Arc 4: What families entail
Peter: "Why do you fight?"
Peter had asked Soku that question earlier in the morning, and it sent chills through her. It was a difficult question for them all. The Walgonian were fighting for their lives, along with the people of Athens. But Edward was without the family holding him down. Rosemary would have been safer to leave and head toward Valatroctius or even sail elsewhere. Soku could have dropped everything the moment Ophelia passed. Julius could have gone back home to his father. But they didn't. They fought on, trained on, and continued the mission.
The question was one Peter was asking himself over and over as he went on through his day. As he saw all of the Red Arrows, no matter their race or gender, power or specialty, they all had their own specific reason. But an unseen, almost cosmic glue held each group together. Peter spent a lot of his time making and repairing armor, teaching others how to do the same. Working on his own gadgets or weapons for others. Getting covered in soot and dust everyday for everybody. Fighting? No. But he knew why he built it. Why did he helped.
Peter {For all those fighting, putting their lives on the line, I have to do this, I have to do the only thing I'm good at until I'm dead. Just like they are.}
Edward meditated while the snow piled over him for almost two days straight. Eating only when Lincoln stepped away. Birds landed on his shoulders, weak and non violent Spirit Beasts looked and walked past while more powerful ones got scared off by Lincoln's presence. He saw his mother and Bjorn. Felt Moros crushing slams. Got overtaken by the burning Warriors Spirit. Sitting still even then. To find the strength he's always had within.
Edward {For all of the thoughts who need me, and for all the people that did need me.}
Soku spent her time gliding in circles in the caves. Running along the wall, dipping and flinging up, slamming into wall after wall, to be left with bruises through the rest of the day until she did it again in the morning. After gliding she spent time forcing her mark to its peak, so much so until it bled and cried out for it to stop. Red Arrows tested their might and defenses against the massive blasts of green wind that got sent their way, while Leo held her arm and tried to understand her mana flow. Still hearing Ophelia's horrid screams everyday and every night, however, they were slowly becoming cheers that pushed her on. They had to, or she'd keep breaking over and over again until it all ended.
Soku {For a world she would, no, for the world she always saw.}
Rosemary simply laid against her stone cold cell. Her wounds were healed, but her Spirit was all but alive. The Golden Knights, what they meant, what they did for Walgonia, it was all over. Even if Calgary still loved, even if she still loved, they were all finally gone. And still their weights loomed heavier than ever. The scars her mother and father left still felt fresh. Their lashes, their screams, the constant death. It would never end. All she had was her memories of a better time, and the hope it might all return to that one day. The prisoner that healed her was in a far worse state. But she was smiling, seeing the light Rosemary really was.
Rosemary {...for the chance of something more. For everybody I still have left. The only people who've ever felt real.}
Julius sat silent as always. Smiling, keeping to himself, watching over Bearguard as he planned and bashed his office in. Even though his country had lost him, even without his brothers, even after a third betrayal, he sat like he could escape with ease. His wounds were cold. His lips were dry. His body was unwashed. But there he sat, like a dire wolf in a wooden cage.
Julius {For the possible tomorrow comes, for the chance of greatness.}
Peter crafted away. Leo trained his heart out. Toll looked over maps of the pirate and warrior camps. The Red Arrows took out Warriors and their hold of Athens just as the Warriors crushed theirs. Iris walked through the capital streets looking for blood, sporting a new eye path over her left eye thanks to Rosemary. Caesar sent his Spartans out through the forests and villages to cleanse them of Warrior patrol. The pirates sniffed out the Red Arrow hideouts in the woods before people shattered them with their Demi-human might and cannons.
The people of Athens fought for their love of Athens.
And then there was Gray Kyojin. Somebody who has only been in this world for barely four months, somebody who had seen his reflection in the headlights of a truck on loop. Losing his family, losing an entire world because of his own actions. He was making up for that mistake, or at least trying to. But everyday he seemed to make more mistakes he beat himself up over. Broke again and again to pick himself up just as quickly.
