Garuda arc
Horus: Tenjin's Republic Warship
Command Center
Tenjin was in the command center reading reports. But in truth he couldn't concentrate. He hadn't been himself since he told the truth about Ziera to the group. His argument with Odysseus didn't help either. He felt like he was slowly beginning to lose control of everything around him.
Just like before. Distrust and discord plaguing everyone's minds. Escalating to the point where it all fell apart. That's how it started back at Ventus. Right, your majesty? Tenjin thought.
Tenjin then snapped out of his thoughts when he felt a familiar mana presence.
This mana! Albatross!? And not just him. Hundreds of others with him above the ship! But the scanners pick up their signal! They must have concealed their presence! Tenjin thought.
"Give me a visual of the roof right now!" Tenjin ordered.
"Yes sir!" The workers did as Tenjin commanded and a live feed of Albatross and the garuda were shown flying above the ship.
"GODDAMMIT! If Tross is leading them then they didn't come to chat! All of you prepare for battle stations!" Tenjin ordered. He slammed down on a button for the alarm and pressed down on another for the speaker. The alarm bell rang across the entire ship.
"CODE RED! Repeat code red! Garuda warriors are getting ready to attack this warship! Prepare for battle stations! Repeat! Prepare for battle stations! Jayden! Ziera! Meet me outside!" Tenjin ordered over the speakers.
Tenjin removed his long green trench coat and turned his attention to everyone in the command center.
"The rest of you hold the fort. I'm going out there. Also they may be our enemy but I rather avoid bloodshed if need be so don't kill just detain them. But if you have no other choice I'll understand. Survival is paramount. Is that clear?" Tenjin asked as he began walking out.
"YES SIR!" The staff responded.
Tenjin left the room. As he stomped through the hallway, green lightning began to form all around his body.
I said I'd rather avoid bloodshed, but I'll make an exception for you Tross. For what you've done, I'm not letting you live to see another day. Tenjin thought angrily.
***
Horus: Tenjin's Republic Warship
Rooftop
Emilia, Julia, Henro and Ryoka look up above and see at least hundreds of garuda warriors flying above them.
"What the hell!? Why are there so many garuda here!?" Henro asked.
"Don't know or care. If they came looking for a fight, they came to the right place." Ryoka grinned as she cracked her knuckles.
"Come on. We gotta get down there!" Henro shouted as he flew down towards Emilia and Julia.
"You don't have to tell me that!" Ryoka shouted back as she flew right after him.
"Emilia! Julia!" Henro called out.
Emilia looked behind her to see Henro and Ryoka flying down towards them.
"Henro! Ryoka! Glad you two are here. You guys sensed them too?" Emilia asked. Henro and Ryoka land right next to Emilia and Julia.
"Not exactly. We'll explain later. Emilia is that guy above us really-?" Emilia cut Henro off.
"Albatross. Yes." Emilia answered in a low tone. Ryoka looked at Emilia and could see how angry she looked.
Emilia's bloodlust is intense. Just who is this guy that's got her fired up like this? Ryoka thought.
Albatross flew directly down and landed on the rooftop of the warship a couple feet from Emilia and the group. Flying down next to Albatross is his second in command. His name was Sef. A young man in his mid 20s standing at 5'8. Same height as Julia and Ryoka.
Sef had black eyes, curly brown hair tied in a bun and had green garuda markings on his face like Emilia and Tross. Sef also wore black body sleeveless armor like Tenjin and Tross. Sef had a serious look on his face while Tross wore a smug look on his.
"Well look at you now. You've grown up to be a fine looking young woman, Princess Emilia." Albatross said.
Emilia growled at Tross out of pure spite.
"What are you doing here Albatross!?" Emilia questioned.
"Emilia, who is he?" Julia asked.
"That's Albatross. Former member of my father's Royal Guard. He was among the top 5 warriors of the Kingdom of Ventus but he....
Emilia bawled up her fists so hard blood started to drip from her palms.
"He betrayed my father! He started the civil war between the two tribes. Then he tried to kill me but instead he ended up killing my father right in front of me!" Emilia cried out. Julia, Ryoka and Henro were in complete and utter shock hearing this.
Julia, Henro and Ryoka didn't have any words or thoughts. The deadly glares they both shot at Tross, indicated that both looked royally pissed off at Emilia's tormentor.
"You monster! Why are you here? To finish me off!?" Emilia questioned.
"HA. Still thinking that the world revolves around you huh princess? Glad to see things haven't changed in that regard. No. I'm not here for you. I'm after two of your teammates. The former 2nd princess of the machina empire and the second wielder of Ragnarok. I'll be taking both into my custody." Tross said.
Emilia gasped.
Julia narrowed her eyes.
