Arc 3: Choosing Reality by Embracing Life
Road to a Hero:
Three chances in another world
Chapter 13: Starting line
Gray gets up, and the necklace around his neck glows leaking mana which materializes into a dark hooded cloak.
Gray: “Oooooh, cloak of darkness. Not very creative. Wish I had asked how to use it.”
Gray puts the hood over his head, generating a small amount of mana on his arm, and breaks the lock on the cell door. Then he exits the dungeon, looking around for any anarchists. He hears two people talking near him, so he gets down and slowly approaches them.
Gray {Anarchists…I need to get to Rose and the others as fast as I can…I need to beat these guys and loot them without being found…GO!}
Gray jumps out of his hiding spot, using a “Mana Overdrive '' to the back of one of the Anarchist's heads, knocking him out. The other Anarchist tries to swing his tanto and cut Gray, but Gray reacts faster, jumping over the Anarchist, and then using both his feet to kick the man in the face knocking him out on impact.
Gray {I’ve been fighting such strong foes I forgot that a lot of people in this world are just normal dudes, If I go overboard I'll kill them on impact. I should loot them and get going.}
Gray loots the bodies, taking the tanto as well as some throwing knives off of the other Anarchists. Then he leaves heading toward some stairs at the end of the tunnel. Gray runs up the stairs as fast as he can.
Gray {I've had to run up two or three floors at least…I can hear fighting all over the place but I can hear a lot of it about one or more floors up. If my luck plays out then they’re up there!}
Before Gray can get up to the last two floors, he senses a good sum of mana rushing toward him. It feels familiar to him like he’s met this person before. Four arms made out of mana break through the walls of the hidden staircase. Gray can dodge the initial attack, though one of the arms grabs onto Gray's leg, pulling him out of the stairwell. Gray uses the tanto to slice through the arm, setting him free.
Gray: “NO WAY! NOT THE BEST TIME FOR A REMATCH, BUT I’LL TAKE IT I GUESS! Hey, you got your mask back too!
Jeremiah: “What are you blabbering about boy? I knew I could sense your mana, and here you are right in front of me… Unlike before, your friends aren’t here to help you, and neither is a box of explosives to throw at me…so what will you do to win this time?”
Gray: “I’ll just have to drop the whole castle on you.”
Jeremiah: “YOU IDIOT! I WILL KILL YOU!”
Jeremiah releases a bombardment of arms all rushing toward Gray. The arms tear through the floor, ceiling, and walls to get to him. Gray flows the maximum amount of mana his body can handle. Then he slashes through all the arms, flowing between strikes and carrying all the momentum towards Jeremiah. Jeremiah uses more arms to push himself backward, trying to dodge Gray.
Gray: “YOUR ARMS WERE WEAKER BEFORE! YOU GOT BETTER!”
Jeremiah: “You also have seemed to grow in strength! Making it even better when I beat you! Damned brat!”''
Gray: "Me!? The brat!? You're like ten!"
Gray pours mana into the tanto before throwing it at Jeremiah, cutting through multiple arms and allowing him to leap at Jeremiah to get a direct hit on him.
Gray {MANA OVERDRIVE!}
Mana surges from Gray's arm, scaring Jeremiah, though instead of risking an overabundance of damage to his arm, he focuses it on his finger. He flicks Jeremiah in the face and causes a good amount of pressure to send Jeremiah flying back. Jeremiah struggles to stand back up using his mana arms to do so for him.
Jeremiah: “How…NO, NO, NO! IN A MONTH YOU’VE GROWN THIS MUCH? LEAVE ME ALONE!”
Jeremiah uses his arms to break through the castle walls, climbing up the side of the outside of the wall.
Gray: “DON’T RUN NOW!”
Gray picks up the tanto and jumps outside stabbing the tanto into the wall to give him leverage.
Jeremiah: “YOU IDIOT!”
Jeremiah uses his arms to break the wall Gray's hanging off of, causing him to fall off the castle.