But for who? He didn't know, not even close. For Rosemary? For all of his friends? Because he felt like he had to? The others knew whether or not they wanted to say it. But for Gray, it was so much more difficult. At first it was because of his infant isekai mind. This needs to prove he deserves it, that all people in this position did the same thing. However it had been too long to keep believing that lie so easily. Right now he was fighting because he had to, but he walked into it for a reason. He walked into every fight for a reason.
And it was really because he didn't know what to do. But stand and watch? Sit there and think his life is so much more important than somebody else's, to declare you should be saved instead, to say fear beat you, Gray couldn't. For his pride, for his soul, for his consciousness. To put your own well being over another. To try and scrape by while letting somebody else drown. He couldn't accept it, and he decently couldn't live with himself if he didn't at least try. That was Gray Kyojin. Not some grand heroic origin. His family weren't murdered in front of him. He didn't have a traumatic backstory or a horrid life. Hell he didn't even have a weird familial relationship to blame. All he could blame for feeling like he did, was himself. And he would, for what seemed like the rest of his life.
He was fighting for a shot, a shot that there was a future in which he could finally rest easy. Or at least learn to get back up. He was fighting for his happy ending. He was fighting for everybody, everything that held the truth. For everybody to love together without pride or prejudice to hold them back. For the governments to not loom and take. For the people to see life as he did: precious, and worthy or fighting for. He did it, because his mom and dad would be proud of the person he became. He wanted to be the person he had always looked up to in the story books. But he couldn't just lie and say he was, he had done that time and time again and it didn't work. This time, and the time after that and so on, he proved who he was through his real actions.
Gray: "I'm fighting for a world where people can sleep easily."
Marker: "What are you talking about!?"
Out of the bunch Gray was the only one fighting for his life at the moment though. Dema was heavily wounded and trying to step off to safety before collapsing beside some trash cans. Her horrid state pushed Gray's rage, and that rage pushed him. Charging through a tight alley while a volley of blades ricocheted all around. Red followed close behind with vials premixed and ready to go, tossing them out for Gray to spin and snag with his Cloak before slamming them toward Marker.
Red: "Dodge dammit!"
Marker sent two daggers right through the vials, leaving a large cloud of red and black smog to pour around under the harsh rain. Marker dashed down the alley while Gray swung ahead around the corner, letting go and falling straight toward him with his blade drawn.
Gray { I can't waste all my strength on some wanna be pillars!}
They clashed and clashed, before Gray kicked against the cracking knives and sent Marker bursting through the brick wall of a large building. Gray jumped in along with him, over daggers, getting grazed by the knives bouncing all around, and punched Marker across the face to further crack his old mask. Marker spun with the punch, bending around Gray's body to harshly flip him onto his back. Without a second thought he went to slash Gray's throat, but Gray kicked him right in the groin before wrapping his head with the Cloak.
Gray: "Round and round where it goes, nobody knows!"
Markers muffled screams stopped when Gray threw him right into Red just as she tried to enter the building. Letting Gray snag them both in the Cloak, burst with mama, and throw them through the floor above to drag them back down, slamming them into the basement.
Gray: "And stay down! Lame not saying that again."
He tried to run through the slim hallway, glaring at all the destruction he caused before his body seized with shocking pain. Forcing him to finally release his tight hold on his mana, along with the Spirit Sense. He washed over like a loud bright blue breeze, before falling face first on the carpet.
Gray {Ugh, come on, not even at the final stage yet.}
While he tried to stand he heard a chuckle and a swift slash, before his shoulder lit up with burning pain. He immediately fell, grabbing hold and screaming aloud with shocking pain, before Marker leaped out of the basement and talked Gray in front of a large stairwell.
Gray: "NO! BACK OFF DAMMIT"
His mana roared like an engine as he started the ignition. Punching Marker in the gut right after to send him crashing against the wooden stairs. Gray chased after him, using his blade to clash against as many of Marker's constantly thrown blades as he could. His harsh aura of mana managed to push the rest away, clearing Gray to fight and fight. They slithered around each other, up each of the stairs, ducking and dodging until they reached the second floor. Gray tried to shoulder bash Marker out the window, only to bash himself out the window.