"You've gotta be kidding me." Henro said.
"Who cares? Let's just kill him." Ryoka said as she cracked her knuckles.
How does he know that Jayden and Ziera are here!? That information is classified to the public. And more importantly, why would he be after them? Emilia thought.
"Emilia." Julia called out. Emilia snapped out of her thoughts and listened to her. "I've been in many battles and have encountered men like him in the past. My instincts tell me that he's colluding with someone and planned this whole thing out in advance." Julia said.
She's right. There's no way Tross found us at random. Let alone know about Ziera and Jayden being on board. He would have had to get that information from someone who knew they would be here. The only people from our side who do are The Order, The Mage Council, and... GASP.
"General Gregor. What is the status for our preparations?" Ogun asked.
"They are going well, your grace. Once our new division of these outsiders is complete, we will be ready to begin the siege at your command. It should all be ready within two months." Gregor said.
"King Ogun. You're working for King Ogun! You and your people are his private army aren't you!?" Emilia shouted.
Albatross was actually shocked to hear that the group figured this out.
"Well aren't you perceptive. Tell me how did you figure out that his majesty had a private army?" Tross asked.
"If you want to know, come over here and make me talk!" Emilia shouted in anger. Julia placed her arm in front of Emilia to hold her back.
"Em calm down! Don't let him bait you!" Henro shouted. Emilia tried to calm down but she couldn't stop glaring and growling at Tross.
"You should listen to that freak friend of yours princess. You wouldn't want a repeat of what happened in the past now. Would you?" Tross asked sadistically. Emilia gasped. Her horrific memories hitting her like a train.
"FATHER!" Emilia shouted. As she saw her father get impaled, Emilia saw the disgusting face of Albatross. His expression was that of poor glee and sadistic pleasure.
Emilia never forgot the face Tross made that day and in the present, he's making that same expression again right before her eyes.
Emilia gritted her teeth and an intense amount of green lightning began to flow through her entire body. Henro was caught off guard by this.
Holy shit! This mana is intense! I've never seen Emilia this angry before. Henro thought out of concern and fear for her safety.
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"Oh scary. Still as feisty as ever huh princess? Listen, all I want are the Ragnarok wielder and Ziera. Tell Tenjin to get out here and we can come to an arrangement." Tross said.
"SHUT UP! You don't get to say his name! Not after everything you've done! YOU MONSTER!" Emilia screamed as the green lightning engulfed Emilia's entire body from her eyes and out of her mouth.
"EMILIA DON'T!" Henro begged.
Ryoka and Julia didn't say anything. They just looked at each other and nodded.
The Garuda surrounding them readied their arrows and aimed at the group. Albatross smirked at Emilia.
"So be it. Come at me then princess." Tross waved over.
"RAAAAAAAAAH!" Emilia screamed as she literally zoomed past her friends towards Tross.
"EMILIA!" Henro shouted.
"ALBATROSS!!!!" Emilia shouted. She pulled out her daggers and imbued them with green lightning.
She was about to reach him until green lighting raine down from the sky and struck right between her and Tross. A few dozen garuda warriors still managed to escape the attack but the incoming lighting strike was so powerful that it spread through the air and took hundreds of the garuda warriors flying above them. Just stunning them, not killing them.
Emilia and Tross were caught off guard and looked to see someone come down between them. Emilia calmed down and saw her mentor and closest friend before her.
There stood Tenjin with his green wings out [https://img.wattpad.com/48c15213a29adb6d68ef97bc793d9e8035bc680e/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f76634d36655842484c55794366773d3d2d313433393837323436372e313764646137653565333438656430383234383539373235363232352e6a7067?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
There stood Tenjin with his green wings out. Green lighting forming around his body and holding his two katana blades in both his hands. He looked enraged as he stared down Tross. Tross wore an arrogant smirk.
"Tenjin!" Emilia shouted.
"Well took you long enough. How've you been old frie-"
WHAM!
Tenjin didn't respond. He just swung his boot and kicked Albatross right across the jaw. The force of his attack sent Tross flying off the ship and into the ground. Leaving a large crater.
Emilia was happy but more so nervous. She could feel Tenjin's bloodlust oozing off him.
Ryoka whistles. "That's pretty badass."
"General Tross!" One of the soldiers yelled out.
"It's really him! It's General Tenjin Nakamura!" another soldier shouted.
Tross picked himself up. He was wounded and spat out some blood and threethree teeth into his hand. He looked at his hand in shock and looked back up at Tenjin looking livid.
"You son of a bitch." Tross cursed. Tenjin looked at him and was surprised to still see Tross alive.
That kick should have snapped his neck. Did he get stronger? Or is there something at play here? Tenjin thought.
