Visorak web.
“You’d betray your allies so easily?” Hyohana spat.
“Anything for the power to defeat all of you,” Nuhvok said. “But I’ve still got one more Spirit Weapon!”
Cursed Shield floated up behind Nuhvok, became transparent, and melted into its master’s body, causing him to stiffen for a moment as bone spikes began to sprout up through his armor. Nuhvok readied his sword and whip, saying, “Now…are you ready to fall before my might?”
“Your arrogance never ceases to disgust me,” Hyohana said, charging a sphere of energy.
She fired the sphere but a Skrall popped up to intercept the blast, and Nuhvok cracked his whip and a field of electricity temporarily surrounded Hyohana. Nuhvok moved forward and slammed his sword down, and then sword of a Tahu emerged from the blade’s tip, causing a wave of fire to rush out. Hyohana swung but Dark Bones extended from Nuhvok’s body to block and stab her, and then Nuhvok used Geass: Time to give himself a chance to increase gravity and smashed Hyohana into the floor.
“Amazing, isn’t it?” Nuhvok said as a Skrall Squadron attacked Hyohana. “My Crown of the Emperor gives me all of Tuma’s strength and his command over the Skrall. The Blade of the Empress can use the weapons of any Toa to enhance its range and change its abilities. The Whip of the Visorak can cling to any surface, and also create paralyzing electric fields like Suukorak’s Rhotuka. Most wonderful is the Skeleton of the Dragon, giving me the powers of the Dark Bone Curse without its drawbacks. So you see, girl, it will take much more to eliminate me.”
Several ice wolves pounced on Nuhvok, who impaled them with Dark Bones, and Hyohana delivered a slash that spawned a wave of ice. Hyohana rushed at her foe, sending ice spikes ahead of her, and Nuhvok’s Blade of the Empress sprouted one of Gali Nuva’s Aqua Axes and sent a tidal wave down the corridor. The wave obliterated the spikes and rushed towards Hyohana, who shielded herself with an ice flower and kept on going, and Nuhvok deflected an ice laser and sent out some Skrall.
“Your pawns are useless,” Hyohana said as she took them out with an ice wave.
Dark Bones dug into Hyohana, but she ignored the pain and blasted Nuhvok with Wolf energy before slicing through the Bones. Nuhvok cracked his Whip, not hitting Hyohana but latching onto the wall, and he yanked on the strand of web to pull himself forward, extending Whenua’s Earthshock Drill from the Blade of the Empress and pinning his foe. The gravity lightened and Hyohana was kicked through the ceiling, but when Nuhvok moved in to follow, Hyohana slashed his face with her ice claws and then froze him with an ice laser. Hyohana kicked Nuhvok, knocking him through the floor, and she cast a glance at the unconscious forms of the other Shade-Gangsters.
She sighed and thought, Things could get dangerous…without protection, they could die.
“Even their lives should be preserved,” Gelée said.
“I know,” Hyohana said, encasing the Shade-Gangsters in ice blossoms.
The next thing she knew she was paralyzed by electricity, and a Stronius smashed her into the wall where a pillar of stone hit her from below. Nuhvok appeared next to her, Onewa Hordika’s Claw Club retracting into his Blade, and Dark Bones shot out from his hand and wrapped around Hyohana.
“Valiant effort, girl,” Nuhvok said, using his gravity powers to crush his foe. “But I have calculated the ultimate armory, with which I can defeat anyone.”
A bolt of Freezing Lightning leapt from Hyohana’s palm to Nuhvok, breaking his concentration, and she said, “Some variables can’t be calculated, scientist. A strategy isn’t something you formulate ahead of time—it’s something that adapts and evolves in the midst of combat. By now, you should really know better.”
“How dare you…!” Nuhvok said, preparing his Whip.
A wolf suddenly leapt up behind Nuhvok, snatching the Whip and running off, and Hyohana shattered the Bones around her by exerting a burst of Wolf energy. Nuhvok summoned an army of Skrall, but Hyohana summoned a larger army of wolves to combat them and blasted her way to a lower level. Hyohana charged a sphere of energy, and as soon as Nuhvok dropped down to the same level she put both hands forward and said, “Wolf Bullet!”
The sphere shot out and exploded against a wall of Dark Bones, and Kongu Inika’s crossbow extended from the Blade of the Empress and unleashed a vicious gale down the hallway. Hyohana raised an ice flower to protect herself, becoming surrounded in ice vapor that healed her, and an ice laser fired at Nuhvok as the walls slowly iced over. Nuhvok blocked and launched Dark Bone projectiles before charging, but Hyohana dodged and rushed forward. Hyohana was faster and knocked Nuhvok through the wall, and then she swung Gelée but Nuhvok blocked.
“I cannot lose!” Nuhvok said, continuing to clash blades. “I’ve worked for so long to gain respect! I won’t let you take it away from me now!”
“I doubt what you have is true respect,” Hyohana said calmly.
“What do you know about respect?!” Nuhvok shouted. “Your home island hates you!”
Hyohana leapt over Dark Bones and struck Nuhvok on the head, shattering his Crown, and then she kicked him down and confiscated the Blade of the Empress. As she broke the sword, she said, “You’re right…I have been hated for as long as I can remember. But recently, I have learned what it means to be respected, and that respect will continue no matter if I defeat you here or not. Respect is something that must be earned, yes…but you’re trying to earn a frail imitation from being devoid of morals. Something like that can never last, and certainly doesn’t feel the same.”
“…You know nothing,” Nuhvok said. “I don’t have to explain myself to a freak like you!”
Dark Bones filled the hallway, but Hyohana leapt backwards and said, “It seems our conversation is over.”
She fired a Wolf Bullet that tore through the bones and blasted Nuhvok, and then a pack of wolves pounced on him. Hyohana waited cautiously, but eventually the wolves dispersed, and Nuhvok and Shield lay on the floor. Relaxing, Hyohana walked forward and encased them both in ice blossoms, and Gelée asked, “What will you do with them now?”
“…I should probably get them off the ship,” Hyohana said. “The Cuerveracios can watch them until the Light Force arrives.”
“I’m proud of you, Hyo-chan,” Gelée said. “Not everyone shows their enemies mercy like this.”
“Oh, it’s for a selfish reason, so I doubt it carries the same effect,” Hyohana said as she picked up the first blossom. “I just don’t want to become like them.”


Spirits Used:
#636. Geass
#186. Matoro Inika
#63. Nuhvok Kal


Chapter 141: Darker Shadows


“Hey, wait a minute,” Selina said.
Zak and Midori stopped, the latter asking, “What is it?”
“Bitil said that ‘the walls have eyes’,” Selina said. “If that’s true…why haven’t we been intercepted yet?”
“They know better than to mess with us!” Midori said. “Even the Makuta fear our awesome power!”
“I’m afraid you’re wrong,” said a voice as three blue lights appeared in the hallway. Chirox, Gorast, and Vamprah appeared next, and Chirox added, “We have nothing to fear from you. We merely waited until you were too far from your friends to run crying to them.”
“I dunno, I still think you’re scared,” Midori said. “I mean, there are only three of you guys. The odds are against you.”
“…There are only three of you as well,” Chirox said.
“Yeah, but our three are better than your three,” Midori said. “Right Zak?”
“Won’t know until we try,” Zak said.
“Enough talk!” Gorast said. She lunged and clawed at Midori, who raised his sword and blocked, and Chirox sent out a volley of Shadow bolts but Selina deflected them.
Vamprah tackled Midori and they crashed through the wall of the ship, but they both took flight and began to circle the Enterprise. Midori wove through Phaser bursts and fired his Midak, but Vamprah avoided it with his Dodge powers and called on his Kanohi Avsa. Feeling his strength draining away, Midori Jet Tackled Vamprah into the hull of the Enterprise, and he used Winds of Change but his foe slipped away. Vamprah activated Stalk and Phantoka, and then he used Hawkdive to swoop in from behind Midori.
Inside the ship, Zak dodged a Shadow Ball and used Hitokage to punch Chirox, and then he deactivated the projection and charged. “What an interesting technique you have,” Chirox said as he got up. “I think a few experiments are in order.”
The Makuta prepared to use Experimentation, but the Hitokage Rended Chirox with its claws as Zak said, “I’m shutting down your research.”
Ice Bolts flew at Chirox, who said, “Oh, are you? You are aware that Makuta are resistant to Ice? If I’m not mistaken, you have very few attacks of other Elements.”
Chirox launched a Chemical Bomb at Zak, who dodged and activated Ice Armor, and Chirox jumped at him and swung his blades. Zak blocked and then overpowered him with the Hitokage, but then he stumbled and realized the Chirox had Poisoned him. The Makuta fired a Plasma Blast to get Zak to move and then used Fear, and Zak had to endure a Chemical Bomb before he could control himself again. Chirox laughed and flew forward, but suddenly he felt something entangle him, and upon further examination he found he was bound in nearly invisible Chains of Ice.
“Ice can be a bit trickier when it’s transparent,” Zak said, using Death Chill.
As he used Ice Breath to blast Chirox with the force of a blizzard, Selina was busy dueling Gorast. Gorast had Dismembered Virtue’s Beginning, but Selina wasn’t worried—her foe still hadn’t picked up on the secret to the Illusory Flame Sword, which was proving quite effective despite the Makuta’s Fire resistance. Gorast blocked Virtue but felt the Sword of Blue Flames, and she asked, “What are you doing? How can you be damaging me when I’m blocking?”
“So I AM damaging you!” Selina said, launching into a Combo of Virtue.
Irritated, Gorast charged forward of used her Stinger, and she ducked under Virtue—being hit by the other Sword—and used Wingblade to confuse Selina. She used Berserk Warrior next, raining furious clawing and kicking attacks on her foe, but then Selina battered her with Spirit of Dragon and blasted her with Dragonic Flame. Gorast hurled Chain Lightning at Selina and sent out a Hurricane, and then she activated Mistika and a thick fog rolled through the corridor.
“Getting scared, Gorast?” Selina asked.
“I fear nothing,” Gorast’s voice called. “But you, child…you have much to fear.”
Selina felt Gorast use her Slow powers, and before she could do anything vines popped up to strangle her and a Vacuum blast forced her to the ground. The sound of Gorast’s wings could be heard as Selina cut herself free, and when she stood up a Nynrah Bullet struck her. Gorast leapt into a Berserk Warrior attack while her foe was incapacitated, and then she used her Kanohi Felnas to keep Selina disabled for a few more rounds.
Outside, Midori flew just above the hull of the ship, an area relatively safe from Phasers, but then Vamprah appeared out of nowhere and used Wingblade. Midori bounced off of the Enterprise and quickly activated his jets, and he narrowly avoided Phasers and used Whirlirang, throwing his sword as Vamprah. The Makuta easily avoided the blade, but then an Omega Hurricane sprung from the weapon, and Vamprah narrowly steered away only to be thrown back in by Winds of Change.
“Toa Tools are great for channeling Elemental Energy,” Midori said. “Add the Toa Nuva ability to set delayed attacks, and you’ve got a dangerous foe.”
Vamprah used Frequency Pulse but Midori levitated over it, and Midori dodged several Volts before using Vacuum Leaf Cutter. After being drawn in, Vamprah used his Plasma powers on his foe, but Midori was quick enough to encase the Makuta in a Tornado Sphere before he fled. As the Sphere used its attack, Midori kicked it to send it towards the Enterprise, and the Sphere shattered against the ship just as Vamprah thought he was safe. Winds of Change began to blow, but Vamprah charged in anyway, and he was about to Neutralize Midori when a stray Phaser beam sliced through his wing. Unable to fly, Vamprah fell towards the ground, and Midori flew down after him.
After taking a beating, he might not survive the fall, Midori thought. The guy might be evil, but…it’s the principle of the thing!
He manipulated the winds to slow Vamprah’s fall, but then he heard a sound and turned to see a Photon Torpedo coming at him. Midori dodged the Torpedo and used a wind current to pull Vamprah out of the way, but when the Torpedo came parallel to the Makuta it was struck by a Phaser beam and exploded. Vamprah was caught in the blast and Midori was thrown skyward, and when he recovered he saw Vamprah on the ground.
…Did the Makuta controlling the Enterprise…kill Vamprah? Midori wondered.
He headed back towards the Enterprise, and at the same time Chirox silenced Zak and Screamed at him. Zak dodged Heat Vision but Chirox caught him with Gravity Hurts, and after dealing with a Black Hole Zak used the Hitokage to drive Chirox through the ceiling.
“You’re a scientist, Chirox—you should’ve stayed in the lab,” Zak said. “Or maybe they could have stationed you in the engine room.”
“That would not have been pleasant,” Chirox said.
The Makuta leapt down and threw a Chemical Bomb, but the Hitokage reflected it and slammed Chirox into the wall. Zak moved in and the Hitokage swung its claw, but Chirox turned Intangible to pass through the wall. However, the Hitokage still knocked out the section of wall, which fell on Chirox, and since he was now outside the ship the hunk of metal quickly carried him all the way to the ground.
By the time Zak realized what was happening and got to the opening, Dragon Ice said, “It’s too late, Zak.”
“…Did I just…kill someone?” Zak whispered.
“It was by accident, Zak,” Dragon Ice said. “You can’t be held accountable. Besides, this is war, and wars have casualties. Trust me—I’ve seen war.”
Further down the corridor, Selina was still surrounded by mist, but after another round of Chain Lightning she roared and unleashed a Supernova that evaporated the mist. Selina looked down the charred hall and spotted Gorast using Glide to approach her, so she leapt over the Makuta and smashed Virtue and the Sword of Blue Flames into her mask. Gorast stood up right away, her Kanohi now cracked, and Selina said, “I’m stronger than you. Stay down.”
“That’s impossible!” Gorast screamed. “You can’t be stronger than me!”
She clawed Selina into a Hurricane and then used Berserk Warrior, but when she tried using her Felnas it burst into pieces as its powers went wild. The energies of the Mask of Disruption turned on Gorast, destroying her Fusion Armor, and Selina lowered her swords and sighed.
“Wha…no!” Gorast said.
She ran at Selina and punched her, her fist nearly breaking against Kyoko scales, and Selina said, “It’s over, Gorast.”
Selina trapped Gorast in an Optical Illusion, causing her eyes to go blank, and then Zak walked up and asked, “What happened?”
“I damaged her Kanohi, and when she tried to use it she lost her powers,” Selina said. “Where are Chirox and Vamprah?”
“Both dead,” Midori said as he flew into the hallway. “But I vote we discuss that later. Right now, we need to store Gorast and keep searching the place.”
Midori picked up Gorast and continued down the hall, and Selina turned to Zak and asked, “Are you alright?”
“…An Ice-Lord needs to deal with a lot of situations he’d rather not be in,” Zak said. “Guess I’m just getting a head start.”


Spirits Used:
#549. Lewa Newva
#687. Dragon Ice
#440. Omni
#575. Makuta Vamprah
#576. Makuta Chirox
#646. Makuta Gorast

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[Pahrak #0579]

Chapter 142: Facing Destruction


Kharzani walked through the hallway of the Dark Knights’ castle, coming up to a door that he swiftly kicked down. The chamber that was revealed had a multitude of pipes running through the walls and floor, all leading back to an organ, and between the organ and Kharzani stood Destroyer.
“It took you long enough,” Destroyer said.
“Sorry, but I’m not familiar with the place,” Kharzani said. “Gotta say, never painted you as a music person.”
“Hmhm…the music almost makes me feel something in the empty depths where my soul belongs,” Destroyer said. “But battle…battle makes me feel alive again. I shouldn’t need to remind you, Kharzani, but this IS the final battle of our little war. No one will be coming to stop me this time.”
“Believe me, I’m more than prepared,” Kharzani said. “I’ve done plenty of training with Demon Prince, and I’ve got a Spirit Weapon that’ll devastate you.”
“Hahaha!” Destroyer laughed. “We’ll see, won’t we? Before we get started…”
He held up the Demon Claw and continued, “This is our final fight, so I want to use all the power available to me. Using the power of Gahu-Shadow, I will become Total Destroyer.”
The claw melted into his palm and his armor started to glow, and Kharzani raised his sword and watched. Destroyer’s armor turned green with gold lining, and his cloak transformed into two large, falcon-like wings. Claws extended from Destroyer’s hands and his teeth grew sharper, and his eyes burned with unstoppable madness.
“Hahahaha!” Destroyer laughed, exerting his energy. The pipes around him began to collapse under the crushing force, and Destroyer floated just off the ground and flew at Kharzani with his claws forward.
Kharzani was pushed down the hall and smashed through a wall, and Destroyer used Flame Breath to set the place ablaze. Destroyer didn’t wait for Kharzani to recover—he dove into the flames and swung his claws, but Kharzani ducked, willed the flames surrounding him to compress around his fist, and smashed a Burning Knuckle into Destroyer’s chest. The blow did little damage, and Destroyer used a Power Punch to knock Kharzani down and followed with an Earthquake, making the whole castle shake. Kharzani fell a few floors and then waited near the ceiling, and when Destroyer appeared Kharzani used Winged Slayer to swoop down and cut him.
“It seems like you’ve learned some new tricks,” Kharzani said.
“My current state amplifies my GetAbility to new levels,” Destroyer said. “Before, I could only use the last attack I had been hit with. Now, I can use any attack that has ever been used against me!”
A tidal wave surged forth and washed Kharzani down the hall, and Destroyer flew along close behind and used one of War Machine’s Big Bang Crushes to punch Kharzani outside the castle. Destroyer used Tornado Spit and shot a Shadow Laser right after, but then Kharzani leapt into the sky and used Meteor Impact, riding a comet down towards his foe. Effortlessly, Destroyer punched the meteor apart, but then Kharzani used Nightsever to warp around his foe and deliver a series of slashes. The cuts hardly bothered Destroyer, who used a Blizzard to blast Kharzani into the ground, and the Knight’s arms transformed into small cannons as he used Double Barrel. Kharzani cut a slab out of a nearby wall and took cover behind it, and he lifted both hands and used Overlord’s Wrath to summon dozens of fireballs around Destroyer. The fireballs homed in, but Destroyer used his wings to shield himself and then swung a LifeSword to destroy Kharzani’s shield.
“Put it more effort, Kharzani!” Destroyer said as he used Rockslide. “What part of ‘final battle’ do you not understand?”
Kharzani used Nightsever again, but this time Destroyer countered each hit with Dark Slashes and launched a Shadow Laser, though Kharzani used Hurricane Slash to circle around his foe. Destroyer unleashed a burst of Psionic energy, but Kharzani brushed it off and activated Demonic Spirit before combining Demon Punch and Burning Knuckle to clobber Destroyer into the wall of the castle.
“Any better?” Kharzani asked, unleashing Dragon’s Tongue.
Destroyer Body Slammed Kharzani and said, “Better!”
Chuckling, Kharzani used Wind Cutter to hurl Destroyer away, and then he used Dimension Slash to bring a gigantic energy blade down on his foe. Destroyer blocked the slash and stood his ground, but Kharzani forced the blade through Destroyer’s defenses and swooped down. Dark Wheels zipped past Kharzani, who shot Shadow Blasts at his foe, but Destroyer batted aside the bolts with his bare claws before hurling a compact Supernova. Kharzani ducked and used Winged Slayer, but Destroyer kicked his foe out of the attack and used a shockwave to sweep him away.
“You said you had a Spirit Weapon, didn’t you?” Destroyer asked. “Use it.”
“…It’s not a traditional Spirit Weapon,” Kharzani said. “Spirit: Hakann; object: brain. Psionicannon!”
Kharzani’s eyes lit up and Destroyer felt a brief but horribly intense Psionic attack, and then both combatants paused to catch their breath. Destroyer was a bit more disoriented, so Kharzani combined Overlord’s Wrath and Meteor Impact to smash half an asteroid belt into the Knight. Kharzani dodged Destroyer’s Dimension Slash and countered with his own, and Destroyer used his LifeSword to pin Kharzani to the ground.
“You fused it to your brain?” Destroyer asked. “That sounds quite risky.”
“It cuts off my brain from the rest of my nervous system, so I can’t maintain it very long,” Kharzani said. “But it’s quite powerful…wouldn’t you agree?”
He used the Psionicannon again and then used Nightsever, but when he attempted a finishing slash he lost focus and missed. Destroyer combined Flame Breath and Tornado Spit, and then he said, “Yes, it has immense power…you are willing to do anything to win. I’d expect nothing less from my rival!”
Kharzani Blade Rushed past Destroyer and then drove a Burning Knuckle into his skull, but then Destroyer clawed him and unleashed Dark Wheels on contact. Destroyer used Double Barrel again, but Kharzani used his sword to bat away the bullets and summoned a Whip of the Northern Lights. Kharzani used the Whip but Destroyer dodged, and when the Knight came in close Kharzani used a Dimension Slash and then entangled Destroyer with his Whip. With his foe immobilized, Kharzani used a furious barrage of attacks, but Destroyer soon used Blackout to break free and then used a Big Bang Crush on Kharzani.
“Luckily I’ve been in plenty of duels with my allies!” Destroyer said, unleashing Feather Shoot. “All of their attacks are at my disposal!”
“Whatever,” Kharzani said, shrugging.
Destroyer began swiping his claws, each hit being parried by Kharzani’s sword, and both combatants used Burning Knuckle to punch each other back. The two fighters jumped back in and grappled with each other, but when neither could overpower the other, Destroyer used Heat Vision and then flipped Kharzani into the ground. Destroyer created another compact Supernova, but Kharzani used Wind Cutter to make it burst in its user’s hand, and Kharzani moved in with Winged Slayer but Destroyer kicked him into the sky. Quickly, Destroyer warped above Kharzani and focused all his power into a punch, sending Kharzani crashing into the ground, and after charging energy he fired a massive beam at his foe. Kharzani forced himself to stand up in the energy beam, ignoring the feeling of his strength draining away, and using Burning Knuckle to cloak himself in flames he flew through the attack and clobbered his enemy.
This is starting to take its toll, Kharzani thought. I just hope he’s getting worn down too…
Destroyer threw thunderbolts at Kharzani and then wrapped his claws around his throat, saying, “I applaud you, Kharzani! But even you must be getting tired, right?”
Destroyer threw Kharzani into the ground, and Kharzani stood up and said, “So you’re getting tired too? Well, in that case, I say we wrap this up.”
Kharzani focused all of his power into his sword, and Destroyer landed not far away and said, “This again? The last time we clashed swords, I defeated you.”
“Then you have nothing to worry about,” Kharzani said.
Destroyer focused his strength into a LifeSword and lunged, Kharzani swinging his blade at the same time, and when the two clashed the resulting energy burst demolished the walls nearby to rubble. Both fighters pressed on, neither able to break the stalemate, and Destroyer let loose a crazed cackle.
“One way or another, it all ends here!” Destroyer shouted. “Hahahaha!”
“…You’re…an Ikhav, aren’t you?” Kharzani asked. “This love for battle…laughing in a final clash…”
“Haha!” Destroyer laughed. “I’m afraid you’re mistaken, Kharzani—I have no relation to Khadaz!”
“What?” Kharzani said. “But…you seem just like an Ikhav!”
“Pure coincidence,” Destroyer said. “Besides, you have other things to worry about!”
Kharzani’s sword began to crack, and he thought, Not good…my only chance is the Psionicannon, but if I use it too much…
More cracks began to appear in Kharzani’s sword, and he continued, Dang it! What’s important right now is beating the Dark Knights!
With a deep breath, Kharzani activated the Psionicannon, and after throwing Destroyer off-guard Kharzani sliced his foe across the chest. Destroyer collapsed on the ground, reverting to his normal state, and even though he knew his life was over, there was still a smile on his face. At the same time back in the banquet hall, an enormous gash appeared on Destroyer’s Chalice of Malice.


Spirits Used:
#747. Demon Prince
S16. Total Destroyer

Review

[Pahrak #0579]

Chapter 143: Brothers vs. Sisters


Rikka, in Fusion with Kopaka Newva, surveyed the property from the air, watching her allies battle the Dark Knights’ army. She saw Kazumi crossing a courtyard, looking for enemies trying to surround them, but Rikka then spotted something else and dove.
“Kazumi, look out!” Rikka called, firing her Skyblaster at the same time.
Kazumi ducked, and the light bullet hit Pantheon just as he was about to attack, but Rikka then found herself entangle in Blade Chains. Louvre readied a Kanoka Blade and said, “You had to ruin our fun, didn’t you? Brother, what do you think we should do about this?”
“I say we kill them both,” Pantheon said, a Shadow Kanohi Spinner appearing in his hand.
Kazumi used her Vectors to free Rikka from the chains, and then she said, “You’re the Fourth Commanders, correct? What a shame…a few ranks higher and you may have posed a threat.”
Pantheon threw a Spinner but Kazumi blocked it with a Vector, and Louvre leapt over an Ice Lance and swung his Iden blade at Rikka. Rikka dodged the blade and used Freeze on Louvre, and she flew into the air but Louvre jumped at her and used his Garai blade to slam her to the ground. Louvre used Ragnarok Cero, firing a volley of energy blasts, but Rikka raised a dome of ice to shield herself and then used Blizzard. The icy winds rattled Louvre and Rikka followed with a Sniper Shot, and Louvre used his Olmak blade to cut a portal in the air next to him so he could escape Glide. Louvre emerged above Rikka and moved to attack, but Rikka used Gravity Hurts to increase gravity and make him fall faster towards her bayonet.
Not far away, Kazumi moved in for a Headbutt and Pantheon used Fast Jump, and Kazumi dodged Twilight Cannon and retaliated with Vector Punch. Pantheon skidded to a halt and said, “You’re pretty good! I see why you’re so confident!”
“Unfortunately, I cannot say the same for you,” Kazumi said.
Scowling, Pantheon threw Thunderangs and used Rollout, but Kazumi deflected the projectiles and used Vector Grip to stop the Commander in his tracks. Kazumi used a Steel Smash to launch Pantheon into a wall and waited, and she dodged a Shadow Kanohi Spinner Matatu and used Vector Smash. Pantheon dodged and knocked her back with Hexa-Stomp, and then he used a Kakama spinner so he could use two Pakari spinners in succession. Kazumi dodged a ShadowSaber and used Mind Crush, but Pantheon had a Kiril spinner ready to heal himself and struck her with a Lightstone Slash. Irritated, Kazumi used Vector Sweep to strike both her foes, sparing Rikka from a Felnas blade, and Rikka took the opportunity to activate Phantoka and Ice Moon.
Louvre said, “Not terrible…but I can see why you’re not the one with the title of Ice-Lord.”
He prepared to use Cero Slash but a pillar of ice rose up beneath him, and Rikka assaulted him with Hail and replied, “Are you trying to get under my skin? Because it’s not working.”
Louvre threw Blade Chains but Rikka froze and shattered them, and as the Commander charged he said, “So you aren’t at all upset that you couldn’t claim the title?”
Rikka used an Ice Lance to deflect a Shelek blade and said, “Zag and I dueled over the title, so I had my chance. I did my best, and I have nothing to be upset over.”
Louvre repelled her with a Crast blade and said, “I see…what an interesting way of thinking.”
Pantheon landed next to him and Kazumi came running up, and as Vectors closed in on the Commanders, Louvre asked, “Need help, brother?”
“Not at all,” Pantheon said as he used Twilight Blast. “Just wanted to see how well you were faring.”
A Blizzard froze them and Kazumi hit them with Vector Smash, and Rikka flew up and asked, “Things going well for you, Kazumi?”
“Very well, in fact,” Kazumi said. “I imagine this won’t take much longer.”
Pantheon threw a Shadow Kanohi Spinner Hau and Louvre launched Ragnarok Cero, but their opponents hit behind a wall of ice while Vectors moved forward to use Slice-in-Two. Kasumi Headbutted through the ice and hit Louvre, and Pantheon used PowerBlade Slash but was blocked by Rikka. A mini-glacier engulfed Pantheon, but Louvre used his Iden blade to knock the women’s souls from their bodies and set about unfreezing his brother. Pantheon used Buzzsaw on Rikka as she was recovering and Louvre swung his Mahiki blade at Kazumi, but Kazumi Intimidated him and used Mind Crush on both opponents.
Rikka willed a sea of ice spikes to sweep over her foes and backed up a bit, and Kazumi said, “I don’t suppose they’ll give up…”
The ice spikes shattered as Louvre used Legendary Kanoka Blade: Ignika, and Rikka sighed, “No, I don’t think they will…”
Kazumi used Vector Choke on Louvre, but then Pantheon hit her and Rikka with Avsa spinners and blasted Kazumi with Laser Vision. Louvre prepared Legendary Kanoka Blade: Vahi, but Rikka used Frost Bite to distract him long enough for Kazumi to Dismember the technique. Pantheon Hexa-Stomped Kazumi and threw a Matatu spinner at Rikka, but Rikka dodged and the spinner hit Louvre. Kazumi used Vector Smash on Pantheon, and Rikka battered Louvre with Blizzards and Hails, but Louvre eventually recovered and used his Crast blade to hurl her away.
Rikka landed near Kazumi, who set up Vector Block and said, “I’m starting to feel the effects of that Ignika blade…we should wrap this up.”
“I know how to get rid of the degeneration,” Rikka said. “Just stay behind me for a minute.”
Rikka stepped forward and used the Snowflake, its ice vapor healing both Rikka and Kazumi, and Pantheon and Louvre narrowly dodged the ice laser that came at them. Louvre charged but Rikka froze him solid, and Pantheon rushed in but Kazumi used Mind Crush on him.
As Rikka froze Pantheon, Kazumi said, “Keep them there. I’ll finish them off.”
Using her Vectors to give herself a boost, Kazumi leapt into the air, and then she hovered for a moment as flames began to circulate around her. Rikka put an extra layer of ice on the Commanders and flew out of the way, and once she was clear Kazumi shouted, “First of the Four Forbidden Flames: Meteor!”
The flames formed a sphere around her and she plummeted to Earth, smashing into the Commanders and blasting a crater, and a few second later Kazumi jumped out unscathed. Rikka flew over and floated above the crater, and she saw Pantheon and Louvre slowly crawling towards its edge. She landed in front of them and said, “Let it be. We don’t want to kill you.”
“We can’t…go back to…the Shade-Gang…after failing like this,” Pantheon panted. “Just kill us…and get it over with…”
“I have a better idea,” Kohena said as he slid down the wall of the crater.
“I thought you were helping the army?” Rikka asked.
“Corinwood has it under control,” Kohena said. He used Umbra’s Rhotuka to create shackles of light to restrain the Commanders, and he said, “Louvre, Pantheon, you’re under arrest. After the battle is over, we’ll take you to our high-security prison facility.”
Kohena got them on their feet, and Rikka sighed and turned around…and that’s when she spotted Khadaz flying towards them. Upon seeing his condition, she asked, “What happened to you?”
“Oh, this?” Khadaz said. “This is from my fight with Darkaea. Quite the workout…anyway, you seen my doppelganger? He’s next on my list.”
“Uh…ask them,” Rikka said, gesturing towards Pantheon and Louvre.
Khadaz landed next to them and asked, “Hey, where’s Darkhadaz?”
Pantheon spat at him, but Louvre said, “He called the Commanders ranked 1 through 4 to take part in this battle, but I have yet to see him.”
“Guess I’ll just have to find him, then,” Khadaz said.
“Wait, Khadaz,” Kohena said. “You don’t want to go charging in without all of your power. We have our most talented medical squad here—let them heal you.”
“Well…do we really have time for that?” Khadaz asked. “I mean, Darkhadaz could—“
“What would Amy do if she found out about you being this reckless?” Kazumi interrupted.
Khadaz paused and thought for a minute, and then he said, “You know, maybe I should get healed. Where’s this medical squad of yours?”


