Jurgun vs Ria and Acryus...
Ria, rushed to Acryus side, carefully flipping him over. Jurgun watched curiously from up above, but he didn't want to wait around for too long.
She ignored him and focused on her brother, carefully, teleporting out the bullet fragments and holding his wounds shut with telekinetic force to stop the bleeding. "Acryus! Acryus! Wake up!... Please wake up."
There was a slight bit of movement, giving Ria hope, as his lips began to quiver. "Who... Who are... you?..."
She held back tears unable to say anything but weak smile. She floated him up a bit closer, just ever so grateful to see him alive.
His eyes widened a bit, before the pain took over, knocking him back unconcious. "Ria..."
She checked his pulse to make sure he was stable, then teleported, as their previous spot was blown up. She glanced up at the General, growling at him, as he smiled back.
"I admit, I did go a little overboard with that one." He scratched the back of his head as he mauled it over. "But, I feel that capturing you, just might make up for it." His said as the rifle automatically locked onto her and fired.
Twelve shots crashed down around her, as she teleported away, nearly avoiding them. She struggled to keep her brothers wounds stable and knew she couldn't keep this up much longer.
Ria grasped her right hand in front of her, raising tons of dirt and rocks, then crushed them into dust and small pieces. Teleporting it, to enshroud the General in a storm cage.
He looked around, unable to see anything past the debris. Then attempted teleporting but his entire surroundings had been blocked off by her iko. He'd have to force his way through.
"Clever way to buy time." He commented, impressed by her wit, but didn't hesitate, to switch his rifle into the blade and swing down diagonally in front of him. Unbeknowing that he would be setting off planted mines, embedded in the rocks around him.
Ria hurried, hearing her mine explosions go off in the distance. Hoping she can find a doctor on time to save her brother. However, seconds later she stopped in her tracks, as despair started to seep in.
Jurgun floated above her once again, dissappointed and unscathed. Aiming at her with his rifle. "Surrender now and I'll consider saving the boy."
Ria clutched her brother. Hating her own powerlessness. Taking him out, would take too long for Acryus to survive. She didn't know what to do.
Only one person came to mind, that could help her. 'If I call him, he'll come right?' Her eyes darted back and forth from the General to her brother.
"I'll give you, 3 seconds. 3...2...1-"
"Tob-!" A large flaming boulder made out of trees and rocks, cut her off as it crashed into Jurgun, sending him hurdling with it.
"What-" Ria, tried to ask looking around for the one who helped her. Then her eyes locked on Kiatin. She was happy at first then despaired. "Kiatin! What are you doing here."
He glanced at her, seeing her frantic and clutching hold of her brother. "Go!"
"No! Take him and both of you get out of here!" She replied back even more terrified. She couldn't lose two people that she loved, right in front of her.
"That man won't survive, without your help. You're quicker than me, and can keep him alive till then. I'll hold the enemy off. Now go!" He yelled back, bracing himself as Jurgun began heading back their way.
"He'll kill you! Why are you doing this!" She asked him, trying to come to reason with him.
Kiatin scoffed, putting on a brave face as he shifted into second gear, releasing his maximum output of energy. "Do I need a reason to help you?"
She grinded her teeth, trying to think of what to say, but admitting defeat. She blinked away tears as she turned around preparing to teleport. "I won't forget this. You better hold out..." Her voice got weak as she tried tof finish. "I'll be back soon."
He smiled as she disappeared and left him to face the monster before him.
Hundreds of kilometers away from Kiatin and Jurgun...
Ria exited warp, crying. This day wasn't going the best for her. She could feel, human forces stationed, in a country far ahead, and was trying to make her way quickest there. However teleporting through air, was more difficult and consuming than traveling through space.
She hoped her brother could still hold out another, five-ten more minutes. Then prepared to teleport again, when she had gathered enough energy, but suddenly out of nowhere, cracks in the air began manifesting before her, as a burst of energy released from it, someone appeared out of it.
"A child of Atlas?" Ria immediately got into a battle stance, vaguely remembering their prominent descriptions.
"No, no! I'm an ally, and Acryus's employer." The person pointed at her brother, as Ria got a better look at her. She had blue hair and a gray blue, Beyond battle suit, equipped with a small, short sword. "My name is Syra... You must be Ria? His sister?"
