Arc 4: What families entail Road
A group of Warriors sat together inside Athens, near what may be the last Gravestone Pirate leaders camp in Athens. The Demi-human war had been wagging for a while, but it still had a good twenty years before it ended. Twenty years of Athens strongest, working together. Right now they were young, distant, eager to please, and led by Garly. Demi-humans had only been allowed into the army a few decades ago, but she sat with the Prince and Princess with orders over them by the Queen and King. Lilith, Stern, Raylice, and Lincoln.
Garly: "You guys should get to know each other. From here on out, unless people show up or you die, this is our strongest group. Which is crazy since you're all kids but I guess Walgonia's dealing with the same thing. But Musashi's group is close knit, along with Ravoria's and Valatroctius'. If we wanna survive them and the Demi-human army we've got to at least like each other."
Lincoln: "I like you guys -
Lilith: "This is useless. If we're the strongest Athens has then that's it. My parents are too sick to fight so we've gotta do it for them. It's simple. We should be acting instead of sitting in the dark."
Stern: "I agree. We -
Garly: "I DON'T CARE! That's not what I'm ordering! You've got to listen or your parents will replace you with people that will!"
Raylice: "LISTEN HERE YOU DAMN MUTT!"
In these times Demi-humans were almost always looked at with fear or disgust, even if it sat under a false guise of kindness. But even Lilith, Raylice, and Stern would bash one of their own Warriors for it given the need. Until Lincoln went to scream out to stop, but Garly acted faster. Standing with an incredibly harsh glare toward Raylice, then to her own princess and prince.
Garly: "Do you even know what we're fighting for? Do you think it's killing every Demi-human? Taking over Saga? Because your parents do. A long line of Valentines who killed, who hated, and we've been blessed by people who think of balance again. Don't ruin it, because it'll create another Demi-human war. Attracked more Demi-humans from around the world, from around Saga to crush us."
Stern: "You're people started this war! Killed millions around Saga! -
Garly: "AND HUMANS HAVE KILLED EVEN MORE! NOW LISTEN TO THE WORD OF YOUR KING, YOUR QUEEN, YOUR DAMN PARENTS, AND THE WORD OF YOUR SUPERIOR!"
Lilith: "Fine. But we did speak. But you need -
Lilith slammed her hand against her head in a fit of pain. So much pain she thought something had attacked her, poison or something corrupted, maybe a spell. Without a thought Lincoln burst forward, faster than both Raylice and Stern, to hold his princess.
Lincoln: "What happened!? Are you alright!?"
She wanted to tell him to get away, to shut up, to never touch her again. But she desperately grabbed his hand, squeezing so hard she almost broke it, but he just held tight. Garly moved to get healers, Stern ran to his tent, and Raylice just sat frozen. Unable to act, to breathe, just staring forward with an intense hatred that only seemed to get worse. First at the Coliseum City when they became Warriors, when he saved her life, and now was holding the only person she cared for. The only person her heart longed for. Yet Lilith was lost in a sea of pain, like her heart was screaming while the world spun and spun. The medics got there quickly but Stern was faster, injecting Lilith with a vial of a reddish orange glowing liquid. The alchemy of the Salvar family. It sent even more pain through her for just a second, piercing ears with her screams, before all that pain vanished. Allowing her to struggle, but move onto her feet. Looking back at Lincoln as Stern and Garly pulled her away for more healing.
Stern: "Dammit…It's affecting you early. I've been getting the shakes but that was rough. Is this the first time you've, I guess, been stricken like that?"
Lilith: "No! Fuck so this is what mom and dad have!?"
She was about to collapse into tears, but her pride was far too high, replacing it with exploding anger.
Garly: "Yeah, it is. But they've been holding on for a while. The disease grows to be crippling before you die, so you've got a decade or two before you'll have to worry about it. But I'll send out word to your family, Stern's supply of Elixirs won't be enough for the two of you if we need to move into Walgonia or even further."
Lilith: "Ugh, thank you."
In the early days it was rough, with only Lincoln and Garly keeping their spirits up. It was the many battles spent together, all the victories, all of the Demi-humans slowly joining the ranks. Until the fateful day the Great Dragon attacked the strongest camp. Stern, Raylice, Garly, and every Elite there froze under the presence of the massive beast. It scales far, far harder than reinforced Dragon stone. Four eyes, four horns, the size of an eight story building and almost a block in length. It used to be as big as the island, strong enough to crack a continent, and it did. Resulting in the banishing of every dragon by the Great Spirits themselves, and the punishment of the Great Dragon that did it. But that Great Dragon was infected by what looked like a mutation, a parasite created by Corruption, sending that beast into a blind rage. It simply dropped into the forest tore a hole in it, the wind force ripping the skin and skulls off Warriors. But Lincoln never hesitated. He simply released everything he didn't know he had, because Lilith was in front of it. Coughing blood.
Lincoln: "GET AWAY FROM HERE!"
Awakening his internal mana, something a few had done in history, and learning to control it. Something nobody had ever done in history. Allowing him to get enough strength, to punch that Dragon so hard it knocked the sense into it. Allowing the Dragon to heal past the parasite, and bow its head before flying away to never be heard from since. It was the moment Lincoln became the strongest man in the world and unlocked the final thing he needed to become unstoppable by anything and everything before Kioshi came around. And it made Lilith finally understand, he was worthy of everything he had, and that she had been the failure at every turn. After that they drank, they talked, they began to smile. And before Raylice or anybody else knew it, Lilith was pregnant, and their wedding was on the way. The day Lincoln became a Valentine, and the day Raylice discovered she was Demi-human. The worst day of Athens' second strongest Warriors life.