Spirits Used:
#621. Pantheon
#785. Louvre
#548. Kopaka Newva
#607. Kira


Chapter 144: Mad Gatekeeper


Toatoa quietly descended the staircase, heading deeper into the lower levels of the castle. He heard a noise behind him and spun around, but when he saw nothing he turned back and came face-to-mask with Vezon. “Hello,” Vezon said.
Startled, Toatoa jumped back and said, “What the…what are you doing here?!”
“The Superior asked Vezon to keep Toatoa occupied,” Vezon said. “Of course, Vezon believes that by ‘occupied’, the Superior means ‘dead’. So here Vezon is! Vezon has been practicing for his rematch, you know.”
Toatoa shook his head and said, “Look, Vezon…I’d love to play along, but this is serious. Now please get out of the way so I can keep searching the castle.”
“You don’t think Vezon is serious?” Vezon asked, cocking his head. “But Vezon IS serious! Vezon can’t leave unless you’re dead!”
Vezon threw a Shadow Blast at Toatoa, who deflected it and said, “Knock it off!”
He blocked Vezon’s sword and Xotaku said, “There’s no way we can get past him. We’re going to have to fight.”
“Fine…but let’s make it quick,” Toatoa said, transforming into Sohma Xotaku.
“Ooh, shiny armor!” Vezon said. “Vezon will make it a trophy!”
Vezon warped behind Toatoa and used Shadow Blade, but Toatoa used his wings to block and then used Rooster Drill to drive his sword into Vezon. Toatoa used Dragonbreath and Vezon used Gateway Shield, causing the flames to enter a gateway and come out of another behind Toatoa, but the hero dodged and used Boar Rush. Vezon tried using a gateway to avoid the attack but Toatoa tackled him anyway, and they emerged on the other side of the stairwell where Vezon crashed into the wall. Toatoa swung both swords, using Cat Claw in an attempt to paralyze Vezon, but the Commander’s effect activated to save him from being damaged. Vezon cackled and used Gateway Cannon, but Toatoa used a Rasengan to punch through the blast and hurl Vezon into the stairway.
“Seriously, what’s wrong with you?” Toatoa asked. “You seem completely insane, and I’m not just saying that because you’re picking a fight with me.”
“Vezon stumbled into the wrong dimension once,” Vezon said. “His brain was affected by the strange energy, and he has never been the same. But insanity can be fun!”
Vezon used Warp Blade and Toatoa shielded himself with Monkey Barrel, and then Toatoa used Snakebite to poison his enemy. Toatoa used a Rabbit Stomp to kick Vezon down the stairwell, saying, “I almost feel sorry for him…”
Vezon warped back up and used Gateway Envelop, and Toatoa shrugged off a Gateway Crush and slashed Vezon. The Commander powered up with Transdimensional Wisdom and used Gateway Release: Black Hole, but then Toatoa stabbed him with Ox Horn and used a Rabid Dog blade combo. Vezon said, “Have you gotten stronger? Vezon doesn’t remember hurting so much so soon…”
“This battle it pointless,” Toatoa said. “Why fight when you can’t win?”
“Didn’t Vezon already say the Superior sent him?” Vezon said. He shrugged and continued, “Oh well. But why are you so eager to get past? Lexero and Twani are already further down.”
“…How do you know that?” Toatoa asked.
“Karok is fighting them, of course,” Vezon said.
Toatoa immediately bolted downwards, but Vezon warped into his path with a Shadow Blade. The hero clashed swords and kept diving, and Vezon said, “Oh, going to help your friends! Vezon shouldn’t have said anything!”
Sensing his friends’ energies, Toatoa Rabbit Stomped Vezon through the wall and flew in, using Sheep Armor to absorb a Solarcannon. Lexero looked up and said, “Toatoa? What are you doing here?”
Karok scowled and said, “Vezon! You were supposed to keep him busy!”
“Vezon is sorry,” Vezon said, digging himself out of a pile of rubble. “Oh well. Let’s just kill them here!”
Twani used a Seismic Punch on Vezon, and Toatoa saw a glowing Omega symbol on the ground and flew out of the way before it exploded. Lexero used Cycletack but Karok dodged and threw a Watersaw, and Lexero levitated over the attack as Toatoa charged at the First Commander. Karok swung a Sword of Blue Flames, clashing with Toatoa’s Zodiac Blades, and Toatoa shouted, “You guys disable Vezon! I’ll handle Karok!”
“You really think you can defeat me alone?” Karok said. “Ha! I am the First Commander, one of the strongest—“
Toatoa used Rat Gnaw, dealing dozens of shallow cuts, and then he used a crossing slash with his weapons to topple Karok. “I’m Toatoa, and this is Xotaku,” Toatoa said. “Nice to meet you.”
Vezon swung a Shadow Blade, being blocked by Lexero, and then Twani trapped her foe in an Earth Maze and activated Minefield. The Maze wasn’t so useful, as Vezon warped right out of it, but when his feet touched the ground he was knocked towards the ceiling by an explosion, and Lexero quickly rammed him with Jet Tackle. Twani tried using her Ghost Blaster, but the bullet was reflected with Gateway Shield and Vezon moved in with his sword ready. Lexero intercepted him with a punch holding the power of an Omega Hurricane, and he followed with Vacuum Leaf Cutter but Vezon’s effect protected him.
“We could use Norscu about now,” Lexero murmured. “He could take out that irritating effect…”
“Vezon wonders if he should be offended by that,” Vezon mumbled.
A Swamp Bomb erupted beneath him, knocking him back into the Minefield, and Twani said, “We’ll just have to make do.”
Meanwhile, Toatoa used one sword to block Sword of Blue Flames and the other to block a Mountain Hammer, and a Bottomless Pit opened up beneath him as Karok using Dragon’s Tongue. A Monkey Barrel was able to stop some of the damage, and then he charged forward with Boar Rush but hit a Dark Shield. Karok used Inner Strength and Fortress as he laughed, “Hahaha! Is this the best Les Quatre Fréres de Lame have to offer?”
Toatoa used his Arthron to destroy a Watersaw, saying, “Sorry—Vezon wasn’t the best warm-up, so I’m still getting focused.”
He used Stalking Tiger and Horse Race, carefully dodging a rising mountain between the techniques, and Karok tried Coyote Howl but Toatoa used the same move to cancel it out. Living Earth came at Toatoa, but he used a Super Spiral Sphere to obliterate it and then charged through with Rooster Drill. Still recovering, Karok couldn’t dodge a Snakebite, but then used Ultimate Omega to blast Toatoa and give him enough time to charge a Solarcannon. The beam of light shot Toatoa, who used Sheep Armor to reduce the damage, and then he got behind Karok and used both swords to smash him through the floor.
He jumped down after his foe as a Shadow Blast zipped past, and Vezon said, “Oh, Vezon missed…”
Twani Tunneled up beneath him and then Lexero used Winds of Change, and Vezon used Warp Blade but they both defended just in time. Vezon came to a stop and Twani said, “Surrender. You have no hope of winning.”
“Vezon never had hope!” Vezon said as he used Black Hole.
Lexero found himself paralyzed by Gateway Envelop, but Twani Slammed a Tectonic Plate into Vezon and then created a new Minefield. Twani went over to Lexero, but the floor suddenly exploded and Toatoa came flying up. The tendrils of Oblivion’s Maw chased after him, but Toatoa used a Prism Laser to destroy the pool of shadows just as Karok hit him in the back with a Mountain Hammer. Karok activated Alchemical Assault, willing hundreds of blades and spikes to rise out of the ground, but Twani used Living Earth to intercept them and Lexero used Winds of Change to pin their foe down.
“You’re a real pain in the neck, Karok,” Toatoa said, readying his swords. “Supreme Zodiac Style: Dance of 12 Years!”
Toatoa lashed out with a vicious barrage of Zodiac Style techniques, but when it was all over Karok used Ultimate Omega to blast his foes into a Persistent Abyss. “Well you are no threat!” Karok said as he used the Snowflake.
“I don’t believe that,” Toatoa said as he endured the attack. “I can see that frantic look in your eyes. I’m stronger than you…and you know it.”
Karok said nothing at first, but then he activated Demonic Spirit and shouted, “NO! I am the First Commander! I cannot lose!”
Stars began to circle Toatoa, who was preparing to use Yume no Enkai, but then Vezon warped between him and Karok and sighed. “Vezon knows when he is beaten,” Vezon said. “But Vezon doesn’t want to go down all by himself.”
Dimensional energy began to emanate from Vezon and spread through the room, and with a loud tearing sound a large, chaotic gateway appeared behind him. “Gateway Release: Continuum Unraveling!” Vezon yelled.
“You fool!” Karok said, digging his claw into the ground to resist the pull of the gateway. “I still had a chance to defeat them! Now you’ve killed us all!”
“Kill?” Vezon repeated. “No no no, Vezon’s technique will just scatter you among the dimensions!”
Twani raised a wall of earth to protect her allies and herself, but the pull proved too great for Karok and he was swept up into the portal. Chunks of the walls and ceiling were beginning to come off, and Lexero said, “This whole place will come down if we don’t close that portal!”
“Twani, I need an opening in the wall,” Toatoa said, “but close it as soon as I’m clear.”
“What are you going to do?” Twani asked.
Toatoa motioned to the stars still circling him and said, “A good blast of Yume no Enkai just might help. It’s not a great plan…but it’s worth a shot.”
Twani nodded and created an opening in the wall, and Toatoa jumped through it and went straight for Vezon. He tackled the Commander into the gateway, but before they went too far in he skipped straight to the final attack of Yume no Enkai: using the stars to create a miniature supernova. The blast overwhelmed the edges of the portal and began to damage the castle further, but then the energy combined with that of the gateway and it began to shrink. Eventually the portal blinked out of existence, and Toatoa and Vezon fell to the floor of the chamber where Lexero and Twani waited.
Lexero ran over and asked, “You alright?”
“Yeah…we’re fine,” Toatoa said. “Get Vezon out of here before he wakes up—we’ll take him and the other prisoners to jail when this is over.”
Lexero and Twani took Vezon and left, and Xotaku said, “Did you feel that? That strange sensation when the portal closed…”
“It felt like Yume no Enkai was repairing the rip in the dimensional fabric,” Toatoa said.
“That’s exactly what happened,” Yume said as she entered the room. “I told you that Zodiakai’s power is linked to another dimension.”
“Do you always have to come out of nowhere?” Toatoa asked.
“So the energy from this other dimension is what closed the portal?” Xotaku asked. “It sewed together the fabric of transdimensional space?”
“Something like that,” Yume said. “Karok is still a loose end, in some foreign dimension out there…but my master will deal with that. You should continue on, Toatoa—this war isn’t over yet.”


Spirits Used:
#765. Transdimensional Vezon
#640. Onua Newva
#549. Lewa Newva
#241. Karok Omega
S04. Sohma Xotaku

Review

[Pahrak #0579]

Chapter 145: Bright Shadow


“Hm…” Aile muttered as she flew. “We must be pretty deep into the ship by now. You’d think we would’ve seen a sign pointing to the engine room by now.”
“It’s not like they want us to find it,” Artakhall said. “What’s more surprising is that we haven’t run into more Makuta.”
As the group rounded a corner they scattered to avoid a Shadow Arm, and Aile looked up to see Icarax grinning at them, with Antroz and Krika at his sides. “You had to say something, didn’t you?” Aile sighed.
“Nice try, runts, but you won’t be going any further,” Icarax said. “Miserix was quite clear when he said not to let you into the engine room.”
“…Well, now we know we’re going the right way,” Keelie said.
Antroz glared at Icarax, then said, “There’s still time for you to get off this ship. You don’t have to die.”
“Hey, Artakhall, if I keep Icarax busy, think you can break through?” Aile whispered. Artakhall nodded, so she continued, “Good…Keizah, you go with him and get to the engine room. Keelie, back me up.”
Aile swung her Dragonblade at Icarax, who easily blocked, but then Aile drenched him in Dragonblood and froze him solid. Artakhall cut his way past Antroz and Keizah lunged at Krika…but Krika just stepped aside and waved Keizah on.
“…Whose side are you on?” Keizah asked as he went past. Krika just smiled, and Antroz shot him a glare but was too late to stop Keizah.
Icarax broke free and punched Aile, but the Dragon-Lord dodged and used Dragonslam to hurl him through the wall. Keelie looked from Krika to Antroz then back again, and Krika said, “He already knows, and Icarax certainly won’t hear. Speak your mind.”
“Why did you give me Exo-Keelerak?” Keelie asked. “You knew we would eventually become enemies. Why give me access to a Spirit like this?”
“We couldn’t use it,” Krika said. “The Seers predicted that it would be best used in your hands, and the fact that you’ve upgraded it is proof enough.”
“That doesn’t really answer my question,” Keelie said.
“This is supposed to be a battle,” Antroz said. “Prepare yourself. Krika, just stay back.”
“I can defeat you both by myself,” Keelie said, raising her weapon. “Forbidden Spark: Dancing Sparks!”
Electricity instantly filled the hallway, and as Keelie began waving her weapon the Sparks began to converge on the Makuta. Antroz tried using his Dodge powers, but Keelie directed the Sparks to where he was, and Krika used Blackout to push the voltage away from him. Keelie began swinging her sword faster, almost looking like the conductor of a symphony, and the two Makuta tried to attack but the electricity blocked them and knocked them further down the hall. With one final swing, the electricity blasted through the Makuta and dissipated, and Keelie waited patiently while her enemies recovered.
“Nice try…but we’re resistant to Thunder attacks,” Antroz said.
“Power Outage,” Keelie said.
A beam of electricity surged through Antroz, slamming him into the wall, and Keelie said, “That should overload your Shadow powers. Now stay down, before I overload your brain.”
Keelie turned to Krika, who said, “Forbidden Sparks…very impressive. This must be what the Seers predicted.”
“Explain yourself!” Keelie said, using Release Matrix.
Krika said, “Fine…after I was stationed on Ko-Isle, Miserix sent me to befriend the Seers. He wanted to know if our plan would succeed, and if not, what threats we needed to deal with. The Seers could not determine if we would win or lose…but they did show me how things would be if our plan succeeded.”
He turned to Antroz and said, “Antroz saw it too, when he came to join me.”
Antroz looked away, and Krika said, “That future horrified me…I couldn’t go on as normal if that was our goal, but I knew that Miserix would not stop no matter what. I swore allegiance to the Seers, and they told me what I should do to increase the chances of Miserix’s plan failing.”
“…But then, why are you here now?” Keelie asked.
“I still had to keep up appearances,” Krika replied. “Besides, I want to see how this will end…and I figure that if I get myself killed, it will be payment for my deeds.”
Icarax suddenly came crashing through the ceiling, and Aile looked down and said, “Sorry!”
With a roar, Icarax broke into Dragonrage, but Aile blocked his strikes and kicked him down. Keelie turned to Antroz and asked, “If you’ve seen the same horrible future, then why are you still working towards it?”
“…I’m condemned either way,” Antroz said. “I don’t believe that a quick change of heart will make up for what I’ve already done.”
“I thought you were supposed to have honor?” Keelie said. “If you ask me, there’s more honor in at least trying to do something right.”
Keelie charged at Icarax, and Krika used his Crast to smash Antroz into the wall. “What are you doing?!” Antroz asked.
“This way you don’t have to decide,” Krika said. “Now you have an excuse for not helping Icarax.”
Icarax used Simple Destruction to pound both his foes into an explosion, and then he turned and said, “Krika! What do you think you’re doing?”
He prepared to Shatter Krika, but Keelie used a Matrix Hand and Aile battered him with Spirit of Dragon. Antroz watched the fight escalate—Icarax was landing a lot of solid hits, but Aile and Keelie clearly had the upper hand. He looked at Krika and asked, “Is your conscience really clear?”
“Not entirely,” Krika said. “But I do feel like I’ve finally done something right.”
After a few seconds of thought, Antroz said, “I’ve made my decision.”
Krika released his mask, and Antroz dropped to the floor and looked at Icarax. Keelie was in a Stasis Field and Aile was confused, and Icarax turned to Krika and said, “Die, you traitor!”
Icarax prepared to use Disintegration, but Antroz suddenly jumped in front of him. It was too late for Icarax too cancel the attack, but Antroz moved in anyway and used his own attack. At the exact same instant, both combatants’ hearts were disintegrated, and a few seconds later their lifeless bodies fell against the floor of the hallway.
Now free of the Stasis Field, Keelie slowly approached the dead Makuta, and Krika said, “Some people can’t make their decision unless they’re in a do-or-die moment. I knew he had good in him…but he didn’t believe it soon enough.”
“This is how things had to happen,” Aile said. “We couldn’t have changed this, no matter what he did.”
Keelie was silent for a while, but then she said, “What about you, Krika? We have to do something with you.”
“I’m willing to be taken prisoner,” Krika said. “There’s nothing left for me to accomplish.”
Keelie used Matrix Chains to restrain Krika, and Aile asked, “What about the other Makuta? Any info you can give us?”
“According to the last transmission I received, several of them are dead,” Krika said. “Spiriah is mad, Gorast is powerless, and Bitil, Tridax, Vamprah, and Chirox have all been killed. Miserix is waiting on the bridge, and Mutran is controlling the Enterprise from the engine room. He can see and hear everything, so I’m surprised he hasn’t killed me yet…”
“And Teridax?” Keelie asked.
“I don’t know,” Krika said. “As far as I know he’s still alive, but I have no idea where he might be.”
“So we only have three more Makuta to deal with!” Aile said. “Let’s see…Artakhall and Keizah can handle Mutran, and Kharuun’s going for Miserix…we should regroup with the others and look for Teridax.”
“Aile…do you really think Kharuun can take down Miserix by himself?” Keelie asked. “From what I’ve heard about Miserix’s goals, it sounds a bit too important to leave to just one person.”
“Well, he’s an Ikhav, and a good one at that,” Aile said. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but some Ikhavs have the power to slap destiny in the face, and I think Kharuun’s one of them. Besides…I have a hunch. My guess is that everything will work out just fine. And if not, then we’ll all be doomed. No big deal, really.”


Spirits Used:
#654. Ultre-Keelerak
#500. Ryurei
#577. Makuta Icarax
#574. Makuta Antroz
#645. Makuta Krika


Chapter 146: Master of Shadows


Kharuun slowed as he came to a dead end, and he looked around for a way forward. Neb caught up as Kharuun spotted a door, but as they moved towards the door it opened to reveal Teridax. The Makuta stepped out and said, “Hello again, Kharuun.”
“Where’s Miserix?” Kharuun demanded.
“No need to shout,” Teridax said. “This is an elevator. It’s already programmed to take you straight to the bridge.”
“Kharuun-sama, it must be a trap!” Neb said, drawing his Keyblade.
“Not at all,” Teridax said. “Miserix is looking forward to this battle. Aile has pinned all hope on this boy, so Miserix wants to crush him personally.”
Kharuun looked at the elevator, and then he glared at Teridax and asked, “What are you going to do?”
“Kill this oaf a second time,” Teridax said, turning to Neb.
Kharuun readied his sword, but Neb shouted, “No, Kharuun-sama! You must save your power for when you fight Miserix! I can handle this foe!”
“…You’d better be right about that,” Kharuun said. With that he stepped into the elevator, and right away the doors closed and he felt the machine ascend.
Neb faced Teridax and said, “Now then, I believe we have unfinished business.”
“Indeed we do,” Teridax said. “Normally when I kill something, it remains dead. It’s about time I saw to this exception.”
“Do your worst, villain!” Neb said as he charged.
Teridax waved his hand and a nearby shadow leapt at Neb, and the Makuta said, “I intend to.”
More shadows flew at Neb, but he used a Roar to knock them back and threw Whirlwinds at Teridax. While Teridax dealt with the Whirlwinds, Neb used Speed Slash to cut past him, and Neb was about to land a hit with his Keyblade when a fist of shadow punched him. Neb crashed into the wall, but he quickly recovered and jumped away from the shadow spears flying towards him. Teridax shot out a wave of shadow, but Neb shielded himself by using Sanctuary Protection to raise a barrier.
“Hiding behind shadow?” Neb said. “Coward! Fight me yourself!”
“You consider me a coward?” Teridax said. “I am no coward, fool. If I was, then I would have given up like Krika.”
Neb used his Keyblade to deflect a shadow tendril and used Dragon Claw, sending out a wave of energy at the same time, and Neb said, “Hah! Krika was the wisest of you! He knew that you could not possibly defeat us!”
“Anything is possible,” Teridax said.
Shadows erupted beneath neb, smashing him into the ceiling, and then Teridax focused Blackout into a beam that pushed his foe through a series of walls. Teridax teleported to where Neb was, and Neb suddenly leapt up, hit Teridax over the head with a Keyblade Slash, and then used Dragon’s Tongue to set the corridor ablaze. Neb immediately used Roar, sending the still-burning Teridax hurtling down the hall, and then he used Twilight Dash to close the distance and slam Teridax through the floor.
“As I predicted! You cannot defeat us!” Neb said. “Stay down, if you know what is good for you!”
Teridax burst through the floor behind Neb and reached out, but rather then hitting Neb, he grabbed Neb’s shadow. With a crackle of energy, Teridax ripped the shadow off of the floor, and Neb back up as the shadow took on a three-dimensional form. Teridax laughed and said, “If I cannot defeat you, then you shall defeat yourself!”
“Hm? What’s this?” the shadow said. “I demand to be informed of the situation! Do you know who I am? I am…Shadow-X!”
“Shadow! Return to me!” Neb called. “We must defeat the Makuta behind you!”
“Fool!” Shadow-X shouted. “I do not take orders from you! I am…Shadow-X!”
“You already said that,” Neb said.
“…Fool!” Shadow shouted.
“Is this a Doppelganger Spell?” Neb asked.
“Not quite,” Teridax said. “I merely gave life to your shadow…and as I control shadows, it will now be my servant.”
“Shadow-X serves nobody, fool!” Shadow declared. Teridax raised a hand and emitted and aura of darkness, and Shadow turned towards Neb with glowing red eyes.
“Curses!” Neb said. “My shadow is a pansy!”
Shadow-X ran at Neb and swung his Keyblade, but Neb blocked and retaliated with Dragon Strike. Neb tried hitting Shadow with his wings, but Shadow blocked and used Roar to repel Neb. With a yell, Shadow lunged at Neb, but Neb used Speed Slash to cut past his foe and slashed Teridax with his Keyblade. Teridax stumbled and willed a shadow fist to rise from the floor, and Neb avoided it but Shadow-X swooped in to blast him with Dragonbreath.
Teridax is distracted, Neb noticed. He’s using all his energy to control my shadow. I have found his weakness!
Shadow threw a Whirlwind, but Neb used Twilight Dash and blasted through the attack. Neb knocked Shadow towards Teridax, who was able to catch him, but then Neb turned his attack and Teridax and paralyzed the Makuta. Shadow grabbed Neb and charged down the hall, and after slamming Neb through a wall the shadow whispered, “Good work. Now that we know Teridax’s weakness, we can take him down.”
“…What?” Neb asked.
“Fool! I am not under his control!” Shadow said. “I was merely playing along so you could analyze the situation!”
“That plan…is brilliant!” Neb said. “A brilliance I expect from my shadow! Wait, that sounds odd…”
“Enough!” Shadow said. “Feign defeat, and I will get you close enough to smite Teridax! Do it now, fool!”
“Stop calling me fool!” Neb said. He cleared his throat and said, “Augh! Thou hast slain me, shadow! What cruel irony, that I should be felled by mine own shadow! NOOooo…”
Neb collapsed, and Shadow dragged him back to Teridax and said, “I have defeated him. You shall have the finishing blow.”
“Excellent,” Teridax said. The Makuta stepped forward to strike….but Neb suddenly burst into a Twilight Dash and beat Teridax with all his power.
“Fool!” Shadow said, kicking Teridax. “I told you I serve no one! I am…Shadow-X!”
“But…I am the Master of Shadows…” Teridax mumbled.
“I serve no one!” Shadow said. “How many times must I repeat myself?”
Teridax stood up and used Scream, knocking down both his foes, and then he began firing constant bursts of Shadow energy from his palms. Neb and Shadow could not escape the barrage, and Neb thought, Not good! He has greater endurance than I predicted! I must do something, but what?
Shadow-X yelled, “Fool! I will not allow you to win! Neb! There is only one course of action! We must both Burninate him!”
“What? That is so very risky!” Neb said.
“I told you it is the only course of action, fool!” Shadow said as fire started to build up around him.
“Hm…very well!” Neb said, and fire built up around him as well.
Teridax increased the power of his blasts, trying to break their concentration, but by the time he realized the futility of his efforts he was too late. Both Neb-X and Shadow-X used Burninate, causing intense flames to fill the hallway they were in as well as several connected hallways, and when the fire eventually died down, Neb sat up and surveyed the result. His Fusion Armor was gone, Shadow-X was nowhere to be found, and Teridax lay unmoving on the floor. Neb went over to examine Teridax, who has also lost his armor, and saw that the Makuta had bad burns all over his body.
After making sure Teridax was still alive, Neb said, “Well that is that. I must get this villain into the custody of the Light Force, but first, the others must be informed. I should find them.”
Neb started to move, but then he stopped and turned around. Kharuun was probably fighting Miserix now, he reasoned, and he began to wonder if he should go lend his assistance.
“…No,” Neb said. “Kharuun-sama can take care of himself…he doesn’t need me to watch over him anymore.”


Spirits Used:
#505. Trogdor
#625. Makuta Teridax


Chapter 147: Paladins’ Defense


Khadaz tried sitting as still as he could, but he was so anxious that he couldn’t help moving around. Marigold snapped, “Cut it out! You’re breaking my concentration! Do you want to die from not being fully healed?”
“Sorry,” Khadaz said. “…So, you’re in Permanent Fusion with Spirit Healer…but aside from the hairclips, I don’t see any armor.”
Marigold started using Two-Spirit Heal again, and she said, “When you’ve been in Permanent Fusion long enough, you learn to manipulate the way it looks. I don’t want a bunch of armor hiding my good looks, so I focus all the armor into the hairclips.”
Khadaz nodded, and then he turned to Corinwood and asked, “Any word on Darkhadaz yet?”
“Stark just sent a transmission saying he’s tracking Darkhadaz,” Corinwood answered. “Union and Kikanalo are with him. I put Stark in contact with Amy—she’s going to make her way here shortly, and once you’re fully healed she’s going to lead you to Stark and Darkhadaz.”
“Sounds good,” Khadaz said.
Corinwood walked out of the medical tent, finding the Experimental Paladins waiting. “I thought you were fighting the army?” Corinwood asked.
“Ice-Lord Zagrin joined in,” Daphne said. “He told us to inform you that War Machine and Destroyer are dead, and Kharzani is in poor condition on the northwest side of the castle.”
“I’ll get a few medics together,” Corinwood said. “You three will escort them to Kharzani’s location, and then…”
He paused, and then said, “On second thought, you’re needed here.”
Sakura looked over her shoulder, seeing two figures approaching the camp, and she said, “We can handle them. What about the medics?”
“I’ll worry about that,” Corinwood said. “Defend the camp. That’s your order.”
Corinwood went into a tent, and Daphne said, “Well, let’s get to it.”
The Paladins took to the skies and intercepted the approaching figures, and Rhumora announced, “This is a Light Force camp. Identify yourselves.”
“Albion, Second Squire of the Dark Knights, and Lotus, Fourth Squire,” one of their foes said. “We are here to avenge our masters. Interfere, and you will die.”
“Squires, huh?” Daphne said. “If the Knights are dropping, what makes you think you stand a chance?”
Lotus yelled and flew at Daphne, but Daphne used her Wheel Scythe to knock Lotus away and threw a Fireball at Albion. While the Squires recovered, Rhumora began casting spells on her allies, and Daphne used Battle Cry to power up. Sakura created two Stuffed Eagles and sent them out, and Albion tried to slash one but Sakura shot him with her crossbow. Lotus fired a Radiation Cannon from her palm, but in response Daphne cast Aerora, and a swirl of air protected her from the blast. Daphne cast Blizzara, throwing ice crystals at Lotus, and then use used Thunderbolt to zap Albion, who moved in to retaliate but was attacked by an Eagle.
Noticing that Sakura and Rhumora were still hanging back, Albion asked, “Do you truly believe you friend can end this alone?”
Daphne Jumped off of Lotus and used Shoryuken, hitting Albion with a spinning uppercut, and then she said, “Oh, they’re helping, but I’m the heavy artillery. My Spirit was designed to be a one-woman army!”
Albion shot a Slash Harken and Daphne dodged, but Lotus caught the weapon and used its cable to entangle Daphne. Lotus grabbed Daphne and used Radiation Surge, and Albion used Speed Slash to repel the Eagles and blocked Rhumora’s Mighty Slash. Daphne cut herself free and threw Lotus off with a Wind Slice, and then she used Scythe Driver on Albion’s back. Sakura used Rapid Fire on Lotus, but Lotus used her Knight to deflect the arrows and used Rocket Arm Radiation Flare, ejecting her fist and willing to blast all her foes. Albion shot Rhumora with his Rifle and grabbed an oncoming Eagle, and after destroying the stuffed animal he fired a Hadron Cannon at Sakura.
“Keep your eyes on me!” Daphne said as she used Chaos Control to paralyze Albion. Lotus charged at Daphne, but Rhumora cut her off with a Trinity Attack and Daphne was able to blast Albion with the Hadouken energy beam.
“Get out of my way!” Lotus shouted, slicing Rhumora with a Radiation Disk.
One of Sakura’s Stuffed Warriors approached the Squire, and Lotus took aim but the Warrior used Black End Galaxy to paralyze her and Albion with a black hole. The Paladins got in their strikes before the Warrior slashed past the Squires, and Lotus gritted her teeth as the wheels on her wings began to spin.
“Red Gaia Eraser!” she shouted, and the disks detached and flew forward. Both disks fired lasers and Lotus fired another beam from her palm, and Albion used Feather Shoot before the Paladins could escape.
“I’ll give you one final warning,” Albion said.
“Don’t bother!” Daphne said, summoning a Tsunami.
Albion raised a Shield and fired a Hadron Cannon, but a Stuffed Warrior blocked the attack and Sakura used Rapid Fire on him. Rhumora continued healing her allies as Daphne used Buster, her arm turning into a cannon and blasting Albion, and Lotus used Cyber Attack to warp down and kick Rhumora. Albion confused Daphne with a Blade Tornado and destroyed the Stuffed Warrior, and then he used a Slash Harken to grab Sakura and pull her in. Daphne used Blue Magic, activating a Radiation Field to paralyze her foes, and she used Scythe Driver on Lotus and took a deep breath.
“How are you holding up?” Rhumora asked.
“Ah, don’t worry about me,” Daphne said. “But you might want to power up. These guys are actually sort of tough.”
Daphne used her Scythe to smack Lotus and then created a Magma Fissure, and Rhumora backed up and activated Judgment’s Crusader. Her armor turned to gold, decorated with pearls, and her sword of light became larger and sharper, and then she jumped up and used Fast Strike to knock Albion away from Sakura. Sakura threw a Stuffed Armadillo at Albion, knocking him off-guard, and then Rhumora used a Trinity Attack while Sakura summoned more stuffed animals.
Lotus stabbed Daphne with a Knife and then used Radiation Surge, and Daphne used Poison Mushroom to weaken her foe before blasting her with a Hadouken. Daphne cast Curaga to heal herself, and Lotus said, “I’m sick of you! You think you’re stronger than everyone else, but I know that I’m stronger than you!”
The Fourth Squire put her hand forward and used Radiation Blazer, firing a massive laser that engulfed Daphne, and as the blast died down she smiled. Daphne knelt on the ground, breathing heavily, and she chuckled and said, “Not bad…my turn. Limit Break!”
Dozens of copies of Daphne’s Wheel Scythe appeared in the air, all spinning like buzzsaws, and in an instant they all shot out and began to grind against every inch of Lotus’s armor. Eventually the scythes disappeared and Lotus collapsed, and as her armor faded she said, “No…master…”
Two Orbs appeared next to her and shattered, and Daphne handcuffed Lotus and led her through the camp. Above, Albion endured a Final Assault, bracing himself as a miniature legion of stuffed animals trampled him, and he was about to counterattack when Rhumora hit him with a Low Sweep. The stuffed animals all converged on Albion, but he used Feather Shoot to repel them and caught one of Sakura’s arrows.
“Unbelievable,” Albion muttered. “You’ve defeated Lotus…I cannot fail!”
The Second Squire used Live On, dashing around the field faster than the Paladins could track him and dealing several sword strikes, and then he used Black End Galaxy to send his foes plummeting to the ground. Sakura summoned a Stuffed Warrior and activated Master Seamstress, but Albion used a powerful Hadron Cannon to tear it apart, and the Squire prepared to use Feather Shoot when Rhumora jumped at him.
“Paladin’s Sword: Judgment Strike A: Revelation!” she said, and then she slashed Albion and sent him crashing into the ground with unearthly force. Albion, severely weakened by the blow, was unable to recover as Rhumora raised her sword again and said, “Paladin’s Sword: Judgment Strike B: Retribution!”
After the next slash, Albion’s Fusion was broken and his Orbs were shattered, and the Squire remained silent as the Paladins led him away.