Gray: "EEEK!"
Marker laughed between wheezes of pain, chugging through the hall right as a bright flash of lighting crashed down. At the end of the hall, a figure illuminated by the lightning jumped forward with a blade swinging down with him, slicing right into Marker's foot.
Gray: "NOW GET THE HINT!"
He pulled it from between his crushed bones and mashed flesh with ease, before plunging it toward his stomach.
Marker: "Damn, didn't know you had it in yah!"
Marker stopped the blade with his forearm, sacrificing his left arm for his life. Gray instantly pulled away. Feeling disgusted. Feeling horrific. Only to get lashes across the Cloak on his back by a whip of razor wire.
Red: "Are you ready to come peacefully? Even if you should die a horrid death, the master still wishes for you to be returned. And I'll be given far more from that than taking your life."
Gray: "Going with you and dying is pretty much the same thing. So I think I'll just keep fighting."
The moment he went forward she hissed, throwing out her vials and sending the hall into madness. But Gray fought back with a hefty spirit charged slash, sending wind and the smoke back toward Red with pure force. She tried to move back but got up in the blast, screaming out as her scorched scales took in the toxin. She began to shake, rattling and jerking all around before roaring with laughs. Gray tried his best to dodge each slash, but without the Spirit Sense she easily knees his gut and chopped his shoulder.
Red instantly went to sink her fangs into Gray's shoulder, until his fist grabbed the bottom of her jaw.
Gray: "NOW BACK OFF YOU WALKIN STINK CLOUD!!"
Even touching her Black Elixir coated skin caused his skin to slightly sizzle, but his mana overwhelmed the effect and Red, allowing him to throw her out the window to his side. Not before she managed to snag a strand of hair along with it.
Gray: "Ow, oh opps, well I tried to warn her."
Gray jerked his head toward Marker. Finding a pool of blood and a missing body.
Gray: "Uh oh."
He took the chance to slam his fists and take a large breath. Pulling in the maximum amount of Spirit mana he could easily handle in a single wave. Entering the Spirit Sense, turning his light flow of mana blue, and easing the horrid stabbing stings all across his body. Without any fighting, he finally just stared forward, looking out through the window with a sick feeling in his gut.
Gray {Even if Chris and his soldiers were on the way, I still started all of this.}
Civilians screamed with their things and children in hand, falling, scraping knees and injuring ankles. Almost killing themselves while fear took their life. If they got killed in the cross fire. If the Sect targeted them. If they were accidently struck down by their own forces. It would all be Gray's fault. If Dema was found and captured, or she was killed, if he let the last light of Musashi's world fade away with his memory, he wouldn't be able to look in a mirror. If he failed them all, he couldn't exist. He did it and he burned this town. He's hurting and killing and destroying and sacrificing the large town of Bruge. A town known for their more friendly people and acceptance of other races. Because of that, like most of the other peaceful towns and cities, the Sect took hold. To find people they think that are closer to their ideals already.
They fought because they had to, because Gray was forcing them to.
Gray {I can't sit and breathe, not when they need me.}
He took the step to escape, but this world made his choice for him; a tall Sect member bashes their shoulder into Gray right from behind. Next, just before he saw and understood what was happening, she slashed her large glowing blade across his chest. Only for the Cloak to erupt between them both, as Gray created a ball of good to take them both two floors down to the chaos taking every street, corner, and alley. The egg of darkness cracked as Gray's body got sent flying out, taking the shell with him to reform as he scraped across the ground and against the feet of a large roaring Demi-human anarchist.
Gray:"Eeeek!"
He rolled out of a stomp, a slam of an axe, before chucking some balled Cloak like a foot ball right into his face to submerge him in the goo.
"MMMPH!"