Lilith: "I wish Raylice could have been here, she was supposed to be with you."
Garly helped style Lilith's bright yellow hair back, already having put on her long white dress draped in thin flower sown patterns. Staring back at a thick door Lincoln was pacing behind, dawning a suit for once in his life. His hair pushed back, his face shaved, he hasn't even had a sip of booze. Unlike the few shots Lilith took to get through the pain, and the pain of the child she was carrying.
Lincoln {Oh man oh man oh man -
But he was stopped by Stern, leaning over on his spear out of pain.
Stern: "I'm surprised you're so spooked. Jumping into a Dragon had you smilin, even if it broke all your bones."
Lincoln: "Well this was a harder fight! She didn't even like me till a few years ago! But I gotta just gotta keep lettin stuff go smoothly."
Stern: "If you think she started liking you when that Dragon attacked you really are as stupid as Raylice says. And didn't she ask you to marry her?"
Lincoln: "Well yeah but I don't know, what if she suddenly hates me or something! Then I'll just be a super strong drunk!"
Stern: "Isn't that what you wanted to be? You having a kid, hell you probably gonna be king some day too. Not the image I expected, but you surpassed what everybody thought."
Lincoln: "I'll take that as a complement."
Stern had a beard similar to the one Leo had now, his face wrinkled by the pain and decay of his body, even if he hadn't even turned forth yet. Dressed in his long coat just like Bearguard. But he was obviously struggling, shaking, and a bit drunk from the open bar in the main hall. Filled with Warriors and Nobles waiting for the ceremony.
Stern: "Now have you seen Raylice by the way? My, I guess Our parents, ew, were looking for her. Since the Guraces were asking. But they haven't been seen since last night when Raylice left with them. Worried something happened,"
Lincoln: "She's probably killing something, I wouldn't worry about her."
The door swung open, triggering Stern to cover Lincoln's eyes assuming it's Lilith. But it was Garly, taking hold of their collars to pull them into the main hall. Under the guise of so many Warriors and Elites on the main floor, while overhead watched the nobles. The likes of the Thorn family, some of the Guraces, the Salzars, the Una, among many others. It also happened to be the first time in history a Valentine wedding had Demi-humans there, and there they were in dense numbers. So many in the Warriors, so many walking the streets living a normal life, so many friends with the top of this country. Fighting together, for the same safety, even if they hated it for so long had resulted in real growth. Something the Arrows of the past would be proud of, the world the Arrows fought for appearing out of the War that had been waging for so long. Through the wide hall filled with columns, flowers, tables draped in long cloths, all leading up to a podium for their closest friends. That list wasn't big, but there were more people than Lincoln or Lilith could have dreamed of. And Lincoln walked past everybody, proud, before walking up the stairs to speak out to his people. But he'd have to wait.
The music played, the doors opened, everybody got into their seats, and a footstep silenced the room. Lincolns, Athens sun, Lilith Valantine. Happy to see so many different faces, happy to see her old and sickly parents watching over, happy to see her brother, and her own son. Lincoln himself. Closer and closer, until he reached for her hands.
"STOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOPPPPP!!!!"
Athens froze, with all eyes on a Dragon stone clad Elitie. Her hair flowing, her face melting with rage, and her sharp teeth dripped with fresh blood. Raylice Gurace, having killed as much of her family as she could for making her this way. Making her a Demi-human. But now she had to kill Lincoln, for making her alone.
Lincoln: "DON'T! YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO THIS!"
Raylice: "Oh but I really do."
Before she left her spot the stone broke, cracked, violently shattered. Elites, some nobles, even Stern tried to react. But Lincoln had already vanished. Raylice attempted to clash, unleashing everything she had. Her Mark of Dominic included. But Lincoln pulled back his arm, kicked off the ground as many times as he could in a burst, and landed at least five strikes across Raylice's body all faster than the breaths of the Warriors. Sending Raylice flying through a few walls, before a large window they fall and fall out over the Capital. Blinded by the sun, before Lincoln's shadow blocked it.
Lincoln: "What did you do!? What happened!? Why the hell are you doing this!?"
Raylice: "YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHY!"
Her teeth, her claws, her presence all extended. Charging a swing of power that may have cleaved through hundreds of souls in the tower, forcing Lincoln to vanish. Appearing under Raylice before punching her so hard the city froze. And a torrent of wind was unleashed upon the Tower yard, as Raylice was sent flying through the air like a shooting star. The only thing moving fast enough to keep up was Lincoln, slamming punch after punch, chipping away at her Dragon stone with each godly blow. Separating clouds, shaking the ground below, scaring swarms of civilians and Spirit Beasts. All while he had a face of sorrow.
Lincoln: "So WHAT IF YOU'RE A DEMI-HUMAN!? ALL OF YOUR PROBLEMS WITH THEM ARE YOURS AND ONLY YOURS! GARLY, SO MANY WARRIORS! ELITIES! NOBLES! WITHOUT THEM WE WOULDN'T HAVE SURVIVED THE DEMI-HUMAN WAR! WITHOUT YOU WE WOULDN'T HAVE SURVIVED! IF YOU'RE A DEMI-HUMAN, SHOULDN'T THAT TELL YOU ALL YOU'VE THOUGHT IS WRONG!?"