Ria stared at her, knowing she had never introduced herself, but realized Acryus could have told her. Before opening her mouth to speak, Syra pointed up at a drone floating high up above her.
"I'm sure you've noticed it following you, but it bared no hostility. Thanks to it I now know the situation and can take it from here." Syra reached her hands out, prompting her for Acryus. "I promise I will save him, but you have to trust me. In the mean time, I'm not sure if you want to leave your friend alone for long. It's not looking good for him."
Ria bit her lip. She hated having so little options, but new the woman was right. She had to go back.
She floated her brother over, as Syra took over holding the pressure and immediately injected him with nanites. Ria immediately wanted to protest, but she saw it alleviating some of his pain and closing up smaller wounds, making her back off.
She had to trust her. "Please take care of him. He's the only family I have left!"
Syra nodded. "I swear on behalf of Beyond, he'll be safe!"
Both of them looked at each other one last time. Then Ria looked at her brother sleeping at death's door and gritted her teeth angrily. Seconds later, they both disappeared, going their separate ways.
Kalista vs the Dragon...
Kalista flew up higher, taking the height advantage as the two stared each other down. She took the first strike, raising her hand up high to summon a giant magma golem, the same size as the dragon, then ordered it take it on.
However in seconds a beam of fire, erased the golem as the dragon began to take flight. Kalista gritted her teeth and clutched her fist as two more rose up on her command, jumping to pull it down.
A brilliant attempt, but short lived, as the dragon spun 360 degrees in the air, bellowing fire and swinging its tail, as it destroyed the two golems. Then continued it's ascent unopposed.
Kalista stared in shock. 'How can something that big move like that?'
It's scales began to shimmer, and ripple as the dragon went invisible. A force of thoughts began rushing into Kalista's mind, making a statement. 'You have fought well so far warrior, challenging me like this.'
"What? What was that! Is that you talking to me!" The Nova asked, while looking around to try and spot it, however it his its iko too well.
'Yes this is how we communicate with lesser life forms.' The dragon replied nonchalant, as a wave of blue fire erupted out of nowhere nearly engulfing her, before she got out of the way.
'I am Duarnia, one of the last of my kind and I serve the King that gave me a home.' Large gusts of winds breezed past her, as the dragon flew nearby on a warning strike. 'You have attacked our home. I can tell you have no thoughts of surrendering as most would have run from me by now. However on behalf of the King, I will use my full might against you.'
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Kalista grinned, finally locking on to Duarnia's position, sensing its iko. A spiralling sphere of lava, began hovering over Kalista's palms, as her hair and eyes glowed slightly brighter from the convergence of energy.
"Fair play, but don't complain when I do the same!" She threw her hand out in a vague direction, feeling her target, somehow in front of her. "Scorch Aygo!"
A wave of magma erupted out of the sphere, shooting off into the distance as the Duarnia had dodged at the last second. Unfortunately though, his tail was caught, statically undoing the camouflage, before he decided to completely switch it off.
Furiously, flames began building up in its mouth, heating up hotter, than before. Kalista quickly looked around below, summoning rocks to orbit around her, and condensing some into another sphere lava.
However suddenly breaking her focus, dozens of volleys of fire, ice, rocks and static electricity, hurled past her. She glanced back seeing hundreds of soldiers charging towards her. Screaming, "protect the dragon!"
She was pinched and beginning to get tired of the wave of soldiers, she had to deal with. Kalista kept one hand on the sphere, and began raising the other towards the soldiers, when two figures, dropped in front of her, facing the charging army.
"Who-" Rani cut Kalista short by turning and hovering her a soft smile.
"You're a friend of Tobi, right?" She asked the Nova back.
Kalista nodded. "Wait did he send you?"
"We're here to help-" Jinco butted in, at the same time that the dragon had released its flames, while the incoming soldiers picked up their pace and increased their fire.
Kalista nodded, turning back towards the dragon. "Thanks." She said, as the pair nodded back then switched into second gear and began mowing down their enemies.
The Nova raised both of her hands towards the incoming wave of fire. If she didn't stop it, it would spill over, to the two behind her. All of her energy poured into the sphere, heating up the lava even further, before she released it, with seconds to spare.
