Arc 6. A seemingly endless loss
Road to a Hero:
Three Chances in Another World
Chapter 63. Poster shot
While twenty Ganga mana made arms fly at Gray, Rosemary, and Soku, they’re all forced into action. Without a word from Gray, everyone enters their place in the fight. Rosemary stands back for an opening to strike, Gray tries his best to create such an opening, and Soku uses her range and speed to ensure neither gets hit. Smolder keeps making pockets of magma underground, while Yoru climbs onto her mutated beast to fly around, with much less teamwork. Soku, using her glider, begins targeting Yoru. Without being able to use her sword, Soku is unable to launch her standard wind blades, forcing her to only use blunt attacks. Mid-air, Soku flips, kicking a large blast of wind toward Yoru, throwing her off balance. While Soku’s in the air, Gray targets Ganga, easily dodging her mana arms. Using the wrist talons, he’s able to slash through them as he gets closer and closer, though the durability of them has grown to a great extent. Ganga’s constant screaming begins annoying Yorus's mutated beast, further throwing it off.
Yoru: “SHUT UP YOU DAMN FOOL! YOU’RE HURTING MY BABY’S EARS!”
Ganga: “HUSH YOU OLD HAG!”
Smolder: “BOTH OF YOU -”
Before Smolder can reprimand the two, he begins coughing, causing his throat to bleed. The weakness that is his burnt body finally begins to affect him. Ganga's injuries begin affecting her as well, but the utter rage coursing through her veins keeps her going. Dante stands beside her though, holding his mother's hand to keep her calm.
Gray: “ROSEMARY, SOKU! WHY’D YOU EVEN COME HERE!?”
Gray begins bantering between his friends to annoy Ganga even further, but Rosemary responds without figuring this out.
Rosemary: “I SAW THAT I DIDN’T HAVE YOUR CLOAK SO I CAME TO CHECK ON YOU!”
Gray jumps over, ducks, rolls, and just about everything else he can without his cloak of darkness to dodge and destroy all of Ganga’s arms, trying to narrow down the numbers. Soku loses focus on her small air battle with Yoru because she remembers why she came to the mayor’s office and looks over to the gates. The large army of monsters she had followed to get her spread out around the entire area, guarding it and blocking them in more than they already were. Once Yoru notices the surprise on Soku’s face, she begins to be overwhelmed in ecstasy, dwelling in the utter joy she feels when her so-called “babies' ' are recognized.
Yoru: “OH YOU LOVE DON’T YOU! THE CHILDREN OF GOD SWARM AROUND YOU! PRAY TO THEM! PRAY TO ME! THE CREATOR OF OUR ARMY!”
Soku: “SHUT THE HELL UP, OLD ASS SKANK!”
Gray {Damn! She’s harsh…oh shit.}
Amidst Gray’s battle, he gets a slight glimpse at the large crab-like monster standing at the main gate, as well as the rest of the slimy pink monsters. He’s not able to do much about it though, as Ganga seems to progress even further. The black mana the arms are made of seems to start stretching over her body, which connects her to her powers even more. The once three-fingered arms begin to morph into the crescent moon-shaped blades of Carla.
While Rosemary waits patiently for an opening, she yelps when Lisa sneaks behind her.
Rosemary: “AH! What are you doing here!?”
Lisa: “You seem like you’re about to fall over, so let me help you.”
Lisa's Mark of Providence flows from her shoulder and onto Rosemary’s body. Her bones are held together by the pink mana, filling in all of the gaps. The same happens to any cut Rosemary has, filling them in as well. Then last it refills any of Rosemary’s lost mana.
Rosemary stands up excited and rejuvenated.
Rosemary: “That ability is amazing!”
Lisa: “Thanks…but I’m using it sparingly. You seemed like you were about to pass out, and this is a one-time use.”
Rosemary runs off, going into the six-stage as she does so. Smolder, seeing this, begins using the lava he had been preparing. Random pillars spike up while the ground begins melting down, causing her to be as careful as possible. Her speed makes it difficult for the injured Smolder to keep up, and the mana rapidly flowing over her keeps her feet guarded by the lava, but she can’t stand on it for long or it’ll burn through. To counteract this she begins jumping, but Smolder uses this to predict her next move, blasting a wave of lava upward to burn her. Before Rosemary can react, Soku blasts toward Rosemary, curving in front of her, blows high-pressured wind from her mouth downward, blowing it all away, and glides away all in a matter of a few seconds.
Gray: “NICE SAVE!”
Yoru, still flying around, narrowly avoiding Soku, is finally struck down. Soku had flown high into the air, let go of her glider, and pulled out her sword. Then, using her mark of providence, drags the wind down with her blade, building up as much power as she can. Then, after she’s conjured up a blade two times as large as her body, she releases it toward Yoru. Instead of staying in its green glowing and somewhat solid state, it expands towards her as well as loses the light green colored tint, making it invisible. Yoru quickly moves out of the way, laughing the entire time, and begins heading right toward Soku to let her monster bite her.