His muffled screams stopped as another Elite anarchist slashed through his Cloak with their blade, another fired arrows to push him back, another tried to cleave his ankles away, and finally the anarchist from below locked eyes before swinging her corrupted blade forward.
Gray {It never ends}
She wore a shorter version of the Sects robes, half of her mask was cracked away to show her bright red lips, and her straight brown hair lightly flowed back with each stroke. Aside from her bully appearance, that straight sword she wealed was covered in flaming red seals eroding into the metal. When she poured in her own stamina the seals got even brighter, creating a strange surging corrupted veil over the blade before each combustive strike.
All around, Knights and Anarchists killed each other. Chris screamed on and charged with his forces against the Demi-human groups of the Sect sticking together. Marker wrapped his arm in bandages he stole from a knight he'd just stabbed in the back. Red plunged her leather covered hands into both dead and alive bodies no matter their affiliations, mashing blood bones and organs into a paste within her vials. And then there was Gray, screaming with each massive jump away from the anarchist's blade.
Gray: "Step back lady!"
"Hell you're nicer than my so-called buddies. Sorry I gotta chop a limb off. Since you're not quittin!"
Her missed attacks shot off like one of Sokus blasts of wind or Rosemary's fourth stage punches; her blade pulled in and dangerously overpowered spirit mana, wind, and her own traded energy to make pure lightning like force that shattered the front of shops and homes. Not every attack was charged, and every one that was caused her to violently shake as she got used to lower and lower stages of stamina, blood, finger nails, strands of hair, or whatever else she gave away for power. Out of the three, Marker used pure skill, Red used a mix of Black Magic and Elixirs to create Black Elixirs, and she used a weapon enchanted with sacrificial Seals; they used skills from all over Saga, and the world. Three strong people. They weren't Pillars, and they weren't the only people fighting for those spots. They existed all over, like an endless list of names for Gray to face and possibly die to. But I'm Bruge, the three were his biggest problems. If he defeated them the rest of whatever Sect was left in Bruge would have their wills crushed. Yet another reason he had to fight.
Gray {I'm starting to hit the end of my mana, I really have to end this!}
With a cloak of Spirit enhanced mana his speed was boosted tremendously. He wasn't moving as fast as his leaps or even close to charged leaps, not even close to his full charged aura, a maxed Spirit aura, Soku, Rosemary, Edward, Julius, and hardly the Swordswomen on his tail, but still he could hardly stay up right. Breaking the cobble floor or stepping into mud, dodging blasts of magic that went crashing and erupting against buildings, jumping off the faces of the many Sect Elites in his way, pushing knights and civilians to safety -
It was all overwhelming to say the least.
It was until he took his last sharp turn and found a large destroyed garage of wagons and carriages. The front of the three story stone building was falling to pieces, and the door was wide open, letting Gray into the pitch black room. There he took a breath while staring toward the door, taking in as much Spirit mana as he possibly could and then some. Outside the Knights roared with all they could, grouping all their mages, Demi-human, and human fighters together evenly in small units to take out all the lone straggling Cultists. Directed by Chris, who happened to be the leader of the Walgonian Knights adviser, and helped by the many others who used to be in higher positions. The untrained, uncoordinated, rageful, forged by blood Anarchists hardly stood a chance. In truth most of them were from lower class areas, without affinities or Marks, anything that would make them feel like outcasts. And most people who feel like outcasts feel like that for a reason, especially in a world so battle focused as this one. Where most of the leaders happened to be one of if not the strongest person in that country, along with the richest.
Their higher numbers and better gear, even the muskets, served to hold them off. But after an hour or so of harsh, fast paced, supernatural battle, that hold was coming to an end. Even still the Sect was working to prevent that, either by grouping up mages and people with high amounts of mana to boost flame mages to torch homes, taking as many hostages as possible, and helping the strongest prevail. Groups of bodies, dead or half dead, from the majority of Sect bodies around, to perform the height of Black Magic: The Dark Arts. Close to the world's myth of Dark Magic, something so powerful it could change the laws of the world even if for a moment, resulting on Godricks cursed charms. Like the Cloak of Darkness that held tightly on to Gray as he groaned in exhaust. Bathing them in her Black Elixir before chanting toward the spirits corrupted by the immense corruption flowing around them. Lastly placing the strand of Gray's hair on top like a cherry and stepping back in the alley to take a wide stance. Letting the rain fall, the wind blow, and the small tree behind her blows its leaves everywhere. Waiting for the perfect -
Red: "Evila, Emoc!"
