Arc 6. A seemingly endless loss
Road to a Hero:
Three Chances in Another World
Chapter 52. Ravage
While Gray and the others are just starting to find their place with the situation at Constal, Edward, Peter, and Lance are dealing with the situation on the trains. Arms split in two, disembodied heads roll down the train car, bits of brain stuck to the ceiling, it’s a gory mess of body parts. Then, the bringer of this destruction slowly stomps toward the rest of his prey. They scurry away, acting like scared children, screaming and crying for help, but no one is coming for them. Orson holds his wrist, trying to stop himself from bleeding to death while staring at his dismembered hand beside him. It'd be impossible if you had people sent on the train to figure out how many people were on it. People turned to paste, a fresh paint coating on the cold metal walls, and Edward’s looking for more.
The only train car so far without anyone in them was only there to hold something of which Edward has no knowledge of what it is. He passes the object covered in a tarp and enters the latter half of the train to find the last bit of people. They’re screaming, praying, and crying for Edward to spare them, but he is blind to it, just filled with a never-ending rage. Then another train car is turned into a horrific scene. His sword has begun getting dull, so each swing digs and rips the people apart, but it’s still effortless. All of this death is just a workout as well as a therapy session. He’s covered in blood and cuts to the point where his armor is leaking, causing it to pool on the ground. His eyes are dead, he’s in a permanent frown, only speaking in grunts like a wild animal thirsty for blood. He drags his sword behind him, scratching at the ground as he approaches the others.
This time he’s met with a train of Demi-humans, but they’re quick to be put down. In a matter of a few seconds, they’re dismembered, embarrassed, and slaughtered. Their stomachs are leaking their organs, and they try rigorously to hold them in, but it’s no help from their impending death that has just walked past them. The sounds of flesh being smashed as well as dragged through rapidly and repeatedly put the fear of god into the already terrified Demi-humans. The fear in their eyes as they watch their mutilated friends choke on their own blood is indescribable, but it’s all over quickly as they’re met with the same fate. Car after car they’re slaughtered, and he draws ever closer to the front of the train.
On the other train is very much the opposite, because Peter is running for his life while trying to get to the end of the train, while Lance follows close behind, running from a wounded Chester. Though Peter takes a second to prepare himself. He lifts his rabbit mask, grabs the hammer from his side, and pries open a box of flame crystals. He then smacks a few of the crystals with his hammer, breaking them open ever so slightly and taking the core. He does this until he sees Lance running up to him, so he waits, even if he’s still angry at him.
Lance slams open the train car door and closes it behind him, covered in sweat and speechless.
Peter: “Why the hell are you here!?”
Lance: “Because…I followed Edward here.”
Peter: “EDWARD’S HERE!? Where is he!?”
Lance: “On the other train…and there is this dude right behind me SO WE GOTTA RUN!”
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Peter looks over Lance’s shoulder to see no one, confusing him.
Peter: “There isn’t anybody there stupid.”
Lance: “Hey rabbit boy, I’m not the idiot that got himself captured.”
Peter: “Oh sorry, I guess I should have just seen into the future and predicted myself getting attacked by a CRAZY MAN!”
They continue bickering while Peter grabs core after core, stacking up on gear.
Lance: “The hell are you doing anyway?”
Peter: “Grabbing flame cores. If you put mana into them they pop, but without any gunpowder they don’t do much. So when I told them about how my Poppers work, I left that part out.”
Lance: “So if they don’t do much why are you getting them?”
Peter: “Something’s better than nothing.”
While they’re distracted, Chester bursts through the door, suppressing them both. Peters is sent into a panic, watching as his captor stands in front of him, hurt, angry, and about to attack.
Peter: “LANCE MOVE!”
Lance attempts to move but he’s quickly kicked to the side, knocking him unconscious.
Chester: “So…here we are…you’ve caused me a lot of trouble…”
Peter: “Oh really? Cool.”
Chester: “HUSH! I’ll break every bone in your body, and take pleasure doing it.”
Peter tries to run away, but Chester trips him and stands over him. Chester moves Peter's mask off of his face and stares into his eyes, enjoying the fear. Chester grabs Peter's injured arm and crushes it before licking the stitches on his cheeks.
Peter screams out, on the verge of tears from the sheer shock his body is experiencing.
Chester: “REMEMBER THIS! BECAUSE EVERYTHING ELSE IS GONNA HURT A LOT MORE BOY!”
Peter, fully prepared to die, finally swallows his pride.
Peter: “LANCE! HELP ME!”
Chester scoffs at him. During all of the commotion Lance removed the ring on his finger. This causes a pulse of mana to be released after being held dormant within his OD.
It was a story kept from the world, one relating to Zue and Cornelius Cromwell. But that story was their own and Lances was his. So he bends the flames used by both Zue and Arthur to attack Chester.
Peter {THAT FIRE! JUST LIKE ARTHUR! I thought his dad was Cornelius? It has to be right? I guess their blood line carries more than just their normal flames.}
Cheater’s hit with a wave of black flames, pushing him off Peter. While Chester’s stunned, Peter gets up and throws some of the crystals at Chester. This gives him an opportunity to land a blow to his face, knocking him over. Chester quickly springs up, kicking Peter back. Lance catches Peter, and they both stare at the burned Chester.
Chester: “I DUNNO HOW YOU DID THAT, BUT I’LL KILL BOTH OF YOU! AND YOU’LL NEVER STOP THIS DAMN TRAIN!”
Peter: “Lance…I trust you to take this guy out…but if you don’t, somebody needs to stop the train.”
Lance: “Don’t you wanna stop this guy?”
Peter: “My wants are different from my needs. I would love to stomp this guy's teeth in, but I’m headed for the conductor's booth. I don't know how you used those flames but keep going!”
Chester: “COME ON!”
Lance: “Okay, I’ll cover you.”
Lance quickly hands Peter his rope dart, causing a spark of joy in his young face.
Lance takes a deep breath and creates a giant wall of flames he sends right toward Chester. Chester swings his leg, stopping the attack, but it gives Peter enough time to get in close, and Lance quickly follows up with another attack. A quick shot toward Chester's face, forcing him to dodge, then with one towards Chester's legs, he’s forced to dodge again. This quick flurry of flaming shots gives Peter the chance to move past him and enter the next train car. Chester tries to grab onto Peter, but he’s burned by another fireball in the process. Chester, angered and hurt, turns to Lance with intent to kill.Peter on the other hand finally makes his way to the end of the train, finding somebody there waiting for him. The man takes a puff of his cigar, fixes his monocle, raises his hat, and smirks at Peter.
Peter: “Why are you here?”
Rupert: “How’s it goin' boy?
End of Chapter Fifty-two