Raylice: "NO! IT JUST MEANS I WAS RIGHT ABOUT EVERYTHING! THAT I'M WEAK, AND THAT DEMI-HUMANS ARE JUST MONSTERS WHO DO WHATEVER THEY NEED TO GET WHAT THEY WANT! NO MATTER HOW MUCH BLOOD IS SPILLED, NO MATTER HOW MANY FAMILIES ARE DESTROYED! BUT I'M NOT INSANE! I'LL KILL THE PEOPLE WHO DID THIS TO ME, THE PEOPLE WHO RUINED MY LIFE, AND THEN I'LL GO BACK TO BEING THE PERFECT WARRIOR I'VE ALWAYS BEEN!"
She was interrupted by a mighty Dragons fist. Clearing the sky, breaking Raylice Dragon stone helmet instantly, and leaving the rest of her armor chipping away as she plummeted out of the sky. Bursting and bursting, before she hit the sand below so hard a small tornado of dust was picked up. Sent flying away as Lincoln soared downward, carrying his arm down and down.
And looking on from the Tower, was Lilith. Coughing blood and about to collapse before Stern held her.
Stern: "Sister…it's our parents. The shock, Raylice Mark…it was too much -
Lilith: "SHUT UP SHUT UP! JUST GO! PLEASE JUST GO -
Her world so quickly shattered, and then came the Coliseum city. Lincoln didn't give Raylice the chance to kill anymore, the chance to destroy anything. She may be Athens second strongest, but when brought into conversation with people all around the world, her title didn't mean nearly as much. People like Lincoln, real Gods, were more than just strength. It was control, his control over the world with how much windforce he was pulling down. How he controlled his body, mastered the idea of might, the idea of a Warrior. And managed to defeat somebody like Raylice in one real punch, one devastating attack at the max of his power heightened by the Dragons Spirit. Maybe it took a handful of strikes before that would have killed most in this world, but this punch would have definitely done the job.
Raylice: "GET AWAY! GEEET AWAAY!!"
She stood as quick;y as possible, about to dash out of the way. Standing in the center of the Coliseum, within the center of the Coliseum city. Watched over by so many as she desperately tried to do something in her last moments before decades of captivity. Raylice Gurace, a bleeding broken Warrior, a broken Demi-human. A failure, who just got defeated by the Dragon of Athens without a sweat, But all she had time to do was look up, and take the punch. Sending her back against the ground, destroying her Dragon Stone armor along with almost every bone she had, and kicking up enough force to ravage everything. It came out in the form of dense waves, almost like slashes, that the beautiful and massive Coliseum was forced to absorb. With a moment, it all shattered, caving in on sides and breaking open in others. Thankfully killing no one, but doing enough damage that it stayed destroyed till modern day.
Raylice was thrown under Panzer, the wedding was postponed, and Lincoln first learned that his body was beginning to break down due to the strain his intense power had taken on him. So much gone so wrong so quickly, and Bearguard hadn't even been born yet. Stern took the chance to step away for a time, with Garly, while Lincoln and Lilith finally took the crown. Far from joyful. But as ready as they'd ever be, to sit on the throne, before making war plans they'd carry out with their own strength.
The first Valentine tried so hard to make peace, so hard she lost contact with the country that gave her access to that land in the first place. The Third Valentine caused a war that wiped out what Athens could have been, and almost led to its fall during the Demi-human war. It was Lilith and Stern's parents that acted with the world, that acted with Walgonia, and built a country ready to move further than anywhere else. With Lincoln, Lilith, Stern, and Garly left to make sure Athens really became that land of peace the first Valentine and Arrows fought for, so long ago by now. Yet, right now, Athens was going up in flames. The Capitals heart ruptured, the North East Bay building with flames, and every Warrior and Red Arrow, every person who was ready and willing to fight, was fighting for their life right this second.
Gray {HERE IT GOES DAMMIT, EVERYTHING WE'VE GOT AND EVERYTHING WE DON'T KNOW WE HAVE!}
The city broke open like an egg, cracking with explosions breaking through the tunnels under this great city. Emerging like a fountain of flames, lighting up the dark sky, and the coming waves of Red Arrows. South, East, West, came the spirits of Athens. WIth magic, with Demi-human strength, Marks, any non-human invention or technique. They fought like the world wanted it to. Like everybody, everything was being used. Whether it be weapons, Demi-human abilities, affinities, joined spells, chants, pure will power and team work. That's what it took, to challenge people who existed to destroy that very world. They emerged from the earth, the windows, the shadows. To rush head first against Warriors charging to fight. Arrows, streams and balls of the elements, blades, flying Demi-humans, leaping humans, sparks of mana all throughout, to clash and destroy.
Gray {Come on come on come on! Just like In Walgonia, I can keep up, I can -
Mid-run across a rooftop, about to puke from panic because of all the screams. The sounds of shattering buildings, the heat of magic firing off behind him. And the moment he was ready, his foot slipped, sending him swinging down as Rosemary continued to jump across the building. She was focused, ready, having been in situations like this far more times than she'd like to count. But Gray was still trying his best, reaching out a hand to the Red Arrows. Before he froze, watching in horror as one was shot down in an instant by some archers. A Demi-human leaping over was shot backward by a blast of dense fire, burning a horrible hole right through him. And when Gray looked back, to a group of civilians, he reached out his hand. Right before they were engulfed in the flames of the Red Arrows explosion, almost instantly. Throwing Gray back, making him puke, and almost leaving him completely paralyzed.