Spirits Used:
#477. Spirit Healer
#886. Fictivalkyrie
#887. Weavalkyrie
#912. Protectivalkyrie
#668. Eighth Lotus
#671. Albion
#675. High-Speed Noise
#676. Powered Noise

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[Pahrak #0579]

Chapter 148: Facing Death


Nk alighted on the roof of the castle and surveyed the area below. Death was nowhere to be seen, and he had already swept a large part of the castle interior. The Fire-Lord said, “Wonder where he is…”
“Behind you,” Librum informed him.
Nk turned to see Death flying at him, and he quickly raised Hakumei to block a swipe of Oblivion. “I thought you weren’t going to show,” Nk said. “I see you got a makeover…hate to tell you, but you still look ugly.”
“Taunt while you still have breath,” Death said. “I have collected all five shards. I am the Deathtalon now!”
Death used Dark Flare Crash, sending out a burst of fire that pushed Nk back, and then he launched a Dark Bone missile that Nk cleaved through. Nk lit his sword on fire and used Blaze Strike, but Death dodged and created Dark Bone restraints around Nk. Death swung Oblivion but Nk broke free in a burst of Twilight Flame, and the Fire-Lord dashed past Death with Twilight Rush and used Combo of Virtue to send Death to the ground.
“So this is a Deathtalon?” Nk said. “I expected worse!”
“Believe me, it will get much worse,” Death said. “Dark Bone Army Reanimation!”
Five Dreads rose from the ground, and Nk prepared to attack when Death announced, “Great Dark Bone Dragon Reanimation!”
The five Dreads were then fused into one colossal, skeletal dragon, and Nk watched the creature unleash a roar and charge at him. Nk used Dark Cleave on the Great Dragon and tried to burn it with Twilight Flame, but Death struck him with a Dark Bone Pillar and the Great Dragon caught the Fire-Lord in its jaws. Using a Holy Storm to free himself, Nk blocked Death’s attack and used Dark Bony Flurry to batter him with Dark Bone bullets, and the Great Dragon snapped at Nk again but missed.
“Well, I think I’ve played with your pet enough,” Nk said.
He used Spirit of Dragon to hack apart the Great Dragon and incinerated it with Twilight Flame, and then he turned to Death and said, “I was hoping we could cut to the chase.”
Nk summoned Avalon and Twilight energy began to radiate from him, but Death charged in and swung Oblivion. Oblivion bounced off of Avalon and Nk swung Hakumei, but Death dodged and struck Nk with Dark Bones. Nk cast Chaos, placing several status ailments on Death, but the Deathtalon send Dark Bones in every direction and Nk was knocked back. Death threw a Dark Flare Crash but Nk dodged and sent a shockwave out from his blade, and Death used Oblivion to block the wave and charged.
Nk blocked Oblivion and slammed Avalon into Death’s skull, and while the Knight was reeling Nk sliced his armor and then delivered another smash with Avalon. Cracks appeared in Death’s armor, and Nk said, “That’s an attack I call ‘Sunder’. With your armor damaged, you’re more vulnerable to my attacks…and I can stack that effect up to 99 times.”
Death growled, and then he shot a focused beam of dark flames from his mouth that hit Nk in the chest and knocked the wind out of him. A giant blade of Dark Bones swatted Nk to the ground, and Death charged and swung Oblivion but his attack was blocked by a knight with yellow armor.
“Another of your tricks?” Death asked.
“You could say that,” Nk said. “While holding both Hakumei and Avalon, all of my attacks can cause a Twilight status ailment that causes a different status each turn, and it also summons either a Light Solider, a Shadow Soldier, or a Twilight Soldier.”
“Then this is a Light Soldier?” Death said as he lit the knight on fire. “How adorable.”
Death willed Dark Bones to come out of the ground, but Nk dodged and used his Dawn Bringer attack, slashing Death and causing light to fill the surrounding area. Nk used Blaze Strike but Death knocked him over with Dark Bones, and Death swung Oblivion but Nk rolled out of the way just in time. Death began swinging his scythe wildly, Nk carefully blocking with Avalon, and Dark Bones started sprouting out of the ground. Nk danced around the Bones and willed them to attack Death, but Death’s control over them was stronger and he avoided all damage. Death swung Oblivion, coated in flames, but a Twilight Soldier with yellow and gray armor slashed him and threw him off-balance. Nk slammed Avalon into Death and sent out a torrent of Twilight Flame on contact, and then he cast Rejuvenate to begin restoring some of his health.
“Curse you, Nuvakuta!” Death shouted. “I’m going to tear you apart piece by piece!”
“I know you’re a villain, but you seem a little extra intent on killing me,” Nk said. “What’s up with that?”
“Killing you is the only way I can prove myself,” Death said. “The Dark Knights wanted you and your Dread as their Sixth Knight—I’m the back-up plan! If I can’t kill you, then I really am just second best!”
Death took out his Demon Claw and absorbed it, and as a dark aura surrounded him he added, “This is my last chance to prove that I am destined to be a Dark Knight!”
A hooded, black cape covered Death and his eyes began to glow red, and as he lifted Oblivion he came to resemble the Grim Reaper himself. Nk prepared himself, but when Death swung Oblivion the scythe extended and swept Nk into the castle wall. Dark Bones immediately restrained the Fire-Lord, and Death fired a Dark Flare Crash that was so powerful it blew out the entire wall. Death swooped in and knocked Nk off his feet, and then he trapped his foe in a Bone Tomb and used Thousand Dark Bones Impaling Technique. Nk managed to use Sunder again and a Shadow Soldier appeared to attack Death, but Death stood perfectly still as a forest of Dark Bones erupted to impale his foes.
“That’s some insane power,” Nk said, using Twilight Flame to blast a clearing.
“That Claw came from Gahu-Shadow,” Librum said. “Legendary power if against us.”
“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were scared,” Nk chuckled.
Librum snorted, and then Death appeared above them and came crashing down with Oblivion. Nk rolled away but Death grabbed him by the neck, and Death cackled as fire scorched his foe. Death smashed Nk into a wall of Dark Bones and Nk retaliated with Avalon, and then Nk swung Hakumei but Death caught the attack with Oblivion and kicked his enemy. Nk used a Twilight Flame Supernova, and Death endured but Nk got behind him and drove a Sword of Twilight Flame into his shoulder. Death willed Dark Bones to shoot out of his back and then sent a wave of dark flames at Nk, and Nk braced himself and afterwards cast Chaos. Nk used Twilight Rush and Blaze Strike, but before long Death recovered and repelled him with Dark Bone Rise.
“Ready to give up yet?” Death asked. “It doesn’t really matter, of course. I can spend all day kicking you around!”
“I admit, you’ve got the upper hand at the moment,” Nk said. “You’ve beaten my energy down pretty low…but I can do the same with one move. Equilibrium!”
Twilight energy burst from Death, sending his energy plummeting to the same amount as Nk’s, and as the Knight stumbled in shock Nk hit him with Dark Cleave. Death roared, “How dare you?! I am the Deathtalon, ruler of all Dread! Your power comes from a Dread! You will submit to me!”
“I am no mere Dread,” Librum said, “nor am I a mere Omni. Mitrivirahk was born of me. Omni is a pale imitation of my Light. Dread is a pale imitation of my Shadow. ‘Deathtalon’ is merely a title. You are still just a diluted form of me.”
Things were silent for a time, and Nk whispered, “Someone got owned…”
Flames erupted from Death as he shouted, “NO!! I will not stand for these insults! Even if you were the beginning of our species, I have evolved past the limits you established! I shall overcome you here, drive the Omni to extinction, and then our species will be remade in my image! I am a Dark Knight! I am the Deathtalon! I AM DEATH!!”
Millions of Dark Bones rose out of the ground and wrapped around Death, creating a giant object that loomed over Nk. The Bones melded and twisted, creating an enormous replica of Death, and from the replica’s chest the Dark Knight hovered in a sphere of energy. Dark Bones extended from all over Death’s body and connected him to the replica, and the creature reared back and roared, spewing flames into the sky.
“Problem!” Nk said.
The Death Replica threw a punch at Nk, and the Fire-Lord dodged but a torrent of flames swept into him. Nk flew at Death, but hundreds of Dark Bone missiles launched and grounded him. The Replica grabbed Nk and jumped into the air, and then it threw Nk at the ground, dropped down, and stomped him. With a burst of flames, the Replica faced the sky and roared, and from under its foot Nk groaned.
“Any bright ideas?” Nk asked.
“You humans have a saying…‘fight fire with fire’,” Librum replied. “It sounds like nonsense. But we shall give it a try.”
The Death Replica roared in triumph, but then something shifted under its feet and it felt itself being lifted into the air. A new creature made of Dark Bones rose up with the Death Replica standing on its back, this one resembling Librum, and it flipped the Death Replica onto the ground and breathed Twilight Flames on it. The Death Replica leapt up and locked claws with the Librum Replica, Nk and Death glaring intensely at each other from the Replicas’ chests. The Librum Replica punched the Death Replica in the face, and then it pulled up an enormous chunk of earth and smashed it into the foe. The Death Replica pounced on the Librum Replica and knocked it over, but the Librum Replica fired two powerful jets of Twilight Flame from its claws, forcing the Death Replica into the air. The Librum Replica got back on its feet as the Death Replica began blasting down dark flames, and then the Death Replica dropped down and pinned its enemy. The Death Replica breathed fire on the Librum Replica, which tried to break free, and Death laughed as his foe struggled pointlessly.
We’re not about to give up! Nk thought. We aren’t about to give up everything—my wife, my son, Librum’s pride! We have too much to lose, so we’re going to win!
The Dark Bones that made up the Librum Replica began turning to Twilight Flames, and the Bones connected to Nk snapped as he launched himself straight at Death. The Fire-Lord held Hakumei with both hands, and the Librum Replica—now entirely Twilight Flame—compressed around the blade as it was swung at the Deathtalon. Hakumei pierced Death and Twilight Flame burnt Death’s Replica to ashes, and Nk hovered in the air as the burned remains fell around him, Death still on his blade.
Death, eyes wide, held onto Hakumei, but then he moved one claw to Nk’s neck and opened his mouth. “I still…wasn’t…good enough…” the Knight lamented in a raspy voice.
Blood began dripping from Hakumei, and Nk said, “…I suppose I feel sorry for you. You were born to defeat me, but I had to take that away from you.”
Death’s claw slipped and hung at his side, and Nk said, “I can’t apologize for defending what I love…but I’ll let you keep some dignity.”
Nk drew out of blade and unleashed a wave of Twilight Flame, cremating his enemy. At the same moment, in the banquet hall, Death’s Chalice became badly charred.


Spirits Used:
S10. Deathtalon
S11. Librum

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[Pahrak #0579]

Chapter 149: For Balance


Kharuun stepped out of the elevator and onto the bridge, and he went to the front of the room and faced Miserix. The Makuta sat in a large chair at the center of the bridge, and he smirked and said, “I thought you’d be foolish enough to come here. You are an Ikhav after all.”
Miserix stood up and continued, “There’s little sport in killing foes as young and inexperienced as you, so I’ll give you one last chance to flee. That should be enough to discourage Aile.”
“I’m not going anywhere until I defeat you,” Kharuun said, readying the Thunderbolt Saber.
“Haha!” Miserix laughed. “You aim to slay me with that bar magnet of yours? And what is that ridiculous armor you’re wearing?”
“I decided to take your advice and combine Hyper Zadakh and Dissonance Zadakh,” Kharuun said. “This is Zadakh’s final form…I’ve been thinking of calling it ‘Saigo Zadakh’.”
“Hm,” Miserix mumbled. “…Well, if you’ve made up your mind to refuse my generous offer, then we have no reason to delay things any further.”
Miserix used Dragonslam to smash Kharuun through the wall, sending him out of the ship, but Kharuun remained hovering in the air, put both hands forward, and said, “Saigo Kousen!”
A beam made of Hyper Zadakh’s Chaos energy and Dissonance Zadakh’s Noise energy shot out, throwing Miserix across the bridge, and then Kharuun used Blade Dash to pursue. Miserix punched Kharuun, releasing a Volt at the same time, but Kharuun shrugged it off as electricity began to swirl around his fingers.
“Spark Claw!” Kharuun said, slashing Miserix with the electricity.
Miserix swung his staff but Kharuun dodged and cut him with the Thunderbolt Saber, and Miserix used Scream but the attack had little effect. A burn appeared on Miserix’s arm, then vanished, and as the Makuta dodged his foe’s sword he asked, “What’s going on?”
“The space around Saigo Zadakh is filled with Chaotic Noise,” Kharuun said. “It gives you a different status every turn, and it also negates my weaknesses and cushions impact so that I take less damage from attacks in general.”
Kharuun hit Miserix with an Overhead Slash and then threw a bolt of electricity at him, sending the Makuta sliding right to the hole in the wall. Miserix lashed out and kicked Kharuun, releasing a Frequency Pulse at the same time, and then he wrapped Kharuun in a Black Hole and threw him out of the ship. Kharuun steadied himself, but then Miserix fell on him with the force of a Body Slam, and both combatants crashed into the ground.
Miserix stood up, saying, “My Invulnerability protected me, but the boy wasn’t so lucky.”
“Actually, I’m just fine,” Kharuun said, materializing nearby. “My body can dissolve into energy, so I completely avoided the impact.”
Angrily, Miserix looked around, seeing the corpses of Chirox, Vamprah, and Bitil on the ground, and he thought, This boy is tricky, I admit. Perhaps I should take no chances.
A Shadow Arm burst from Miserix’s chest and Kharuun dodged, but the arm kept going and grabbed the three dead Makuta. Kharuun watched Miserix absorb his comrades, and the Makuta leader grew in size as his armor took on aspects of those he had merged with. Miserix jumped at Kharuun and swatted him with his staff, using a Vacuum Blast for added effect, and then he hit the ground and used an Earthquake amplified by his Plasma powers. Energy circulated around Miserix, and Kharuun got to his feet, clapped his hands together, and said, “Saigo Crush!”
The energy closed in on Miserix, and he tried to dodge but suddenly he found himself paralyzed. Kharuun’s next move was to use the Strike Raid attack, hurling the Thunderbolt Saber at Miserix, and he flew in so that when the sword boomeranged back to him he could deliver a powerful slash. Miserix Neutralized Kharuun and blasting him with Heat Vision, and he attempted trapping his foe in a Stasis Field but Kharuun broke free.
“Noise Spark!” Kharuun said, pointing his sword.
There was a flash of Noise and a thunderbolt hit Miserix, poisoning him, and he shot out a beam of Plasma in retaliation, but the Chaotic Noise blinded him and the attack missed. Kharuun used Chaos Control, freezing time for Miserix, and then used the Ars Arcanum technique, raining a fury of sword strikes down on his foe, and then he used another Spark Claw to throw Miserix into a nearby mountain.
“Is this the same boy I was fighting earlier?” Miserix wondered aloud. “He’s become so much stronger…my Permanent Fusion won’t be complete for another few minutes. I need to either end this quickly or buy some time.”
Kharuun healed himself by casting Cura, and Zadakh said, “You can restore your energy, but your body isn’t recovering—Double Fusion is too new. Maybe we should try Hyper or Dissonance.”
“Those forms could barely scratch his armor,” Kharuun said. “This form can take him down. No matter how broken my body is…no matter what might happen to me in the end…the simple fact of the matter is that this is the right thing to do! Noise Nova!”
Saigo Blades, weapons that appeared to be Star Blades made of Noise, filled the air, and Miserix growled in defiance and flew straight at Kharuun. Some of the Saigo Blades turned into Boomerangs and twirled towards Miserix, but he knocked them away with his staff and focused a Black Hole into his fist. Kharuun used Saigo Shield, creating an energy barrier in front of him, and while Miserix tried to break that he charged up an Ikhav Saigo Kousen. Miserix teleported away from the massive energy blast, and as he dove at Kharuun several Saigo Blades merged with the boy’s fists. Kharuun sidestepped Miserix’s attack and used Blade Punch, but then Miserix caught him in Vine Strangle and summoned a Cyclone. The vines kept Kharuun from escaping, and Miserix added Plasma to the Cyclone to make it even deadlier. Miserix Body Slammed Kharuun into a Black Hole and smacked him into an Earthquake, and he laughed as Kharuun crawled across the broken ground.
“You put up a good fight, boy, but it was destined to end this way!” Miserix said. “Our plan will succeed, and balance will be broken!”
“What is this mysterious plan of yours, anyway?” Kharuun murmured.
“Hm…I may as well tell you,” Miserix said. “We are going to slaughter Legendary Spirits. First we will take out all of the Vassals as a warm-up, and then we’ll kill the Gahu, which will cause the Elements to weaken. Hapori Tohu, Zadakh, and Gahu will die next, a phase in which we will be aided by Hapori Dume, and when all the guardians of Light have fallen, our world will become one of pure Shadow.”
“But why would you want that?” Kharuun asked. “War, famine, death…you think you’ll escape that?”
“Everyone can, if they join us,” Miserix said. “Such an imbalance will make this world fit for our master, and all who swear loyalty to him will be spared.”
“Sounds ridiculous,” Kharuun said, on his feet now. “You call me stupid when you’re the one trusting what sounds like a being of pure 100% concentrated evil? You’re going to be betrayed, or at the very least, you’re on for eternal suffering.”
“I don’t expect you to understand,” Miserix said. “My Permanent Fusion may not be complete yet, but I have all the power I need to kill you now.”
Suddenly a Cuerveracios slammed into Miserix, and two more unloaded Spark Breath on him. The elder Cuerveracios flew down and asked, “You didn’t forget about us, did you?”
She turned to Kharuun, who said, “Thanks for the save…but please, let me finish this. When I attack, call off the other Cuerveracios.”
The elder Cuerveracios paused, but then she said, “You have proven yourself to be a trustworthy warrior…very well.”
The Saigo Blades all began to compress around the Thunderbolt Saber, and Kharuun said, “Zadakh…this affects you too. I won’t force you to go through with this.”
“It’s the right thing to do,” Zadakh said. “Let’s hit him with all we’ve got.”
Kharuun nodded and the Cuerveracios scattered, and Kharuun leapt at Miserix and yelled, “Saigo Blade: Final Slash!”
The blade was swung, and a huge scar-like distortion appeared in the air, centered on Miserix. Seconds later, Miserix was hurled back violently, and with a thunderous crash he landed next to a mountain.
“Impossible…!” Miserix panted. “I…won’t…fail!”
He struggled to rise but he found he didn’t have the strength, and Kharuun sighed in relief…but then he heard a noise. Spinning around, Kharuun saw lights flashing on the Enterprise, and the starship then began to slowly accelerate towards the ground. Kharuun was too weak to fly away, so the Cuerveracios got him away from danger, but he protested, “Wait, what about Miserix?”
“He is going to die,” the elder Cuerveracios said. “He is too weak to move, the Enterprise is going to crash into him, and though the completion of Permanent Fusion may save him it will not occur in time.”
“We have to save him!” Kharuun said.
“No,” the Cuerveracios replied. “He is a threat to balance. He has to die so that innocent people can live.”
“No! I can’t just let someone die!” Kharuun said. He reached out with Saigo energy and attempted to pull Miserix away, but the Makuta was too heavy.
“Hmph…I don’t need your pity,” Miserix grumbled as the Enterprise came closer. “I may die…but our master WILL come…one day…”
The Enterprise crashed into the mountain, and as Miserix died, Konpaku watched from a distant peak. The strange man smiled and said, “Oh, he’ll get here. I’ll see to that.”


Spirits Used:
#648. Makuta Miserix
S14. Saigo Zadakh


Chapter 150: Engine of Destruction


Artakhall sliced down the door and walked into the engine room, Keizah right behind him. The room was lined with control panels, and on the far end was a large, cylindrical column that glowed brightly with blue light.
“That must be the engine,” Keizah said. “The question is…where’s the Makuta?”
“Let’s just smash the engine,” Knight said. “Then this whole place will be useless.”
“It’s probably a trap,” Artakhall said. “…I’ll draw out the Makuta, and you attack.”
Keizah nodded, and Artakhall walked towards the engine with his sword ready, but suddenly a Hurricane kicked up in the room and caught the heroes by surprise. A laugh echoed through the room, and Mutran’s voice called, “You insects have done much better than we expected. But Miserix is dealing with the Ikhav right now, and once he is dead, Miserix will wipe out the rest of you.”
“Show yourself!” Artakhall yelled.
“I’m in plain sight,” Mutran replied. “Take a guess.”
“…He’s in the engine,” Keizah said. “He’s controlling the ship from there.”
“Very good,” Mutran said. “Seems one of you knows what you’re doing.”
Artakhall flew at the engine and swung his sword, but with a flash of blue light he was teleported to the other side of the room. “Since you are my enemies, the Enterprise’s Transporters can only send you a short distance,” Mutran said. “But I can still frustrate you.”
Another Hurricane started, but this time the heroes were prepared and defended themselves. Artakhall used Wind Slash and Light Slash to hurl shockwaves at the engine, but they were Transported out of the way. Keizah used Triple Flood, and Mutran carefully Transported the water out into the corridor, but Keizah wove through the waves and bit into the engine with Triple Chomp. Mutran yelled in pain and surprise, and before he knew what was happening Artakhall shot out and used Soul Surge to deliver a powerful cut.
“We just need to keep him distracted,” Keizah said as he and Artakhall were Transported across the room. “When he’s focused on Transporting something, he’s vulnerable.”
“You discovered that quite quickly,” Artakhall noted. “Well done.”
Keizah used Evasion and dodged a Hurricane, and as Artakhall moved in with Fly, Keizah summoned a Coral Spear. Mutran teleported Artakhall away as Keizah willed spears to come at the engine from all angles, and a few spears vanished but Mutran still took damage. Keizah tried using Intimidate, but it had no effect and he was hit with a Hurricane. As Keizah healed himself, Artakhall threw a Light Slash, and Mutran banished the shockwave and repelled Artakhall.
“I will not go down so easily,” Mutran said. “I spent months creating this ship! You cannot defeat my genius!”
Keizah and Artakhall dodged a Hurricane as they moved forward, and Keizah unleashed Triple Flood to create an opening for Artakhall to use a Combo. “Actually,” Keizah said, “I think I know how we can win.”
Mutran sent out a Hurricane, but Keizah used Dragon Wisdom and pointed at the storm, and it suddenly vanished. “Dragon Wisdom lets me learn an enemy attack,” Keizah said. “I have access to the Transporters now.”
“You think that will save you?” Mutran asked.
The Makuta tried Transporting Keizah, but Keizah used his control to cease the attempt, used Triple Floor, and Transported Artakhall behind the engine. Artakhall attacked with Soul Surge while Mutran Transported the Floods, and Mutran tried to repel Artakhall but Keizah interfered. The Steel-Lord continued his assault until Mutran filled the entire room with a Hurricane, at which point he pulled back and healed with Ring Collect.
“Using Tridrake’s effect to the fullest, I see,” Artakhall said. “Hm…can you Transport Mutran out of the engine?”
“There’s too much energy surrounding him,” Keizah said. “I would need to be inside the engine to Transport him out.”
Keizah Soaked, Transported himself and Artakhall over to the engine, and used Triple Chomp, and Artakhall launched into a Spiral Slash. Mutran yelled, “I won’t stand for this! You’ve turned my own creation against me! This is a challenge to my brilliance!”
“Someone’s proud of his brain,” Knight said.
Mutran used the Transporters but Keizah stopped him, and Keizah used two Triple Slashes while Artakhall used Soul Surge. Keizah Transported a Hurricane and used Dragonic Blast, and energy began to leak out of the engine. Mutran tried Transporting his foes, but before he could, Artakhall used Wind Slash to confuse him. Energy began to spark all over the room, and Mutran tried his best to focus and activated the Transporters. The next thing he knew, he was lying on the floor of the engine room.
“No!” Mutran shouted, dashing towards the engine until Artakhall struck him down. “You fools! Without someone in the engine, the ship will lose power and crash!”
A tremor shook the Enterprise, and Artakhall asked, “What’s the plan?”
Keizah thought quickly, saying, “There’s still some reserve power left…I should be able to Transport everyone off the ship!”
Everyone could feel the ship descending, and Mutran spat, “You can’t do it! Only someone as smart as me can conduct such an operation—that’s why I was Fused with the ship!”
Keizah used his Coral Spear to restrain Mutran and shut his mouth, saying, “Frankly, I’m smarter than you.”
Blue light swirled around everyone on-board, and in the blink of an eye they were all Transported down to Draco-Isle in an area where they were all safe from the crash. The Enterprise collided with a nearby mountain, and Keizah sat down and took a deep breath.
“Well done, Keizah,” Artakhall said.
The others were nearby, and Aile called, “Hey! What the heck happened?”
“We won,” Knight answered. “Keizah got us all out of there before the place came crashing down.”
Keizah said, “It’s no big deal, really…is anyone injured?”
“Nothing serious,” Rien said. “So, how many Makuta do we have here? Spiriah, Gorast, Krika, Mutran, Teri—oh gosh, what happened to him?!”
“Worry not—he still lives,” Neb-X informed her.
“Then the only one unaccounted for is Miserix,” Aile said. “…Wait, are those Shade-Gangster?”
“They broke into the ship,” Hyohana said. “They won’t be a threat. But where is Miserix? Kharuun was going to fight him…”
The elder Cuerveracios flew up to the group, and she announced, “Miserix is dead. Kharuun crippled him, and he was then crushed by the Enterprise. As for Kharuun…”
Hyohana quickly drove to the site of the crash, seeing Kharuun sitting next to where Miserix had been. “Kharuun!” Hyohana shouted, hugging him. “Thank God! I was worried!”
“I’m glad you’re okay,” Kharuun said.
Hyohana pulled back and asked, “Is something wrong?”
“…I couldn’t save him,” Kharuun said. “He may have been evil, but…I never wanted to be responsible for a man’s death.”
“…I’m sure you did everything within your power,” Hyohana said. “What counts is that you tried, Kharuun. You have no reason to feel guilty.”
“You’re probably right…guess I just need to let it sink in,” Kharuun muttered. “Hey, uh…could you please help me up? I want to go see everyone, but I can’t feel my legs…”
Hyohana helped Kharuun over to the group just as the other Element-Lords were arriving, and Hewtu said, “Guess we missed it. You kids sure are impressive, handling all this more or less on your own.”
“So…what now?” Nokali asked. “The Makuta aren’t a threat anymore. Should we just go home?”
“Bad idea,” Aile said. “I mean, come on. We’ve got a group of super-powerful warriors, a freakin’ starship, and another war happening on the other side of the world.”
“Absolutely not,” Tonnira stated. “Drawing children into one war is bad enough. We don’t have to risk their lives any further.”
“There’s another war?” Kharuun asked. “What are you talking about?”
“That’s why there are Acting Element-Lords in place!” Keelie said. “I knew something was up!”
“Wait…Mom and Dad are fighting in a war?” Midori said. “Why didn’t anyone tell me?!”
“Because you’re just children!” Tonnira said.
“Children you defeated the Makuta,” Aile said. “Besides, we already made an agreement to take Dranes and Azara there, and it’s also where we’re likely to find Neya and Catalina.”
“You knew about this?” Selina asked.
Dranes replied, “We weren’t allowed to say anything.”
“…My parents are there too, aren’t they?” Kharuun asked.
“Yep,” Aile said.
“Keep your mouth shut already!” Tonnira yelled.
“Tonnira,” Nupenua said, putting a hand on Tonnira’s shoulder. “Perhaps we should take them along.”
“You’re insane if you think I’ll agree to that!” Tonnira said.
“It’s not your decision to make, you overcharged circuit!” Vicax said. “The Rahaga-Lord has the final say, and we all have to go along with whatever she decides.”
Tonnira turned to Rien, who said, “I understand your concern. We agreed to keep this quiet and let Khadaz and all the others handle things, and I don’t want to put any more lives in danger. But these kids are special…and we’re taking them with us.”
Not waiting for a response, Rien turned and said, “We’re going to need someone to Fuse with the Enterprise. It’ll take a lot of brainpower, I’m sure.”
“I think we can all agree that Keizah’s the smartest one here,” Aile said.
“I’d be more useful healing injuries,” Keizah said. “Someone else should be the engine.”
“…I shall do it,” Neb-X offered. “It is no longer necessary for me to protect these children. This is something I can still do.”
The children and Element-Lords all boarded the Enterprise, and Neb merged with the engine to give it the power to repair itself and lift into the air once more. Most of the passengers now stood on the bridge, and Rien said, “Okay, all the prisoners are secured, so we don’t need to worry about that…Keizah found a room set up like a hospital, and he’s treating Kharuun there…Hyohana’s with them…how does the ship look?”
“Running tests now,” replied the voice of Neb-X. “All systems go. Co-ordinates laid in. With the Warp Drive we should be there in less than a minute.”
“Good,” Rien said, taking a seat in the captain’s chair. “It’s time we pay the Dark Knights a visit. Engage!”
The thrusters at the rear of the Enterprise roared to life, and seconds later it was gone. A figure rose into the sky the ship had occupied, and as sunlight glinted off its body, it said, “Predicting targets’ destination…prediction complete. Destination: ‘Lost Continent’. Initiating pursuit.”