Gray {SHIT!}
Gray reaches out his arm, trying to grab onto the wall. With the wall just out of reach, Gray begins to try and think of a way to get back onto the wall. Though before he could do anything the cloak stretched out like a goo attaching itself to the wall. Gray sees this, grabbing onto the cloak with his left hand and yanking himself back onto the wall.
Jeremiah: “HOW!?… THE CLOAK OF DARKNESS IS IN YOUR HANDS? THIS IS UNBELIEVABLE!”
Gray: “Yeah, that was awesome!”
Gray {It’s like a grappling hook or something, one I can control…if I only knew how to though…}
Jeremiah climbs up the wall, placing himself on a side roof of the castle. Gray jumps up the wall, planting his feet into the side of it to continue his way up, landing on the same part of the roof as Jeremiah.
Gray {I JUST WALL JUMPED IN REAL LIFE!}
Jeremiah: “…just leave me alone now and I won’t come after you, okay?”
Gray: “Nope sorry…I will give you props though, you are the whole reason I made it this far. If you hadn’t attacked the house back in the slums I might have been selling stolen goods or something right now.”
Jeremiah: “So does that make you less ready to kill me…?”
Gray: “I don’t want to kill you…but I know you’re gonna come back and I won’t let that happen.”
The smile on Gray's face fades away, leaving only a look of contentment. Gray throws the three knives he stole at Jeremiah. Jeremiah leans backward, barely dodging the knives. They get close enough to leave three straight lines going up the mouth part of the mask causing it to look like a skull a child would draw.
Gray {I don’t wanna do this…but I have to…}
Gray uses the opening the knives created to jump toward Jeremiah. Jeremiah tries to use the Goliath arm as a last-ditch effort but to no avail. Gray summons a clump of mana on his hand, forming it into a sphere of powerful mana.
Gray: “TITANS IMPACT!”
The ball of mana explodes, destroying the arm and leaving Jeremiah open for the last time. Gray stabs the tanto into Jeremiah’s stomach pinning him to the ground.
Jeremiah: “Pl…Please…don’t do this…”
Gray: “You started this fight…this is on you.”
Gray takes the mask off Jeremiah and then places it on himself.
Gray: “I’m using this as a trophy if you don’t mind.”
Jeremiah: “I hate you...”
Gray: “I need that communicator you guys got.”
Jeremiah: “If only...I had my mother....my siblings...”
Gray {He’s losing it, man this sucks...he's just a kid....but it's too late now.}
Gray checks Jeremiah's pockets, taking out his communicator.
Gray: “If you are on the other end of this line there is a big chance you’re a part of the Sect of Anarchy. And if you are, know, we're coming for you. And stop messin' with Gray Kyojin if you could, he's the Grim Reaper after all."
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Gray looks down at the crying and bleeding Jeremiah, and his heart sinks for just a moment. A young boy was born into this life, bleeding out because of his actions. But with a shake of his face, it wears off.
Jeremiah: “Are…you…the...reaper…?”
Gray: “Yeah, and I've come for your soul.”
With Jeremiah's last dying breath, he lets out a cry of fear before Gray removes the tanto from his stomach, then slashes his head off to end the boys pain. Gray takes a moment of silnce, feeling the pain of his actions. To kill a kid, that was something he never thought he'd do. But with regret filling his mind, he just couldn't, he couldn't stop when he's gone this far to come back.
Gray: "This is just a small bit of my punishment. I don't deserve to feel bad, I gotta go find the others."
Gray crushes the communicator tosses it aside, and then breaks back into the castle through the roof.
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
While Gray was facing Jeremiah, Edward, and the others were still struggling with their fights.
Rosemary: “Why do you have to do this? What do you get out of this!”
Carla: “I JUST DO WHAT I’M TOLD!”
Soku: “Great system you got going on there then, a real team.”
Rosemary leads the fight with Carla, with Soku helping from afar. Rosemary uses her third stage, which is barely able to keep up with Carla using both her hand blades. All of Rosemary's hits caused Carla's bones to crack as well as her muscles tearing from the force. With Sokus' cover, it prevents Rosemary from being sliced by Carla's hand blades. Back at the mansion, the main reason they were losing so badly was that they were surprised and didn't have a plan of attack. However, with Rosemary's intense strength whittling down Carla with each punch and Souk's wind slashing forward Carla focuses on defending against them and not Rosemary, she is trapped within their attacks.