Like Dark Magic, the Dark arts could rewrite reality. But far, far weaker, needing far more preparation, and perfect timing. To get past it, and her lack of mana to pour into the spell like a human or Half-elf, she used nature to boost the effects tremendously; the next bolt of lighting she sensed charging above was called down. It turned bright red. Resurrecting them all in fuming, violent corrupted mana over their slowly decaying bodies. Whether they were fully dead or not, they all blindly stared toward Red as their master. She looked forward with her own dead, black eyes and white pupils, crying tears of joy and internally squealing like a little girl. Smiling with all over broken, clean, oozing teeth.
Red {OH MASTER PROMETHEUS WOULD DEFINITELY MAKE ME A PILLAR ONCE HE LEARNS OF WHAT I'VE DONE! MAYBE EVEN A NEW UPPER PILLAR IF I GET THE HANG OF IT!!!}
However, Gray still breathed in and out with the dense layer of Spirit mana sinking into his body and mana. Glowing a light blue, tensing and wheezing to his rapidly rising senses, before he desperately spun and looked toward the open floors above.
Gray {Oh god.}
The lights went on, almost blinding him for a moment, letting him see the handful of Sect Elites all around the floors. Marker walked forward at the end of the first floor, right across from Gray. Pulling his slashed foot and disabled arm while juggling multiple knives in a single hand.
Marker: "I wanted to be a Knight once y'know, since all those Militia's kept getting attacked by the Sect and Bounty Hunters, but they didn't let me be anything more than a soldier because I was too much. If I bounty hunted, I would have been marked with two skulls and been treated like second rate trash. So the choice was obvious. But here you are. It's a little insulting y'know? You're choppin people up, smilin, your rank and fame in hand, just because you got all that mana. Makes me wanna tell Prometheus I had no other choice, but to end it."
Gray: "Look I don't care about the mouth full, but I don't think Vampy would like hearing you speak about him like that. Would be a shame if I found a communicator right?"
Marker surged with an almost sickening fury, as well as fear, but got silenced by the roof bursting open. Gray instantly looked with hope, but this time the last second save was for somebody else.
"Seems I caught you at a bad time."
Marker: "Oh here comes that weird guy."
They were forced to dodge rubble, and Gray was forced to waste time as the other Sect Elites began to jump from the floors to fight. The Swordswoman from earlier however balled her fist with rage at his words. The same words that made her join the Sect in the first place, for a chance she wouldn't have to hear them anymore. So she spit and prepared to jump down, before yet another loud entrance stooped them all in their tracks. It sounded like a tidal wave of stomps, before retched screams filled with hair. Civilians, Knights torn to shreds. They were horrifically pulled from them while the others tore out their guts, not wanting to kill, but to eviscerate anything in their path. The Demi-humans moved like rabid animals, looking more Spirit Beast than Demi-human as they leaped head first into the buildings, flaming or not sending them crashing down. Leading that charge stood at the same door Gray entered, laughing so hard she couldn't see.
Her scorched flesh hurt with every move, but it had been so long that she didn't feel it anymore. Unless her stamina was dropping, which it was. Leaving her bleeding, wheezing, zapping and jolting with pain, while sending out her mindless undead corrupted monsters toward Gray.
Gray: "ZOMBIES!"
Or Zombies.
Gray: "FUCK WHAT KINDA FIGHT IS THIS!?"
