Arc 4: What families entail
Road to a hero:
Three chances in another world
Chapter 29. Mercy
Jong: “EVERYONE FOCUS YOUR ENERGY ON THE GOONS! I AND MY FRIEND GRAY HERE WILL TAKE ON THE CLOWNS WITHOUT THE MASKS!”
Charlie: “You’re gonna regret that”
Jong: “Then make me.”
Charlie takes out a short sword, then runs straight at Jong and begins to attack him. This causes everyone to start fighting. Left and right people die, Anarchists and knights taking their last breath. Gray tries to use his spirit sense, but he can't manage to do it due to all the noise and people around him.
Don: “I guess that leaves us then.”
Gray: “I don’t want to kill you.”
Don: “You should have gotten your morals back before you killed my brothers and sisters.”
Don thrust his spear at Gray, which he blocked but the pure power of the strike pushed Gray back, sending him flying into the fighting behind him. Gray runs through the crowd, trying to get to safety using palm strikes on any Anarchists that try to hurt him. Once he gets out of the crowd, he jumps onto the bar's roof to get a better look at the battle. Jong battles against Charlie, overpowering him in sword skill and physical strength but Charlie has his trump card.
Jong: "HAHAHA! This is great! Even as an old man I can have some fun! And a sword isn't even my favorite weapon! Who says retirement is boring!"
Charlie: "You ain't seen nothin yet old man!"
Charlie backs off for a second, focusing on another charge, then blasting it at Jong. The force is light but it’s enough to push Jong back allowing Charlie an opening to thrust his sword at him. Jong blocks the thrust with his sword and pushes Charlie back.
Gray watches Don jump onto the roof of the bar, he then puts his hands together and creates a sphere of mana.The sphere erupts and creates a dome around the bar's roof.
Don: “It’s better that you don’t run away.”
Gray: “Now we can have a better fight.”
Don: “Exactly what I was thinking.”
Don charges at Gray trying to stab him with the spear. Gray dodges each strike, he then grabs the spear and pushes it down with his foot down while he attempts to punch him. Don dodges and kicks Gray, he then tries to strike again but Gray hits the spear with a powerful palm strike, sending the spear flying into the air, and stabbing into the dome's roof. Gray delivers a flurry of quick strikes to Don. Don blocks a few of them but two get through, allowing Gray to kick him on the side of the face and send him tumbling back.
Don: “You…are good…I see why Jeremiah lost to you. But stop holding back…and hit me normally dammit!”
Gray: “Look…I don’t want to have to kill you. Just take your brother and your friends down there and leave.”
Don: “I would rather die than give up my mission.”
Gray: “You said my not ours. Does the rest of the Sect know about this?”
Don: “Yes they do.”
Gray: “Y’know for some reason, I just don’t believe that. Arthur would be pissed if he figured out that you lead a mission behind his back.”
Don: “You will tell him nothing!”
Gray: “Then, LEAVE!”
Don: “Like I said…I WOULD RATHER DIE!”
Don begins to charge at Gray, sweating and panting. Gray takes a deep breath, successfully activating his spiritual sense, and focuses his mana all around his body, to the max it can go. Don swings at Gray but Gray ducks the attack and delivers a devastating blow to Don’s chest, sending him tumbling back once more.
Gray: “Stand down.”
Gray flows the cloak of darkness around Don's body, pulling him towards himself.
Don: “Are you…going to kill me now?”
Gray: “No.”
The domain dissipates, allowing Gray to pull Don back off the bar's roof. Once he gets down he sees that the fighting has stopped with the knights victorious. But Jong is still battling Charlie, and with no clear winner in sight, Gray runs to help.
Gray: “HEY CHARLIE I GOT YOUR BROTHER!”
Charlie: “WHAT!?”
Charlie's anger heightens his powers, one, two, then three squares turn black in his right eye.
Jong: “EVERYONE BACK UP!”
A great blast of power is sent from Charlie's right hand, destroying the ground beneath it. Jong tries to block with his sword but it’s obvious that it’s just a desperate ploy. Gray releases Don and uses the cloak to pull Jong out of the way, successfully saving him.
Charlie: “YOU WILL RUE THE DAY YOU EMBARRASSED ME!”
Gray: “Hahaha…you said rue.”
Don: “That mask…makes you look scarier than…you really are. IT'S JUST A PLOY TO COVER UP THAT SCARED FACE OF YOURS.”
Gray: “Yeah, yeah.”
You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
Jong: “All your men are dead. And your brother here is in our grasp. You have nothing.”
Charlie: “Don’t I? How do you think I knew you were here Gray? Chris and his family would like to greet you.”
Gray: “WHAT DID YOU DO!?”
Charlie: “Nothing, we don’t hurt civilians. BRING HER OUT!”