Gray {FUCK! NO NO NO! This isn't like the Sect, this…this is real war.}
He realized right then, just what the Sect was. They'd destroy, they'd take over, they'd wipe you out, but when it came to civilians. The innocents. They never targeted them directly, they tried to not get them caught in the cross fire. Of course there were the crazies, the murderers, serial killing psychos like Arthur, but the majority of those Anarchists were drawn in the help. To fight, for everybody, just like Red Arrows were doing right now. It made Gray feel so, so sick. So sad. So useless. On his knees shaking from the explosion still shooting out through the tunnels. Shaking from everything, and for Gray it felt like slow motion. The Warriors and Elites were so fast, so angry, and the Red Arrows flowed past Gray like an ocean over sand. In the smaller scurmeshes, in Bruge, even in Gurren, Gray was technically their best chance. Even if he wasn't, he made it that way by just acting. But here, when his team weren't all trained Knights, when he only had Leo and Toll to rely on, two people compared to the multiple Elities protecting him in Walgonia. This was the night in the Castle, where so much was happening, and all of it was above them all.
Nobody here could change the tie by themselves, nobody was going to scare Athens away. All trained, some better than others. All real fighters. And then there was Gray. A boy who fell into this world almost five months ago, given the strength to keep the might back, to help the rising, but he wouldn't be an Elitie for some time. He just had to accept it, accept his role. And he did when he saw his light, never wavering, simply jumping. Caring some civilians while she kicked a group of Warriors back with the fourth stage. Let them run with other crowds while she threw Wagons like cannon balls with ease.
Rosemary {THERE!}
Like Rosemary, they all fought for something they wanted. For her, it was a complete victory, others it was for safety, legacy, to just survive, all together for one united Idea. To save, to win, and to rebuild. Rosemary did that by surging into the third stage and sliding across the street, ahead of her Red Arrows and Spartans, to extend her finger. Flicking a fourth stage blast of wind pressure against a wave of Warriors, opening them up for large and small Demi-humans to flash past. Massive claws, thick skin, wings, elemental or spiritual affects, to cut through them all. But the ripples of the explosion had all the civilians resistant to leaving before screaming in fear through the streets, and for some of the old or weakly built towers near the core, were sent falling.
"EL-WIGVIC!" "ELDIGVIC!"
A few Red Arrows formed into groups, running and leaping together toward the tall towers of dirty white and grey stone falling atop them. Filled with screaming people, people about to lose their lives because of the Arrows, so they had to do anything they could to save them. So they did, screaming out Ice and Earth spells to form large spikes of such elements, forming from the ground and mid-air to spark into one shape. Through the cracks, through the sides of the building and any buildings beside it, to hold them mid-air. People were still injured, things lost, people lost, but they did even more.
Gray {MOVE DAMMIT MOVE! STAY TRUE TO YOUR WORD FOR ONCE!}
Gray swung forward with the Cloak, fixing his mask as he flipped forward. Toward a collapsing half of a tower about to crush some fleeing people, and Red Arrows. With a low-level flow of mana, mixed with Spirit mana enough to reach the Spirit sense, he flipped through a broken window.
Gray: "EVERYBODY GRAB HOLD!"
He poured Spirit mana from his body into the Cloak, causing the Cloak to empower and stretch out. The goo like Cloak got thicker, built over itself, crunched up and snapped out. Gray's control had risen so much but his adrenaline, his need to save, his reliance on the Cloak and all of the mana, hate, fear he was feeding it allowed it to move on its own. Like a part of the family, protecting its loved one by helping him. It burst out to the bodies of all the civilians still left in the hall. Quickly growing around their body to yank them without ripping off limbs or breaking bones. A few people on both sides while he let as many people grab onto him as possible. Breaking through the other side of the tower in a few seconds, sliding across the ground in awe.
Gray {If not for them, so many people would have just died because I'm so weak. Dammit, this battle just started and I'm doing so badly!}
Leo, Toll, and Julius went through the lower, upper, and middle floor that Gray had missed. Grabbing everybody left before stepping out of the building just as it shattered against the road.
Leo: "Keep movin Gray! To the Tower! DON'T STOP TO BREATHE!!!"
It felt like a teacher calling him out, shocking him to twist his head and jump without any idea of where he was going or what he was doing. The Capital was shaking, roaring, still with so much fire. The explosion had stopped, the damage settled, and hopefully Raylice was lost to Eclis. But then came the Tower, the Top Elites, the King's desperate wrath.
Beauregard: "NO NO NO NO NO NO!!!! DAMMIT!? UGH! UUAAGGH!"
He was throwing everything he could, books, weapons , pictures and glasses, flinging bookshelves and statues to the floor. Bunching the stone walls enough to leave bloody stains from his knuckles across them. All while Iris and Calgary silently watched over. Ordered to stay inside the tower, and allow the Top Elites to do all they could to stop the Red Arrows once and for all. All while the flashes of war were seen from the massive window in front of them all. The last of Athens might, a force on par with some of Walgonia's best, but not nearly as good as their top Leviathan Soldiers. Not nearly as strong as Athens past Top Elites. Yet, even weakened from their previous battles just a few days ago, they broke through the Tower. Past the Tower as a wave of Elites poured forward. To meet the Arrows before the last few blocks to the Tower grounds.