But Gray shouldn't fight, not like a Warrior. The intense Spirit mana in his body let him dodge rubble, Markers constantly ricocheting daggers, and slash through the Anarchists weapons with sheer might mana pressure to send them flying back into the others. But that would only break him in the end. As Marker was still there, Red was still there, the Swordswoman was charging her blade for the perfect moment to strike just a floor above, and a massive horde. All the buildings they broke, all the people they killed, they were just in the way of their target: Gray Kyojin. It caused so much chaos that all the remaining anarchists and various groups of Knights and rebels. They wouldn't be enough, so he had to fight, like Gray Kyojin.
Gray {GO CLOAK GO!}
He threw his Cloak toward the bottom of the second floor with a short tight bind to pull himself forward, triggering the Swordswoman to lunge forward, scream and slash.
Conna: "I, CONNA, HAVE DEFEATED YOU!"
Marker: "More like Conner, hehe."
Marker got out his jab faster than she swung her blade, but Gray was even faster, as he'd cleverly muttered Cenic under his breath just as she leapt. Like a poof of dust the black smoke bloomed around them. It almost instantly got sent away as her massive slash went forward, but it was enough time for Gray to barely glide right over. That slash went into the right side of the building, and like a bomb of pure force, it instantly pushed everything away in a burst of red pressure. Throwing debris, anarchists, zombies, and even herself everywhere. Gray however landed on the safe, left side, with his foot breaking against an Elites mask. While he jumped, rolled, and slashed the sides of each coming anarchist with his momentum flown greater with each strike, all the zombies that weren't left with even more broken bones began to pile atop the rubble. Then, when the rubble began to fall, they climbed on themselves against the left wall. Causing Gray to squeal with fear and jump off the side to begin gliding toward the right side, only for Conna to lunge forward and Markers knives thrown perfectly through her limbs.
He almost instinctively used Mana Overdrive, but bit his already bleeding lip to stop, and instead flung the Cloak around him like wide swooping wings to block the blacks. It also left room for Gray to nosedive down, increasing the flow around his body for a second. Imagining quickly turning off and on a faucet. And managed to get enough force to barely kick off the air and miss her slash by a hair. She was missing flesh, bleeding from her mouth from missing teeth and internal bleeding, beginning to get bald patches, but still she gave away even more to send a now missed slash toward the pile of zombies.
Gray: "HAHAH! YES!"
Red: "NO YOU IDIOT!"
Red kept getting pushed by her zombies arriving, but they had stopped, and the other Knights were beginning to run in. While Conna's blast created nothing but a bloody wave to coat the battlefield, decimating the decaying zombies, Red tried to send the rest toward the real Knights. Pointing and thinking to herself, to her connected monsters, for them all to roar and lift their shattered limbs to inch toward bloodshed. Gray could glide and swing to freedom, maybe run out that door. The second he saw the fearful faces of the Knights risking their lives for him, he threw the Cloak up toward the third floor walkway and swung around to the bottom. Marker instantly threw out knives that the large mass of Cloak he threw forward took and forced him to roll on his broken foot. He used all of the Cloak, trying to force out even more to create a tendril strong enough for his idea.
Gray: "WHAT HAPPENED TO GOING AFTER ME!? DID I DO SOMETHING TO HURT YOUR FEELINGS!?"
The mass of Cloak snagged onto the backs of many broken Zombies, enough for him to take in even more Spirit mana, let out mana, and swing them all into the other zombies. Back again, again, roaring and groaning with excruciating pain. But still using just enough mana to keep some for one big attack. All he had now was his will, his Cloak, and the Spirits. All he needed to make it through Bruge.
Conna sprinted on while Marker threw daggers, forcing Gray to dodge closer to Conna as he kept his grasp on the Cloak.
Conna {FUCK IT! EITHER I DIE ANYWAY OR I MAKE IT ON AND BECOME A REAL PILLAR!}
Sacrificial seals, corrupted or not, used mainly in Oni-mas but also in the Southern Islands, needed the more valuable the item for more powerful results. So she held her blade with her left hand, and gave up her right in a bloodless, excruciatingly painful instant to create a massive burst of power. So much so Gray stopped swinging the zombies into each other, and threw that massive tendril right against Conna. Smashing into her side before throwing her right through the back wall. Ending with a loud eruption somewhere in the hopefully empty alleys.