If Carla turned around Rosemary could attack her back, if she continued fighting like this she'd slowly lose, so it seemed, Carla wasn't going to be victorious this time. Meanwhile, Conroy and Edward are having a much closer battle.
Conroy: “COME ON! SHOW ME THAT WARRIORS SPIRIT!”
Edward: “Is that all I’m good for? Everybody who interacts with me just wants me to lose myself to a mental illness.”
Conroy: “That’s just how the world works, people take what they want no matter how much the person cares.”
Edward {He’s right…no matter how bad it sounds…the fight is even but if I give in…I can…no, I will win…so sink deeper…see nothing…want nothing…become nothing but an animal the world wants me to be.}
While they were trading blows with quick succession, Edward made the move to shift victory to his side. Edward releases his mind from his body, seeping deep into his want to fight, the once-heavy sword becomes as light as a feather, and all the emotions flowing through his body turn into the want to win.
Conroy goes for a quick thrust into Edward's neck, but like some sort of animal Edward opens his mouth, growling like a monster, he bites into the Conroy blade, shattering the sword into pieces. This act of viciousness evokes an infinite fear in Conroy as his death which seemed impossible was the only clear future he could see. Edward enveloped in his rage, swings Bjørn rapidly throughout the hallway, carving through the walls like a hot knife through butter. Conroy pulls out an extra sword but all chances for his victory are instantly turned to zero, Edward builds up momentum, then swings Bjørn against Conroy's blocking blade, going straight through Conroy's sword, then proceeding to smash Conroy's skull in, killing him and ending their duel once and for all.
Edward: “It’s over…”
Edward, after a few breaths, starts to head over to Rosemary and Soku.
Carla: “JUST DIE ALREADY! HOW ARE YOU THIS GOOD AT DODGING!?”
Rosemary pulls back her arm, pushing it into the fourth stage. Even with the distance small between the two, the wind pressure pushes Carla back. Meanwhile, Soku stands patiently, focusing and refining her mana into a sharp edge. When Carla was pushed back, Soku threw the wind blade at Carla. Carla tries to turn her body to block the blade, though it slices her arms, allowing Rosemary to get a clean hit to her head with a fourth-stage punch, killing her in an instant.
Soku: “Did we win?”
Rosemary: “I think… so..ugh…”
Soku: ”Your arms are all messed up...you went hard.”
Rosemary: “I’m fine…how much mana do you have left?”
Soku: “Like half. OPHELIA COME OUT!”
Ophelia leaves her hiding place, walking up to Rosemary and Soku. But right when they get a moment to rest, cloth bandages attack and grab onto the young girl. And so the attacker stood, with Ophelia up in the air.
Soku: “OPHELIA!”
Ophelia: “HELP! PLEASE PWEAS!”
As Ophelia cried Rosemary turned her focus to the attacker. Soku went to slash at the magical bindings but Rosemary put her hand out to stop her, not knowing what these wrappings could do to her dear sister.
Rosemary: “COME OUT! WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO WORK THIS OUT!”
A cloaked and bandaged woman walks out of a guest room, those same bandages holding up Ophelia leave her arms open. And on her arms, nothing but muscle, as it seems these bandages were her skin. And the wrappings pulled Ophelia in with a sudden grasping pull, holding her up by her throat.
Rosemary: “Wait…you were at the mansion right?”
Anibis: “That is correct. I have been sent to retrieve you all and bring you back to the ballroom. Kioshi is currently fighting all of the future pillars of justice, and they’re waiting for an audience so for the sake of your friend come with me.”
Rosemary: “And if we -”
Soku: “WE’LL GO!”
Anibis: “See, you came around.”
Ophelia: “NO SOKU DON’T!”
Soku: “I’ll do whatever I need to make sure you’re safe, even if it means my life.”