A few Anarchists walk out of an alley, holding a cage with Chris’ daughter inside crying. One of them is also holding a leash, pulling a chained Dema
Charlie: “Chris is a good liar but in the end, he will do anything for his family. We found your earth-bound dragon as well. He tried to hide it in a hidden space in his barn…but in time we found that too.”
Gray: “Look, don’t hurt them…what do you want?”
Charlie: “What I want is for you to suffer. And I could kill them but that would be boring. What I want to do…IS KILL YOU MYSELF!”
Gray: “Yeah, Don said the same thing, and look at where we're standing now.”
Charlie charges another attack, his left eye slowly turning black. Gray readies himself, pulling out his broadsword and shielding himself with it. Charlie extends his left arm and releases the charged power but instead of pushing anything, it pulls Don towards Charlie, surprising Gray. The speed at which it pulls Don is too fast for Gray or Jong to grab onto, so it reunites the two brothers.
Charlie: “Get up Don, you’re supposed to be stronger than me, according to Arthur.”
Don: “Smarter, not stronger.”
Charlie: “Same thing, doesn’t matter.”
Don: “I guess I’m a better listener as well.”
Gray: “Jong, you go help the girl and my dragon. I got these buffoons”
Jong: “Look, I’m no super soldier but Charlie's is not one to underestimate.”
Gray: “Got it.”
Jong runs towards the Anarchist holding Chris’ daughter. He should be able to kill the three men, but they understand this so they call another man. A bigger, stronger man who is a demi-human wielding a sledgehammer walks up.
Jong: “You’re a big guy, eight or nine feet tall, and yet they still got you wearing that goofy robe. The white mask does look kinda cool though.”
Demi-human: “You will not speak ill of our culture. AND IF ANY OF YOU KNIGHTS INTERFERE, THE DRAGON AND LITTLE GIRL WILL BE SLAIN!”
Jong begins to fight the man, trying his best to dodge each swing because he will be finished if one lands. On the other hand, Gray’s match can go either way, Don stands back up and picks up one of the dead Anarchists' swords.
Gray: “A two v one. Seems fair, you guys do seem underpowered for Sect dudes with superpowers.”
Don: “We are higher-ups. We proved that the pillars mutated our devotion and mana, giving us these abilities. They're our birth right afterall”
Gray: “Well then, let’s see why you’re higher-ups!”
Gray activates his spiritual sense and stands his ground. Don creates another sphere of power more powerful than the last.
Don: “DOMAIN!”
The domain surrounds the fighters, stopping any possible assistants from the knights. Don rushes Gray, giving Charlie time to focus on another attack. Gray tosses throwing knives from within his belt, they stab into Don's legs halting his movement. Gray charges at Don but is forced to move due to Charlie's attack. Gray begins to run at Charlie, throwing more knives. Charlie blocks the knives with force created by his right hand. He then pulls Gray's leg with force from his left, causing Gray to fall. Charlie charges up both of his eyes, creating a great force of power, which pulls and pushes against the air.
Gray {His right eye shows the charge for the push…and his left shows the pull. But he’s using both!? What the hell’s gonna happen?}
Charlie blasts a ball of mana, which pulses in and out looking as if it’s about to explode from the force. At the speed it flies, Gray would be unable to dodge, so he swings his sword at it. The power within both attacks creates a deadlock, Gray loses focus causing his spiritual senses to turn off which makes him lose his balance.
Still struggling, Gray emits as much mana as he can but gets pushed to the ground. He sits on one knee, pushing and pushing himself. His vision starts to go faint, his muscles aching but still, he keeps trying.
Charlie: “How…I put my all into that AND YOU’RE STILL GOING!”
Charlie runs up to Gray and tries to swing at him. Gray pulls his sword back, letting the orb of power explode and knocking everyone back. They all smack the dome so hard that it breaks. Gray passes out for a second, quickly getting up. Across the street, Jong struggles against the demi-human. In the heat of battle, the demi-human swings the sledgehammer down, almost killing Jong right there.
Jong: “EL-WIGAL!”
A big water shield forms right above Jong's head, it turns to ice quickly enough to block the hammer. The demi-human breaks the ice shield but is surprised to see Jong aiming his hand right at him.
Jong: “El-WIGNUM.”
Jong smiles at the demi-human, then water from the atmosphere swirls around his hand, shooting straight at the man's face and sending him flying. Jong quickly takes the opportunity to thrust his sword into the man's chest, killing him.
Charlie: “NO, KILL THE GIRL!”
The Anarchist holding the cage drops it and then pulls out two short swords preparing to take the young girl's life. She screams in fear and Gray freezes, his eyes blasting a bright white light, he then reaches for two throwing knives and throws them as hard as he can. Right before they stab their swords into her, the knives pierce through the air, right into their heads. Gray stands up, his black cloak wraps around him, and with his eyes glowing behind his mask, his presence strikes fear into Charlie.