"Scorch, Jataygo!" A wave of lava, broke out of the sphere, evenly eating away at Duarnia's flames. The dragon cut it short, and dove down escaping the beam, and continuing to target Kalista, by attempting to swallow her whole.
Fortunately she managed to leap away on time, however Duarnia managed to slap her down, scratching her with his razor sharp claws. Then once again sent a wave of fire in her direction.
Kalista was in pain. She gravely underestimated how strong the dragon actually was. Her arms were shredded, along with her shins, as she had curled to block its attack earlier. She felt the heat of fire above her and decided not to run.
Instead she summoned a dome of metals and iron, shielding her and began commanding the floor she was laying on to tunnel its way lower and safely away from the explosion. While the ground above her trembled, she reached into her pack and grabbed a booster.
Immediately injecting herself with it as she got up and brushed herself off. She just realized it, but she didn't know why she was thinking of Kayed while being in this situation. How she wished she could see him one more time.
"Erupt: Rising Volcano." Every went silent up above, as she spoke. The ground began to tremble, then seconds later, she shot up out of a hole like a geyser. Breaking past the charged metal dome, she raised and punching Duarnia, right in its gut.
Before it was sent flying, the dragon managed to wrap its tail around Kalista. Dragging her along meters away, before it regained control of its flight and used the momentum to whip Kalista up and smack her back down. Crashing her hard against the ground, as her body began to shake.
She couldn't take anymore, she had to end this now. However just as she has recomposed herself, dozens of volleys, crashed down around her once again. More soldiers were beginning to crowd in. She spread her senses out, feeling Jinco and Rani still busy holding off the ones that charged in north of her.
She bit her lip, contemplating then smiled, as two figures dropped down behind her. 'How am I so lucky today?' She thought to herself, as she regained focus on her opponent.
"You've had your hands full, haven't you?" Helio asked her.
"Mind if we share a little?" Norah followed up.
Kalista grinned looking back once. "Knock yourselves out!"
The two disappeared, covering her back and leaving her to continue facing the dragon. It dipped down, jetting towards her at high speed. Midway through it turned invisible, then blew fire, forth from its mouth, covering its entire body in flames. A feature she just realized was a part of its armor, turning it into a small meteorite.
Duarnia crashed down, expecting a large explosion, however instead, it felt itself being raised up and then thrown. It growled, seeing the large magma golem, Kalista had raised, standing in a fighting stance.
'If you do not surrender, one by one instead, I will chew your friends whole.' Duarnia snarled at her.
Alarmed, Kalista could feel, the dragon beginning to turn towards, Helio and Norah. She gathered forth all of her energy, summoning a stream of lava, revolving around her. Then charged.
The golem charged in first reaching Duarnia, just as he switched back and charged at them instead. Roaring at the top of its lungs. Duarnia spun around, using his tail to break the golem apart in powerful swing.
The golem's pieces, broke apart and surrounded him, as Kalista continued running. "Erupt: Burning Prism!" As she yelled, she hopped on to one of the burning remains of the golem. Which reinforced her with an armor of magma, before she leaped off it, while unsheathing her sword and coating it at as well.
Duarnia roared swinging its claws down to catch her before she could strike. However instead, Kalista sliced the dragon's arm, as she whizzed past, hopping onto another floating remains of her golem behind it. Then zipped to another before continuing her lightning onslaught.
Duarnia screamed, suffering multiple gashes all over its body. He blew flames all around him, trying to keep her away and burned away the floating platforms she had been using. Except for one, up above, which he noticed her on at the last second.
Her sword was sheathed, instead in her hand was a swirling white hot sphere of condensed lava. Spinning at an incredible speed.
"This is the end!" She yelled as Duarnia responded in kind. Flames, hotter than he had ever produced in his life, boiled at the pits of his throat, before he released a violent, intense wave of purple fire.
Kalista charged in headfirst, shielded only by a barrier of rocks. She pressed on, erupting out of the wave as Duarnia stopped in disebelief. Kalista pressed the spinning ball of lava into its gut yelling, "Scorch Mataygo!"
Duarnia recoiled back hundreds of meters from the explosion, with his scales completely burned, and a gaping hole within his chest. He laid over dying as Kalista descended down, feeling guilty.
'Do not feel remorse for an enemy you have slain in war.' Duarnia blinked slowly as life started to fade from him.