Suddenly what can only be described as a ball of destruction bursts through a wall, cleaving through the bandages with its sword, then swinging at Anibis, breaking her arm and collar bone.
Soku: “EDWARD CALM DOWN!”
Edward: “I…I know…I gotta breathe…Ok, anarchist, explain what you’re doing here and I’ll let you live…do you understand?”
Anibis: “I don’t know…and even if I did I wouldn’t tell you…you royal brat.”
Ophelia runs to Soku, hiding behind her. Rosemary stands guard looking for any other anarchist. Before any more communication could begin, Anibis’ communicator activated receiving a voice call
"If you are on the other end of this line there is a big chance you’re a part of the Sect of Anarchy. And if you are, know, we're coming for you. And stop messin' with Gray Kyojin if you could, he's the Grim Reaper after all."
A cry is heard on the communicator before turning off, ending the message.
Rosemary: “Gray…he’s still here…”
Soku: “I thought that guy left.”
Ophelia: “GRAY’S HERE! WHERE, WHERE?”
Anibis: “That idiot…wait that cry…that was Jeremiah, JEREMIAHS HURT! IS HE DEAD!? IF MY BROTHER WAS SLAIN BY YOU.... NO! ....THAT… THAT’S IMPOSSIBLE! YOU CAN'T TAKE THEM AND MY DEAR SIMBLINGS HERE WITHOUT PAYING FOR IT FIRST!"
But Anibis couldn't stand up to fight with a Helsing in front of her. Fear held her down, pain caused her to remain still, and death looked down upon her like it did for her siblings.
Edward: “You’re taking the pain well, and now that we know Gray’s here you guys got some pain coming.”
A rush of steps is heard, and twenty anarchists enter the hall all ready to attack.
Soku: “Shit…I can’t beat those guys, not all at once at least.”
Rosemary: “My body is damaged…but I can still fight. It shouldn't be impossible”
Edward: “READY!?”
Then a figure cloaked in black bursts through the window behind the Anarchists. Only holding a bloodied tanto, the man slaughters Anarchist after Anarchist, and Edward assists the man in cleaving through the ofront of the forces.
Soku: “No way…that guy’s insane, killing guy after guy with no time to breathe.”
Rosemary: “It can’t be…”
They finish killing the Anarchists, leading Edward to hold his sword at the man.
Edward: “That mana…the black cloak and white mask, I have reason to not trust you. So give me one to.”
Gray: “Can’t tell it’s me? That’s mean!”
Edward: “Gray?”
Rosemary: “Gray.”
Gray pats Edward shoulder while running to Rosemary. Gray removes the mask, then shocking everyone Gray kisses Rosemary on the lips while Rosemary returns the gesture.
Soku: “EW!”
Ophelia: “NO WAY ROSEMARY HAS A BOYFRIEND!”
Edward: “Finally, slept in the same room for months and it still took them forever.”
Rosemary: “I…uh…WHY DID YOU COME BACK!?”
Gray: “What am I not allowed to do to save the day?”
Soku: “Shut up, why did you come back? Yah damn idiot.”
Gray: “I…I had a lapse in judgment…and I'll apologize later...but more importantly, I have to tell you guys something damn important.”
Edward: “What is it?”
Gray: “Arthur…Arthur Willams the new king of Walgona is a member of the Sect of Anarchy.”
Soku: “WHAT!?”
Edward: “But…it can’t be…”
Rosemary: “The new king is…an anarchist…”
Anibis: “You… how do you know this?”
Gray: “Man you got a good pain threshold! Also yeah he told me. So where is he?”
Edward: “He’s upstairs with Kioshi and the three Cromwell brothers.”
Soku: “Look I like Kioshi and all…but we gotta pull a Gray and get the hell out of here.”
Gray: “Pull a Gray…that will not become a saying.”
Soku: “Nope just did it.”
Edward: “We don’t even know if we can trust Julius and his brothers now… but Kioshi is up there fighting the leaders of the Sect.”
Rosemary: “I think we should just run as well…even though it seems immoral. She's the strongest, so she can win right?”