Rosemary moved along the roofs of the west side, the Red Arrows had started from the center, and Julius was beginning to head toward the East rooftops. Leo, ignited with bright yellow lightning, flashed past everybody. Toll leap almost as hard, making sure to send surges of wind pressure into groups of Warriors to send them flying. And Gray was quickly left behind, trying his best to keep all damage to his body to a minimum. To send out his Cloak, his hand, or even his foot to anybody that could grab on. All before taking out his blade to block, to push away, and barely cut down a single Warrior trying to stop him. Letting that Warrior lay on the ground clutching his bleeding leg, still alive, while Gray looked down, flaming with a short aura of spirit mana. His face was sweating, worried, angry, trying so hard to focus. All hidden by the mask he took from Jeremiah. Just an image now. Hopefully one of hope, and not something worthy of the name Phantom Knight.
Gray {Low Power, I can do this! Like in Guren, I'll make it through! I won't ever fail like I did against Calgary ever again!!!}
But then he looked down at the little brown haired boy, the old father, the injured mother. The fearful look in their eyes. He pulled that mask up, got down, and reached out a hand.
Gray: "It's okay it's okay! Courtesy of the Red Arrows and Walgonia, I promise, if you stay low and hidden it'll all be okay. I promise, pinky even."
"Pinky?"
Gray tried to force a smile at the confused boy, but the almost deafening sound of an Earth spell blasting the top of a sixty year old shop. Forcing him to stand and drop his mask while the family screamed and ran toward a nearby cellar. When they looked back, he had already jumped and threw the cloak against the wall, swinging, kicking two Warriors in the face before arching up into the air, flipping in terror, and barely gliding across some short shops.
Gray {Where's Rosmeary!? No Tower! I gotta go to the Tower, she's stronger than me and she can do this! Just focus! FOCUS!}
Olivia, Loraine, Kacy, Hartly, Gracey, and Frank, all bursting ahead of the hundreds of Warriors pouring out ahead of them. With the wave of Warriors and Elites, the swarms of dense leather and Dragon Stone, came the last of Athens true might. Stern was just as strong as almost all of them combined, Lilith more so, Garly a bit better, Lincoln definitely. But all things considered, Garly out of her prime and Toll the only massive Pillars of strength that managed to stay in Athens, Leo was just above. Not as skilled nor experienced as Garly, not as strong or durable as either, not faster, not even smarter. But with his might, his speed, his will, and his Mark of Providence, that lighting clad Warrior shot forward like an arrow.
Leo {Things are really gonna ramp up now, but if we managed to clear the path, even defeat the rest of their Elites, then the Tower is ours no doubt about it! Our victory, it's so so close! I just have to finally close the damn distance and kill you, brother!}
Rosemary helped lift a few wagons and carriages filled with people away from the roars, Julius focused on cutting down the Warriors attempting to hold the rooftops, and Gray swung down low across the streets before flipping up and forward. Zigzagging to a hand in need, to grab hold and get out, while the Warriors chasing behind were quickly surrounded by Red Arrows.
Gray: "Let go in one, two, three! Get to safety quickly, quickly!!!"
On three he gently let go, allowing them to stand and twist to the other fleeing civilians. Watching as Gray clears the alley with that same swing of his stretched cloak and kicking, and jumping off the face of a large Elite Warrior about to cut through some Spartans on the sidewalk.
Gray {There!}
Still crouched atop the Dragon stone helm of the Elite, his attention spiked behind him. The surging mana of Leo, the powerful shock waves of Toll, and the tsunami of Warriors coming from all over the upper half of the capital. The east especially. From overhead it looked like yin and yang, mixed with fires and winds, water and ice, earth, wind. And so, so much lighting. All around a sunken in center, still shaking and quaking from the massive explosion barely fifteen minutes ago.
Leo: "THE RED ARROWS, THE PEOPLE OF ATHENS HAVE SHED THEIR LAST TEARS! NEVER AGAIN WILL ATHENS DESTORY ITSELF! NEVER AGAIN WILL WE THROW OUR PEOPLE AWAY, SLAUGHTER SO MANY! SO, WARRIORS, SURREENDER! OR FACE THE WRATH OF THE TRUE PEOPLE OF ATHENS!"
Olivia was clad in a thick veil of wind, Loraine vanished into the shadows as arrows shot forward, Kacy pushed with Elites on horse back to stop the Arrows from moving any further, Hartley took command of as many Elites and Warriors that would follow, Gracey moved within the tsunami of people, and Frank Will was let off his leash. Frank, and the rest of the Surge vials were passed around, the last time the Salzar family would ever do so for Athens. Alchemy and alchemist aren't such a common occurrence in this world, compared to all the magic users. It required textbook knowledge, trial and error, more artful and mastered than instinctive. But it was expensive, consuming, not widely thought of, and widely discouraged.
Elixirs always result in addiction and bodily decay over time, only low level moderation existed without harsh affects. But regular use, especially constant and over use, leads to overdoses that break the person. If they manage to survive, being without the same elixir would leave you dead. Groups of people around the world had taken Elixirs for generations, resulting in a bit of resistance, in rare cases an almost complete resistance, but there was always something. To push it further to things like potions, you needed mana and affinities, but that only made it harder to get into. Leaving most alchemists rich mages, or people willing to use the dark sides. To test on people, to manipulate, to create power. The Dark Arts being a subclass inside Alchemy, true power being so respected in this world, it all made it taboo. And Frank Will was a living example.