Right as the beast is about to kill her, Rosemary and Gray turn their attention toward her, both fearing for her life. Then, Soku takes a deep breath, and all of the wind spirits awaken, shining green, and rush toward Soku. So before Yoru can react, all of the wind mana rushes over Yoru, exploding on impact. The beast tried to block the attack, getting cut to pieces in the process. Though, blocking most of the attack, Yoru’s hit by the residue, ripping bits of her body apart. Her shoulders, thighs, and chest are hit with a barrage of thin but sharp slices, tearing both her body and her cloak up. Soku tries to strike again, but Smolder assists Yoru by using small spikes of hardened magma that blast toward Soku. Yoru manipulates the body of the beast to rap around her while Soku vails herself in a sphere of rotating wind, blocking the small spikes.
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Gray: “GOOD CLUTCH!”
Ganga: “SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP!”
With Smolder distracted, Rosemary was able to close the distance between Gray and herself, allowing the two to work together. Ganga continues to replace the arms as soon as Gray destroys them, but with Rosemary there, she’s able to speed up the process two times the speed. As they get closer and closer to Ganga, she becomes more and more panicked. The blades on the ends of the arms cut Gray's shoulder, messing up his concentration and causing him to be met with a barrage of cuts He tries dodging, making it so the blades don’t do serious damage, but with every cut more and more arms target him. To assist, Rosemary forces her leg to enter the fourth stage, kicking a weak blast of wind at him to push him out of the way, which gives him an idea
Gray: “ROSE! ARROW ME!”
Rosemary: “WHAT!?”
Ganga freezes up, anticipating whatever his plan may be. Gray activates his spiritual sense, giving him the ability to dodge the blades with ease, and makes his way back to Rosemary, slicing through the arms on his way. In preparation for any attack they may do, Ganga begins using Charlie's ability, charging up the pushing eye.
Gray: “HEY GANGA! I KNOW JEREMIAH, CARLA, AND CHARLIE HAD POWERS! BUT WHAT’S UP WITH THAT CON!? OR ROY!? THAT ONE DUDE!? AND ANY-BUS!”
Ganga: “DON’T YOU DARE MAKE A MOCKERY OF THEM! HIS NAME WAS CONROY AND HER NAME WAS ANIBIS! CONROY WANTED TO WAIT AND GET STRONGER BEFORE HE ATTEMPTED TO GAIN HIS ABILITIES! AND ANIBIS’S BODY REACTED PORTLY, BUT SHE WAS ABLE TO…to…”
Gray: “YEAH THAT’S IT! SUPER NORMAL NAMES FOR EVIL PEOPLE!”
Ganga loses focus on Gray, attempting to use Anibis’s abilities. Her mummy-like appearance and burned skin led Gray and the others to believe she didn’t have a strong ability. They did see her using a whip and grabbing Ophliea with her bandages, so they just assumed that her ability just let her control such bandages. Though her real ability is a little more horrific. The skin on Ganga’s arm begins to peel off, turning into the wrappings that were around Anibis’ body, which begin to heal her.
Ganga: “My daughter…please help me…My body could only use so many abilities…but this rage I feel for your killers has pushed me so far that I can finally use your love.”
Gray jumps toward Rosemary, confusing her, but with just a glance, she understands his plan. While the long blades rush toward the both of them, Soku blasts past, slicing the roe of them, and lands beside them. Smolder attempts to turn the floor beneath them to lava, but they act quickly enough to get past it.
Gray {I didn’t think Soku would show up so fast, but that only makes the move better!}
Gray: “LAUNCHER MOVE!”
Rosemary and Gray jump up, and then Soku puts wind behind both their feet, so when they jump at equal force, Soku propels them at full force, launching them toward Ganga. They put their fists together, stretch them back, and yell as they both put their full power into their punches. Ganga forces out all of her arms to create a Goliath arm two times larger than the previous one, causing it to scale over them. But when they punch it, the force from the attack causes the arm to explode. Gray quickly jumps in the air again, letting Rosemary push him forward, launching him right to Ganga.
Gray {I NEED TO TAKE THEM BOTH DOWN, RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW!}
Gray began to lose himself to adrenaline and drive, falling more under the cloak's spell and completely disregarding his morals to get the job done. With his wrist talon ready to pierce her, he’s about to stab her, until she’s rescued at the last minute. Not by Smolder though, who’s currently dealing with a barrage of wind blades from Soku, but by her son, Dante. He pushes his mother out of the way, letting himself get stabbed in the heart by Gray’s weapon, sending Ganga into shock. He stands there, looking into his eyes as the light of life fades. Gray snaps himself out of it, about to launch at the frozen Ganga, but an enraged Smolder flows a giant wall of lava that stretches from him to her, blocking Sokus’ wind blades and Gray's attack.