Edward: "Knowing her she'll hold back to make sure she doesn't destroy the castle. But she should have been able to win already anyway...so why is it taking so long?"
Soku: “We need to get Ophelia out of here if anything…she can’t fight back."
Gray: “Yeah we might have to pull a Gray then.”
Anibis: “You all…are just the same…leaving your comrades to die…just like what you did with that butler…you know the one my dead family killed.”
In an instant Edward slams Bjørn against Anibis’ head, killing her.
Soku: “WOAH SHIT!”
Gray: “EW…i’m gonna puke…uhg…”
Rosemary: “EDWARD! We might have been able to use her.”
Edward: “I’m going to do anything I can to help Kioshi.”
Soku: “Not this again.”
Gray: “Don’t do this…Kioshi is strong so can't lose! …if anything we’ll get in the way, and we are all beat up…I’m sore, Rosemary is injured, and Soku’s almost out of mana.”
Edward: “Leave then, I…I know I’m making a bad decision…but Kioshi and Mushashi are all the family I have left…and I don’t want to just do nothing.”
Gray: “Okay then…I'll go with you.”
Rosemary: “WHAT! The hell you are!…come on!”
Soku {Woah didn’t know Rosemary could be so assertive.}
Gray: “I made a vow…a vow that means I’ll do anything to save my friends…risking my life and dying if I have to.”
Rosemary: “How… HOW SELFISH ARE YOU!?”
Rosemary punches Gray clean in the face, holding back tears she starts to go off on Gray.
Rosemary: “You leave…you talk of all this trauma and don’t let me even try to reason with you…now you come back thinking there would be no repercussions!? You just come in, kiss me, and then expect us to fall back in line!? I like you, I really like you, and I'm glad you're back. BUT YOU CAN'T KEEP ACTING LIKE THIS!"
And so Gray froze for a moment, because he agreed, and he let out a sigh.
Gray: “I’m sorry but…Kioshi is my friend…and if we have to go to war with these Anarchists we need all the help we can get. We can't just let the worlds strongest person die after all.”
Soku: “As long as Ophelia is safe I’m…”
Ophelia: “I DON’T WANT HER TO DIE!”
Ophelia blindly runs off, heading toward the stairs to the ballroom.
Soku: “OPHELIA! COME BACK DAMMIT!”
Soku uses her wind magic to rush forward, trying to stop Ophelia from getting herself killed, though she gets stopped by a stray Anarchist trying to stab her. She almost gets sliced, using wind mana to push the Anarchist back, then releasing a sharp wind blade, slashing their throats.
Rosemary: “OPHELIA! DON’T!”
They all start running after Ophelia, but she makes it up the stairs, and with the ballroom doors open everyone sees the horror. The people are fighting faster than any of them can perceive. They had all heard small rumblings before, but the air pressure coming from the fight almost knocked them all back. With big slashes on the ceiling as well as the floor, the beautiful ballroom turned into a war-torn battlefield.
Gray: “Damn..so this is a God of War.”
Edward: “No, something's wrong, she should been moving a lot faster and hitting a lot… Something holding her back."
Soku: “Ophelia come here…we need to leave.”
Then a figure coated in a black and bird-like armor swoops down, sprouting wings from her underarms and snatching the group. For some reason they were all unable to use their mana and also froze up, for some reason allowing themselves to get carried away from within her extended wings as she'd grabed them up with her hands, feet, and beak.
Gray: “LET US GO NASTY HAG!”
“Here you go…a perfect viewing area.”
She lets them go, leaving them on one of the ballroom balconies overlooking the battle.
Arthur: “Hey there you guys are. Any unnecessary movements and you die. Now all of you walk back here and sit on the chairs with Julius, Roy, and Lloyd.”
They go to walk to the chairs, but then suddenly Arthur Grabs Ophelia by the neck, using his spirit flames to lightly burn her neck. She cries out in pain screaming to be let go.
Soku “LET HER GO!”
Arthur: “If you try anything you die first…now let's watch the “strongest” God of War fight the future pillars of justice.”
END OF CHAPTER
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