Spirits Used:
#578. Makuta Mutran
#774. Enterprise
#790. Knight of Gold
#433. Tridrake

Review

[Pahrak #0579]

Chapter 151: Retrieval


Khadaz and Amy moved silently down the path, both bending light waves to appear invisible. They had caught up to Stark and taken over tracking Darkhadaz, while Stark went to the Dark Knights’ castle to join up with the Light Force. The couple came to a stop—Darkhadaz could now be seen, with Kikanalo and Union flanking him, standing near the edge of a cliff overlooking a body of water. Khadaz began working on a plan, but Darkhadaz then turned and said, “You can come out now.”
“…Now that’s just cheap,” Khadaz said, walking forward and becoming visible. Amy did the same as he continued, “So, is there a specific reason you came here?”
“As a matter of fact, there is,” Darkhadaz said. “Every few years, the stars align in a fashion that they appear to spell ‘Gahu’ in Matoran lettering. When this constellation forms, the day it appears is referred to as ‘the Day of Dragons’, and the power of the Gahu fluctuates ever so slightly.”
“That doesn’t answer my question at all,” Khadaz said.
“I’m getting to that,” Darkhadaz said. “Since the sun is still up, you can’t really tell…but today is the Day of Dragons. As for where we now stand, it is directly under the center of the constellation I told you about, and it just so happens that when one brings a full set of Gahu Fangs here on this day, a very special spell can be cast.”
“I don’t like where this is going,” Amy mumbled.
“The cosmos have weakened the Gahu enough that, if I use their Fangs as a medium, I can strip them of their power with the Gahu Magna spell,” Darkhadaz said. “That power will then be granted to me, transforming me into Gahu Darkhadaz. My plan was hidden from even Shadow Knight, but now it is about to come to fruition. I’m glad you’re here Khadaz. I want you to witness just how powerful I become.”
“Yeah…no,” Khadaz said. “I dunno how long this spell takes to cast—“
“Quite long, actually,” Darkhadaz said.
“Good news,” Khadaz said. “But like I was saying, we’re not going to let you finish it.”
“That’s why we’re here,” Union said, his chaotic Fusion Armor swirling around him.
“Oh…right,” Khadaz said. “Hey, Amy, would it be okay with you if I handle Kikanalo?”
“Sure thing,” Amy said. “I’ll handle the ugly one.”
Khadaz readied the Exo-Keyblade and lunged at Kikanalo, but the Commander blocked and threw him far away from the cliff. Kikanalo used Arm of Stone and charged at Khadaz, who willed a shield of Twilight to appear when Kikanalo punched.
“Think you’re ready to face me again?” Kikanalo asked.
“Definitely,” Khadaz said. He slashed Kikanalo, confusing his foe, and then he kicked and sent out a Twilight Laser.
“It’s nice to fight someone who actually has a weakness,” Khadaz said. “The Exo-Keyblade can take on any Element, and since you’re a Stone type, I’ve set it to Air.”
Kikanalo threw a barrage of boulders, but Khadaz blocked them all, and then Kikanalo Screamed but Khadaz shrugged it off. “Did you just want to mock me?” Kikanalo asked. “Thinking you’re so powerful I can’t hurt you?”
“I want to see if Rahksean still exists,” Khadaz said. “If not, then I’m going to cut down Kikanalo.”
“Haha…still trying to save me?” Kikanalo asked. “You’re pathetic!”
Kikanalo Screamed, threw boulders, and threw a punch, but Khadaz kept up a Twilight Field and then snapped his fingers. An axe of Twilight appeared in Kikanalo’s shoulder, and as Kikanalo yelled, Khadaz said, “I’d like to think I have some idea where you’re coming from. I would be a hypocrite if I condemned you for running away.”
“You don’t know anything!” Kikanalo said. “I was told that everything I learned as a child was a lie! That all along, I was being groomed into a criminal! You have no idea what it’s like to learn your fate is something so horrible!”
Khadaz burst out laughing, and Kikanalo glared at him with new intensity. “I’m sorry,” Khadaz said, “it’s just…Ahaha…fate? Really? You’re buying that?”
“We aren’t all Ikhavs—we can’t all defy fate!” Kikanalo spat. “You may be free of fate, but the rest of us are chained to it for eternity!”
“What’s truly laughable is that you think this is your fate,” Khadaz said. “You think that just because the Shadowed One wanted you to become a Shade-Gangster, that’s all you can become. It’s your choice to be here as my enemy rather than my friend. As smart as you are, I’m surprised you didn’t realize that.”
Kikanalo punched the ground, causing rock spikes to rise from the ground, but Khadaz jumped behind Kikanalo and smashed him. “I met this girl once,” Khadaz said. “She was locked up and engineered to be a killing machine. Her first attempts at feeling human were shot down, but eventually, with help, she broke free and made the choice to be a good person. Her name is Kazumi. She married Nk and had a son, and did a fantastic job raising him. None of that was in the plan of the scientists who experimented on her.”
“It’s too late for me!” Kikanalo shouted, swinging at Khadaz.
Khadaz caught Kikanalo’s arm and smashed him into the ground, saying, “Too late? You believe that too? You can embrace light with your dying breath and still be saved! It’s never too late to make the right choice!”
Kikanalo extended spikes from his Arm of Stone, knocking Khadaz back, and then he encased his foe in stone and kicked him over. Khadaz escaped as Kikanalo asked, “Why are you trying so hard? Why not just let me sink into darkness?”
“Because you’re my friend!” Khadaz said. “It’s just that simple! For crying out loud, I went back for Nikari! The guy I couldn’t stand from the second I met him! Do you really think I won’t do the same for you? You were the first friend I made on my quest! We fought alongside each other! We braved whatever was thrown at us! You are my friend, Rahksean! If I can’t bring you back to the side of good, then I’ll keep you from continuing down the path of evil!”
Khadaz slashed Kikanalo, used Twilight Fission to knock him into the sky, and then kicked him into the ground. Bursts of Twilight energy rained down, keeping Kikanalo from escaping, and then Khadaz dropped down and slashed him again. Kikanalo punched, but Khadaz threw his own punch to shatter the Arm of Stone, and Kikanalo fell down and remained still.
“Make your choice,” Khadaz said.
“…Even if I went back, nobody would trust me,” Kikanalo said.
“Not right away,” Khadaz said. “You have to earn trust. I’m sure we can find plenty of opportunities, so you won’t need to worry about that.”
Kikanalo stood up and said, “I’ve already done too much wrong.”
“We all forgive you, you know,” Khadaz said. “We had some discussions, and we all agreed to forgive you. Everyone wants you back, Rahksean.”
“How do I know you’re not lying?” Kikanalo asked.
“Because you know me,” Khadaz said. “You could tell if I was lying.”
Kikanalo paused for a time, and then he said, “Wouldn’t I be abandoning the consequences of my earlier choice?”
“There will still be consequences,” Khadaz said. “But the difference is that you’ll have a chance to redeem yourself. To be honest…I really don’t see what objections you could have.”
“I don’t feel like I deserve redemption,” Kikanalo said.
“The thing is, no one does,” Khadaz said. “But it’s still offered to each of us. All you have to do is take it.”
There was silence for a minute, and then Kikanalo started walking in the direction of the Dark Knights’ castle. “I’m going to turn myself over to the Light Force,” he said as he passed Khadaz. “Time in prison will give me a chance to think.”
“I’m not about to quit,” Khadaz said. “Once this is over, I’ll focus all of my energy on bringing you back.”
Kikanalo chuckled and kept walking, and Vinxeng said, “He just needs time. Rahksean will resurface soon enough.”
“I know,” Khadaz said. “I can be patient. It’ll be worth it to have everyone together again.”


Spirits Used:
#105. Kikanalo
S05. Twilight Sage


Chapter 152: Life/Death


Amy dodged a Lightsaber and used Avohkii, but Union ignored the attack and used an Earth Elemental Burst. Union followed with Thunderbolt Blade, but Amy dodged and used Ange Tsubasa, hurling Light waves from her wings that Union could not avoid. Amy threw a Skipping Stone at Union, but he used Afterimage to dodge and then used Eight Trigrams 128 Palms to deliver a furious barrage of jabs.
“You can’t stop Darkhadaz now,” Union said as he used Eye Ray.
Amy flew out of the way and said, “I don’t believe that. But I’m surprised, Union—don’t you want any of that power for yourself?”
Union threw Dark Wheels and said, “I do, and it will be mine someday. What separates me from most is that I am extremely patient. An opportune moment will eventually present itself, and then I will have all the power I need.”
Amy knocked the Wheels aside and then shot a Light Blast, but Union sidestepped and fired a Thornax. While Amy dealt with that, Union used Blade of Souls to summon First of Three (the bladed staff of shadows) and Second of Three (the electrified gauntlet), and Amy quickly sent out a hundred Watersaws to intercept her enemy. First of Three created shields around itself and Union and sent out Shadow bolts, and Union plowed through the field of Watersaws and swung at Amy. Amy dodged and a Whip of the Northern Lights extended from her rapier, and Union readied himself but was surprised when Amy only used the Whip to entangle and draw him in so she could use Pierce. Union used Lumen Return to blast Amy away, and since First of Three was keeping the Watersaws busy, he was able to use Genocide Blazer to knock Amy down with a compacted beam of Fire.
“If we’re going to use Holy Water, we’d better use it quick,” Jeune said. “He might use Stealth Cloak to disable it like last time.”
“But we need to get past his Byakugan,” Amy said, healing with Curaga. “It’s difficult to surprise someone with a 360 degree field of vision.”
“Well, nothing’s impossible,” Jeune reminded her.
Union prepared to use Axalara Cannon, but Amy cast Lightspeed on herself and flew out of the way, using Ange Tsubasa again while also summoning a Waterspout. Amy dashed in while Union dodged, and she raised a hand but Union used Second of Three to make a shield of electricity. Two Light Bolts shot out to either side of Union, but once they were past the shield they curved around and stuck Union’s back. Amy was able to catch Union with another Whip of the Northern Lights, and then she reached out and created an Aquarium around them both. Union repelled Amy and prepared to attack, but then he felt a burning sensation that temporarily crippled him.
Amy broke the surface of the Aquarium, slashing Union when she passed him, and said, “This Aquarium is filled with Holy Water. Now that it has removed your Shadow attacks, it will begin draining your Fusion Energy.”
Union used a Steel Elemental Burst, but the blast missed Amy and the waters began to churn. “Light waves bend as they go from one medium to another,” Amy explained. “The light you’re seeing is tricking you into seeing me where I’m not.”
Whirlpools filled the Aquarium, and then the water began to Boil while at the same time chilling Union with Hypothermia. Union pounded against the water’s surface, unable to break through, and Amy used Ange Tsubasa to knock him down to the bottom of the raging waters. Amy flew over to First of Three, which had managed to thin the number of Watersaws, and she used Holy Water to stun the blade so the remaining Saws could finish it off. Union ignored the constant assault on his energy and continued trying to force his way out, using Laser Power, Sun Blast, and Kaminari Slash, among other attacks, but the wall of the Aquarium held strong.
Holy Water destroys the Shadow attacks of a Spirit…but since the Death Union of Spirits doesn’t have Elemental control over Shadow, I can still use my Doppelganger Fuel for other purposes, Union thought.
He pulled back one arm, dug his feet into the ground, and as darkness began to swirl in his palm he announced, “Shadow Sphere!”
The orb of darkness was thrust into the Aquarium wall, punching a hole that allowed the water to escape and carry Union out with it. Noticing this, Amy attempted to catch Union in a Waterspout, but the Squire’s arms became the engines of the Jetrax and he shot out with incredible speed. Union trapped Amy in an Energy Field and used Second of Three to electrocute her, and then he said, “Well done, Mrs. Ikhav, but you seem to have overlooked a few details. I still have powerful weapons left in my arsenal, including my Shadow Aura!”
A solid mass of dark energy covered Union’s body, and Amy’s Watersaws came at him from behind but the Aura sprouted tendrils to absorb the attacks and break them down into energy. The Aura then transferred that energy to Union, who used Power Forge to smash Amy into the ground, and then used Atomic Burner, engulfing her in a giant flame laser. Union used Blade of Souls once more, summoning Third of Three (the katana), and then he used the Blade’s ability to bring a Tsunami down on Amy. Enduring the attack, Amy used Ange Tsubasa, but the Aura absorbed it and Union sent a tendril to grab Amy.
“You see?” Union said as he drained her energy. “You were doomed to fail from the beginning. I may have been defeated by one Ikhav, but I won’t be defeated by another.”
Union used an Elemental Cyclone infused with electricity to sweep Amy away, and then he formed a hammer with his Shadow Aura and brought it down. Amy lay on the ground, feeling like a fly that had just been swatted, and before he strength returned the Shadow Aura enveloped her. As her energy slipped away, she thought, How am I supposed to win against this Aura? Khadaz told me how he beat it, but my powers don’t work the same way. There has to be something…
“Amy, take a look at Union,” Jeune said. “He’s draining our energy, but he doesn’t seem to be healing.”
Amy looked and saw that this was true, and after being extremely confused for a time, she realized, Of course! Union is evil, and you’re an angel! Your power is meant to destroy evil, not strengthen it! Your energy is poison to him!
“He doesn’t seem to realize that,” Jeune said. “Shall we open his eyes?”
Amy’s palms lit up, and she said, “We’ll beat him the same way the Toa Nuva beat the Bohrok Kal. If he wants our energy, we’ll give it to him!”
The flow of energy intensified, but the Shadow Aura grew thinner and thinner until Amy finally slipped free and was able to heal herself. The Shadow Aura was now incredibly faint, and Union panted, “Curse you…how could I…not have…known…”
A Shadow Sphere began to form in Union’s hand, and Amy’s halo started to glow as she said, “Evil will never win. Try as you might, good will always be there to beat you back. You may have failed, but you did try to take an angel’s power for your own, and for that you have to be punished.”
Amy’s halo floated down in front of her, energy sparking in its middle, and she put her hands behind it as Union charged and yelled, “I will not be defeated here! Shadow Sphere!”
“Ange Kousen!” Amy shouted.
A powerful beam of light shot out from the center of her halo at Union, who thrust out his Shadow Sphere in an attempt to deflect the attack. The beam broke down the dark attack and engulfed Union, searing away his armor, and he fell to the ground and shouted in frustration. Amy’s halo returned to its normal position and Amy sighed, and for a moment she just stared at Union, wondering what she should do.
“Amy, we still need to stop Darkhadaz!” Jeune said.
“Oh, you’re right!” Amy said.
She turned and flew off, and when she neared Darkhadaz she saw Khadaz approaching as well. Amy wanted to ask about Rahksean, but she decided it would be best to save that for later. Khadaz shot a Twilight Laser at Darkhadaz and Amy used Ange Tsubasa…but both attacks bounced off of an invisible barrier.
“Hahahaha!” Darkhadaz laughed, the Gahu Fangs floating around him. “I knew those two wouldn’t be able to hold you off for long. However, they were able to keep you busy just long enough! By the time you break the barrier, it will be too late!”
One by one, the Gahu Fangs were absorbed into Darkhadaz’s chest, and each time he read a different incantation from the Tome of Darkness. Khadaz put the Exo-Keyblade in his teeth, summoned Kate and Nikari, and used Chikara Compression, and by the time that was done Darkhadaz had absorbed all nine Fangs. The doppelganger smiled and read one more incantation, and as the Gahu Magna spell was completed, he was engulfed in a pillar of energy that reached all the way up into the sky.
“Amy…please go help the others,” Khadaz said. Amy looked at him, and he continued, “You’re still recovering from your battle with Union. I want you to be safe while you heal.”
“…You’d better not lose,” Amy said, and then she slowly flew away.
The energy died down and Darkhadaz stepped forward, and Khadaz immediately noticed the effect of the spell. Darkhadaz’s cloak, which had always been black, had now taken on a tan color, and the gray Akaku that had covered his face was now nowhere to be seen. Black armor could be seen beneath the cloak, with spike protruding from the knees, and on his hands he wore black, clawed gauntlets.
Gahu Darkhadaz beamed with pride, and he turned his condescending gaze on Khadaz and said, “Alright, Khadaz. I’m ready to kill you now.”


Spirits Used:
#615. Jeune Ange, #801. Power-Up Red, #802. Power-Up Yello, #803. Power-Up Green, #804. Power-Up Blue, #445. Gold Destroyer Emblem, #446. Silver Destroyer Emblem, #582. Fire Fuser, #417. Fangs of Fire, #611. Fossil of Dinosaur, #609. Sword of Berserk, #415. Wings of Ice, #584. Earth Fuser, #610. Shuriken of Shinobi, #416. Claws of Wood, #592. Steel Fuser, #773. Axalara T9, #772. Jetrax T6, #771. Rockoh T3, #815. Skopio XV-1, #814. Thornatus V9, #811. Cendox V1, #589. Shadow Fuser, #532. The Seeing One, #258. Galvanic Mechamorph, #265. Virus, #263. Hate

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[Pahrak #0579]

Chapter 153: Upgraded Ultimate


The Enterprise came to a halt, and Neb-X’s voice announced, “We have reached our destination. The Dark Knights’ castle is within Transporter range, and the space-time disturbance has been put into effect so as not to draw attention.”
“Dranes, Azara, we’ll send you right to the castle,” Rien said. “We’ll get in contact with the forces already here and send you back-up when we can.”
“I am detecting familiar readings nearby,” Neb said. “Ah! Neya and Catalina are beneath the ship!”
“Guess they took care of Darkaea,” Aile chuckled.
“Send me down to meet them,” Keelie said. “It’ll give them a real shock if we just beam them up all of a sudden.”
Rien nodded, and then Neb activated the Transporters to get Dranes, Azara, and Keelie off the ship. Keelie materialized on the ground right under the Enterprise, and she took a few steps forward and looked around. Two nearby figures caught her eye, and she waved and shouted, “Hey! Neya! Catalina! Over here!”
“Huh? Keelie, what are you doing here?” Neya replied as he and Catalina ran over. “What’s that thing up there?”
“That’s Spirit Carrier Enterprise,” Keelie said. “The Makuta made it, but they won’t be needing it anymore.”
“Wait, you guys didn’t finish them off without us, did you?” Catalina said.
“Well, you guys went MIA,” Keelie said. “What’s up with that, by the way?”
“Uh…a villain drew us into a distraction,” Catalina said. “It’s all been taken care of, though. We found a teleportation machine that sent us here, but why are you guys here?”
“With the Makuta gone, it was decided that we should come here to take out some more bad guys,” Keelie said. “Apparently there was some covert war going on, and we want to help wrap it up. Rien can explain it better—come on.”

Kharuun sat up and flexed his arm, and Keizah said, “You’re healed, but you need to rest as much as possible. Understood?”
“Sure thing,” Kharuun said. “Thanks for patching me up, doc!”
He got up to leave, but Keizah stopped him and said, “Oh no, you’re staying here! Knowing you, you’ll get into a fight the first chance you get.”
Keizah turned to Hyohana and said, “I’m going to go check in with Rien. Would you please keep an eye on him?”
“Of course,” Hyohana said.
Keizah walked out into the hallway, and Kharuun asked, “So…are you really going to make me stay?”
“I’ve frozen you before,” Hyohana reminded him.
“Right,” Kharuun sighed, sitting back down. “Nice work with the Shade-Gangsters, by the way. Sorry I left you on your own, but I guess you didn’t need me after all.”
“It’s not quite as impressive as your accomplishment,” Hyohana said. “You put your body through so much…did you even consider the risks?”
“Yeah, for a moment,” Kharuun said. “But when I realized I could stand a chance in the fight and not die instantly, I went for it. I won’t mind being crippled if it happened because I did what was right.”
“Kharuun…I don’t want to keep watching you get hurt,” Hyohana said. “I know you have to do the right thing, but…please, be more careful next time.”
“I won’t get myself killed,” Kharuun said, “I promise. I’m not that reckless.”
“Good,” Hyohana said. “You worry me sometimes. I don’t want to lose you.”
“I’m not going anywhere unless you ask me to,” Kharuun said, smiling.
“Well…you’re still pretty reckless,” Hyohana said.
“Only because I know I have someone watching my back,” Kharuun said.
Hyohana chuckled, and she said, “I get the feeling you prepared for this.”
“I guess I know you pretty well,” Kharuun said.
Hyohana sat down next to Kharuun and said, “Do you now? Then what am I hoping will happen next?”
Kharuun began to slowly lean in…but an alarm suddenly sounded.

“Hostile presence detected,” Neb’s voice announced.
“Can you show me?” Rien asked, standing up.
An image appeared on the screen at the front of the bridge, and a winged figure could be seen coming closer. The figure soon became recognizable, and Zak said, “It’s Stained Glass! Everyone get ready for battle!”
“Wait, what is it?” Rien asked.
“We fought it on Ga-Isle—it has the powers of just about every Spirit you can think of,” Midori said.
“But…it’s made of glass?” Aile said. “Well, I think I’ll just…”
She trailed off, and a few seconds later she collapsed on the floor. On the other side of the bridge the same thing happened to Artakhall, and Midori asked, “Wha…are you guys alright?!”
“Gahu…Magna…” Aile panted. “Selina…now…”
Selina crouched down and took Aile’s hand, and instantly the Master’s Aura enveloped Selina. Aile sighed, “Okay…now go…”
“Seriously, what’s going on?” Midori asked.
“Someone tried taking the power of the Original Element-Lords, so Aile transferred her power to Selina,” Rien said. “Selina and I will make the first strike on Stained Glass. I’ll be in touch over radio.”
Selina stood still and blinked a few times, but then she looked and said, “Huh? Oh, right!”
Rien said, “Solenma, you have the bridge. Neb, launch a Photon Torpedo to distract Glass until we get out there.”
Selina and Rien were Transported near Stained Glass as a Photon Torpedo hit it, and as they waited for the blast to die down they prepared for battle. Selina said, “I can handle first strike, Rien. It might be better if you stay back for now.”
Rien smiled and said, “You think Aile is the only one who set up a safeguard for when the Gahu Magna spell was cast?”
The blast cleared to reveal Stained Glass, unscathed, floating in the air and staring with lifeless eyes. The android’s appearance had changed—it had returned to its original black and yellow form rather than the Dread-like form it had previously displayed, but rigid, claw-like wings now protruded from the creature’s back. Up close, another feature because apparent: ten of what appeared to be miniature Spirit Orbs were distributed over Stained Glass’s body, but their purpose could not yet be deduced.
“Targets identified,” Stained Glass said. “Selina Kasai, Rein Ikhav. Thank you for volunteering to die first.”
“So you’re made up of a bunch of Orbs?” Rien asked. “How many?”
“Precisely 3,572,” Stained Glass answered. “But that is irrelevant. I have been ordered to remove all opposition to Shade-Gang rule, beginning with those who previously disable me and whoever is found with them.”
Stained Glass raised a hand, but Selina’s Aura flared and she lunged with Virtue. The blade narrowly missed Stained Glass, who punched Selina as she passed, and Rien thrust out her spear but was blocked by Dark Bones. Stained Glass cut Selina with a Blaze Claw and then used Chorus Cannon, blasting Rien with several sound bursts just as she was closing in. Selina threw Dragonic Flame and Stained Glass dodged, but when it tried blocking Virtue, Selina overpowered her foe and knocked it into one of Rien’s Tornadoes. Dark Bones came at both women but they cut their way through, and Stained Glass used Forbidden Wizardry to blast his foes with magic energy. Rien jumped over to Stained Glass, pierced a Dark Bone shield, and was struck by a Dark Dagger, but she managed to hold her enemy still so Selina could unleash Spirit of Dragon.
Stained Glass used Laser Shuriken to knock them back and flew out of range, and Rien said, “I’m not picking up a Fusion Energy meter. Is that normal?”
“Unfortunately, yes,” Zak replied over radio. “We were only able to beat it last time because Kharuun cut out is power source. That thing is virtually indestructible.”
“Then it looks like we have our target,” Selina said. “Aim for the heart.”
Rien summoned the Ghost Arrow and fired, but Stained Glass batted the arrow aside and used Fluid Kick, extending it legs so that the attack would hit. Selina rushed in and swung, and Stained Glass dodged but was hit by the invisible Sword of Blue Flames. Stained Glass used Gale Grounder, summoning powerful winds to slam Selina into the earth, and then it deflected another arrow and launched a Storm Shot at Rien.
“Analysis: attack did not reflect visible light,” Stained Glass said, turning back to Selina. “Adjusting optic circuits to compensate…”
Telekinetic Flames kicked up around Selina, but she bolted through them and delivered a powerful blow with Virtue. Off-guard, Stained Glass was unable to avoid the next arrow, which pinned one of its wings to its back, and then Selina swung Virtue and released a Supernova on impact. Stained Glass slammed into the ground but stood right back up, and after fixing its wing it shot two Electric Bullets at its oncoming foes. Rien shot the Bullets down and Selina swung, but Stained Glass produced a sword and enchanted it to make a Spellblade. The two blades locked, and Stained Glass stood its ground despite the hail of arrows Rien was producing.
“Ready to give up yet?” Selina asked.
“Negative,” Stained Glass replied. “However, I have been authorized to release several limitations on my functions.”
Stained Glass used Sonic Impact, charging past Selina and knocking her over, and then it pointed at Rien and said, “Tan Shards.”
Dozens of shards of glass flew out and dug into Rien’s armor, and then Stained Glass flew up and used Soaring Strike to knock her back. Rien clutched her wound and asked, “What is this…?”
Selina rose from behind Stained Glass, but the android grabbed her by the wing, grew jagged glass claws, and slashed the back of her neck. Turning back to Rien, Stained Glass elaborated, “Ability: Elemental Glass powers. Attack used against you: Stained Shards: deal continuous damage; became stronger should you change Spirits; color of Shards denotes Element of attack.”
“Tan…these are Dragon Element,” Rien reasoned.
“Affirmative,” Stained Glass said, and then it threw Selina at Rien and used Omnislash to hit them with a glass blade.
Selina focused the Aura into a shield, blocking Aqua Breath, and then she healed herself and charged in again. Stained Glass launched Blue Shards at Selina, but she deflected them and clashed with Stained Glass’s blade. Selina used Dragon’s Tongue and then Combo of Virtue, and while Stained Glass still remained calm it did back up a bit. Rien slammed a Super Spiral Sphere into Stained Glass and Selina got in more hits with Virtue, and when Stained Glass extended its arm Rien grabbed it and used Alchemical Assault to turn Stained Glass to stone.
“Now for the heart,” Selina said.
She flew up and tried to carve out Stained Glass’s heart, but as soon as she dug her sword in, the ten Orbs on the robot’s body lit up and she was hurled away. Lines of light began to trace all across Stained Glass’s body, and Selina said, “I should be able to remove it…”
“That weakness has been eliminated,” Stained Glass said, its voice being projected telepathically. “The Orbs on my body are the Crystal Armor Spirits. When all ten are united, they create a bond that prevents Spirits connected to them from being removed.”
“Great,” Rien said. “We can’t take away its power…”
Rocks fell from Stained Glass as it retuned to normal, and it shook its wings and said, “You cannot defeat me. Cease this illogical resistance and surrender.”
“Never!” Selina said.
“Then you will die,” Stained Glass said, creating a million glass shards in the air around itself.