Gray {COME ON! THIS IS THE FINAL STAGE OF THE FIGHT! I CAN DO IT I KNOW IT DAMMIT! COME ON COME ON COME ON!!!!}
A blade weakly pushed against his hefty flow of Spirit mana -
Marker: "WAIT!"
Without any idea of what to do he put his arms up in fear, only for Gray to send that same tendril slamming against him to throw him into the rubble with far less force than before.
"IGNUM!"
A ball of fire shot from an Elite from above set the Cloak ablaze, forcing Gray to slice off the large tendril and force more of the Cloak out. With only hope in his heart, zombies turning toward him, and Red running forward, he kicked the ground. Sending him collapsing down into the dark empty basement from the small hole he created. He instantly darted toward the bottom of the large wooden staircase filled with Anarchists chasing him. Letting the Cloak flow over, and seep into the darkness.
Gray {Breathe breathe breathe. Take in more mana, do it!}
All the rubbing upstairs made it hard to focus their senses, Demi-human or not, on finding where Gray was. It was until they felt his surging Spirit mana and all turned around at once when they found him. Only for the Cloak to slam most of them into the stone wall behind them. The others guarded against the brightly glowing Gray, only for their weapons to be shattered and letting their sides get slashed open by Gray's blade.
Gray {TOO MUCH TOO MUCH!}
His senses were so heightened it felt like his brain was bleeding, but yet his body moved on its own. Back up through the hole in the floor he made just as zombies broke through to the basement, barely escaping back onto the massive battlefield above with far more Spirit mana surging out of him at all times. Even his eyes, blackened by the Spirit state, were beginning to crack from his white pupil.
Conna: "IT'S TIME TO FINALLY END THIS!"
Conna, Marker, and Red stood ready together. Conna dashed out first, prepared to trade years of her life for more power, but Gray moved even faster. Launching foot first forward to bash Conna across the face, pushing forward and dodging vials from Red before getting his arm wrapped in her razor chain.
Gray {OW OW!}
His arm felt like glass sunk and stretched within even through his mana, so he forced in more Spirit mana to get free before grabbing hold and swinging her round and round to snag Conna while pushing away Elites and Zombies. She also took some of Marker's last knives into their backs, screaming in pain while he roared in fear, getting slammed by his partners. Still Conna pushed them off, guarding instinctively, as she felt an intense amount of mana rampaging forth.
Gray {IT'S NOW OR NEVER!}
He blinked forward, rapidly breaking off the ground to fly forward. He swirled his open palm round and round, throwing all of the Spirit mana around and within his body toward it to create a large sphere of bright blue mana.
Conna: "BRACE!"
Gray: "TITANS IMPACT!"
Conna couldn't sacrifice something fast enough to up her guard. His sphere of mana touched, squeezed, and exploded. Throwing them all back and taking the front of the garage with them as they landed outside. Knights inside and outside roared with vigor, pushing against the remaining Elites. The Zombies however, now mostly broken or dead, tried their best to rampage on. But succumbed to the immense decay running through them, ending the Reds spell over the next few minutes.
Gray {SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT -
More rubble fell, more people fought all around, but Gray instantly hit the bottom of his Spirit. His right arm was black and blue, cut and wounded, as he had reopened and rebroken his right arm. His blood was boiling, every joint and muscle felt like it was gonna give up, and if he took on anymore Spirit mana he'd vomit more than he already was. So much so he'd die or get really sick just by trying. Something Ryo didn't mention, because just by using Spirit mana you instinctively understood the risk and kinda understood your limit.
Gray: "Don't die please don't die don't die."