Kalista shook her head gripping her hands. "You said there aren't many of you?"
'And that is to our own demise. For choosing not to live in peace with those that shared our land... My child still lives, should they choose to wake.' Duarnia groaned as the pain had gotten worse. 'If you come across my child or others of my kin, advise them, to live amongst humans in peace, not have them fear you.'
Kalista nodded, with one tear running down her cheek, as she watched Duarnia blink for the last time.
Tobi vs. Mado...
There was no words to explain the amount of tension between them as they both clashed blades. Ferociously, but drawing blood in small cuts and gashes as they nearly nick each other each time.
Mado pulled back first, switching off third gear, as Tobi did the same wondering what he was up to. Mado pointed his sword at him grinning.
"The six of the Dai Hito have been defeated. That's right, you helped them didn't you?" The King said, remembering a burst of energy waving over the entire planet. "Your friends."
"I donno what you're talking about. They won on their own." Tobi replied back, sheathing his sword, but keeping one hand on imthe hilt.
"You know, Akio was the one who gave us that name. Called us the Dai Hito, living representatives or representatives of the living. I don't remember what he said." His eyes rolled over before he settled grinning at Tobi. "I told him, that we may be representatives of the living, but we represent, those that truly live!"
Tobi made a face, wondering what relationship did the King have with Akio. He knew the old man had lived a long time.
Mado raised his hands as he continued. "That's why, I have to show your people our true way of life. War and battle, is the only purpose of our existence." He tapped his ear as his comm tuned in.
"Leeor, commence the attack." Mado ordered, then smiled at Tobi. "Your people thought we wouldn't anticipate an attack, as we executed one of their strongest warriors. They were wrong. Our forces are might be similar in size, but it's the way pieces are moved that matters."
Tobi's eyes grew wide as he started to realize what he was saying. The ground began to tremble beneath him, as anger skyrocketed.
Mado's smile got even wider as he started to laugh. "That's right! Heading to your home planet now, is a fleet of some of our strongest warriors, led by my son and Rael's daughter. Savour the fact, that you will be defeated on two fronts and there is no home left for you to return to."
Ripples of fire, crushed the ground beneath his feet, as Tobi looked at him with deadly eyes. The world seemed to be trembling around them, as tensions rose once again between them. Then suddenly he calmed down and smiled.
"Ha." He replied back with a soft laugh, then combusted into the fourth gear, leveling his nearby vicinity. He raised his right hand up reaching for the sky, then yelled out. "Ancient Arts: Golden Army!"
Elder Mira had taught him a lot of things for the situations he would be forced into. One of them was a way to ease his worries while on the battlefield. He remembered her telling him that the forbidden arts were a derivative of the ancient arts, with each each requiring a cost. Akio didn't have time to teach him much, aside from the aspects of iko, so Mira focused on teaching him how to utilize it, in the forbidden ways that transcended the mortal realm, efficiently.
The nails on his right hand began to shake, before they took off. Ripping intense pain throughout his arm. Rocks and pebbles, quickly flung upwards and surrounded the five nails, as they each were encased into five clones of ice with moltened cores powering them.
Tobi switched off his transformation and reach his left hand out, as he telekinetically took a Beyond's soldiers comm. Then pressed the button before sticking it in his ear. "This is the Commander, code Alpha C2RX1. Selvin!" He yelled into the comm.
Selvin perked up a second later as Mado stared at him wondering what he had just done. "Yes Commander?"
"Fire a missile towards Earth. No questions!" He asked desperately hoping Selvin would quickly follow through.
There was a second of silence, but Selvin chose not to doubt him. "Roger."
Seconds later, the Prometheus launched its first interplanetary missile towards Earth. It had no hopes of getting there, but momentarily, the five clones, became passengers, as they harnessed the missiles energy, to teleport its way towards Earth.
Tobi smiled at Mado, then laughed. "You're like some bad villain in a story. All your plans are getting foiled." He unsheathed his sword and pointed it at him. "Abroad and at home, today Kiros falls."
Mado laughed outloud brandishing his sword at Tobi as well. "Kiros grows stronger with every war. You're people will not be the first to defeat us!"
Then they both resumed striking at each other, with ferocity. Shaking the lands around them.