"Tenjin." Emilia said.
"What the hell is wrong with you Emilia!? Why would you just charge in head first!? I thought you were done with that!? Did you just forget everything I taught you!? Well!?" Tenjin questioned.
"No! But he killed my father! I can't just back away from a fight! I have to honor his memory! You taught me that!" Emilia shouted.
"And getting yourself killed is the way to do it!? Get a hold of yourself! That's an order!" Tenjin shouted. Emilia was about to respond but Henro placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Em. Give it a rest. He's right. We have to keep a cool head. We can't make the same mistake twice." Henro said.
Emilia then remembered her mistake back at lockwood and her father sacrificing himself to save her from Tross. Emilia lowered her head in sadness and finally stopped arguing.
Tenjin turned his head toward both the garuda flying above them and the ones he knocked down.
"As for the rest of you! Surrender now and we can resolve this peacefully!" Tenjin ordered. Tross flew up towards Tenjin with his sword drawn.
"They follow my orders not yours! And once we get rid of you, both Ragnarok and Ziera will belong to King Ogun! And then the skies will be ours again!" Tross shouted.
He swung his sword at Tenjin but Tenjin sheathed his left sword and caught Tross' sword with just his left hand. Tross was shocked by this. Tenjin looked back at him.
"You talk too much." Tenjin said.
Tenjin imbued his right katana blade with mana and swung it at Tross. Tross kicked Tenjin back and avoided the attack. Tenjin flew after him and they engaged in combat.
"COMMENCE THE ATTACK!" Tross ordered.
Out of nowhere, dozens of giants appeared from underground surrounding the ship. They were giants from King Ogun's military and were much bigger than the giants from the capital. They stood at 1190 centimeters tall. They wore golden yellow armor with horned helmets. They each had a hammer in one hand and a shield in the other. The giants roared.
"What in the!?" Henro shouted.
"No way. They brought giants from King Ogun's forces here too. This really was coordinated." Emilia said.
"Hey Jewel?" Ryoka asked impatiently.
"Not yet." Julia said.
"They attacked the general and our forces! All troops commence the attack! For the garuda tribe!" Sef ordered.
"FOR THE GARUDA TRIBE!" The garuda soldiers shouted as they fired their lightning arrows at the group.
The giants roared as they were about to attack the ship with their hammers. When suddenly...
"OMNI-CANNON! FIRE!" Jayden and Ziera shouted simultaneously and fired their large energy blasts at the garuda above.
And while that went on, Ryoka and Julia smirked.
"SUN DRAGON'S INFERNO SLASH!" Ryoka shouted as she swung her sheathed sword imbued with fire.
"MOON DRAGON'S ICY FANG!" Julia shouted as she swung her blue katana imbued with ice.
Both fire and ice attacks hit the giants from both sides at the ship and pushed them back. The soldiers who weren't hit reacted to Ryoka and Julia's attacks.
"This magic!"
"Are they dragon-kin!"
"They didn't say dragon-kin would be here!"
"Now what are we going to do!?"
The garuda warriors began to panic as they looked down at the menacing and serious demeanor of JUlia and the vicious and sadistic smile of Ryoka licking her lips.
"You guys!" Emilia shouted in shock.
"Yep! Good old sneak attack. All in a day's work for-OH SHIT!" Jayden shouted as he barely dodged an incoming lighting arrow.
"Pay attention you idiot!" Ziera shouted sternly.
"Hehehe. Sorry." Jayden laughed nervously. Ziera sighed and then turned her head back to Emilia with a smile.
"Don't act so surprised. We are all here for you Emilia!" Ziera winked.
"Yeah. Plus I feel cheated out of not getting a fight tonight so this more than makes up for it." Ryoka said.
"The point was for you to avoid fighting Ryoka." Julia said.
"What? I can do that." Ryoka said defensively.
"Yeah, let's not lie to ourselves now." Henro said.
Meanwhile, Tross' second in command Sef, unsheathes his black blade and points at the group.
"Do not waver my brothers and sisters! We must complete this mission in order to secure our freedom! Our future! Continue with the attack! For the Garuda tribe!" Sef ordered.
"FOR THE GARUDA TRIBE!" The soldiers shouted as they followed sef into battle.
"Incoming!" Ziera shouted as she and Jayden began firing her omni-cannon at the incoming garuda.
The Command Center
"Ready the cannons! FIRE!"
The cannons on the ship began firing upon both the incoming garuda and giants.
Roof of the ship
Back outside the group engaged in battle with the garuda. As the battle ensued, Emilia was in distress.
Emilia looked up in horror. Her own people are attacking her and her friends all just to hand both Ragnarok and Ziera over to King Ogun. And Tross has brainwashed them into carrying out this task. It made her sick to her stomach.