A natural resistance, on top of a massive tolerance due to his addiction, left him able to survive this overdosed state. The regeneration, endurance, stamina boosts, and small variations of them stacked together to force this man forward no matter how much function he lost. How much of a Beast he became. If anybody else in Athens did this, including the world's strongest man, all of these Demi-humans, the magical fighters, would have died before they even finished the experiment. Although having the highest tolerance in Athens, maybe all of Saga, was something he had been bragging about since he was a teenager. Even if that kept him in the mid ranked Warriors for almost twenty years before Bearguard removed the Elixir restriction.
They together would have to face the Red Arrows. Watched over by Iris, Calgary, and their king. And they were coming together.
Kacy: "We can't let them get any closer, if they do then we've lost!"
They were all still damaged from their previous battles. Olivia was faced with a permanent pain because of Leo, Kacy's mark had yet to fully recover, Harlty had overused his Spirit sense, and the reality of it all weighed heavily on Gracey. But they moved like hell, and Kacy leapt off her horse to slide across the shaking street. Her hands out, expelling mana to take hold of the earth spirit mana in the air. Forcing the ground to break and rise, the air to pull into itself and become a dense stone. Through and within the buildings between the wide road, separating and bursting through, to build a wall of spikes a few stories tall. Blocking multiple blocks from simply running into the Tower district. About two and a half blocks from the wide castle grounds, around the tower itself.
Olivia {Good! We have to keep them out, force them to run and finally stop! We were separated in Cretan, but here, here we -
He moved as a bolt of lightning. Pushing out so much force, while keeping it as dense as possible, to shoot through the Capital. Destroying the ground, buildings, breaking through entire groups of Warriors with bursts of lighting, even zapping side to side mid-air. Getting further and further away from his sprinting, leaping, and flying Arrows, closer to the looming wall. But he had zipped upward first, in front of Olivia mid-thought to break her pace instantly. All of his built momentum, mixed with heavy effort and a violent discharge of lighting, sent a pulse of force through the air and her body. Sending her flying against the top of the wall before skidding across a few rooftops. Smashing brick, stone, tiles, and wood before trying to stand again.
Loraine sent arrows covered in earth mana forward with her other archers for Leo to vanish mid-air. But her arrows followed him, snapping to break against his iron hard layer of lightning atop his Dragon stone armor and incredible body. Unable to stop him from throwing his spear as hard as he could into the stone wall. Cracking a massive dent inside, as Toll jumped like she had everything to lose. Her dragon stone armored leg forward, pulling the wind with her might, and kicked a hole through the wall. Opening that side of the street, before both Red Arrow leaders were in the air. Above hundreds of Warriors and Elites, In the sights of the Top Elites, and so damn close to the Tower.
Leo:"Like old times! Show me how real Elites fight! Why were we warriors so feared!"
Blades swung, mana ignited, elixirs were drunken and others were drenched in potions, arrows shot forward, but they were already gone. Leo zipped further into the street, between the dense crowd with a discharge of lighting like static from an amp. Lifting the weaker Warriors into the air as it became denser, almost like tendrils grabbing hold of them as they shot backward. Burning, jolting, decaying as the lightning fried their existence. Like acid, like a blade, slashing through the skin and muscle, melting down the bone and turning the flesh to ash, making their nerves non existent. And if you were an Elite, for once the resistance to natural affects didn't help, because they were all living lighting rods.
They still pushed to swarm him in mass, while the thousands of others charged to clash with the Red Arrows. Toll worked to clear as much as she could, kicking torrents of wind that broke past anything in its way. Ripping into the stone, pushing the small shops to the floor, and breaking the limbs off the weaker Warriors. The Elites that survived the intense, heavy force that smashed into them while the wind tore them inside out, were left with broken bones and destroyed equilibrium. She continued lunging forward or leaping into the air before spinning and smelling her leg, throwing it out, or simply attacking something, to send out shockwaves powerful enough to leave craters wherever she went.
Toll {I'm sorry, I know you're hurting Athens, but I'll free you. I promise it won't be much longer.}
But then, both in the middle of sending Warriors flying with large attacks, felt a mass of mana quickly building. Leo vanished, but his choice to bulldoze past as many Warriors and Elites as possible made him slower. Kacy, past her destroyed wall and in the center of the massive and chaotic battle of Red Arrows. Winged Demi-human slammed and threw, slashed and grabbed, shot arrows and threw weapons, but an attack from a Top Elite continued to stop them. Kacy lightly floated Mid-air, a wind spell from Olivia that created a continuously floating aura of bright blue wind, her arms out to pour out even more mana. The scale could not compare to her massive attacks in Cretan, now her Mark was already beginning to crack down. But the flames and wind built up above them, a small sun that could wipe out a hundred or more people in a moment all because of a simple Mark of Providence, inspired the hearts of all.
Warriors leapt, shot streams of fire and water from the crystals embedded in their armor or just their elemental affinity itself. Some took more Elixirs and potions to book those affinities, that power, to keep blasting Red Arrows away. The flying Demi-human, different types of birds and bats, more unique Spirit beasts with elemental or bone, even no wings, to fly. Shot with arrows through the jugular with pinpoint accuracy and enough power to blow it clean through. Head after head, nothing but choking and screaming blood, from the archery of Loraine. Those that got closer, like Leo's spear he hurled through the air to stop her just before it went off, were halted all the same.