Spirits Used:
#774. Enterprise
#440. Omni
#613. Memory Rosary

Many used by Stained Glass, including Crystal Armors, #893-902

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[Pahrak #0579]

Chapter 154: Facing Yourself


Zenrei helped Norscu into the tent, saying, “It would appear some has cast the Gahu Magna spell after all…perhaps Aile’s premonitions do mean something.”
“Well…luckily…I made preparations for Rien to receive my power…in such an event,” Norscu mumbled.
Norscu was set down on a stretcher, and Zenrei asked, “Who do you suppose cast the spell? There are so few active enemies remaining…”
“Don’t know,” Norscu said. “But whoever has to fight that person…will definitely have their hands full…”

Gahu Darkhadaz crossed his arms and said, “Do you see now, Khadaz? If you had joined the dark side, you could have this power—the power of the Gahu, of the Original Element-Lords! But mere words won’t show you just what you missed out on…”
An enormous wave of flames surged towards Khadaz, who shielded himself with Twilight, and then Darkhadaz created a giant boulder and slammed it into Khadaz. Khadaz stumbled through an earthquake and saw Darkhadaz draw Gahu-Ice’s Mountain Blade, and he blocked the sword but was frozen by its energies. Darkhadaz knocked Khadaz free with Gahu-Air’s Rainforest Axe, blowing him away with a powerful wind, and then he brought a pillar of water down on top of his foe. Thorny vines suddenly appeared to restrain Khadaz, and Darkhadaz released a blast of Light and a blast of Shadow that exploded when they hit. Darkhadaz used telekinesis to lift Khadaz into the air and used laser vision on him, and then he electrocuted Khadaz and stabbed him with a dozen blades. Khadaz pulled the blades out and looked around, but when Darkhadaz reappeared it was to smash him over the head with fists brimming with Dragon energy.
“Hahahaha!” Darkhadaz laughed. “You can’t even imagine this power! And to think, it could have all been yours!”
“Huh…I don’t need that kind of power,” Khadaz said, struggling to his feet.
“No, you get by on blissful ignorance and your own Ikhav nature,” Darkhadaz said, drawing Gahu-Stone’s Desert Blaster. “That’s what makes you the weaker half, Khadaz. It’s why I’ll be the only one of us leaving here alive.”
He fired the gun at Khadaz, but Khadaz dodged, got next to Darkhadaz, and swung his blades. Darkhadaz was cut, but he just smiled and said, “Look at that…you went and got stronger.”
Khadaz swung again, but Darkhadaz ducked, morphed into a Jaguar, and pounced on Khadaz, knocking him over. Darkhadaz dug his claws into Khadaz and turned into an Eagle, lifting Khadaz into the sky, but Khadaz used Nikari’s chain to entangle Darkhadaz and stabbed him with Kate. They started to fall, and Darkhadaz returned to normal and punched Khadaz, but Khadaz used Twilight Rejection and Darkhadaz slammed into the ground.
“Parlor tricks,” Darkhadaz said, dusting off his cloak.
With a wave of his hand, an air current flew out at Khadaz and left a deep cut on his body, and then Darkhadaz willed a giant boulder to materialize above Khadaz. The boulder fell, but Khadaz obliterated it and blocked Darkhadaz’s next attack. Khadaz used Twilight Vision and Darkhadaz dodged, but then Nikari flew out and cut the doppelganger. Nikari retreated and Kate moved in, and Darkhadaz created a wall of earth to block her, but Khadaz jumped behind him and used the Exo-Keyblade to smash him through the wall.
Darkhadaz laughed and called down thunderbolts, and Khadaz carefully dodged but was hit with a Psionic attack that temporarily debilitated him. Kate and Nikari moved to protect Khadaz, but Darkhadaz summoned a flood to wash them away and morphed into a Lion so he could claw at Khadaz. A wave of Twilight repelled Darkhadaz and two Twilight blades pierced him, and then Khadaz used Twilight Gatling to repeatedly blast his enemy.
Darkhadaz laughed, and Khadaz said, “If you’re as powerful as you say you are, then I shouldn’t be catching up so quickly. I think you realize it too.”
“There’s a simple explanation,” Darkhadaz said. “Your battle with Darkaea allowed your power to reach new heights. I fully prepared for this—that’s why I didn’t hesitate to help Darkaea make the Azure Crest. If you have more power, then this will be much more fun…and much more satisfying when I crush you. You are simply unable to match my power, no matter how strong you get.”
A geyser of flames erupted beneath Khadaz, and Darkhadaz created blades to deflect Kate and Nikari before launching a focused beam of Shadow at Khadaz. Darkhadaz dashed at Khadaz and was punched in the face, and then Nikari immobilized the Knight while Kate forced darkness into him. Khadaz used a Super Spiral Sphere to knock Darkhadaz back and willed spears of Twilight to impale him, but Darkhadaz recovered in an instant and froze Khadaz solid.
“Hm…seems I’m afflicted with Persistent Abyss and Heart Leech,” Darkhadaz said. Light coursed through his body, riding him of the ailments, and then he said, “Blade of Souls! I call upon Brutaka!”
A golden version of Brutaka’s sword came to his hand, and then he swung it forward and a beam of electricity lanced forward and struck Khadaz. Nikari attacked but was blocked, and Brutaka said, “Weakling…do you really think you stand a chance?”
“I KNOW we’re going to beat you!” Nikari declared.
Kate threw blood spears at Darkhadaz, but he used telekinesis to toss them aside and moved towards Khadaz. Oblivion’s Maw was activated, but Khadaz used a giant orb of Light to vanquish the dark pool and sent a Twilight Shockwave at Darkhadaz. The Knight leapt over the wave, repelled Kate and Nikari, and took a hit from the Exo-Keyblade, but then he slashed Khadaz with Dragon Mutant Claws and paralyzed him with electricity.
“He has Elec Body while holding Brutaka…” Khadaz mumbled.
Darkhadaz stabbed Khadaz with a wooden spike and then slashed him with Brutaka, but when he tried to incinerate Khadaz his foe leapt out of the way. Kate and Nikari attacked while Darkhadaz was distracted, and then they retreated as Khadaz let loose several dozen explosions with Twilight Fission. Darkhadaz as soon revealed, shielding himself with electricity, but Khadaz used Twilight Lance to thrust the Exo-Keyblade through his defense and then willed Twilight spikes to erupt from inside Darkhadaz’s body.
“Brutaka boosts your strength, but your speed suffers,” Khadaz said. “Otherwise, you would have been able to dodge that.”
Darkhadaz flung Khadaz away, sending out a towering wall of fire, and he said, “Very good…you’ve proven that you have come a long way. You can actually do a decent amount of damage to me.”
Khadaz began to rapidly move from place to place, shooting Twilight Lasers from multiple angles, and Darkhadaz deflected all the blasts he could but still took damage. Using telepathy to sense where Khadaz was, Darkhadaz sent out waves of Dragon energy, but Khadaz shifted his focus to defense and was able to dodge the attacks. Darkhadaz growled in frustration and raised Brutaka, causing an Omega Hurricane to appear in the sky, and Khadaz moved even more quickly to avoid the lightning bolts and energy waves.
“Alright, we’re ready for the attack,” Vinxeng said. “But you’ll need an opening.”
“He’s so focused on me, he won’t see Kate and Nikari,” Khadaz said.
The Blades sprung up and attacked Darkhadaz, catching him by surprise. Khadaz stopped and raised both hands, and as they radiated Twilight energy he said, “Twilight…Crash.”
He jabbed both hands downward, and a colossal pillar of raw destruction erupted around Darkhadaz, striking the Hurricane as well. The energy lingered for several seconds before fading away, and Darkhadaz stood, panting, in the middle of a large crater. Darkhadaz looked up and locked eyes with Khadaz, appearing extremely frustrated, and then the winds began to pick up.
“You do remember what I said when I respawned, don’t you?” Darkhadaz said. “When I return to you, I gain your skills. I can use Chikara Compression now.”
Energy whirled around Darkhadaz and closed in on him, and Khadaz began healing himself and said, “Oh great…”
Once the Compression was complete, Darkhadaz put one foot forward…and then he was suddenly behind Khadaz. Khadaz attempted to move but was quickly struck, and the hit had such force that he was flung dozens of feet away. Darkhadaz didn’t give Khadaz a chance to recover—he moved in and began to circle Khadaz, delivering a barrage of powerful hits with Brutaka before grabbing his foe and delivering an attack with his knee, the spike on his armor puncturing Khadaz’s torso. Khadaz was tossed aside, and Darkhadaz put both hands forward and unleashed a blast that combined all fourteen Elements, carving a deep trench through the land and causing the cliff to crumble.
From under a pile of rocks, Khadaz said, “As if he wasn’t powerful enough before. How am I supposed to beat him now?”
“Can’t you compress your Chikara any further?” Kate asked.
“No,” Khadaz said, “it’s already melded to my armor—it can’t be reduced any further. If only this Compressed Chikara was my normal Chikara…then I might stand a chance…”
At that moment an idea started to form, but while it was still forming, the rocks around Khadaz started to crush him. He used Twilight Porcupine, extending spikes from his body to destroy the rocks, but then Darkhadaz dealt him a cut to his back. Khadaz stumbled forward until Darkhadaz cast him into a cyclone, and then Darkhadaz jumped up and punched Khadaz into the new cliff face.
Maybe… Khadaz thought, just maybe…I could trick my Chikara. If I let it expand, then for a few seconds it should be as if this enhanced strength is my normal strength, and my Chikara will grow in response. Then, if I compress THAT Chikara…
“Have you realized yet how hopeless your situation is?” Darkhadaz asked.
“No…not hopeless,” Khadaz said. “There’s always hope, no matter how well-hidden it is.”
“Did your wife tell you that?” Darkhadaz asked. “Her Light was always so disgusting. My full power was denied me, so long as she was around. But as a full-fledged doppelganger, I can at last flourish and prove my superiority.”
Darkhadaz raised Brutaka and said, “I will kill you and you ‘hope’. Any last words?”
“…Yeah,” Khadaz said. “Chikara…Compression…Burst!”
Khadaz’s Chikara expanded instantly, but a second later it was compressed once again, and Khadaz could feel a surge of energy accompanied with the sound of his bones cracking. The recompression was soon complete, and with newfound strength, Khadaz flew out and punched Darkhadaz. Darkhadaz was hurled backwards through the air, and when he found his balance he touched his head to find that he was now bleeding. The blood then turned into knives that stabbed Darkhadaz, and he looked up only to be slashed by Nikari while Khadaz created a Super Spiral Sphere filled with Twilight.
“Twilight Meteor!” Khadaz said as he charged.
Darkhadaz created a shield, but Kate and Nikari flanked him and broke his concentration, allowing Khadaz’s attack to hit. Khadaz moved in and began swinging the Exo-Keyblade, Darkhadaz blocking each hit, and the Knight tried to counter but couldn’t find an opening. The Blades of Souls repeatedly cut Darkhadaz while he was busy, and Darkhadaz gritted his teeth and said, “That’s it! I’m sick of these annoying blades!”
“What?” Brutaka said. “You’re not going to—“
“I am!” Darkhadaz said. He leapt back and shouted, “Soul Banish!”
Brutaka, Kate, and Nikari all shattered, and Khadaz said, “There’s a spell for canceling Blade of Souls?”
“It forces dead souls back to the afterlife, and forbids them from returning for a time,” Darkhadaz said. “I didn’t expect you to have such a technique…but if you can do it, then I should be able to as well!”
Darkhadaz’s Chikara expanded, forcing Khadaz back, and then he tried to recompress it but encountered difficulty. Khadaz smiled and said, “Guess you just don’t have the necessary experience. This is as strong as you’re going to get!”
The Chikara eventually compressed again, but Darkhadaz had missed the window of opportunity and hit strength had not increased at all. Darkhadaz yelled, and ten he summoned Gahu-Rahaga’s Planet Blade and charged. Khadaz blocked and swung, but Darkhadaz rose above Khadaz and threw an energy wave that missed. Darkhadaz began firing blasts of every Element, but Khadaz wove through the onslaught and knocked Darkhadaz down to Earth. Khadaz fired an intense Twilight Laser, Darkhadaz protecting himself with a shield of energy, and then Khadaz dove down and caused a huge splash of Twilight when his sword hit. Darkhadaz got up and swung, his blade clashing with the Exo-Keyblade, and he and Khadaz clashed several more times before jumping away from each other.
“You want to know the real truth?” Khadaz said. “You’ll never be able to beat me. You’re incomplete—just one part of the whole. I’m the real deal, and you’re jut a fragment!”
“I WON’T ACCEPT THAT!!” Darkhadaz bellowed, and he made a dash straight at Khadaz.
With a smile, Khadaz watched his foe patiently, and when Darkhadaz swung the Planet Blade Khadaz spun around the sword, behind its wielder, and cleaved Darkhadaz in two. The Planet Blade vanished, and Gahu Darkhadaz reverted to normal Darkhadaz as he fell to the ground.
“…How…” Darkhadaz choked. “I had…ultimate power…but still…still…”
Darkhadaz began to evaporate, and Khadaz said, “You know what…I’m not going to be lenient with you like last time. I’ll be in my mental landscape every day, beating you back, making sure you stay buried in my subconscious until the day I die.”
“Hmph…I guess we’ll see,” Darkhadaz said.
The doppelganger faded entirely, and the Gahu Fangs he had collected now lay scattered about. Khadaz destroyed the Fangs and moved in the direction of the castle, but he suddenly stumbled and fell. Amy descended from the sky and helped him up, and Khadaz said, “Amy? I thought—“
“You should know by now that I’ll never really leave you alone,” Amy said as they rose into the sky. “But, I’ll let it slide…come on. Let’s get you healed AGAIN.”
“Sorry—I bruise easily,” Khadaz chuckled.
Back in the banquet hall, Darkhadaz’s Chalice of Malice rattled for a second, but it remained in perfect condition.


Spirits Used:
S05. Twilight Sage
S19. Gahu Darkhadaz

Review

[Pahrak #0579]

Chapter 155: Immaculate


Selina pulled the glass from her wing and flew at Stained Glass, slashing its head just as it was about to attack. Rien used a barrage of arrows to temporarily cripple Stained Glass’s wings, and then she threw a Twilight Blast and noticed something. She looked to Selina for verification, and when she saw the Master’s Aura fading she knew for sure.
“Whoever cast the Gahu Magna spell has been defeated,” Rien said. “Hey guys! Now would be a great time for some back-up!”
“Enemies losing power,” Stained Glass said.
It blasted Selina back and prepared to attack again, but another Photon Torpedo hit it and Selina pulled back. Rien grabbed Selina and flew back towards the Enterprise, and just as the smoke was clearing, Neya, Zak, and Midori were Transported out to fight. Stained Glass examined its foes, and then it said, “Others likely recovering. More enemies likely inside ship.”
“You bet,” Neya said. “You may not go down easily, but we’ve got a lot of power at our disposal.”
“Your power cannot match mine,” Stained Glass said. “This will be illustrated to you immediately. Now activating all available enhancement techniques…”
Neya, Zak, and Midori all attacked, but enough power was building up around Stained Glass that it blocked their attacks. Stained Glass’s body turned completely transparent for a minute, but then its wings grew and became more solid as black lines traced patterns all along the android. The glass then started to change colors, each section of the pattern becoming either red, orange, or yellow, and a series of shards slid over the robot’s visible core and made an emblem resembling the sun. The same emblem appeared on both of Stained Glass’s wings, and as it turned its cold yellow eyes on its foes, it radiated an unearthly power.
“Perfection achieved,” the android stated. “New identification: Stained Glass Inmacula.”
“…So, some gibberish title makes you ‘perfect’?” Midori said. “That’s a load of—“
Inmacula punched Midori before he could finish, and then it flapped its wings and released a wind current that threw away Zak and Neya. Zak threw an Ice Bolt and Neya used Twilight Tetrawhip, but Inmacula deflected the bolt and grabbed the whip, pulling Neya into a powerful kick. Midori used Winds of Change, but Inmacula teleported behind Midori and used Wingblade to ground him. Zak tried using the Hitokage, but Inmacula ripped through the energy projection and sent the young warrior plummeting to the ground. Neya prepared to use Astral Dragon, but Inmacula paralyzed him and jammed glass into his chest.
“Neya, are you alright?” Cuerveracios asked.
“Just…fine,” Neya grunted. “But this…thing…I don’t know if it’s perfect, but it does seem pretty tough.”
Zak used the Snowflake, but the ice laser it fired was easily dodged by Inmacula, and the android retaliated with a dozen Dark Bone spears. Midori used wind currents to pull Zak out of harm’s way while Neya used Dragonroar, but Inmacula dodged, grabbed Neya, and smashed him into his allies. Inmacula raised a claw to attack, but then it turned and created an energy barrier. Catalina struck the barrier with both hammers, shouting, “Back off, you overgrown window!”
Inmacula punched Catalina and spun around, blocking a Spark Kick, and Keelie asked, “Remember me?”
Keelie launched Matrix Chains and Inmacula dodged, and then Midori used a Vacuum Leaf Cutter to draw their foe into the Hitokage’s sword. Catalina unleashed a Thunder Storm and Neya supplemented the onslaught with Draco Waves, but Inmacula wrapped itself in its wings and then flung them apart, unleashing a bust of energy that blew away all its enemies.
“Foolish humans,” Inmacula said. “Even the clearest illustration of supremacy is incomprehensible to you.”
“You’re mistaking stubbornness for foolishness,” Zak said. The Hitokage attacked Inmacula, but the robot grabbed the projection’s arm and ripped it off, causing blood to gush from Zak’s arm.
“Irrelevant,” Inmacula said. “You still lack the ability to defeat me. I am perfect. You are not.”
Keelie used a Matrix Laser to drive Inmacula away, and Midori helped Zak up and moved him back towards the Enterprise. Neya used Seven Rings in Hand and Catalina threw Rahaga Shards, but Inmacula threw Keelie into the way and then dodged when Neya attacked with the Rings. Inmacula launched Stained Shards, but all three targets dodged and counterattacked, so Inmacula warped away and let them hit each other.
Zak was Transported up to the ship and Midori turned back to Inmacula, but when he used Jet Tackle, Inmacula used his own force against him and smashed him into a line of Dark Bone spikes. Keelie used Twayblade Hum and Inmacula jumped over the energy wave, and Neya initiated a flurry of Ring attacks to keep Inmacula distracted while Catalina jumped into action. Inmacula punched Neya and shot Catalina down with an energy beam, and Keelie shot a Matrix Hand but Inmacula batted it aside and stuck Stained Shards in its foe. Neya shot a Wind Enerbeam, an attack that Inmacula dissipated with one hand, and Catalina used a Psi Storm that Inmacula brushed off.
“I’m beginning to think this is impossible,” Midori sighed.
“No! We can’t lose!” Keelie said, using Thunder Fury to boost her Amp Power. “Defeat is not an—“
Inmacula then appeared in front of Keelie and punched her in the gut, knocking the wind out of her, and then it said, “Your defeat is the only outcome.”
Catalina used Rock-Shattering Lightning, but Inmacula bounced the attack into Neya and then cut a gash in Catalina’s armor. Dark Bones rose from the ground and shard of glass rained down, and Inmacula waited a few seconds before facing the Enterprise. “Active foes incapacitated. Targeting mobile base.”
The Enterprise raised its energy shield as Inmacula approached, but with an effortless claw swipe the robot dispelled the barrier. Phasers bounced off of Inmacula as it analyzed the Enterprise, and it was about to attack when Zenrei appeared on top of the saucer. The Enterprise and the surrounding area began turning partially to crystal, and Zenrei said, “It seems the myths of the glass android hold truth. The tales of your power don’t seem to be hyperbolic, either.”
“Identify yourself,” Inmacula demanded.
Zenrei Zokuhen, Ally of Kotoba the Language Supreme,” Zenrei said. “Seeing as my allies have been dealt with, I suppose it is my turn to make an attempt.”
Crystal wings formed on Zenrei’s shoulders and her sword grew, and Inmacula said, “Another obstacle…command: engage. Time is no concern in this mission.”
Inmacula threw Pink Shards at Zenrei, but Zenrei deflected the attack and slashed Inmacula. Zenrei activated Olmak to allow her to rapidly warp around her foe, and she was able to deal several hits to Inmacula before the technique wore off. Inmacula threw Zenrei at the ground and warped down to catch her, but Zenrei used Kaminari Slash to knock Inmacula into a Whirlpool and backed away. Zenrei was about to use Olmak again, but the Inmacula paralyzed her and used Dark Bones and glass to shatter her wings and sword. Inmacula grabbed Zenrei, who tried using her Disk Powers to Weaken the robot, but she failed and was engulfed in fire. Zenrei was tossed aside and skidded along the ground, and Inmacula slowly walked towards her and said, “A significant challenge would be appreciated.”

Kharuun watched Keizah run across the room, passing beds that contained Zak, Catalina, Midori, Keelie, and Neya. Keizah began healing one of them but then had to go check on another, and it wasn’t long before he had to visit yet another. “What’s going on out there?” Kharuun asked.
“Stained Glass…is back,” Zak answered. “More powerful than ever, to boot…”
Kharuun moved towards the door, but Hyohana grabbed him and said, “No! We have to stay here!”
“But they need me!” Kharuun said. “I have to sever Stained Glass’s heart, like last time!”
“That won’t work,” Rien said as she entered the room. “Stained Glass has a failsafe to prevent that from happening.”
“…I can still help,” Kharuun said.
“You’re staying right here,” Rien said. “Just sit back, relax, and—“
“How can I relax when an invincible android is beating the life out of my friends?!” Kharuun exclaimed.
“We have it covered,” Rien said. “Norscu-sensei is back on his feet, and both he and our father are headed here right now. They’ve got a plan that should keep Stained Glass from bothering anyone ever again.”


Spirits Used:
#440. Omni
#613. Memory Rosary
#774. Enterprise
#628. Cuerveracios
#549. Lewa Newva
#687. Dragon Ice
#654. Ultra-Keelerak
#721. Metadon
S01. Language Supreme

Review

Edited by Guts Style Pahrak, Nov 02 2011 - 01:57 PM.

[Pahrak #0579]

Chapter 156: Rage vs. Rage



Dranes and Azara moved through the Dark Knights’ castle unopposed, not having encountered another living thing since the Light Force agent they had met at the gate. “Seems like the adults already cleared this place out,” Dranes said. “…Do you think they’re already taken out Corruption and D7?”
“I guess it’s possible,” Azara said. “But we’ll have to see for ourselves.”
Footsteps could be heard up ahead so the two of them stopped, and a moment later Barometz could be seen emerging from the dark end of the hall. Barometz pointed to Azara and said, “Corruption is waiting. He ordered me to let you pass…”
He then pointed to Dranes and finished, “…But YOU…you’re going to die right here.”
Azara turned to Dranes, who said, “Go on. You’ve got all the help you need.”
“I’m not worried about me,” Azara said.
“I’ll be fine,” Dranes said. “Don’t worry—just take down D7, and I’ll be there by the time you start fighting Corruption.”
After one last hesitation, Azara ran down the hall, and as she passed Barometz he said, “I hope you’re ready to join the others.”
Dranes readied his swords and said, “We’ve fought before, but we’ve never really finished a battle properly, have we?”
“Just shut up,” Barometz said. “I’ve waited so long to kill you…nothing you say can change the outcome of anything.”
Electric energy erupted from Barometz as he activated both Perfect Synch and Berserk, and he warped over to Dranes and began wildly swinging his Progressive Katana. Dranes parried the blows and thrust out one blade, but Barometz warped behind him and fired a Positron Cannon blast from his palm. The beam smashed Dranes into the wall and Barometz used the opportunity to get in a Katana slash, but then Dranes swept Barometz away with a flame pillar and overwhelmed him with Blade Whirlwinds.
“You seem to care an awful lot about what happened to the girls,” Dranes said. “I can’t help but find it odd, since you’ve done nothing but lie to them.”
“You know nothing!” Barometz shouted. The Squire jumped up to Dranes and thrust out a drill, but Dranes dodged and used Doom Grip to strangle his enemy.
“You knew you were working for villains!” Dranes said. “You knew all along, but you never told them! Why should I believe that you really care about them?”
Barometz punched Dranes and unleashed a torrent of water, washing the target away, and he yelled, “I was protecting them! If they found out, they would rebel, and I didn’t know what Albert would do to them then!”
Dranes used a Doom Flare and asked, “Why should I believe anything you say? You willingly serve a group of villains!”
Barometz’s eyes flared with energy as he said, “What choice did I have?! Everyone around me hated me! I had no friends! My family abandoned me! I just wanted a way out! Can you honestly say you wouldn’t do the same thing?!”
Dranes prepared to block but Barometz knocked him over, and then the Squire used his Katana to send Dranes through the floor. Barometz pursued his foe and was struck by Rend, but then he grabbed Dranes and began to repeatedly stab him with his Progressive Knife. Dranes used Persevere and tried to endure, but Barometz pulled out a rifle and used Rapid Fire at point-blank range to quickly tear through Dranes’s Fusion Energy. Barometz was about to drill through Dranes when a wave of fire knocked him back, and then Dranes punched Barometz in the face and used a Doom Flare to fling him all the way down the hall.
“Something feels different…” Dranes mumbled. Barometz warped over to Dranes and attacked, but he was swiftly repelled by a powerful blade swipe.
“Each battle has awakened more of my power,” Naraku said. “My rage has reached its completion…my true strength has returned.”
“What do you mean ‘true strength’?” Dranes asked. Suddenly, several plates of armor fell off of Dranes, and fire sprouted from the spots they had occupied.
“It was not luck that left me the sole survivor of my species,” Naraku said, his voice much clearer than before. “My Lust for Battle was stronger…it turned me into something else. That power has now been reawakened.”
Barometz got up and began rapidly swinging his Katana, but Dranes dodged each hit and smiled. “My turn,” he said, his swords lighting on fire. “Flare Blitz!”
Dranes began battering his foe with both swords, and then he backed up, swung again, and willed an enormous Blade of Wind to swat Barometz aside. Barometz attacked again but Dranes countered with Rising Blaze, a flaming uppercut with his sword, and Barometz quickly recovered and shot another Positron blast. The blast hit Dranes and made him stumble, but he soon regained his balanced and used another wind blade.
“The air is different,” Dranes said. “This ‘Lust for Battle’ has an actual effect…I can feel myself becoming stronger each time I attack…but the same thing is happening to Barometz.”
“It keeps things interesting,” Naraku said. “Wait until your Lust for Battle becomes uncontrollable…”
Dranes kicked the ground just as Barometz was getting up, causing a tremor to run through the building, and then he raised a hand and said, “I won’t wait long enough for that…Death Flare!”
A burst of blue fire shot out and collided with Barometz, and Dranes called, “Had enough, Squire? I could do this all day.”
“I’m not leaving until I kill you!” Barometz said. He put both hands forward and fired a massive Positron blast that filled the hall, and then he ran up and left a cut on Dranes.
“…Heh…” Dranes chuckled. “Nice one…but…Deathly Grip!”
Dark energy surrounded Barometz and lifted him into the air, and as he struggled to escape, Dranes used Flare Blitz to assault him. The Grip wore off eventually, and Barometz slashed Dranes and kicked him away. Dranes threw several fireballs at Barometz, who dodged them by teleporting, and then he parried a Katana slice but was hit by a Positron blast. Barometz swung again but Dranes dodged and used Rising Blaze, and Barometz rolled away, sprang up, and locked blades with his foe. Both of them continued swinging, blocking, and dodging for a time, but then Dranes swung both swords in a powerful attack that snapped the Progressive Katana in two. Barometz still went in with his drill, but Dranes impaled him and threw him into the wall.
“You want to know something?” Dranes said. “You’ve got nothing to fight for. Myrica, Kerria, Lathyrus, Kadsura, Nigella—they’re not really dead. They left behind Cores that Azara is planning to use to revive them.”
“…And why should I believe you?” Barometz asked.
Dranes raised his blades and charged…but then he drove both swords into the wall, stepped back, and sighed. “I could have killed you with that attack,” Dranes said, the wall slowly disintegrating as he spoke. “Naraku wanted me to. But I decided I wanted to make my own decisions instead of listening to what someone told me, even if my decision might not tie up a few dangerous loose ends.”
Barometz said nothing, so Dranes continued, “Every day I’m reminded of what I almost did to Myrica. I have nightmares about it. Was I maybe a bit too eager to jump on the hope that things can be fixed? Of course. I just want things to be set right…but if you still think I’m lying, go ahead and throw a punch. Your attack power is through the roof right now—who knows what one attack could do.”
Silence again followed, so Dranes picked up his swords and started walking away. A few seconds later, Barometz called, “Can they really be brought back?”
“Azara will find a way,” Dranes replied. “She’s determined to revive them at any cost. I’m sure you know her well enough to know what that means.”
Dranes continued walking, and Barometz was left alone with his thoughts.


Spirits Used:
#599. Unit 01
#689. Naraku

Review

Edited by Guts Style Pahrak, Nov 03 2011 - 12:45 PM.