He had felt worse pain in single limbs, but this felt like everything was melting and seeping into the broken stone floor. Still roars of zombies lunged forward, forcing Gray to scream and move toward the massive opening he created. Everything told him to stop. But all he could hear was Chris advice, no, his declaration, that Gray can't just fall unconscious in the middle of a battle. His joints popped, his feet crunched, Spirit mana erupted out of his body with horrid seizes, but he still managed to get through the last few sizzling away zombies and reach the streets. The rain had stopped, and snow had begun to take over.
There he stood at the cracked entrance, letting his torn Cloak flow out around his broken body. Holding his shattered, vambraceless, shoulder guardless right arm with what was left of his left arm. Bleeding, grunting, almost like rage was pushing him on, toward the three wannabe Pillars still standing.
Conna: "Like…I said, I'll slay you!"
Marker: "You ain't slayin nothing…you freak in chick's clothes.."
Conna: "GIVE IT UP!"
She lived in Walgonia, long ago as a far different person. Always pushed around by the people considered the "nicest" in Saga, or even the World. So the Sect was all she had, where she could be herself. But still, as they pulled their broken half-dead bodies across the snowy bloody street, that home still managed to attack her. Red was dragging herself forward with her dagger, as her horrid scorch marks were screaming out due to all the battle she's been through. All ready, to die, and for one last hoorah.
Gray: "...I'm still here…"
His right eye was black and swollen, his check and nose along with it. While his left eye was bloodshot due to the Spirit mana. Staring violently forward. Dropping, almost like he was drunk. His fingers were broken, bleeding, worse than ever. His bones were being chipped away through battle after battle, his OD forced to its limit time and time again, and then more some most of the time.
Gray: "...I always will be…"
His family, his friends, the heroes of this world flashed into his mind. Like a hand on his back to shove hom forward, and he mustered a massive bloody smile.
Gray: "YOU GOT THAT!?"
It sent chills into everyone, before he took in as much Spirit mana as possible. His roar was deafening, childlike, almost disturbing in how brutal it was, but still he stood. He pushed and pushed, nothing else mattered. Only the Spirits, only their -
Gray {Uh oh.}
He pushed farther than he was ever supposed to, causing Ryo in Greenvale to stand in shock, as his eyes flashed white. He'd taken in pure Spirit mana, triggering the Spirit State. Then all he saw was nothing. Entering a dream, in other words, losing consciousness. However his body still moved, the Cloaks crescent charm surged with purple mana while increasing its strength, and he vanished forward.
Conna {Even if I couldn't become a Pillar…I still got to live my dream.}
She swung her blade, ready to sacrifice her life, before Gray broke his sword against hers. Shattering both, before throwing out a dense Cloak tendril against her chest to slam her away.
Marker: "I CAN'T BELIEVE I HAD TO LOSE TO YOU OF ALL PEOPLE!"
He slashed toward Gray with his final knife, causing the Spirit psycho to flip and kick him across the face. Shattering his mask to reveal his young, disfigured face, and leave him unconscious in the snow.
Red: "Y'know when you think about it…I should have died in Ravoria when they did this to me. Guess all dreams come to an end."
She splashed her vial against the ground to empower her. Causing every part of her to leak with blood, her organs to stab against her in anger, and her strength to rise enough to block Gray's punch. Even if the Spirits were moving his body they still pulled back with unbelievable pain, letting Red try and slash Gray's throat out. She smiled, she surged with hope, looking forward like a young hopeful girl, before the Cloaks tendrils instantly blasted toward her limbs. Crushing them in a brutally quick fashion to leave her on the floor, still alive. All of them are alive. Before a bright flash consumed the air, Gray almost hit the floor.
Chris: "Nice kid."
But he fell right into Chris' arms, to most likely awake in the same fashion he did earlier that day. Muttering Dema under his breath. But the Knights have freed Bruge from the Sects control. They had hostages and witnesses to interrogate. And have taken out people who might have grown to become some serious threats. Gray had fought on, through hell and back, and won. For the people. Yet in his dreams, all he could think was that he didn't really save anybody this time. Making the victory feel all but freeing.
Gray {...If I keep acting like this…can I really ever be a Hero?}