Olivia: "EL-GISNIS!!"
She pulled her hands through the air, twisting her hips and wrists to dance and spin. All while an intense mass of mana, spirit mana, and Wind mana flashed green to blue, and condensed into an ear piercingly loud flash of condensed wind. Whipping and whooshing, before roaring against an incredible surge of lighting. All to send that spear flying away and get snapped back against a few buildings before landing in Leo's desperately shaking and lightning-covered hand.
Leo {MY FAMILY!}
He went to put everything into a leap, for a dense wall of spirit mana to form and flatten his face. Stalled, and confused long enough for Grace to shoot a large spiral thorn construct between his clasped hands. Hartley and Grace together, holding the line as Warriors aimed their blades toward Leo's crackling aura. And for a second,.it felt like they'd had their first big loss, until Athens Heroes pulled out their first.
Gray: "WHO SAID YOU COULD DO THAT!?"
Rosemary {Control it, focus, move in and out, win without fail!}
Julius: "This is not a very nice way to treat your dear home is it? Sad honestly."
Gray swung and Rosemary threw the air with his Cloak. Rosemary on the other hand made sure to keep the this stage at max strength, enough so she could easily access a burst of the forth stages power without expanding too much stamina, and kicked even further. Olivia had to prepare another wind spell, Kacy had to launch her attack, and Loraine was forced to kick off the ground and escape a strike from the shadows. Julius, rapidly thrusting on the edge of the roof with perfect footwork. One over another, swiping Loraine's bow, dagger, and attempting to harness mana for a spell. Insuring Rosemary could charge that punch, and punch Kacy right in her non Dragon armored head. Smashing into, then off her face, before Rosemary aimed toward the street of fighters below.
She slid across, looking up with hope, as Gray slingshot himself with the Cloak to grapple Kacy mid-air.
Gray {Saving people, I can do that with my hand, but if I use that hand to stop people like her too, I can save even more!}
Kacy hit the top of Gray's head twice, enough to get him to squeeze her Dragon stone armored guy even tighter. The Cloak reacted on its own with bloodlust. Snapping into the vents of her armor to push it apart, to trap her inside. His mana flow increased to counter hers, holding her long enough to slam her against her own Warriors before flipping off and barely landing on his knees. Instantly he was slashed across the armor on his shoulder, kicked against his knee, slashed against his Clock and armored back, before Kacy let out a hefty strike to his chest. Sending him into the air to be saved by Rosemary, crashing through a building right after to hold him and let Gray breathe.
Gray: "Jesus! If I didn't have mana, armor, I'd be dead…"
Rosemary looked back toward the battle without a thought. But when she felt Gray's quiver, his pain, his fear, she turned back. And saw herself, hiding in the middle of another Golden Knight battle. Instantly she lost focus on the fight, and just held his arms.
Rosemary: "You're okay, you're doing great, you've probably helped more people than me at this rate. But if we can make it through this chaos, bring em down, then it's clear sailing. We've got it, just keep a determined heart and stand up like you always do!"
She hugged him tight, but he backed away. Clasping hands and empowering their mana at the same time, lovers, partners, but dear friends. Family. Knights who had to jump together, away from each other, and find their place in this hell. Hell filled with settling flames, new emerging ones, and rain from a crying Athens. Harsh rain that felt as violent as the battle at hand.
Leo {This rain feels great, but it's making my lighting harder to hold! I've gotta keep going! Don't waste a second, fight as hard as everybody, as smart!}
He was trying to protect everybody. Having beat and cut down so many, piles of burnt and broken bodies left behind. But he had to step up and do what everybody else couldn't;Leo had to put away his fear, and pull out his rage, to fight these Top Elities with everything he had.
Leo: "Toll! Push -
In the middle of battle, between Kacy's destroyed wall, he tried so hard to lead even still. But he watched closely, because the last act of the Salvar family was rampaging. A mass of muscles kept in by stretched and snapped skin, veins glowing with a mix of colors predominantly red and gold, eyes burning with that same brightness. Kept safe by his dragon stone armor, without his right mind. He had a spider web of memories fading as the serum took hold, letting the massive amount of pain he was in come out as wrath. Aiming his first forward, to clash with Toll, before freezing. Promptly sending her flying back and taking two small shops with her.
Frank: "RRREEEAAAAHHHH!!!! WRAAAAKEEE WHRATTT UOU NWORSE BIGHC!"
The influx of pressure snapped the shops in on themselves, following Toll through the alley she slid through. She instantly recognized the glow, the mixture, the same she'd seen Stern and Lilith take in her youth, the same mixture she had seen Leo keep safe if he ever needed it. But she also knew it was frank, so she spread her legs and put up her only arm. Taking a breath, taking a second to regain before composure, all while Frank got closer. Got louder. Got larger. A few streets over had some rooftops erupting with earthen spikes, walls, bursts, and spikes that fired and formed every way Loraine could cast it. As the pink haired prince ran as hard as possible, swinging as hard as possible, quickly fluttering with his dance-like steps between above through and under all of her earth, her barriers and arrows.
To slash, damage her bow, thrust thrust thrust, force her back, swat at her limbs to force panic, twist and surprise her with a kick to the nose. Up, straight, twist, to effortlessly break it.