[Pahrak #0579]

Chapter 157: Ultimate Demon


Azara proceeded down the hall and up to the door to Corruption’s lab, pausing a moment to prepare herself. Sword ready, she pushed open the door and stepped into the lab…but found it empty. Confused, Azara said, “I thought Barometz said that Corruption was waiting…”
She then noticed something odd about the wall, and when she inspected it she found that a portion of it was actually a door that was slightly ajar. The secret door led to a much larger room with even more technology scattered about, and at the center was a very large pool in the ground with a series of elevated catwalks suspended over it. Azara walked up to the edge of the pool—it contained a very murky black liquid, in which floated a multitude of small objects that glowed brightly, making the substance resemble a liquefied version of outer space.
“Magnificent, isn’t it?” called a voice.
Azara looked up and saw Corruption standing on one of the catwalks, so she jumped up and activated Knight’s Soul. Corruption smiled and said, “Below us is my back-up plan for powering D7, if harvesting the Devil Cores became impossible. I downloaded back-up data for your Spirits into crystals that I dubbed ‘Dummy Cores’. Since they don’t contain souls, they are weaker than Devil Cores, so, as you can see…I made hundreds of them.”
“…You already used some of the Devil Cores with D7, didn’t you?” Azara asked. “Why can I still sense their power?”
“Originally I intended to drain your Cores completely and put that power in D7,” Corruption said. “However, I thought it might be amusing to see you and D7 battle it out, so I merely copied the power from the Devil Cores I had, and then had D7 drain hundreds of Dummy Cores. She is just as powerful as I had hoped all along…but you are about to see for yourself.”
Something moved on a catwalk above Azara, and she looked up to see someone jump down onto the same catwalk she and Corruption were standing on. It was a girl who looked a year or two younger than Azara, with gray hair, featureless armor, and she held a spiked whip in one hand. The girl looked at Azara with cold blue eyes, and Corruption said, “D6…meet D7. D7, be a dear and show your predecessor just how powerless she is.”
D7 cracked her whip and Azara jumped out of the way, but then D7 cast Flare and an orb of fire slammed into Azara. Azara rolled when she hit the ground and used Magic Slash to throw a shockwave, but D7 used a Smoke Bomb to dodge and hit Azara with a Demon Punch. The attack temporarily blinded Azara, so D7 used her whip to Bind Azara and used Ragnarok Burst, shooting several light blasts that converged on their target. Once she recovered, Azara used Blade Rush, but just as she was about to make contact D7 used Pressure Point to paralyze her. D7 used Spellwhip to give her weapon Thunder properties and then began battering Azara, and Corruption watched the violence with a savage grin on his face.
Azara stumbled to her feet, and D7 quietly said, “Better fighting would be recommended. Your current actions are easy to read.”
“So she does speak,” Azara said.
She slid forward and used Dark X Slash, but D7 dodged and used a Tsunami to knock Azara onto another catwalk. D7 leapt after Azara, who was able to finally land a hit with Cross Slash, but when she followed with a Psionics Spellblade she ran into a Stormcloud. D7 put one hand forward and fired a Gene Beam, a spiraling ray of energy modeled after a double helix, and Azara sidestepped the attack only to be crushed under a Rockslide. The catwalk snapped under the force of the attack, dumping the combatants onto a lower platform, and Azara tried to land a Thunderbolt but D7 used another Smoke Bomb.
“You were Squad leader, correct?” D7 called from another platform. “I fail to see how you had any success.”
A Cyclone swept across the platform Azara stood on, and she jumped towards another platform but was hit with Ragnarok Burst. Azara fell towards the pool of Dummy Cores, grabbing the edge of a platform just in time, and as she hung there she silently cursed. She looked at D7 and asked, “Why are you doing what Corruption says, anyway? Loyalty to your ‘creator’, or did he just build you without free will?”
“You’re stooping to that level, D6?” Corruption said. “No other choice, I suppose!”
D7 cocked her head and repeated, “Free will…?”
Azara pulled herself up onto the platform and said, “The ability to think for yourself and make your own decisions. You don’t have to just blindly obey the orders people give you!”
D7 turned to Corruption and said, “I lack complete data on this subject.”
“You don’t need it,” Corruption replied. “I built you to be my most powerful weapon. Free will would b a nuisance. Now, finish D6.”
After a few seconds of thought, D7 turned and willed a Glacier to charge at Azara, but her target evaded and the platform was frozen solid. The platform fell into the pool, causing Dummy Cores to be scattered about the area, and Azara leapt over to D7 and used an Overhead Slash, but D7 dodged and struck a Pressure Point. D7 jumped up and used Energy Splash, striking the catwalk with her whip and rocking it with destructive energy, and that platform also plummeted into the pool. Azara recovered from paralysis just in time to scramble up the partially submerged platform, and she launched a barrage of Fire Blasts and Blizzards before calling Thunderbolts down. D7 ran down the platform to avoid the spells, eventually leaping to another platform and firing a Gene Beam as she passed over Azara. Azara jumped, dodging the attack, and used an Uppercut to launch D7 into a platform, and then she landed on a different platform and tried to catch her breath.
“…D6?” D7 asked. “What is your purpose?”
“…I don’t know,” Azara said. “Most people don’t know, actually. Corruption told me my purpose was to help his ‘research’, but—“
“Shut up!” Corruption interrupted. “D7, don’t let this failure influence you! Destroy her!”
“I want to hear what she has to say,” D7 said.
“Obey me!” Corruption shouted. “You are an artificial life form created to be my weapon! You have no potential to do anything else!”
“That’s a lie!” Azara yelled. “You can choose what you want to do with your life! You don’t have to listen to people like him!”
“Silence!” Corruption said. “D7, kill her this instant, or I’ll—“
Suddenly D7 was right in front of Corruption, and before the scientist knew what was happening, his creation ripped his heart out of his chest. D7 looked at the heart for a few seconds, and then she crushed it and said, “It seems I do have ‘free will’.”
Corruption’s body tumbled off the edge of the catwalk and into the pool of Dummy Cores, and Azara just stood there, speechless. D7 turned and said, “I don’t know what I should do now…was there a reason I was supposed to kill you?”
D7 jumped down to where Azara was before continuing, “Maybe I should follow through, just to be sure.”
Azara trembled as she gazed into the lifeless eyes of her foe, and then D7 used Whip Storm to batter her. She somehow endured the attack, but then the whip wrapped around her sword and yanked it from her hands, causing the blade to splash into the pool as well. Azara backed up, but soon reached the edge of the platform, and D7 raised her whip and prepared to strike.
“…No,” Azara stated. D7 gave her a curious look, and Azara went on, “No…no, I can’t die here. There’s too much riding on this battle. I vowed to bring my friends back to life, no matter the cost. For that reason, I will defeat you.”
“What is the source of this loyalty?” D7 asked.
“I don’t have time to explain now,” Azara said. “I still need to finish this battle.”
D7 was clearly puzzled, but she shrugged it off and cracked her whip…but the whip never struck Azara. The five Devil Cores had risen into the air to shield Azara, giving off a strange glow, and D7 pulled her whip back and watched patiently. Azara held out her arm and the Cores began to circle it, and she said, “I was never comfortable being in the ‘Devil’ Squad…none of us were. But now we’re going to pay for our crimes by defeating you and stopping Corruption’s madness once and for all.”
The Cores lined up along Azara’s left arm as a heavy plate of silver armor materialized, providing niches for all of them to rest in, and they released energy that pulsed through Azara. Her armor turned to white cloth, with an extension that draped over her right leg, and silver and gold armor covered her legs and right arm. A wing-shaped plate of armor wrapped around her left shoulder and her visor vanished, and when her armor finally settled her hair extended down past her hips. Azara raised her right hand, a new sword appearing, and said, “We may be demons…but we’ve been redeemed.”
“Super Spirit…” D7 said. “Now you and I have the same energies. We should be evenly matched, then?”
“Let’s find out,” Azara said.
D7 cracked her whip, but the Devil Cores lit up and created a circular shield made of energy on Azara’s arm, and then Azara threw down a Flash Bomb to blind D7. Azara was gone when D7 opened her eyes, and D7 turned…and she saw Lathyrus charging at her. D7 was too shocked to dodge a swing of the hammer, but she noticed Lathyrus was transparent for some reason and vanished right after attacking. Azara sped through the air and slashed D7 before she recovered, and D7 used Demon Punch but Azara blocked with her shield. The blue Core suddenly twinkled, and a translucent image of Nigella appeared nearby and cast Holy to douse D7 with Light, and Azara got D7 with a Poison Stab before the attack ended. D7 used Gene Beam to push Azara back, but then she noticed a flash from the orange Core and saw an image of Kadsura appear nearby to use Blowgun. Azara cast Curse on her sleeping opponent and then used Blazing Palm, and the yellow Core lit up as a Kerria image cast Flare on D7.
D7 used a Smoke Bomb to warp across the room, and she said, “Confused…what are these?”
“Phantoms of my friends,” Azara said. “They’ve already lent me their power, but they still want to help. However, the phantoms don’t last long…I still need to revive them properly.”
A Myrica phantom appeared next to D7 and used Elbow Smash to disorient her, and then Azara used Phantom Fist to rocket across the room with a trail of afterimages. D7 tried using Weapon Pull, but Azara pulled D7 in instead and used Calamity Drive to whittle away her Fusion Energy. Azara swung her sword twice, D7 dodging both times, but then she used Mega Punch to fling D7 into the wall, where a Kadsura phantom attacked her with a Shadow Blade. D7 looked up as Azara floated over, and an eerie glow emanated from the young girl as she summoned a massive Stormcloud that engulfed her foe. Azara soon recovered and slashed D7, but a layer of ice formed over her as soon as she made contact, and D7 used Gene Beam before the status wore off.
“What was that?” Azara asked.
“I can De-Stabilize temporarily to enhance my magic,” D7 said. “It leaves me drained for a few seconds, but if I’m attacked during that time, my foe will freeze.”
“Really…” Azara said.
D7 De-Stabilized again and threw another Stormcloud, but Azara dodged and a Lathyrus phantom appeared to smash D7, along with a Nigella phantom that hit D7 with Inferno. Azara used Knife Throw, pinning D7 to the wall, and said, “I’ll only freeze if I make physical contact while you’re recovering, and it doesn’t affect the phantoms. We can definitely beat you.”
D7 jumped out and used Spellwhip, but Azara ducked and used Rising Dragon to knock her into a Kadsura phantom that used Vital Cut. Azara used Magic Slash to distract D7 and then used Doppelganger, creating a duplicate of herself that slashed at the same time she did, and then a Myrica phantom used Armor Break to smash D7 into a partially submerged platform. D7 used Rockslide, but Azara used her shield to protect herself and had a Kerria phantom cast Sleep on D7 while she charged an Energy Ball. Azara attacked with a Psionics Spellblade, and then she walked across the platform and waited for D7 to wake up.
“We don’t have to keep fighting,” Azara said. “I’ve tried ignoring it, but…I’m starting to feel like I’m just beating up a little girl.”
“Didn’t you want to defeat me?” D7 asked.
“Only because you tried to kill me,” Azara said. “We don’t have to be enemies. Just let me get the information I need to help my friends.”
“…Friendship…” D7 muttered. “I have no data on that…what is it? Is it powerful/”
“…Yes,” Azara said. “Friendship is what created this Super Spirit, and…Corruption would argue, but it’s because my squad mates and I became friends that we stayed together long enough for him to create you.”
“So if friendship didn’t exist…neither would I?” D7 said. “How do people become friends?”
“…It’s…tough to explain,” Azara said. “But it’s easy.”
D7 paused for a moment, and then she asked, “Could you and I be ‘friends’…Azara?”
“…Of course,” Azara said. She sheathed her sword and held out her hand, smiling, and D7 dismissed her whip and tentatively took Azara’s hand. They shook hands, and Azara said, “It’s a pleasure…uh…do you have a name?”
“D7,” D7 replied.
“Oh…” Azara said. “That sounds more like a codename…I know! Why don’t I call you Pyrami?”
“…Pyrami…?” D7 repeated. “…That sounds…nice.”
Dranes ran into the room as Azara and Pyrami leapt down to the edge of the pool, and he stopped and asked, “Is that D7?”
“Her name’s Pyrami,” Azara said. “Pyrami, this is Dranes, another friend of mine.”
“Nice to meet you,” Pyrami said.
Dranes blinked a few times, and then he said, “I think I missed something.”
“I developed ‘free will’,” Pyrami said. “Azara’s friendship interested me, and I want to learn more. It seems…promising.”
Dranes scratched his head and said, “Okay…well, nice to meet you too. Uh…where’s Corruption?”
“I killed him,” Pyrami said. “…Perhaps I acted hastily…”
“You’re still learning, and you didn’t kill anyone important,” Azara said. “Come on—let’s get you out of here. I just need one minute at the computer before we go.”
They headed back towards the main lab, and Dranes whispered, “Azara…”
Azara put a finger to his lips and whispered, “Don’t be afraid to make new friends. Everyone deserves a chance, no matter what.”
“…You’re right,” Dranes said.
“Azara?” Pyrami asked. “You and Dranes…are you ‘significant others’?”
Azara and Dranes stopped and looked at each other. “…Ah…hahaha…” Azara chuckled as she turned away. “Now might not be the best time for a question like that…let’s focus on the task at hand.”
Cute kid, Dranes thought.


Spirits Used:
#783. Nighturai
#863. Experita
S22. Redeemed Demon

Review

[Pahrak #0579]

Chapter 158: Perfect(?) Plan


Corruption’s body floated through the pool of Dummy Cores, bumping into the edge and coming to a stop. Shadow Knight, who stood over him, shook his head silently, and though he wore a mask the First Knight seemed sad.
“Oh Corruption…” Shadow Knight whispered. “This is what I meant when I told you about the Oval Portrait. Your love of science ended up taking the life of the other thing you loved too much…yourself.”
Shadow Knight extended his arm and dropped a single black feather on Corruption, saying, “In pace requiescat, old friend.”

“You really think this plan will work?” Khadaz asked.
“No clue, really,” Norscu said.
“That’s great,” Amy said. “But I guess we don’t have any alternative…”
“Exactly,” Norscu said. “When we reach the battle, give Zenrei the Exo-Keyblade and board the Enterprise. You still need healed, Khadaz, and Amy…you’ll need to make sure he stays there.”
“…Kharuun and Neb-X are on that ship, right?” Khadaz asked.
“Technically, Neb-X IS the ship, but…yeah,” Norscu replied. “…There! Up ahead!”
The group flew around a mountain and saw the Enterprise, partially crystallized, floating behind Zenrei and Inmacula, so Khadaz readied his saber and used Spirit Weapon to turn it into the Exo-Keyblade. Amy threw a Skipping Stone at Inmacula, but the android caught the attack and dodged Zenrei’s Climbing Blast at the same time.
Khadaz warped over to Zenrei and said, “Here—Norscu will explain everything.”
Zenrei took the Exo-Keyblade, and Inmacula said, “Identification: Khadaz, Amy, and Norscu Ikhav. Chance to clearly display supremacy: present.”
“Sorry, I’d love to take a swing at you, but my wife and I are eager to check on our son,” Khadaz said. “Norscu and Zenrei will be taking care of you.”
With that, Khadaz and Amy were Transported onto the Enterprise, and Norscu readied his Infinity Boomerang and said, “So, Inmacula…who did you say your creator was?”
“He wishes to remain anonymous for the time being,” Inmacula replied.
“That’s genre-savvy,” Norscu said. “Okay then. Ready to lose again?”
Inmacula unleashed a pulse of Dragon energy that hit both Norscu and Zenrei, and then it rushed Norscu and clubbed him with Dark Bones. Zenrei teleported over and used the Exo-Keyblade to block Inmacula’s next attack, saying, “You have a plan, I presume?”
“First we need to lead it into the city,” Norscu whispered. “When the time comes, I’ll tell you what to do next. Just put up a fight until then.”
Zenrei shot another Climbing Blast, but Inmacula dodged and launched a multitude of glass shards, and Norscu and Zenrei dove and flew in the direction of the closest city. Inmacula warped in fron of them, but Zenrei caught it off-guard with a Body Slam and Norscu used a Super Spiral Sphere to do additional damage. They managed to reach a city and Norscu began to look around franticly, but then Inmacula reappeared, grabbed him and Zenrei, and warped the space around them.
The trio appeared in a different city, and Inmacula said, “You seemed interested in that city. Does this one fit your ‘plan’ as well?”
“Well, it should,” Norscu said. He threw the Infinity Boomerang to distract Inmacula and then swooped down, and as he started checking every building, Zenrei swung at Inmacula.
“What are we searching for?” Zenrei asked.
“If I told you, the robot would hear too!” Norscu replied.
Inmacula kicked Zenrei back, dove, and punched Norscu into the ground, and then it shot dozens of glass shards at both foes. Norscu tried to transmute a Cannon, but Inmacula hit him out of the attack and then froze him. Zenrei activated Sanok and Olmak, and then she dove down and used Eight Trigrams Empty Palm, dodged a retaliation, and used a Climbing Blast that pushed Inmacula down the street. Inmacula blocked a Kaminari Slash and charged, missing Zenrei but knocking Norscu through a building onto another street, and then it turned and blocked Zenrei’s next attack. Zenrei tried Jailing Inmacula but the android was immune to its effects, and it shrugged off a Hidden Power attack as it drove Zenrei several feet into the ground.
“Will you surrender?” Inmacula askd. “Your power does not rival mine. In addition, Norscu seems to have fled—my proximity sensors do not detect him.”
“Surrendering may be the lofical course of action,” Zenrei admitted. “However, recently I have discovered that logic is not foolproof. Indeed, I’ve seen fools defy logic, and while I am certainly no fool, I believe opting to defy logic on occasion may pay off.”
“You seemed logical for a human,” Inmacula said. “It would appear that assumption was incorrect.”
Inmacula prepared to attack, but Norscu suddenly warped into exist above the android and, boosted by a Twilight Dash, brought his armblade down on his foe’s head. Norscu helped Zenrei up and said, “I’ve found it! Don’t know if it will work, but we’ve got to give it a shot!”
Norscu used Twilight Dash to barrel down the street, Zenrei following closely, and Inmacula warped over to them and rained Dark Bones on them. Inmacula prepared to fire glass shards when Zenrei threw a Climbing Blast, and the robot moved to dodge but the blast was under the effect of Sanok and homed in on him.
Norscu and Zenrei started moving again, and Zenrei asked, “Where are we going?”
“It’s at the end of this street!” Norscu answered. “Just a little further!”
Inmacula warped in front of them again, but this time it activated the Cushion Jelly technique, causing a giant, impenetrable mass of gelatinous goo to block off the street and bring the two heroes to a halt. Not giving them a chance to recover, Inmacula created a Shadow Clone and began pummeling Norscu and Zenrei with powerful claw strikes, and then Inmacula and its clone fired massive energy beams at close range. The Cushion Jelly melted away as Inmacula dispersed its clone, and it started firing glass shards and Dark Bone spears into the dust clouds that were starting to clear.
“Over here!” Norscu called.
Inmacula looked down the street to see Norscu floating in front of a cathedral, and the Rahaga-Lord clapped his hands together and moved back towards the church’s stained glass window. With no hurry, Inmacula moved towards its target, saying, “Zenrei not detected…command: eliminate Norscu, then begin search.”
A robot won’t make hasty decisions, Norscu thought as alchemical energy built up in his hands. But teleporting us to a different city sems hasty to me. Inmacula’s master must have ordered it to do that, so maybe I can bait him into ordering Inmacula into my trap.
“You were looking for a cathedral,” Inmacula said, coming to a stop a few yards away. “Elaborate.”
“What, can’t figure it out?” Norscu said. “Seems you’ve still got a few bugs. Just thought it’d be nice to compare you to real stained glass…well, more like contrast. The fact that I got this far means you must not be as perfect as you say you are.”
“I am perfect,” Inmacula said. “You cannot appreciate true supremacy.”
“What’s there to appreciate?” Norscu said. “You’re just a hunk of recycled glass. The first adjective that comes to my mind is ‘eco-friendly’.”
“…You annoy me,” Inmacula said. “Command: kill Norscu.”
Inmacula lunged, and Norscu grabbed it with one hand while putting the other against the stained glass window. Instantly, a flood of alchemical energy rushed out from Norscu, forming spheres around the android and the window, and Inmacula froze up before it could claw at Norscu’s head. With a cry of pain, Norscu slammed Inmacula into the window, but because of the transmutation he was using, Inmacula was absorbed into the massive piece of glass. Now with both hands on the window, Norscu used all of his power to bind Inmacula to the glass, but he could feel the android resisting and knew it wouldn’t be enough. As pain coursed through him, he screamed, “ZENREI! NOW!”
Zenrei appeared behind him, Exo-Keyblade in hand, and she pointed the weapon at the window and used Seal, firing a thin beam of white light. The beam hit its target and the energy sphere around the window intensified, and Zenrei maintained focus and kept supplying power to the beam. An image of Inmacula’s emblem appeared on the window, but it flickered in and out as the heroes continued their attempt to seal the monster.
Eventually the energy sphere burst, hurling Zenrei and Norscu to the ground, and they looked up to see if their efforts had been successful. The emblem flickered again, then again, then again, and then…it faded away. They waited a minute to be sure, but then Zenrei and Norscu relaxed and caught their breath. Stained Glass Inmacula had been sealed.


Spirits Used:
#774. Enterprise
#615. Jeune Ange
#498. Fullmetal
S01. Language Supreme


Chapter 159: Facing Corruption
(The title is in white--highlight to read, but it's a bit of a spoiler.)

Khadaz walked up to the door and paused mid-step, and Amy asked, “What is it?”
“…We haven’t seen Kharuun in over a year,” Khadaz said. “How many times did we call him…four? I feel like I’ve been disconnected from him, and now I’m popping out of nowhere with cuts, bruises, and broken bones…”
“You have broken bones?” Amy asked.
“Uh…no…” Khadaz said. “…I’m just saying, what is he’s angry with us? The only reason we’re here right now is really coincidence.”
“You overthink things,” Amy said. “Kharuun does too, but I seriously doubt he’ll be angry with us. Why are you always so worried he’s angry with you?”
“Well, my dad never had a great relationship with his dad,” Khadaz said. “I have a great relationship with dad, but…what if it alternates with each generation?”
“…Wow,” Amy said. She pushed him through the door, and Khadaz stumbled in, paused, and looked around.
Kharuun looked up and said, “Dad…? Mom…?”
“Hey, Kharuun,” Khadaz said. “How are you?”
“Fine…is your arm broken?” Kharuun said.
“What? No, what would give you that idea?” Khadaz said.
He treid crossing his arms and grimaced, and then Amy said, “Nice to see you, sweetie. Can you get your dad to the doctor?”
“There were other people here first,” Khadaz said.
“They’re all stable,” Keizah said as he approached. “Just sit down over here, please.”
Khadaz sat down, and Amy said, “You know your father, always getting himself beat up…”
“I’m not really in a position to judge right now,” Kharuun chuckled. “Oh, Mom, this is Hyohana.”
“Nice to meet you,” Hyohana said.
“Nice to meet you too,” Amy said. “I guess you’re the one who’s been keeping on eye on him? These Ikhav men get themselves into trouble all the time.”
“You don’t have to tell me,” Hyohana replied.
Kharuun stepped towards Khadaz and asked, “Dad…do all women do this?”
“They do, son,” Khadaz said, “they all do…but you learn to appreciate it.”
Kharuun nodded and paused, and then he said, “Are you sure you’re alright?”
“I’ve been hurt much worse—I’ll be fine,” Khadaz said. “…Ah…listen, Kharuun…I’m sorry we haven’t really been in touch. We wanted to visit you at least once and see how you were doing, and we wanted to call you a bunch more, but—“
“You were busy saving the world,” Kharuun finished. “I get it, Dad; no sweat. When everything’s over, I’ll tell you and Mom all about my quest.”
“…I’d like that,” Khadaz said, grinning.

Kazumi walked up to the castle and paused, feeling a strange sensation pass through her armor. She looked up and thought, This feeling is awfully similar to what I felt when I approached Shadow Snake…but it’s not exactly the same.
Kazumi heard footsteps and snapped out of it, and she looked through the doorway and saw three figures approaching. She prepared for battle, but when they came into view she relaxed a little bit. “Dranes?” she asked. “What are you doing here?”
“Mom?” Dranes asked. “I didn’t expect to see you here…”
“Hello, Mrs. Kazen!” Azara said. “I promise I can explain this, but…could we go to the Light Force camp? I have a disk I need to get to them.”
“…Prototype,” Pyrami mumbled.
“Who is she?” Kazumi asked.
“Pyrami, a friend of ours,” Azara said. “Pyrami, this is Dranes’s mother. Say hello.”
“Hello,” Pyrami said.
Kazumi greeted her in return, and then she said, “Maybe we should wait until everyone’s together so we only have to explain it once. Come on—I’ll take you to the camp.”
“You won’t be going anywhere,” echoed a voice.
Kazumi felt a chill run down her spine, and another figure slowly walked out of the darkness. The group backed away as Corruption shuffled out into the light, and Azara asked, “What…how did you…?”
“Surviving was easy,” Corruption said. “All I had to do was absorb the Dummy Cores into my body, a failsafe I had in place just in case something went wrong. I see you formed a Super Spirit, D6…do you have some ridiculous name for it?”
“…I was thinking ‘Redeemed Demon’ for now,” Azara said.
“Pathetic,” Corruption said. “The name of a Super Spirit should be terrifying, inspiring, draw attention to itself! Something like…Absolute Corruption!”
At his words, Corruption’s body transformed into a humanoid mass of shadows, and seve lights shot out of his chest and became seven large Dummy Cores. Gold armor covered Corruption and a black glass helmet slid over his face, and as two glowing red eyes burned through the glass, the Dummy Cores moved around him and created an energy projection resembling an enormous pair of wings.
Corruption lifted into the air and looked down on his foes, saying, “Let’s see…two traitorous servants…the host of a deranged warrior…ah, Kira, my old protoype! So that’s who Shadow Snake bound you to!”
“You’re the one who created this thing?” Kazumi asked. “So everything I went through…it was all because of you?!”
Corruption laughed and spread his arms, and the Dummy Cores fired seven lasers at the warriors standing below. Kazumi used Vector Block to catch the lasers, and Dranes used a Blade of Wind but a barrier appeared to defend Corruption. Azara sent out Myrica and Lathyrus phantoms to attack the barrier and Pyrami cast Flare, but they couldn’t pierce Corruption’s shield. Corruption used V Shot, shooting five energy bullets in a V-shape, but Kazumi kept her Vector Block strong while Azara and Pyrami attacked Corruption’s barrier. Dranes raised his hand and prepared to use Death Flare, but in a sudden burst of flames, his armor vanished and Naraku’s Orb rolled across the ground.
“…What’s this?” Dranes asked.
“Now that my full power has returned, I am no longer fused to your soul,” Naraku said. “Your job is done.”
“Don’t just stand there!” Azara said. She handed him a disk and said, “This has the data from the computer—get it to the Light Force!”
“I can still fight,” Dranes said.
“You’re finally free of Naraku—don’t get sucked back into battle!” Azara said. “Go!”
Reluctantly, Dranes fused with Tahu, scooped up Naraku’s Orb, nad headed off, and Corruption just floated there and laughed. “Such a coward!” Corruption said. “Perhaps I never should have thought anything of Naraku to begin with!”
Azara called down Lightning Bolts, and while they didn’t affect Corruption’s barrier, the Dummy Cores seemed to react to the spell. To double check, Azara used Knife Throw on one of the Dummy Cores, and when she saw the energy projection flicker she smiled.
“Target the Dummy Cores!” Azara said. “They’re the source of his power!”
Corruption frowned as Kazumi used Vector Slice to destroy a Dummy Core, but when Pyrami shot Gene Beam he dodged and threw a Shadow Bomb. The Knight swung one wing, causing a dark tornado to sweep over his enemies, and then he arranged the Cores in a triangular pattern and held out one hand. The Cores projected a giant energy sword, which Corruption used to flatten his enemies, and then he re-formed his wings and threw another Shadow Bomb. Kazumi used Vector Smash but Corruption used Quick Counter, dodging and smashing her with his wings, and then he used Skydive to dive at Azara and used an Uppercut on Pyrami. As Corruption was regaining his guard, however, Pyrami managed to cast Rockslide on him, and the falling rocks broke another Dummy Core.
“An easily targeted weakness,” Pyrami said.
“How dare you speak to me that way!” Corruption shouted.
He threw two Dummy Cores, the gems forming energy blades and acting as shuriken, and then the remaining three Cores fired lasers at the distracted heroes. Before the two projectile Cores could return, however, Azara used Doppelganger to split in two and shatter them, and Corruption grunted in rage as his last three Cores turned into a sword.
“You’re really a Knight?” Azara said. “Even when you have a Super Spirit, we’re kicking your butt!”
“Your power does seem to be lacking,” Pyrami said.
“Silence!” Corruption shouted. “I am the Third Dark Knight, the smartest man to ever walk the Earth! I will not allow you to taunt me any longer!”
Corruption activated Ancient Wisdom and Overdrive, causing an aura of darkness to surround him, and then he slammed the ground with his sword and sent out a towering wave of flames. His foes managed to dodge, but then he shot out, slashed Purami, and electrocuted Azara, but Kazumi caught him in a Vector Grip as several phantoms came out to attack. Azara used Calamity Drive to shatter another Dummy Core, and Kazumi used Vector Smash to knock him into a Gene Beam, but then Corruption willed dozens of giant icicles to shoot out and impale his foes. Corruption rapidly warped from one target to the next, delivering a sword slash, each time, and then he rose into the air, swung his blade, and willed the energy projection to lengthen so that he could carve a massive fissure in the land with that one stroke. Shadow Bombs rained down on the field, forcing the heroes to take evasive action, and Corruption laughed at his triumph until he saw a blast hit his sword. As another Dummy Core crumbled, Corruption turned to see Barometz charging at him, but he warped out of the way and glared at the boy.
“Seems I’m surrounded by traitors,” Corruption said.
“You have bigger problems to worry about,” Barometz said. “After all, you only have one Dummy Core left.”
Corruption absorbed the final Core and said, “One Core is all I need!”
Flames and lightning bolts shot out from Corruption’s palms, and Barometz took the full force of the attack while Azara and Pyrami warped behind Corruption. Kazumi sent out Vectors to paralyze Corruption just as he was preparing an Ice attack, and Azara said, “Pyrami, do you think you could lend me a little power?”
Pyrami nodded and put her hand on Azara’s armor, and Azara’s sword became covered in seven colors of light as she raised it to attack. The Vectors held Corruption in place as Azara said, “The seven ‘servants’ you manipulated so well are all united, and one strike, combining all their power, will be what finishes you.”
“You can’t do this to me!” Corruption said. “I am—“
“Beaten,” Azara said.
She swung her blade with both hands, and the final Dummy Core could be seen flying out of Corruption’s back as it shattered. Over in the banquet hall, seven large chips flew out of Corruption’s Chalice of Malice.