Charlie: “Get…GET AWAY!”
Charlie struggles to stand, spitting blood. He tries to charge up an attack as Gray watches.
Gray {Can’t…move…can’t think…}
Charlie: “What…are you fucking possessed!?”
Charlie aims his hand at Gray, but Gray grabs his arm and breaks it. Gray then slams Charlie's head onto the ground, then picks him up by his hair and stares him in the eyes.
Charlie: “KILL ME!”
Gray balls his fist, straining himself trying not to kill him. He almost regains his composure, but Charlie spits on his mask making Gray get angry again and he punches Charlie in the head killing him.
Don: “BROTHER!”
Don gets up, running at Gray. Everything seems to be going Gray's way until they hear a roar in the distance. Everyone stops, but Gray listens and turns his head trying to find the origin of the roar.
Jong: “GRAY I FREED THE GIRL AND YOUR DRAGON! I DON’T KNOW WHAT’S GOING ON WITH YOU, BUT I THINK WE WON!”
Gray’s cloak stands on end as if it knows what’s coming. He then quickly turns around, grabbing his sword and using it to block an incoming attack. Suddenly, from within an alleyway a squarish blade attached to a chain is flung at Gray at a high speed. Gray blocks it, but he gets sent flying. He gets up quickly awaiting the entrance of the attacker. The blade goes to pull itself in, but Gray throws knives into openings in the chain, stopping it from moving. Gray runs to the halted blade, swinging his sword on the chain, breaking it. But Gray is kicked back by something he could not perceive, landing on his back. He tries to stand but is stopped by a sickle on his neck. The Anarchist pulls the sickle causing the chain attached to it to pull in the rest of the broken chain.
"You have a great attunement with the spirits…that is a blessing at its finest.”
Gray stares longingly at the man, thoughtless. His body movement is based only on reflexes and impulses.
The Anarchist continues to look Gray in the eye until an extreme blast of water is sent at him. He swings his sickle, slicing the stream of water in two causing it to flow back into the atmosphere. He removes his mask to revive an older man, in his fifties or forties with black and gray hair almost touching his shoulders, and a gray wispy beard. Like a dog's or wolf's, his eyes pierced into Gray's soul. The man removes Gray's mask to get a closer look and slices his lip with the sickle. Jong runs up to the Anarchist, but the man raises his hand and shakes his finger at him. Gray's eyes flicker off and on before returning to their normal straight, no longer glowing. Gray catches his breath and begins to cough.
Gray: “Who…the hell are you?”
“You don't know me? That's a first in a while. Names Zhao, and these people here have created a great sin on our people.”
Gray: “You’re a…demi-human?”
Zhao: “Yes, I am.”
Gray: “Don’t see many demi-humans in the higher-ups.”
Zhao: “Demi-humans like myself don’t have the same flow of mana that humans do. Due to this our mana cannot mutate and create powers like our friends here.”
Gray: “I…killed him…I’m sorry.”
Zhao: “But you showed Don mercy, so I will do the same.”
Jong: “You said your name was Zhao, so you must be Crimson Zhao then. You're a big name."
Zhao: “That I am.”
Jong: “To think a bounty hunter…the big bad wolf yourself would be a part of the Sect.”
Zhao: “People change.”
Jong: “Not criminals like you.”
Gray: “Don’t anger the strong man JONG!”
Zhao: “It’s quite alright. I won’t hurt you, not now, not today. This boy here made a plot to kill you. They know the Pillars would like for you to be alive, that’s why your wanted poster only says alive. But it's far too low for any body to care to come after it so I wouldn't worry about it. All the people who are with the Sect that came here are dead, all but Don here.”
Gray: “If he interrogated Chris…then they would know of our plan.”
Zhao: “And I’ll make him forget it. Your friend Chris is safe and sound, I will return his daughter.”
Gray: “Maybe Sect guys aren’t all bad.”
Zhao: “We aren't supposed to be…we are supposed to unite, to bring world peace. But all they have been doing is searching for power. Run along, go to Athens. I’ve been with the Sect for a few years now…and I’m thinking it might be time for a little change… Gray, I heard you talking about being the reaper on the communication device… they are right to call you a phantom.”
And with that Zhao picks Don up, and walks back into the alleyway, disappearing.
Jong: “I freed the girl by the way.”
Gray: “Good, good…”
They look to see the girl gone, and Dema asleep.
Gray: “So…I guess this is where we part.”
Jong: “I guess it is.”
Gray and Jong walk over to Dema, and Gray grabs a map for Greenvale, handing it to Jong.
Jong: “I’ll send my men there, and I’ll go gather more of us.”
Gray: “Alright then, I’ll see you when our mission begins.”
Gray shakes Jong's hand, gets his things, and wakes up Dema. He waves goodbye and Dema takes flight, heading straight forward to Athens.
END OF Chapter twenty-nine