Gray backs off, watching as Dante’s shield, which was blocking out all of the monsters, is dropped and they begin flooding in. Gray falls back, worried and tired. Then suddenly the wall that Smolder had made dropped, but neither Smolder nor Ganga moved, they just stood there. As if they feel sorrow for her, Gray, Rosemary, and Soku stand still as well, just watching the frozen Ganga break down. She falls to the ground, crying tears of blood as she holds her dead son, covering the hole in his heart. They watch as his soul is sucked out of his body, looking like a shadow version of himself, which fuses with his mother, and is absorbed into her OD. Still, they do not move, just watching the grieving mother take her son's soul, and listen to her haunting laugh. She claws at her face, pulling her skin down, trying to stop smiling. Then other shadows try to force themselves out of her body, ripping at her skin. The faces of four men and two women in the same shadowy form begin stretching and clawing out of her OD, but she tries her best to keep them in, though it doesn't work. Smolder watches in awe as Ganga falls unconscious and the souls of her children flow out. They’re aged up, dressed in the same clothes they died in, and hold the same weapons they used, but it was all made of shadowy mana.
Gray: “No way.”
Jeremiah, Conroy, Carla, Anibis, Charlie, and the freshly killed Dante stand in their shadowy form. Carla begins chuckling, licking her lips, Charlie looks around confused about where he is, Dante turns around to see his dead body, freezing up, Anibis looks at their unconscious mother, fearing for her safety, and Jeremiah begins laughing uncontrollably.
Gray backs up, standing with his friends while Smolder begins clapping his hands. He looks over to Yoru, who’s still hiding within the manipulated form of her creature, and looks at the army of monsters beginning to run toward them.
Smolder: “That’s not good.”
Dante’s the first to act, casting another large domain to block the monsters from getting any closer, though they begin to try and break through.
Jeremiah: “GRAY KYOJIN! YOU KILLED ME YOU BASTARD! BASTARD, BASTARD, BASTARD! I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU!”
Conroy: “Shut up! Now, where’s Edward!? I want a rematch!”
Carla: “Who cares about that!? I just wanna see blood! BEAUTIFUL BLOOD!”
Anibis: “Shut up you idiots! Attack them!”
Charlie: “You can’t tell me what to do!”
Dante: “MOVE DAMMIT!”
Gray, Rosemary, and Soku stand back to back, ready to fight everyone off, but at the last second, they hear the roar of an engine. Everyone turns their heads to see Edward holding his sword forward on the hood of Peter's new car, smashing through the monsters and straight through Dante’s domain. They break through, though this throws off Peter's steering, causing him to swerve back and forth.
Gray: “HOT DAMN!”
Soku: “What an entrance.”
Rosemary: “I’d say!”
The domain closes behind them, letting a few monsters in, including the large one. Then, with the members of the Sect confused about what they’re seeing, Conroy begins running toward it.
Conroy: “EDWARD! I WANT A REMATCH! NOW!”
Conroy takes out his sword, but with no understanding of what a car is, he’s quickly run over, and his soul pops, returning to Ganga’s body as quickly as it left. His brothers and sisters begin screaming as they watch their brother die, while Gray and the rest of the group break down laughing, even Edward.
Peter: “SHIT! DID I JUST KILL THAT GUY!?”
Edward: “MAYBE!?”
Sadly, the engine dies, leaving Peter dead in the water while Edward steps off of the car. Gray tries to high-five Edward, but Edward doesn't know the gesture, so Soku high-fives Gray.
Gray: “Nice, don't leave me hanging'.”
Soku: “I mean that is the rules.”
Edward: “What are you -, never mind. The better question is, what the hell is going on!?”
Gray: “Long story short, that guy over there has lava powers, that lady on the ground’s children are all of those powered sect people, and now they’re free, oh and that ball of flesh has an old woman in it who made all of those zombies.”
Soku: “Wow, that really was a long story short.”
Peter steps out of the car to be met with a big hug from Rosemary, causing him to groan in pain.
Rosemary: “Sorry, sorry. Are you okay?”
Peter: “I’ll explain later, but…WE GOTTA FIGHT OR SOMETHING!”
Everyone stands together, staring at seven powered members of the Sect of Anarchy slowly approaching them. Gray, being as Gray Kyojin as he is, puts his hands on his waist and grants his opponents an enormous smile.
Gray: “Poster shot.”
Everyone stands confused, causing Gray to sigh.
Gray: “Never mind…you guys are lame.”
End of Chapter sixty-three