Spirits Used:
#607. Kira
#689. Naraku
#863. Experita
#599. Unit 01
S17. Absolute Corruption
S22. Redeemed Demon

Review

[Pahrak #0579]

Chapter 160: Facing Legends


Khadaz slowly walked forward, the Dark Knights’ castle staring back at him ominously. The Light Force’s army had defeated the Dark Knights’ army, and almost every major foe they knew about had been defeated. The war was over…well, almost.
Shadow Knight emerged from the castle, coming to a stop after a few steps and waiting for Khadaz to come a bit closer. Khadaz soon stopped as well, saying, “You’re the only one left, Shadow Knight…I don’t suppose you’ll surrender?”
“No, I won’t,” Shadow Knight said. “I won’t even ask you. You are so stubborn, Khadaz…but I suppose it has given you some success.”
“Then I guess we battle,” Khadaz said. “Me against a Legendary Spirit…heh. This is gonna be fun.”
Shadow Knight chuckled and reached behind his back, and Khadaz raised his swords defensively as Shadow Knight drew out…a small book. The Knight opened the book and said, “Are you familiar with the works of Edgar Alan Poe? Quite the master of horror, I must admit. Very fine work.”
“When are you going to take this seriously?” Khadaz asked.
He fired an enormous Twilight Laser, engulfing Shadow Knight and burning a hole in the castle, and then he stood back and waited for the dust to clear. Shadow Knight stood there, unscathed, with his Keyblade in a blocking position and his head turned to the book, leaving Khadaz dumbfounded. The Knight lowered his weapon, half-turned, and quoted, “‘Quoth the raven…nevermore.’”
Khadaz charged in and attacked with his blades, but Shadow Knight blocked each strike effortlessly, never looking up from his book. Twilight spikes shot up from the ground and Shadow Knight leapt over them, and Khadaz teleported over to attack but Shadow Knight used Key Surf, summoning a tornado of Keyblades to cut past Khadaz and planting his feet on one of them. The whirlwind deposited Shadow Knight on the other side of the courtyard as he turned a page in his book, and Khadaz landed nearby and sighed.
“So…this is the best you can do, even with a compressed Chikara?” Shadow Knight asked.
“When did I say my Chikara was compressed?” Khadaz replied.
Winds began to swirl as Khadaz activated Chikara Compression, and Shadow Knight thought, Why would he come at me with anything less than full strength…?
The next thing he knew, Khadaz was right on top of him and slashed his chest, and then a Twilight Tsunami swept the Knight away and made him drop his book. Khadaz picked up the book and said, “You might want to put this away. I’d be pretty disappointed if my favorite book got beat up.”
He tossed the book and Shadow Knight caught it, and the Knight put it away and said, “Trying to create a false sense of security before using your full power…very good. Let’s see what you’re really capable of.”
Shadow Knight dashed out and swung his Keyblade, but Khadaz blocked and swung, missing since Shadow Knight jumped up to use Thunder Dive. Khadaz jumped back and shot a Twilight Laser, making Shadow Knight roll aside, and then he used Twilight Zantetsuken to dash out and nick his foe’s armor. Shadow Knight used Oblivion Aura, projecting a field of dark energy around himself, but Khadaz jumped out of range and used Twilight Gatling, though each blast bounced off of the Aura. Khadaz used Twilight Fission and Shadow Knight dodged; Shadow Knight cast Blizzard and Khadaz destroyed it with a Twilight Fireball; Khadaz used Twilight Geyser and Shadow Knight used a platform of Shadow to ride it into the air; Shadow Knight shot a Shadow Laser, but Khadaz warped behind Shadow Knight and kicked him into the ground.
“Impressive!” Shadow Knight said as he leapt away from a sword attack. “We seem to be evenly matched for the moment!”
The Knight used Shadow Breath, a torrent of black flames spilling out of the bottom of his mask, and Khadaz wrapped himself in Twilight energy to endure the attack. Khadaz willed Twilight spears to attack Shadow Knight, but the Knight evaded and used Thunder Dive to paralyze Khadaz, and then he used Oblivion Aura to smash his foe into the castle. Shadow Knight slid out and attacked with his Keyblade, but Khadaz sidestepped and threw a kick, creating a thin crack in Shadow Knight’s mask, and then used a Twilight Shockwave, but Shadow Knight dodged.
“You hit pretty hard,” Khadaz said. “Course, it’s nothing compared to that one attack Darkaea used…”
Shadow Knight cast Blind and then attacked Khadaz, but Kate and Nikari blocked him, and when Khadaz heard the clash he spun and used Twilight Fission. Khadaz created Twilight spikes on his body as a defense and waited for Shadow Knight to attack, and when a Shadow Breath came at him he dodged and threw a trio of Twilight Fangs. Shadow Knight dodged, but then Nikari slashed him and Kate knocked him off his feet, and Khadaz heard him fall and focused a Twilight Laser in that direction. The blindness wore off so Khadaz charged, and Shadow Knight blocked but a Twilight blade hit him from behind and weakened him. Shadow Knight tried casting Slow, but Khadaz threw him off with Cable Crusher, and the Knight endured a Twilight Kaminari Slash and used Dark Chivalry.
Khadaz used Twilight Purification, and Shadow Knight said, “Wait a moment. I must admit, Khadaz…I was not expecting you to be able to match me. You’re starting to gain the upper hand, it seems…so I must use everything in my arsenal.”
Shadow Knight drew out a Demon Claw, and Khadaz said, “…You didn’t attack me while I used Chikara Compression…I won’t attack you now.”
Nodding his thanks, Shadow Knight pressed the Demon Claw against his Keyblade, and when he breathed deeply both items started to glow. The Keyblade absorbed the Demon Claw and floated into the sky, turning into a mass of energy, and its shape gradually changed into an even stranger shape. When the weapon returned to Shadow Knight’s hand, Khadaz took a second to study it: it had two very simple Keyblades arranged into an ‘X’ shape, held at the point where the handles were fused, and the chains coming off the bottom of the handles met and became one chain that ended in a heart-shaped charm with an ‘X’ on it. Silver-blue material came out of the sides of the crossed blades, forming inctricate spiked designs, and from the angle between the two tips sprouted a long, sharp blade that shone brightly.
“Thank you,” Shadow Knight said. “Now we can resume.”
Khadaz fired a Twilight Laser and Kate and Nikari flew in, but Shadow Knight just swung his blade and released a force powerful enough to repel the attacks. Shadow Knight dashed forward and swung, and Khadaz teleported out of the way and watched one of the castle’s turrets slide off and crumble.
“…That’s a powerful sword,” Khadaz mumbled.
Shadow Knight activated Stalk and leapt into the air, and Khadaz blocked but the power of the sword was enough to send him into the ground, and he created a Twilight dome but Shadow Knight attacked anyway. The blade pierced the dome like it was nothing, burying itself in the ground inches from Khadaz’s head, and Khadaz quickly grabbed Shadow Knight by the helmet and used Twilight Warclub to smash him into the ground. Khadaz used Twilight Meteor to drive Shadow Knight further into the ground, but Shadow Knight slashed through the attack and cut Khadaz along the arm. Shadow Knight blasted Khadaz with a Shadow Laser and saw Kate and Nikari approaching, and with one swing of his sword he broke Kate’s blade and sent Nikari spinning out of control. Khadaz healed himself and dodged Thunder Dive, and then he used a storm of Twilight blades to keep Shadow Knight off-guard so he could use an overhead slash with the Exo-Keyblade. Numerous cracks could be seen on Shadow Knight’s helmet, but Khadaz ignored it, smashed both fists into Shadow Knight’s chest, and unleashed a spiraling blast of energy to blow his foe away.
Khadaz deflected a Blizzard and said, “You really don’t give up!”
“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Shadow Knight said as he walked forward. “…Yet I can’t shake the feeling you’re still holding something back. Could you put my mind at ease?”
“Well, there’s something else I can do, but it’s…experimental,” Khadaz said. “I’m trying to avoid using it if at all possible.”
“That’s understandable,” Shadow Knight said. “However…now I’m intruiged. I may just have to beat this secret technique out of you.”
“…Fantastic,” Khadaz sighed.
Twilight Shockwaves swept along the ground so Shadow Knight used Key Surf, and Khadaz dodged the whirlwind of blades, did his best to parry the Knight’s sword, and sent Nikari to knock his foe down. Khadaz kicked Shadow Knight before he landed and hurled a Twilight Fang from his blade, but Shadow Knight managed to block the energy wave and retaliated with Shadow Breath, although this time Khadaz was ready and willed the Shadow energy to go around him. When he looked up, however, he saw Shadow Knight diving down, and the Knight’s blade slashed Khadaz along the side of his face.
“Urrgh…” Khadaz grunted, throwing off his damaged mask. “What is this…this pain…”
“It’s a Scar,” Shadow Knight said. “In the presence of powerful darkness, it releases painful energy waves. Don’t worry, I won’t give you another.”
Khadaz tried using Twilight Purification to recover, but it had no effect, and he said, “Well that’s annoying…still trying to get that secret technique out of me? I don’t think I’ll be using it just yet, but I will use…Twilight Crash!”
As the pillar of destruction engulfed Shadow Knight, Khadaz felt his Scar react, and he thought, So it’s affected by my Twilight attacks too? Ah, great…still, I need to use all my power!
Shadow Knight got to his feet and looked up at Khadaz, who was holding two Twilight Meteors, and he prepared to block but Khadaz dropped the spheres, kicked them, and created more. Confused, Shadow Knight jumped over the spheres, but then more kept coming and the earlier ones bounced back at him, and before Shadow Knight knew it, he was trying to dodge over a dozen zig-zagging Twilight Meteors. Nikari entangled Shadow Knight just as he cleared a Meteor, and Khadaz willed the Meteors to all home in and attack while he charged the Exo-Keyblade with Twilight. Shadow Knight endured the attack, grabbed Nikari, and broke his chain, and Khadaz charged but was smashed into the ground and hit with Oblivion Aura.
“Very nice,” Shadow Knight said. “But I don’t think that’ll be enough.”
“If it wasn’t for this Scar, I’d disagree,” Khadaz said. “But…I am starting to feel worn down. Chikara…Compression…Burst!”
Khadaz’s Chikara expanded and recompressed in a matter of seconds, and then he jumped and threw a punch, shattering the glass that made up most of Shadow Knight’s helmet, and the First Knight fell to the ground. With a sigh, Khadaz turned to look at Shadow Knight, discovering that beneath his helmet…there was nothing.
Shadow Knight grabbed his sword and stood up, saying, “Surprised? Most people wouldn’t expect an animated suit of armor to be a warrior.”
“A bit surprised, yeah…but actually, that’s kind of cool,” Khadaz said.
Shadow Knight paused a moment, and then he chuckled, “Haha…not the reaction I expected…it’s a shame we’re enemies, isn’t it? I get the feeling we’d be great friends. You have much more personality than Darkhadaz.”
Khadaz laughed, and then he readied the Exo-Keyblade and got into a battle stance. Shadow Knight took a stance as well, and after a brief pause, the battle resumed. Khadaz danced around Shadow Knight’s blade and slashed his back, and when his foe used Oblivion Aura, Khadaz quickly backed away. Shadow knight charged, clashing blades with his enemy, and he used Shadow Breath but Khadaz warped behind him and used Twilight Tsunami. Khadaz swung the Exo-Keyblade furiously, Shadow Knight blocking each one, and then he willed a spike of Twilight to impale the Knight from behind and pummeled him with a Twilight Laser. Shadow Knight tried casting Confusion, but Khadaz interrupted him with a punch and used a Twilight Geyser to fling him into the sky. Khadaz dodged a Shadow Laser and used Twilight Gatling, and Shadow Knight dashed through the air to evade but couldn’t find a chance to attack.
He has surpassed me, Shadow Knight thought. After all these millennia, I am finally outmatched.
Khadaz jumped in front of Shadow Knight, punched him, and took his weapon, and when Shadow Knight hit the ground he was entangled in Twilight Chains. Floating down, Khadaz said, “I don’t usually take weapons, but…this has to stop.”
Shadow Knight tried to stand up, but Khadaz shot him with a Twilight Laser and said, “I’m sorry. You’re definitely more pleasant than most villains, but you are a Spirit imbued with legendary darkness. I have to end this…completely and totally.”
“Hmhm…” Shadow Knight chuckled. “‘Tell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant Aidenn, it shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels name Lenore?’”
Khadaz threw down Shadow Knight’s blade, raised his arms, and guessed, “Quoth the raven? Nevermore.”
He used Twilight Crash, and back in the banquet hall, Shadow Knight’s Chalice of Malice half melted. After the attack there was no sign of Shadow Knight or his sword, so Khadaz relaxed, expanded his Chikara, and sighed. He walked over and picked up Nikari, who said, “Nice going. Although you might want to take better care of your blades next time.”
“Sorry about that,” Khadaz said. “But…we did it. Shadow Knight has been defeated…the war I officially over.”
“Not quite,” said someone.
Khadaz spun around, and before he realized what was happening, an enormous hole was blown in his chest where his heart and lungs were supposed to be. A horrible, demonic creature smiled at Khadaz as he fell, and as his body shut down Khadaz found out who his killer was.
“I am Gahu-Shadow.”


Spirits Used:
#366. Shadow Knight
S05. Twilight Sage

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[Pahrak #0579]

Chapter 161: Facing Demons


Dranes walked through the camp and looked up, seeing the Enterprise floating not far away. He turned Naraku’s Orb over in his hand, thinking, All this time, I’ve wanted to be free of Naraku…but now I realize that I’ve fallen behind on everything else. I’ve made so much progress, but now, it’s meaningless…
Dranes stared at the Orb for a few seconds, and then he sighed, “Oh well. I’ll catch up once we get home.”
Suddenly a chill came over him, and he noticed everyone in the camp stop what they were doing and turn to the sky. Gahu-Shadow floated through the air in his Bionicle form—a well-armored, onyx-colored Toa Inika wearing an Iden and a cape—and came to a stop just above the camp. With a smile, the Gahu raised his hand and fired a blast of Shadow, shattering the shields of the Enterprise and blasting a hole in it, and once again the starship plummeted. Panic spread through the camp, and Gahu-Shadow decided to wait and admire it until someone came to oppose him. He did not wait long—Kharzani, Nk, and Zagrin all flew up in a matter of seconds.
“Gahu-Shadow…I had a feeling you might show up after we killed your Knights,” Nk said.
“Don’t know why you bothered,” Zagrin said. “I mean, you handed out Demon Claws to all your lapdogs, thus giving them access to your power, and we still beat them. You’re going down.”
“You have no idea how mistaken you are,” Gahu-Shadow said.
Kharzani charged and used Nightsever, but Gahu-Shadow flicked his wrist and his opponent was sent crashing into the ground. Nk unleashed a beam of Twilight Flame, but Gahu-Shadow spun, using his cape to reflect the beam, and then willed an axe of Shadow to smack the Fire-Lord into the ground. Zagrin tried shooting while his foe was still attacking, but Gahu-Shadow put one finger against the gun, and when the trigger was pulled the weapon exploded.
Gahu-Shadow grabbed Zagrin and said, “You already know that I’ve increased my power beyond that of a normal Gahu, correct? Amazing, the kind of artifacts you can find if you know where to look. But I did learn one new trick I think you should be aware of: I’ve formed a stronger link with my Claws, not entirely unlike Makuta’s connection to his Kraata. When a Demon Claw is destroyed, its energy returns to me…but my energy does not go down when I grant my Claw to someone. Even better, my Claw, upon its destruction will also grant to me the power of he who used it. So you see, each time one of my Dark Knights was slain, his power was added to mine…not counting Corruption, of course, since he wasted his Claw on that doll of his. But the point is, your efforts succeeded not only in wiping out my Knights, but in raising my power exponentially!”
Gahu-Shadow punched Zagrin in the gut, continuing, “The power of Shadow-Knight’s ultimate weapon, Total Destroyer, Genocide Machine, Gahu Darkhadaz, and Deathtalon, all added to the power of a Gahu who had already risen above his brothers and sisters! You are all doomed!”
Zagrin felt his power fail as Zennou Ice reverted to Ice TH, and as he fell, Dranes watched on in horror. Sakura grabbed his shoulder and said, “Get out of here! Help the others evacuate!”
Hesitantly, Dranes left, and Daphne said, “Rhumora, buff me up. Sakura, go on ahead.”
Sakura nodded and went off, and Rhumora asked, “What’s the plan?”
“I charge energy and wait for an opening,” Daphne said, putting her scythe away. “Then, I hit him with a Tezuka Punch.”
“…That’s it?” Rhumora said, casting spells on Daphne. “Just a punch?”
Daphne activated Battle Cry and said, “The Tezuka Punch is the punch of legends. It takes power from Legendary Spirits and Spirits with the power of legendary warriors, and then adds it to its own. Plus, in Perfect Fusion I can bend the rules and let it use the power of people with strength considered ‘legendary’, and there are plenty of those nearby. Add it all together and you get one heck of a punch.”
“…Alright,” Rhumora said. “Let’s hope it works.”
Above them, several Element-Lords flew out to engage Gahu-Shadow, and the Demon smiled as they made their attack. Hewtu and Nupenua were the first to attack, attempting to smash the Gahu between their weapons, but Gahu-Shadow smashed his elbows into their faces and knocked them out instantly. Nokali and Tonnira launched a long-range barrage of Water and Thunder while Vicax and Solenma attacked from behind, and Gahu-Shadow grabbed Vicax, used him to beat Solenma into the ground, willed Shadows to surround Nokali and Tonnira, and then quickly raised his Moon Blade. Artakhall’s sword clashed with the blade, and as Gahu-Shadow struck down the Steel-Lord, he felt something pierce his side and turned around. A Stuffed Warrior wielding a Moon Blade punched Gahu-Shadow, and Gahu-Shadow then ripped it to shreds and looked at Sakura.
“I don’t recall giving you permission to use my power,” the Demon said. “I should punish you, but the strain of controlling something with such strength must be taxing enough.”
“You have no idea,” Sakura whispered. “…Final Assault!”
It was then that Gahu-Shadow turned around, and before he could react, he was attacked by an army of one hundred Stuffed Warriors, all using Gahu-Shadow’s power. Sakura passed out immediately, causing the Warriors to fade away as well, and Gahu-Shadow said, “That actually hurt…I’ve changed my mind. I am going to punish you.”
Gahu-Shadow dove at Sakura, but he sensed someone attacking and teleported out of the way. Hyohana, with Frozen Fang active, swung Gelée through the air the Demon had occupied, and then Kharuun leapt up behind Gahu-Shadow and fired an Ikhav Saigo Kousen. Gahu-Shadow avoided the attack and prepared to strike Kharuun, but then Amy flew in and used Ange Tsubasa, missing but forcing him back.
“There’s just no shortage of you fools,” Gahu-Shadow said. “Fine, let’s get this over with. I have a world to conquer.”
Kharuun tried using Chaos Control, but Gahu-Shadow smacked him with Dragon Demon Wings and then slashed Hyohana as she went past. Gahu-Shadow deflected a Light Blast and shot a Shadow Bolt at Amy, but she dodged and used Ange Tsubasa. As Amy continued her efforts to stay in the fight, she thought, I doubt Gahu-Shadow would be here unless all of his servants were defeated. Khadaz must have defeated Shadow Knight…so where is he?
Amy then saw the tip of the Moon Blade shoot out of her chest, and behind her, Gahu-Shadow said, “Worried about your husband? Don’t bother, my dear…I killed him.”
“…I don’t believe that,” Amy said.
“Oh, but it’s true,” Gahu-Shadow said. “I blew a giant hole in his chest. Vaporized his heart, both lungs, a good chunk of his spinal cord…Khadaz is dead.”
“SHUT UP!” Kharuun shouted, using Twilight Dash to rush at Gahu-Shadow.
The Demon used one kick to send Kharuun reeling and another to send him down, and then he withdrew his blade and cut off Amy’s wings. Bolts of Freezing Lightning surged towards Gahu-Shadow, who dodged each one, but then Hyohana used a Wolf Bullet to stun him and slashed, unleashing a huge wave of ice. Hyohana dove to check on Kharuun, but Gahu-Shadow warped in front of her and knocked her unconscious with a claw swipe. A barrage of Vectors alerted Gahu-Shadow to Kazumi’s presence, so he slipped through the attack and quickly dispatched her with one sword swipe. Azara and Pyrami unleashed their most powerful spells while Barometz swung his Progressive Katana, but Gahu-Shadow dodged all the attacks, set Barometz on fire, severed Azara’s left arm, and grabbed Pyrami by the hair. Azara reverted to her normal form and shrieked in pain, and Gahu-Shadow lifted Pyrami off the ground and electrocuted her.
“You have one of my Claws,” Gahu-Shadow said. “If I kill you, I gain your strength.”
Suddenly Zenrei appeared and took Pyrami by the arm, and they both vanished right before Toatoa used Cat Claw on Gahu-Shadow. Zenrei returned as the Demon sighed, spun, and blasted Toatoa, saying, “You worms are so impolite…ignorant, too. Les Quatre Fréres de Lame have gathered, meaning a disaster will occur. Before attacking me, did you consider that my victory may be that disaster?”
“The thought did cross our minds,” Kotoba said. “But Zenrei’s convinced that it is not.”
“Really?” Gahu-Shadow said. “Let me convince you otherwise.”
Toatoa moved in to attack again, but this time Gahu-Shadow blasted a small hole in his stomach and removed him from the battle. Gahu-Shadow turned to Zenrei and readied his sword, when suddenly he felt something kick him in the head and knock him back. Aile floated there and said, “You’re not the disaster, trust me.”
Zenrei activated Suishou no Sekai, and Gahu-Shadow said, “Ah, Aile, I see your overconfidence hasn’t wavered at all. Come to grace us with your presence?”
“Nope,” Aile said. “Just wanted to buy some time.”
Zenrei pointed her sword at Gahu-Shadow, and Aile flew away as the warrior declared, “Owari.”
A massive explosion engulfed Gahu-Shadow, and Suishou no Sekai deactivated as Aile landed next to Dranes. “Pretty impressive, eh?” Aile said.
Dranes punched Aile in the face and shouted, “Don’t give me that! Why aren’t you putting up a fight? You could turn the tables in this battle!”
“Same to you,” Aile said. “Naraku may not be bound to you any more, but there’s nothing stopping you from fusing with it.”
Dranes was silent, and Aile went on, “Things have to happen a certain way. You can call it ‘fate’, or ‘destiny’, or whatever, but it says that if I take Gahu-Shadow down single-handedly, things will end up a lot worse further down the road. So, Dranes…are you going to help out, or not?”
Above them, Zenrei stopped to catch her breath, but Gahu-Shadow suddenly lashed out, ripped off her Krana, slashed her torso, and then kicked her into the ground where her defeated allies lay. Lexero and Twani could be seen approaching so Gahu-Shadow prepared to attack, but suddenly the Hitokage grabbed him and Midori slashed him with a Wind Scythe. Zak threw Gahu-Shadow into Winds of Change and Twani slammed a Tectonic Plate onto him, but the Demon recovered instantly and used Dragon Demon Wings to defeat the Air-Lord and his wife. Midori rushed to his parents’ aid but was struck down as well, and Gahu-Shadow targeted Zak next but Rikka appeared and buffeted him with Hail. Zak attacked but Gahu-Shadow obliterated the Hitokage, and as Zak fell the Demon noticed Keizah going to heal the fallen.
“A wasted effort,” Gahu-Shadow, downing Rikka with a blast of Shadow.
Gahu-Shadow teleported down and swung at Keizah, but a force hit him and made him stumble back. Krika glared at Gahu-Shadow, mask glowing, and said, “Let him finish.”
“…Ahahahaha!” Gahu-Shadow laughed. “You, of all people, protecting the healer? Aren’t these people your enemies? Oh, that’s right, you want to redeem yourself.”
Gahu-Shadow fought the power of the Crast and walked towards Krika, saying, “You belong to the Shadows. There is no redemption for you…only death.”
Krika tried focusing harder, but Gahu-Shadow came right up to him, drew his Moon Blade, and swung, decapitating Krika and freeing himself from the nuisance of the Crast. He turned towards Keizah once again, but this time Keelie appeared and fired a Matrix Laser, forcing Gahu-Shadow to defend himself. With a sigh, Gahu-Shadow snatched Keelie’s Twayblade and stabbed her with it, and then he used a hammer of Shadows to smash her into the dirt.
Keizah finished healing Amy and woke her up, saying, “Please try to distract him so I can heal the others!”
Amy nodded and took off, and Keizah looked for Azara so he could heal her arm. When he saw her, however, he also saw her arm had already been restored, and Marigold knelt over her using Healing Palms. Keizah couldn’t help but pause, thinking, That looks like…no, it can’t be…
“Keizah!” Corinwood yelled.
Keizah spun just as Gahu-Shadow swung at him, but Corinwood leapt in the way and took the hit instead. Kohena charged at Gahu-Shadow but was knocked out, and Keizah attacked with a Coral Spear but was defeated as well. Amy threw Holy Water but missed, and Gahu-Shadow knocked out Marigold and chuckled.
“You know, you have done better than I was expecting,” Gahu-Shadow said. “Oh well, at least you tried. But no more holding back…no, everyone dies.”
Gahu-Shadow shot forward and swung, but a blade appeared to block him. Surprised, Gahu-Shadow took a moment to step back, and found that the one who stopped him was Dranes, in Fusion with Naraku. Dranes took a stance and said, “No…only one more person is going to die today. I’ll make sure that you’re the next to fall, Gahu-Shadow!”


Spirits Used:
#312. Gahu-Shadow, #774. Enterprise, #747. Demon Prince, S11. Librum, S13. Zennou Ice, #886. Fictivalkyrie, #887. Weavalkyrie, #912. Protectivalkyrie, #615. Jeune Ange, #186. Matoro Inika, S14. Saigo Zadakh, #607. Kira, #599. Unit 01, #863. Experita, S22. Redeemed Demon, S01. Language Supreme, S04. Sohma Xotaku, #500. Ryurei, #549. Lewa Newva, #640. Onua Newva, #687. Dragon Ice, #548. Kopaka Newva, #433. Tridrake, #654. Ulta-Keelerak, #477. Spirit Healer, #645. Makuta Krika

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[Pahrak #0579]

Chapter 162: Facing Demons 2 (Burning Berserker)


Gahu-Shadow smiled and said, “Naraku…it’s been a long time since I’ve seen one of those. This is the only living specimen, correct?”
Dranes ignited his weapons and glared at Gahu-Shadow, and Amy turned to see Norscu and Rien fly up. “Neb’s alright, but he won’t be fighting anytime soon,” Rien said. “We were pretty worried when the Enterprise went down…hey, where’s Khadaz?”
“…Gahu-Shadow says he killed him,” Amy replied. “Who else do we have waiting?”
“…Daphne and Rhumora are preparing an attack,” Norscu said. “Aile and Selina are with them, to make sure they’re not interrupted. Neya and Catalina were about to come when Yume showed up and told them to wait for something.”
“You sure you’re up for this?” Rien asked. “Sealing Inmacula took a lot out of you.”
“I’ll be fine,” Norscu said. “What about you, Amy?”
“Don’t worry about me,” Amy said. “Focus on the enemy.”
Dranes used Demise, willing a swarm of shadows to attack his enemy, and Gahu-Shadow dodged and started to attack but stopped so he could dodge a Tornado. Amy used Ange Tsubasa to fire light waves and Rien summoned more Tornadoes, and Gahu-Shadow moved to attack but then backed away from Norscu’s Fury, ending up in the path of a Death Flare. Gahu-Shadow unleashed a burst of Shadow energy to repel his foes and charged at Rien, but Norscu leapt in the way and took the hit, giving Dranes a chance to hit with a Blade of Wind. Rien caught Norscu as he fell and Amy pushed Gahu-Shadow back with a Waterspout, and the Demon was about to attack when Dranes struck him with Blade Rush. Shots from the Ghost Arrow peppered Gahu-Shadow as he retreated, and Dranes added to the assault with a barrage of fireballs.
“What about Norscu?” Amy asked.
“Conscious, but exhausted,” Rien said. “Says he accomplished what he needed to do.”
Gahu-Shadow dodged Holy Water, punched Amy, kicked Rien, and moved to block Dranes’s attack, but Dranes delivered a merciless strike that shattered his enemy’s guard. Amy flew up and tried to attack, but Gahu-Shadow used Dismember to disable Holy Water and struck Amy down again. Rien landed a hit with the Ghost Arrow and Dranes used Flare Blitz, battering Gahu-Shadow with a series of flaming sword strikes, but the Demon soon punched Dranes and then left a deep cut in Rien to debilitate her.
“Just you and me,” Gahu-Shadow said.
Dranes growled, thinking, He isn’t even slowing down…dang it! What do I have to do to stop him?!
“You’re getting there,” Naraku said. “Let your Lust for Battle grow…let your rage become uncontrollable. Then you can defeat Gahu-Shadow.”
Before Dranes could reply, Gahu-Shadow lashed out and hit him with Dragon Demon Wings, and before he could recover he was blasted into the dirt. Gahu-Shadow prepared to attack again, but Selina shot out of nowhere and swung Virtue, and though the Demon dodged he still felt a blade hit him.
“Dranes, you alright?” Selina asked. “I thought you could use a hand.”
“Great idea,” Gahu-Shadow said, using a Shadow Hand to smash Selina into the ground.
Rage continued to build within Dranes, and Naraku said, “This is it, Dranes. Will you set aside your rage and continue on as you have? Or will you embrace rage and awaken my true form: Burning Naraku?”
Gahu-Shadow turned to Dranes and said, “I think I’ll kill you before finishing off anyone else, just to spite your vow that you would make sure I fell next. Time for you to die.”
Gahu-Shadow raised his Moon Blade, but Dranes used Rising Blaze to cut past him with a flaming uppercut and knocked Gahu-Shadow to the ground, then stomped the ground to rock him with a tremor. Dranes’s armor turned pitch black as he said, “I can’t let you kill anyone…even if I have to use Burning Naraku. I don’t know what to expect…but I will not lose!”
Dranes yelled in rage, his armor pure black and an aura of dark purple flames surrounding him, and Gahu-Shadow stood up and examined Burning Naraku. “Hm…” Gahu-Shadow mumbled. “High attack power, I’ll give you that, but according to my analysis…you only have 1 Fusion Energy. What a waste.”
Gahu-Shadow dashed out and swung his Moon Blade, but the sword hit Dranes’s armor and bounced off. Confused, Gahu-Shadow analyzed his foe again, and upon doing so he fell silent. “Effect: Invincible,” Gahu-Shadow said. “…No…no, that’s impossible! You must have some weak—“
He was interrupted as Dranes punched him in the face, and the force of the attack was so great that he was flung several dozen yards away. Gahu-Shadow regained his balance and prepared to retaliate, but Dranes rushed up and slashed him, unleashing a burst of flame that singed Gahu-Shadow’s cape. Dranes began swinging his blades wildly, and Gahu-Shadow carefully blocked each strike, teleported behind Dranes, and slashed his neck, but he still could not harm Dranes and was swiftly repelled.
“This is impossible!” Gahu-Shadow said as he endured Flare Blitz. “No one is stronger than me! Especially not some enraged freak!”
A powerful blast of pure darkness shot out from Gahu-Shadow’s body and struck Dranes, knocking him back, and then Gahu-Shadow teleported over and swung his Moon Blade, which was reinforced with Shadow energy. Dranes got up after the attack, cracked his neck, and blasted Gahu-Shadow with a Death Flare. Gahu-Shadow did his best to endure, but the power of Burning Naraku was too great for him to defend himself, and even using his Iden provided no edge against his furious foe. Minutes went by and Gahu-Shadow had no success, and finally Dranes knocked the weakened Gahu-Shadow to the ground and stepped on his head. Dranes began to apply more pressure, trying to crush his foe’s skull, but then he hesitated and Gahu-Shadow was able to slip away.
“Still some traces of morality left in that darkened shell of rage?” Gahu-Shadow asked. “Hmph…I’ve had enough of being kicked around by you. You have left me no choice!”
The Demon put away his sword and stretched out both hands, and Dranes just charged in…but he came to a screeching halt inches from Gahu-Shadow. With a grin and obvious strain, Gahu-Shadow said, “There…my bond with the Element of Shadow is stronger than you can fathom! Giving in to rage has let darkness seep through every inch of your body, and by controlling that darkness, I can control you!”
Dranes growled, his aura burning stronger, but Gahu-Shadow refused to release him. Gahu-Shadow focused as hard as he could while still trying to figure out what to do next, and he was so focused that he didn’t notice Daphne warp into the air right above him. Daphne dove straight down and used an ultra-powerful Tezuka Punch, driving Gahu-Shadow into the ground and shattering every bone in her arm, and Dranes was released from Gahu-Shadow’s control and fell back. Rhumora rushed over, but suddenly Dranes leapt up and slashed, crippling the Paladin, and Daphne moved towards her squad mate but was knocked out by Dranes. Berserk with rage, Dranes faced the sky and roared, and from not far away Aile hung her head.
“Burning Naraku…a warrior with rage so intense he becomes invincible, but the difference between friend and foe is impossible to see,” Aile said. “Sorry, Dranes…this is the way things have to happen.”
Dranes stood there for a moment, aura blazing, when Gahu-Shadow slowly rose to his feet and growled. “To think I would be reduced to this…” the Demon said.
He teleported and Dranes followed, the two of them ending up near the unconscious Pyrami, and Gahu-Shadow reached for her but was knocked back by Dranes. Gahu-Shadow waited and thought, If I kill the girl, her power will be added to mine. I just need to get past him…
Dranes rushed and slashed, and Gahu-Shadow slid under the attack and jumped toward Pyrami. Before he reached her, however, Dranes knocked him into the ground, and the berserker charged a Death Flare. “…Alright,” Gahu-Shadow said. “Go ahead! I may take some damage, but you’ll hit the girl too!”
Dranes gave no response and was about to fire, but then a voice called, “Dranes! Don’t!”
Dranes paused, and Azara struggled to her feet and said, “Please, Dranes, don’t do it. Don’t give in!”
Gahu-Shadow blasted Azara and said, “Keep your mouth shut!”
Dranes still took no action, so Gahu-Shadow moved towards Pyrami again, but at the last possible second Dranes grabbed Gahu-Shadow, threw him into the air, and blasted him with Death Flare. Dranes put his hands to his head, struggling to quiet the rage of Burning Naraku, and out of nowhere Yume appeared and put a hand on his shoulder. Instantly, Naraku returned to normal, and a second later Dranes de-fused and collapsed on the ground.
“Thank you, Dranes Kazen,” Yume said. “We’ll take it from here.”
Gahu-Shadow turned around as three new presences approached, and he saw Neya, Catalina, and a Hyper Sonic fly up and stop nearby.
“The Twilight Guardians…of course,” Gahu-Shadow said. “I was wondering when you were going to show up. Come…see if you can maintain balance!”