"No. This....this is wrong." Emilia said in fear. Ryoka was breathing fire at the garuda. Some of them get hit but no fatal damages.
"Yeah! Come on! I'll burn you all alive!" Ryoka screamed with a crazed smile.
"NO! Don't kill them Ryoka! They don't know what they're doing!" Emilia shouted.
"Ugh! Fine. Then what's the game plan sweetheart?
"We have to defend the ship! Fight them off but don't hurt them!" Emilia ordered.
"Easier said than done but fine have it your way." Ryoka shrugged.
"Thank you. Henro uses your shadows to restrain them. Ryoka! You try to keep those giants away from the ship! Can you both handle that?" Emilia asked.
"On it!" Both said simultaneously.
"Good! Then let's go!" Emilia shouted.
I can do this. We can do this! I won't let Tross take away anyone else I love! Never again! Emilia thought.
***
Tenjin vs Albatross
Tenjin and Albatross flew through the sky away from the ship and clashed with their swords. They flew back and floated mid air with the battle between both their groups going on behind Tenjin.
"Geez Tenjin. I know we ended things back then on a sour note but right for the neck? Not even a hello?" Tross asked sarcastically.
"You deserve worse than that Tross. You betrayed our nation. Brought war to our people. Murdered our king. And you tried to kill the princess yet again. But worst of all, even after all this time you still don't regret any of the sins you committed do you? " Tenjin spat.
"And do you regret yours? Don't act all high and mighty with me Tenjin. Your hands aren't clean either. Or have you forgotten all the sins you committed for the republic? For our former king?" Tross questioned.
"I did what I had to do to give our people a future. A future you almost snuffed out for your own gain." Tenjin argued.
"Oh spare me. You think I do this for myself? I do this for all of our brothers and sisters. The oh so great King Edwin Sylphion thought he could undo over two thousand years of discrimination with mere words on a piece of paper. The god Zephryus treated our people as nothing more than slaves. Under his class system the Avians felt superior to us and lived in luxury while we were lucky to live at all. Even now nothing has changed." Tross said.
"You're wrong, Tross. Yes there are still avians out there who look down on our people, but not all of them. Progress has been made on both sides. Progress that you nearly destroyed due to your own obsession with obtaining power. But not all hope is lost. There is still the princess." Tenjin said. Tross rolled his eyes.
"Please. That spoiled brat can't even save herself and you think she can save our people?" Tross asked.
"I have faith in her. She is young and naive but she is strong, smart and has a gentle heart. Princess Emilia holds the values of both the garuda and avian tribes. With the right people guiding her, I know she will lead our people towards salvation." Tenjin said with confidence and pride. Tross began to smile sadistically.
"Is that so? Well since you have so much faith in her, will she still have faith in you when she learns the truth? About what happened on the day her father died?" Tross asked.
Tenjin's one good eye widened in terror. Tross' evil smile grew bigger.
"Tell me, old friend. Does she know? Does she know about who else was there that day on Ventus? Does she know about the person who stole your left eye, helped lead her capital to ruin and steal our kingdom's sacred relic? Or did you lie about those things to her too? Like a good mentor would?" Tross asked cruelly.
Tenjin was now visibly enraged. His mana spiked uncontrollably. His bloodlust was vicious and unfathomable. Within a second he flew towards Tross ready to cut him to shreds.
The battle between our heroes and Albatross' forces has begun. However, what no one realized was that they were all being watched by a small yokai. A giant eyeball with enormous bat wings fluttering in the air. The yokai was seeing everything and reporting back to it's mistress.
The Fenrir: Fury's Imperial Warship
Circe's Bedroom
Circe was sitting in her red and golden royal armchair with a cup of tea in her hands [https://img.wattpad.com/9cea6b4717d079c2c7ec7d10281378808e30335d/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f4c474e50524e517452704c6236413d3d2d313433393837323436372e313764646137643934383433623639363736303436383533363936342e6a7067?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
Circe was sitting in her red and golden royal armchair with a cup of tea in her hands. In front of her was a big coffee table with a tea set placed on top of it. Next to her was an expensive looking red and golden colored sofa chair. Garō was there sleeping on it.
Still fatigued from his training with Fury. He was in new clothes and had a creepy looking smiling mask on to cover his face.
In front of Circe lies a giant floating red circle made of mana. The circle showed a reflection of what her bat yokai was showing on the outside. Circe saw the whole thing through this creature's eye. And in front of her she could see Tenjin and Tross fighting. Circe took a sip from her tea cup. She licked her lips and then smiled.
"Hmm. Why Tenjin. You look older than the last time...I saw you." Circe said in her disjointed voice of all the many souls within her.