"El-Digcel!"
Poles of earth flung upward before locking into place to form a cage. And then without a thought of hesitation she aimed an arrow, and leg go. Julius was moments away from muttering a few words that would have saved him, lighting did that for him. Like a sniper shot against her back, twisting and grabbing hold to pull her as Leo leapt. Allowing Julius to burst, throw, and vanish. Rosemary and Gray moved across the rooftops together instead, ready to help Leo face the Top Elites before they saw his hand. Telling them to stop, to let him take the burden, and with fires emerging all around the capital, they listened. Allowing Leo to smash against a crowd of Warriors with a discharge of lighting from his shoulder, slam his foot into the stone to pivot and twist, before sending out a focused stream of lighting from his hands right behind his head.
Leo: "Your eyes lack conviction!"
He technically never saw her, but he knew who would attack him and that they would attack him. Sending out a dense, bright, pure stream of lighting to clash against Olivia. It was true her eyes lacked anger, instead it was fear, focus, determination. She had a mission, friends, and a life to uphold, yet her heart did burn with each Demi-human she killed. That didn't make her any better than those who did it without care, but there was at least the essence of a soul, one that would likely cease because of that care. That hesitation mixed with contradiction, and gave Leo more of an edge as he already did because of it.
Olivia: "You know nothing of my conviction! Of the Warriors you call monsters!"
A Spell of winds, empowered to a max level spell in hopes it would have opened up Leo for a killing bow, rapidly pulling away at the Spirit mana around you to destabilize Leo's blast. The electrical property was diluted, stacked upon her natural durability, armor, and mana. All with her well crafted blade at the front, taking and taking power, crack, more, crack, before she was forced to give in and fly backward once again. The lightning-like scars across her body from the previous battle began to open once again, to feel that same failure, only magnitudes more. But then came a boy laughing and laughing amidst the Warriors, and a young girl trying her best to fight, and an archer away in the shadows. Leo blocked, slashed, kicked, ducked and upper cut, spinning in circles as Warriors and Elites ran in, fell, and refilled to die again and again. If they got through his lighting increased and shot off his body, sending the bigger Elites into the crumbling buildings lining the streets.
Leo {Here it comes!}
Hartley: "EL-GONTO!"
Defensive Spirit Arts couldn't directly harm somebody, nor create something like a weapon or force to harm them. Shields, defensive effects, spiritual interference, but nothing to make you hit harder. Still, like manipulating gravity or blocking people in, you could always find ways to stun. To freeze. To defend yourself, and then take them down. In Hartley's case, he had a spell that made Leo see what was gone. A peaceful Athens, running and playing with his brother, with his mother. It would end the second Leo wanted it to, but it took a few seconds for him to snap out of it. Weakening his defense, deactivating his Mark, and setting up the chance for a kill.
Leo: "RED ARROWS NEVER FREEZE!"
As the metal from a few blades touched his skin, lighting shot out. An area discharge that focused on whomever it touched, holding on to burn and destroy as they flew backward. Clearing the soldiers and opening up the Top Elites. They slid into place, all around Leo, and a smile flared.
Leo: "WE FIGHT FOR A BETTER, SAFER WORLD! WHAT ATHENS WAS ALWAYS MENT TO DO!"
They were all coming together. Preparing to clash. From Red Arrows, Spartants, or Warriors. The Battle of the Gravestone Pirates was in the North East. And Gray Kyojin ran forward, stretching his Cloak and hand toward anybody in need. Leaping over the war, and saving the life within, as Rosemary helped with the heavy stuff. Kicking torrents of wind, sending Warriors flying with a single punch, and giving Gray the peace needed to fight clearly. Athens was so close to finally being its true self. But like Clockwork, the woman who helped push it back before rose one last time, and was ready to do it again. The destroyed capital moved inside of itself even more, sinking and collapsing. The earth sounded like the roar of the Great dragon, louder than the war, the rain fall.
Then guisers of wind pressure broke through the same holes the explosions did almost an hour ago. Round and round, breaking and crushing, twisting with itself into the tornado of power. It was the earth, and then it broke open at its peak. Letting out a broken spider, her dragon stone chipped and broke. Revealing her old, crushed, scared and stitched face. Now even more burnt, bruised, swollen. Power, fear, disgust, inside one crazy strong and regular crazy person. If even the rain stopped, surprised by her survival. But it is closer to the world showing everybody who to watch out for, who to run from.
Raylice: "VAAAALLLAAAANNNNTTIIIINNNNNEEEEEE!!!!"
The moment the explosion went off she spun and spun. Circulating the explosion with her impossible strength, as the world above caved in and the world below broke open. She fell, she drowned, she felt fear for the first time in a long time. But all that resulted from it, was wrath. All of the times she almost died to something collapsing, to the explosion breaking through, to the burns and shockwaves and earth she had to break through. It weakened bones, scorched skin, and broke down that beautiful armor. But she had her Blade, she had her claws, and she had more than enough strength to crush the Red Arrows right where they stood.
And at the same time, the battle with the Gravestone Pirates was going on. Caesar had vanished from his chains. Lincoln watched from atop Mount Yelira with his large gourd, drinking away while the War crushed and consumed Athens. It felt like everything was going so wrong and so right. But in the end.
Their choices, their development, their effort. It might all not matter anymore.
Because the end was already decided for them.
Gray {Let's do this.}