Spirits Used:
#312. Gahu-Shadow
S12. Burning Naraku
#498. Fullmetal
#613. Memory Rosary
#615. Jeune Ange
#440. Omni
#886. Fictivalkyrie
#912. Protectivalkyrie

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[Pahrak #0579]

Chapter 163: Facing Demons 3 (The Demon’s Twilight)


“Thanks for rounding them up and putting Dranes to sleep,” Aile said. “Burning Naraku really wore Gahu-Shadow down, and that Tezuka Punch took a whole lot out of him.”
“I trust things are proceeding as you have foreseen?” Yume said.
“Yep,” Aile said. “Now it’s up to the Twilight Guardians to take out the last big chunk of Gahu-Shadow’s stamina.”
Neya readied his Twayblades and said, “We should try to surround him. Sonic, get behind him and back us up if we’re in trouble.”
Sonic nodded and disappeared, and then Neya and Catalina each charged at Gahu-Shadow from different sides. Gahu-Shadow parried a Twayblade, blocked a hammer, and extended his Dragon Demon Wings, but then Sonic flew out and tackled him in the back, allowing Neya to knock him into a Blade Storm with Dragon Tackle. Neya attached a Twilight Tetrawhip to his Twayblades, his Moon Scimitar, and a Wind Scythe, and then quickly spun them around to create an orb of death around him. Gahu-Shadow backed away and blocked a Homing Attack, but then Catalina knocked him into Neya’s onslaught and added to it with a barrage of Shards. Once there was an opening, Gahu-Shadow broke free and blasted Neya, and Sonic used Spin Dash but Gahu-Shadow punched and knocked him into Catalina. Gahu-Shadow moved in but was struck with Gaia Thunder, and Neya used a Crystal Enerbeam to freeze the Demon so Sonic could unleash a Chaotic Blast. Gahu-Shadow broke free and aimed a blast, but Catalina swung both hammers down on his head and sent him crashing into the ground.
“I’d say we’re doing pretty well,” Catalina said.
“Hey, being cocky is my thing,” Sonic said.
Gahu-Shadow then shot up and punched Sonic, slashing Catalina at the same time, and then he blasted Neya with shadows and moved to a new location. Sonic flew in and tackled Gahu-Shadow, an attack that was blocked, but then he bounced off, circled around, and tackled again, this time catching his target off-guard. Gahu-Shadow swung but Neya blocked him, and a Light Ascender pierced his wing before he could pull back. Catalina stabbed Gahu-Shadow with Rock-Splitting Blades while Neya battered him with Draco Waves, and Gahu-Shadow repelled them with a Shadow burst but Sonic used Aerial Dive to tackle him. The Guardians all moved in, but Gahu-Shadow swung the Moon Blade and released a wave of darkness that sent them all reeling.
“Why do you fools continue your futile struggle?” Gahu-Shadow asked. “There is no way beings of your level can hope to prevail against me, even if I am worn down.”
“We won’t know until we try,” Neya said. “Besides, eliminating your threat is something worth fighting for…dying for, if necessary.”
“Then you will die,” Gahu-Shadow said.
He warped in front of Neya and prepared to blow a hole in his chest, but Neya already had an Astral Dragon ready. The arrow knocked Gahu-Shadow back and stunned him, and Sonic used a quick Chaotic Blast before Catalina blasted the Demon with a torrent of Steel, Thunder, Dragon, and Rahaga energy. Gahu-Shadow tried getting up but Neya stabbed him with a Moon Scimitar, and Neya used Gust Ripple to blow him into Catalina’s range, where the Demon was hit with a Dragon Tide. Neya activated Seven Rings in Hand, but suddenly Gahu-Shadow warped over and slashed him, leaving him with a debilitating wound.
Sonic quickly used Spin Dash to knock Gahu-Shadow away, and Catalina went over to Neya and asked, “Are you alright?”
“Fine…just fine,” Neya said. “Get back in the battle…keep wearing him down…”
Catalina nodded and charged at Gahu-Shadow, who was exchanging blows with Sonic, and smashed him with both hammers while he was distracted. Gahu-Shadow swung the Moon Blade, but Catalina blocked and Sonic used Homing Attack, but Gahu-Shadow caught him with Dragon Demon Wings and endured a hammer strike. Sonic was thrown to the ground and Gahu-Shadow went after Catalina, who dodged and blocked several attacks before kicking Gahu-Shadow back. Catalina charged her hammers with energy and prepared to attack, but then Sonic appeared in front of her and motioned for her to stop.
“Not finished yet?” Gahu-Shadow asked.
“Just about,” Sonic said. “So I guess it’s time I used my desperation attack.”
Sonic’s glow grew brighter, and Gahu-Shadow moved to interrupt but was stopped by an Astral Dragon. Neya smiled and finally passed out, and Sonic reared back and shouted, “Master Control!”
Energy swirled around Gahu-Shadow, locking him in place, and then it constricted around him and Sonic shot out, cutting past Gahu-Shadow hundreds of times before finally delivering a punch that caused the restrictive energy to explode. Sonic lost consciousness and fell, but Catalina caught him and gently set him on the ground.
“Guess the rest is up to us,” Metadon said.
Gahu-Shadow got to his feet and stumbled about, and he coughed a bit before saying, “Blasted meddling ‘heroes’…why can’t you just walk away?!”
Catalina blocked Gahu-Shadow, kneed him in the stomach, and smacked him down before saying, “You haven’t given up either, so you probably know the reason. We’re determined to keep fighting for what we want, and what we want is your defeat. We’ll do everything within your power to achieve that goal, just like you’ll do everything in your power to achieve world domination.”
“…Well…my power exceeds yours,” Gahu-Shadow said.
Shadows burst out of the ground, knocking Catalina skyward, and then Gahu-Shadow slashed her, attacked with his wings, and threw her into the ground. Gahu-Shadow dove and swung his sword again, slicing Catalina’s shoulder, but as the girl was knocked out the Demon noticed the Dragonshard stuck in his armor. With a grunt of pain Gahu-Shadow ripped out the shard, and then he turned to Aile and sighed.
“Where is Corruption’s doll?” the Demon asked.
“Yume got her to a safe place,” Aile said. “Didn’t want her getting killed, especially since that would make you more powerful.”
“…Fine—I don’t need her power anyway!” Gahu-Shadow said. “You are the only one left in a position to defy me! Once I’m done with you—“
“Actually,” Aile interrupted, “I’m not the only one left. There’s still ONE more warrior who’s going to lend me a hand.”
Aile pointed behind Gahu-Shadow, and the Demon turned to look…and his eyes instantly widened in shock. He stepped back and said, “No…I killed you! There’s no way you could have survived! It’s impossible!”
“Heh…don’t know if you’ve realized this, but we Ikhav pull off the impossible all the time,” Khadaz said. “But I think you already know. You saw me surpass Shadow Knight, even with his ultimate weapon, and knew that I get stronger while fighting…you knew I posed a threat, so you tried to kill me. You almost succeeded, but thankfully, I was holding Nikari’s Blade of Souls, which gives me the power of Obscura. You’re familiar with Obscura’s effect, right? Rehabilitate?”
“…How could I have overlooked that…” Gahu-Shadow muttered.
“Don’t beat yourself up,” Aile said. “Let us do it for you.”
Aile activated Master’s Aura and used Spirit of Dragon, battering the Demon with her sword, and then Khadaz used Twilight Chains to pull him in and hit him over the head with the Exo-Keyblade. Gahu-Shadow extended his wings, but his foes each grabbed one and severed it, and before he could recover they both punched him and released energy bursts at the same time. When he recovered, Gahu-Shadow sent out an enormous wall of Shadow, but Khadaz used his own power to hold it off so Aile could dispel it with one swing of the Dragonblade. Gahu-Shadow slashed Aile with the Moon Blade, and Khadaz jumped in and punched, unleashing a miniature Twilight Crash on impact that drove Gahu-Shadow several feet into the ground.
“I will not be beaten…not when I’m so close!” Gahu-Shadow shouted.
He leapt into the sky, but Aile used Growl to put him to sleep and Khadaz impaled him with a hundred Twilight weapons. Aile used Dragoneye to hold Gahu-Shadow while Khadaz hurled Twilight Meteors at him, but Gahu-Shadow soon broke free and slashed Khadaz across the chest. Gahu-Shadow used a beam of darkness to pin Khadaz and poured all of his power into it, but by the time he realized how quiet Aile was, a Royal Draco Flare crashed into him.
“Thanks for that,” Khadaz said. “Think he’s down yet?”
“You know this guy has my energy, right?” Aile said. “It’ll take more than that!”
“…You sound proud of him,” Khadaz said.
Gahu-Shadow roared and put both hands forward, firing a colossal laser that engulfed both of his foes, and then he stopped to catch his breath. A minute went by and there was no movement, so Gahu-Shadow moved towards his foes, but then he saw Khadaz’s arm shoot up into the air and then go right back down. A Twilight Crash engulfed Gahu-Shadow, and Khadaz and Aile stood up, dusted themselves off, and watched.
“You can’t beat teamwork,” Aile said.
Gahu-Shadow crawled forward, mumbling, “You won’t…kill me…”
“Well I’d rather not, but I don’t have a choice,” Khadaz said.
Gahu-Shadow continued, “I…AM Shadow…if you…kill me…the Element of Shadow will…cease…to exist…”
Khadaz paused to let this sink in, and then he turned to Aile and said, “He’s bluffing, right?”
“Actually…he’s not,” Aile said. “The Gahu are imbued with the true power of the Elements, and over the years that bond has only grown. Kill the Gahu, you kill the Elements.”
Gahu-Shadow got to his feet, barely able to stand, and said, “Heheh…you see…you need me to…be alive…or else half your…power…will be gone…”
“…Oh well,” Khadaz said. “Getting rid of you a greater priority.”
Aile shot a small blast of energy, hitting Gahu-Shadow square in the mask, and said, “Good choice. I knew you’d do the right thing.”
Gahu-Shadow fell and vanished, and Khadaz turned to leave…but Aile moved over to where Gahu-Shadow had fallen. Khadaz followed her and discovered an Orb, and as Aile picked it up he said, “Oh…I guess he was just a Spirit. But…when I beat Shadow Knight—“
“You destroyed his Orb without even realizing it,” Aile said.
“Ah,” Khadaz said. “So…what now? We keep the Orb under lock and key?”
Aile held out her free hand and a Twayblade appeared, and then she explained, “This will be much safer. Twayblades can store genetic data, so Norscu and I hatched a plan to seal Gahu-Shadow in one. I forged this Twayblade specifically for the task, and as he was struck down, Norscu used a delayed transmutation so that, when Gahu-Shadow was defeated, his Orb would be full of genetic data.”
Aile used the Twayblade to shatter the Orb, and the energy from the Orb flowed into the Twayblade and gave it an evil glow. Aile spun the blade around and said, “There we go. Now I’ve just got to hide it somewhere nobody would think to look, with natural dangers, guardians, and lots and lots of cliché traps…”
She placed the sword on her back and said, “Nice work, Khadaz! We beat Gahu-Shadow!”
Khadaz shook hands with her and said, “Thanks for your help…you’re going to leave me to wake all these people up by myself, aren’t you?”
“Totally,” Aile said. “Have fun!”


Spirits Used:
#312. Gahu-Shadow
#721. Metadon
#628. Cuerveracios
#624. Hyper Sonic
#500. Ryurei

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[Pahrak #0579]

Chapter 164: Closing Statements


Corinwood sat down at his desk and sighed, and Kohena said, “It’s all over…so we need to get right back to work.”
“Right,” Corinwood said. “Let’s see…all four surviving Makuta have been locked up, and we’ve also captured some of the Shade-Gang’s top Commanders, plus three Squires. Glad Stark was able to transport the prisoners out before things got rough.”
“I’m beginning to have second thoughts about keeping Kikanalo in jail,” Toatoa said. “Barometz, too. They seem genuinely sorry.”
“They still need to pay for their actions,” Kohena said. “But they’ll be up for parole soon enough…the same would have gone for Krika, if he were alive.”
“…He did a noble thing,” Toatoa said. “…Hey, I don’t mean to bug you, but—“
“Oh, yes, the Zodiakai,” Corinwood said. “Ah…round up a team and go capture one of the Zodiakai: Void. We’ll examine it and see if we can find a way to undo Darkaea’s corruption.”
Toatoa nodded and left, and Kohena said, “Speaking of Darkaea, there’s absolutely no trace of him. Union got away too…and we still don’t know who made Stained Glass.”
“We’ll interrogate the Shade-Gangsters and see what they know,” Corinwood said. “Should be easy, with Kikanalo cooperating. In the mean time, put together a search party and look for Union and Darkaea. I’d recommend taking Aviak—letting him try out ATLAS Moratorium might shut him up for a while.”
Kohena chuckled as he walked out the door, and Corinwood sighed and began going through paperwork. Meanwhile, Barometz sat quietly in his cell, and upon hearing footsteps he looked up. Dranes came into view and said, “Hey Baro, how’s it going?”
“…I’ve had worse days,” Barometz replied. “So? Did the data help?”
“It did,” Dranes said. “Azara and Marigold were able to revive them.”
Myrica stepped into view, and Barometz said, “Myrica…I’m so glad you’re alright.”
“Of course I’m alright,” Myrica said. “It takes a lot to break me, you know.”
Dranes headed down the hall and into another room where the other Devil Squad members waited, and Azara slapped him on the back and greeted, “Hello, Dranes-chan! Feeling better yet?”
“Still a little sore,” Dranes said. He looked over to Kadsura, who was having a conversation with Pyrami, and asked, “Is Kadsura…?”
“I think she’ll be fine,” Azara said. “Pyrami immediately bonded with her. Kadsura will have a little sister to take care of now…that should really help her.”
“It’s all because you gave Pyrami a chance,” Dranes said. “Good job, sempai.”
“You know, you don’t have to keep calling me sempai,” Azara said. “It’s getting annoying, actually.”
She leaned in and kissed Dranes, and Lathyrus called, “Hey, Azara, we’re still here!”
“Oh…right,” Azara chuckled.
The doors opened and the Paladins walked in, and Dranes said, “Oh…listen, I’m sorry about what happened in the battle.”
“Not a problem,” Rhumora said. “You were not in control of yourself.”
“Yeah, don’t worry about it,” Daphne said. “My frustration is directed at this cast…two months, they said! I would think modern technology could heal my arm faster than that!”
“Reckless,” Pyrami said.
“…Yeah, whatever…” Daphne murmured. “So, what are you guys going to do now? The charges against you have all been dropped, so…”
“…That’s a good question,” Nigella said. “We don’t really have a home anymore…”
“You can stay with me,” Sakura said. “There’s plenty of room at my house.”
“Won’t you be busy?” Kerria asked.
“No…I’m leaving the Light Force,” Sakura said. “My goal was to save you guys. I’ll be going back home now.”
“I’m heading home too,” Azara said. “I’ve got a lot of explaining to do…”
“I guess I’ll go back…but once my arm’s healed, I’m going to keep working with the Light Force,” Daphne said. “What about you, Rhumora?”
“I’ll be staying here,” Rhumora said. “Speaking of which, I have business to attend to.”
She left the room, passing Marigold on the way, and Marigold asked, “How are the zombies doing?”
“Just fine,” Rhumora said.
“Glad to hear it,” Marigold said, and then she continued walking. She soon reached her lab, but before she went in she noticed Keizah standing nearby.
“…Can I help you?” Marigold asked.
“You remind me of someone I knew,” Keizah said. “I wanted to be sure…you’re not Nuvallia, are you?”
“…The name’s Marigold,” Marigold replied. “Never heard of your friend.”
“…I see,” Keizah said. “Then I guess she really is dead.”
“…You never know,” Marigold said, shrugging. “We thought Azara’s friends were dead, and look how that turned out.”
“…Right,” Keizah said. “…Well, that’s all I needed to now. I’ll be on my way.”
Keizah left and Marigold entered her lab, and she looked over to see Aviak waiting there. “What an odd note to end a conversation on,” Aviak said.
“They have to believe that Nuvallia Eigi is dead,” Marigold said.
“Do they really?” Aviak asked.
Marigold looked him in the eye and said, “I will smash ATLAS to pieces unless you let this die.”
“Yes ma’am,” Aviak said.

Zev limped across the room and laughed, “Bwa-ha-ha-ha! I am healed! Now, to complete my quest!”
Lilynette grabbed Zev and said, “Hey! You’re not healed yet! Don’t go doing anything stupid!”
“He can’t help it,” Stark said. “It’s genetic!”
“Bro! How could you!” Zev cried.
“Hey! You’re still in a hospital room!” Neb called from his bed. “Some of us are trying to recover from almost being blown up!”
Outside in the hall, Neya sighed, “Gosh, you can hear them from here…”
“I think it’s part of their charm” Catalina said.
“Hm,” Neya mumbled. “…So, did you decide what to do with Queen of Blades?”
“I can still hear just fine,” Queen said.
“Hey, pipe down and let them talk,” Metadon said.
“Don’t order me around, Guardian!” Queen spat.
“Stand down, Vassal!” Metadon said.
“Look at that: you’ve found someone to bicker with besides me,” Cuerveracios said.
The Spirits continued squabbling, and Catalina said, “Anyway…I think I’m going to hang on to her for now. Having more than one Bioni-Spirit sounds like a good idea, and I think she’ll settle down once she realizes it’s this or imprisonment.”
“Good point,” Neya said. “Something else…Darkaea’s gone, so…will you be staying here, or going home?”
Catalina paused for a moment, and then she said, “I think I’ll spend some time in Spain right now…I miss home.”
“I see…you’ll be coming back to visit, right?” Neya asked.
“Well that depends,” Catalina said. “Are you asking me to come back?”
“…Yes,” Neya said. “I would really like to see you again.”
“Then I’ll come visit,” Catalina said, smiling.
Selina walked up and said, “Well guys, I’m leaving. See you around.”
Neya and Catalina said good-bye and Selina left, but on her way out she passed Aile. “Yo!” Aile said. “Thanks again for holding onto my power. It was a big help!”
“Yeah…I wanted to talk to you about that,” Selina said. “When I took your Aura, I saw something…a vision.”
Aile paused, and then she got a serious look and asked, “What did you see?”
“I’m not sure exactly,” Selina said. “There was some looming presence…an evil like nothing I’ve ever felt before. Then…pain, and suffering…warfare on an untold scale…it was…”
“Selina, snap out of it!” Kyoko said. “Aile, can you please explain this?”
“…You weren’t supposed to see that,” Aile said. “I’m not kidding when I tell people I’m clairvoyant. It all started about a century ago…with that exact same vision.”
“But what does it mean?” Selina asked.
“I’m not entirely sure, to be honest,” Aile said. “All I know is that it’s going to happen. We have a decade, maybe more.”
“Is there anything we can do?” Selina asked.
“I get a feeling every now and then that tells me things that should help,” Aile said. “Why else would I let everyone fight Gahu-Shadow, futile as it was, when I could have taken him down on my own? It’ll motivate everyone to get stronger, so that we’ll stand a chance in this war.”
Selina looked down, and Aile said, “Ah, don’t worry. These things always work out! Go home, get some rest…start training in your spare time. The key is not to let the worry consume you. If you need some help, give me a call.”
Aile continued down the hall, and she said, “You were eavesdropping.”
Rien walked up alongside her and said, “I already knew you were clairvoyant, so I don’t see why you’re upset.”
“Rien, you haven’t seen me upset,” Aile said. “Ask Norscu—he’ll give you a vivid account.”
Rien laughed, and a few seconds later she whispered, “I was thinking…about Vicax’s treaty with the Dark Knights and the Shade-Gang…”
“I thought I told you…recommended…that you let that go?” Aile said.
“It just doesn’t sit well with me,” Rien said, “all shady and under the table…”
“He was just trying to keep his island safe,” Aile said. “Look, Vicax gives me the creeps sometimes, but I truly think he was trying to do the right thing. Norscu told you this job wasn’t always easy.”
“…He also said you give good advice,” Rien said. “Fine, I’ll let it go.”
“Good,” Aile said. “So did you decide what we’re doing with the Enterprise?”
“I’m thinking of turning it over to the Light Force,” Rien answered. “They might learn something from studying it. I’m also going to have Lhikahu, Mataka, and Phantau check out the bases of Les Douze Ombres, now that they’ve been relieved of Acting Element-Lord duty.”
“Maybe you should send Tonnira with them,” Aile grumbled.
“…You really miss Zempyst, don’t you?” Rien said.
“Keelie really jolted my memories of Sparky,” Aile said. “…Well, the Retcon is wearing off, so I’ll be able to talk about her soon. By the way, have Vastazon and Cerveau contacted you yet?”
“They have,” Rien said. “They’re prepared to resume their duties as Jungle-Lord and Psionics-Lord once the Retcon fully wears off. Hey, I’ve got something to take care of, so—“
“I get it,” Aile said. “See you around.”
Outside the hospital, Khadaz, Zenrei, and Toatoa stood in silence, with Nikari’s Blade resting against the wall. “…Okay,” Toatoa said, “our Gathering is complete. What disaster are we looking for?”
“Aile seems quite confident that Gahu-Shadow was not the disaster,” Zenrei said. “But if I may say, we did not fare well against him…and we can expect this disaster to be worse.”
“Should I put them on your training program?” Nikari asked.
Khadaz rolled his eyes and said, “We’ve just got to get training. The disaster’s coming whether we’re ready or not, so we’d better be ready.”
“A simple analysis…but a good one,” Kotoba said.
“Attacking the Zodiakai: Void should help boost our strength…” Xotaku said.
“We can help, if you want,” Vinxeng offered.
“No, we’ll keep it within the Light Force,” Xotaku said. “Speaking of which, we should be going.”
Toatoa waved and headed off, and Khadaz dismissed Nikari and said, “Guess that’s that.”
“Indeed,” Zenrei said. “This discussion accomplished quite a lot.”
“Sometimes you don’t need to beat things to death,” Khadaz said. “We don’t have much to go on, so we can’t decide on much.”
“…I suppose,” Zenrei said. She left next and Khadaz went off in a different direction, and he found Amy waiting for him and smiled.
“No great revelations, but we have something similar to a plan,” Khadaz said.
“Just take it easy for a while, okay?” Amy said. “We were so worried when Gahu-Shadow said he killed you…”
“Alright, I’ll take some time off,” Khadaz said. “Hey, where’s Kharuun?”
“With Hyohana,” someone said. A man with white hair walked up and said, “Hello…I’m Gahu-Ice. I’d like to apologize that I and the other Gahu didn’t help you fight Gahu-Shadow; he claimed to have a way to drain our power, and we didn’t want him getting any stronger.”
“Understandable,” Khadaz said. “No hard feelings—it all worked out.”
“Thank you,” Gahu-Ice said. “Also, I’m not sure if you’re aware…Hyohana is my daughter.”
There was a pause, but then Amy said, “Really? Well she’s a wonderful girl. She was very polite, and a big help.”
“So…” Khadaz said. “She…”
“It’s confusing, I know,” Gahu-Ice said. “Her unique genes have been a problem for her, but Kharuun has helped her through the worst of it, and she’s taken quite a liking to him.”
“I could tell,” Amy said. “They make a cute couple.”
“And they’re both powerful as heck,” Khadaz said.
“Of course that’s what you’d say,” Yume said as she approached. “Gahu-Ice, I just wanted to remind you that our deal is complete. Don’t expect to see me again any time soon.”
“Of course,” Gahu-Ice said. “Thank you for your help.”
“Yume…I’m just curious: is there anything you can tell us?” Amy asked. “We know so little about you. It’s sort of…unsettling.”
“You’ll find out one day,” Yume said. “In the very, very distant future, that is.”
Meanwhile, Kharuun and Hyohana sat by the coastline of Mutant-Isle, and Kharuun said, “I guess things go back to normal now. Will you be going back to Ko-Isle?”
“Briefly,” Hyohana said. “I want to check on my mother’s memorial now that Gaizenji has paid for his crimes…but after that, I think I’d like to move to the Mainland.”
“That’d be nice,” Kharuun said. “I was worried I might not get to see you that much.”
“…You know, you still haven’t kissed me,” Hyohana said. “First Icarax interrupted us, and then there was that incident on the Enterprise…”
“Oh…that’s right,” Kharuun said. “Well…we could fix that.”
Hyohana leaned in and said, “That’d be nice.”
Kharuun smiled and leaned in, and as the sun set over the ocean, Kharuun and Hyohana shared their first kiss.

THE END

…

…Actually…

Khadaz sat down in the Battlefield and said, “Okay, Norscu, why’d you call me here?”
“Well…you’re not going to like it, but promise you’ll hear me out,” Norscu said.
“…That’s never a good way to start a conversation…” Khadaz said. “Alright, I promise I’ll hear you out.”
Norscu took a deep breath, and then he said, “Everyone thought that the 10^th Level Bioni-Lord died after the Mountain of Death collapsed…he didn’t. The 10^th retreated to the Lost Continent to think of what to do next.”
“…So he’s been ‘thinking’ for over 26 years?” Khadaz asked.
“Believe me, he had a lot to think about,” Norscu said. “He got used to life there and figured he’d just lay low…but then he heard about the Twilight Sage’s appearance in Italy.”
Khadaz thought for a moment, and then he said, “Why do you know all these details?”
A chill crept up Khadaz’s spine, and he turned around as a voice answered, “Because I told him.”
The man standing before Khadaz had pale skin and casual clothes on, and he had shoulder-length gray hair and a thin beard. Khadaz had no doubt as he looked into the stranger’s blood-red eyes…this was the 10^th Level Bioni-Lord.
Instantly standing up, Khadaz said, “What are you doing here?!”
“Calm down,” Norscu said. “You promised to hear me out.”
Khadaz gave no reply, never looking away from the 10^th, and Norscu said, “When he heard you were in Italy, he began to give more thought to his decision. He came back because he wants to finally set things right.”
Khadaz gave some thought to it, and then he said, “Everyone deserves a chance…so, should we keep calling you ‘the 10^th’, or do you have a name?”
“…That’s another shock you should brace for,” the 10^th said. “My name is Kytan…Kytan Ikhav.”


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[Pahrak #0579]

Epilogue


Konpaku walked through Darkhadaz’s library and over to a bookshelf, grabbing and removing the mysteriously sealed book. “Finally found it,” Konpaku said, setting the book down on the table. “Gosh, took me FOREVER to find it in this maze. What was up with Dark-moron? Why do you need this many books? Ah, whatever…”
He cracked his knuckles and said, “Okay, crack this baby open, then it’s to the banquet hall. Drink from the Chalice of a dead Knight, get their power…too easy.”
A bolt of electricity streamed from Konpaku’s hands to the book, and after a few seconds the book flew open and light filled the room. Konpaku looked on the floor and smiled—a human body lay there, covered in white armor and clutching a longsword. With a grin and a sickly glow, Konpaku said, “Oh, it has been TOO long! Not a fan of the body, but it’ll be SO worth it to get that power back!”
As Konpaku’s plan came to fruition, a figure walked through the lower halls of the castle towards the banquet hall. This was a Bioni-Spirit, a Shadow Apprentice, but it was no mere Spirit. If you look hard enough, you can usually find at least one of each kind of Spirit that is sentient by some fluke, and this Apprentice was one of those rare few. He had stumbled upon the castle ages ago and met Shadow Knight, who had secretly taken him in and trained him as his Squire, and now that the Knight was dead, the Apprentice had one more order to fulfill.
The First Squire took the First Knight’s Chalice of Malice and poured some water into it, and as Shadow Apprentice drank, his armor started to change…

Khadaz, Norscu, and Kytan sat around a small, circular table with a tape recorder at the center. In reality, Kytan Ikhav, the 10^th Level Bioni-Lord, was the brother of Genakex Ikhav, thus making him Khadaz’s uncle. Needless to say, Khadaz was surprised. Norscu verified Kytan’s words and suggested that Khadaz hear the full story, and Khadaz agreed but recommended that they record the tale so that the others could hear it later. Khadaz and Norscu settled in, nodded, and hit the record button, and then they both looked to Kytan.
Kytan took a deep breath and sighed, and then he said, “My name is Kytan Ikhav…and this is the story of how I became the 10^th Level Bioni-Lord.”

TO BE CONTINUED

Message From the Author:

IT’S DONE!! IT’S FINALLY DONE!! WOOOO!! Ahem…don’t get me wrong, there were times I loved Sekai, but there was so much stuff to jam into it! I’m relieved that Sekai is complete and I can move on with the Bioni-Lords Saga, because I’m afraid I might have to ‘grow up’ soon…ugh…hopefully I’ll still have time to write. Anyway, I’d like to thank everyone who has enjoyed and contributed to Bioni-Lords over the years, and I would like to apologize for being such an amateur. I know I’m not the best writer, but I’ll continue doing my best to improve and make this series as enjoyable as possible. Thanks for sticking with me, and I hope to see you further down the road! Book 3 is next, and I’m going to try to keep this one small…for a Bioni-Lords Book, at least. Also, be sure to check my blog this time next week for the first Book 3 teaser! Thanks again!

--Pahrak; also known as Zadakh; also known as ‘The Man of Many Pseudonyms’…well, that last one hasn’t quite caught on yet…

Sekai Prologue posted March 20, 2009
Sekai Epilogue written June 22, 2011
Sekai Epilogue posted November 15, 2011
Pages used in Sekai*: 957
Total pages, Books 1+2*: 1,473
(*Page counts do not include ‘Special Chapters’ or short stories)

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