Chapter 78: A Fiery Finale! (Part 2!)

Inside the apartment complex, much of it was toppled and quiet. Whatever furniture and objects were flipped as people rushed to escape. They could all hear the commands of Runtaii outside along with the terrifying silent march of the Snake Skins.

All of them huddled in a room, with Skaldi keeping watch as Sorbet and Kaliba looked after Vega. Since there was a mirror in the room, Vega could see clearly how much damage she had taken in the fight.

There weren’t so many splits in her seams or stitches ripped. Her skin cracked as if it were glass, with those lines shining like stars. Most of them were around her hands and her hips, where her Soul Gems were closest. The most notable one was the one on her face, going down like a stream of blood.

“Wow… is this how it feels to get fuck-fucked up?”

“Ehh, sort of. Mostly. Yeah, totally.” Skaldi admitted, not wanting to fake his pain resistance. He stole one glance at Vega and he was very much alarmed. Rather, he was conflicted.

She had managed to fight Runtaii one on one with all the Snake Skins around, and also managed to buy time for Lai to arrive. On the other hand, Vega was in great pain and peril. He understood that she was their best chance, but he wished she wasn’t their only chance.

“Hey, don’t move too much. It’s not good for you.” Sorbet patted Vega’s head, smoothing out her skin and hair as best she could.

“Where-where were ya this entire time?”

“Trying my best to be a firefighter. I’m… uh… not so good at that.” Sorbet snickered, which helped Vega to laugh as well. “What happened to you? Is this what normally happens to scarecrows?”

“Not really. Uh, I was playing my songs and was getting real-really angry. I was boosted with all this power, but when I hit Runtaii I also felt… like… a gigantic amount of pain.”

Wincing, Vega felt another jolt of the aftershock of it. Of veins being pulled apart, bones being broken and reduced to splinters, and of her heart failing. She held onto Sorbet for a moment, letting out a few tears.

“Hey hey! It's okay, everything is going to be alright.”

“...hah… it’s… it’s okay. I'm just-just… tired.” Becoming exhausted, Vega let her eyes close and rested against her friend.

“Really? …I’m sorry Vega.” Sorbet massaged Vega’s hair, which made the scarecrow a tad bit more comfortable.

Looking out into the ongoing fires, Skaldi had one thought on his mind. A thought that contained the many people he cared about. One of them was Bolato, and his heart warmed and panged as he did. He hoped he was safe and hoped he would show himself.

The elf hoped the soldier wouldn’t become a victim.

“God…damn…it…” Bolato was growing more and more tired, not being able to deal a finishing blow on the were-hyena. Having been chased in a debilitated plaza, the were-hyena had ample enough space to charge and attack Bolato.

Circling him like a vulture, the hyena stared down the lone soldier as if it knew how close he was to falling over. Strewn with fires and the bodies of dead Tripolian and Iozian alike, much of the ground had blood reflecting the fire’s light.

“...Amir…Florato…someone…” Bolato’s voice was hoarse and he was bent over slightly. His grip on his sword and shield was loosen, and his head stirred with headaches and weakness. He was cold, he was tired, and he was scared.

He wasn’t ready to die.

What little blows they dealt only made sure that he didn’t get bitten and gored. Strikes that put distance between them and the beast. Even if the beast was bleeding, it was enchanted by a terrible strength. Being clever wouldn’t be enough, he needed daring.

The were-hyena snarled once more and swiped its jaws at the edge of his shield, trying to wrestle it out of his hand. Bolato lunged and stabbed at its belly, managing to make it back off. But as it did, he realized that it had torn off half of his shield and his shoulder had been bitten.

Oozing blood, Bolato was surprised that he could not feel any pain from it. Then he realized he couldn’t feel anything from it. Even trying to raise the shield was an impossible task.

Charging again, the were-hyena slammed its massive head against Bolato, sending him flying back into a pool of a man’s blood. With specks of it in his hair and forehead, Bolato was barely able to get back up before the hyena clamped its jaws on his arm.

Turning blue from the crushing force, his arm wrapped around its jaws. His sword flew out of his hand Bolato had to resort to grabbing the hyena.

“No no no!” Frantic, Bolato knew that if he didn’t get its jaws off soon, he wouldn’t have an arm anymore. And if he didn’t get it off at all, he wouldn’t have a life anymore.

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Pushing as hard as he could, Bolato managed to slip his fingers underneath the jaw of the beast and pried with all his remaining might. Blood spilled out from his fingers, but Bolato pressed on.

Memories flashed over him, like a tidal wave of histories. When he first joined the navy, the first man he killed, and when he deserted the force. Pain, anguish, all of it rushed back to him in a fraction of a second.

He pushed harder, even as one of the hyena fangs dug deep in his hand, like a spike into his heart. Even as he was fighting back against this monstrous beast, even as he was making ground against, he couldn’t help but to feel weak.

To feel weak, to feel everything he wasn’t and everything he had failed to do. What words he didn’t say, what actions he didn’t do. What a life he couldn’t leave.

The worst part, Bolato laughed sadly, was that he forgot about his love.

To give one last I love you to Skaldi.

Then it hit him, like a volcano in his chest. A boost of strength he never knew was there, and he began to grab the hyena’s jaws with both of his hands. Even as his left was a bloody mess, he wrenched it in place and fought back with a newfound will.

He wasn’t going to die here. He wouldn’t let himself. He’s too good for it. Bolato wasn’t going to die at the hands of some animal, at the hands of a miserable conqueror.

“I’m… not finished!” Punching the hyena, he got his arm out of its mouth and shoved it away. With his blood in its mouth, it ran directly into him. But instead of being knocked over, Bolato clasted with and held on, wrestling with the beast.

He wasn’t going to be made a victim. He wasn’t going to be made to feel weak. He was going to say those words. He was going to act. And he was going to live.

“You want to kill me? You don’t have the strength. You don’t have the courage. And you don’t have the heart!” His fists covered in blood, Bolato readied for the hyena.

“Valiato, now!” Echoing from far away, Bolato heard a crack and saw the were-hyena’s skull sprinkle out some blood. He turned his head towards the voice, and saw his friends. Florato hangs onto Amir, and Valiato who swung her sling full of bullets.

More of the cracks in the air, and the rocks broke against the hyena’s head. One of them broke against its eye, and the were-hyena ran towards the three, howling in pain and rage.

“~Together, with me Florato!~” Pulling out their daggers, the two plunged them both into the hyena’s back, sending them into a frenzy and racing around wildly. Amir pressed on, proceeding to grab the hyena and beginning to lift it off the ground in its entirety.

“Rah! We’re going to live! We’re going to fight! And I’m going to live to say I love you to Skaldi!” Bolato joined, and the two strongmen heaved the beast over their shoulders and into a great fire before

Crashing down in a smoke and burnt hairs, the were-hyena was on its last legs. Clearing its head enough to identify a target, it saw Bolato and gave one final effort to claim his life.

Bolato didn’t move a muscle, waiting for the perfect opportunity to attack. Amir and Valiato threw their javelins and rock bullets but they did not slow it down.

Then it clicked, like a droplet in a pool of water, Bolato felt that he had to strike. He pulled back his sword arm behind his back, yelling out in a voice of sorrow and hope.

As he swung out for his punch, Bolato felt a cool air right beside with a streak of beautiful red. He felt Skaldi’s presence, like a reassurance, like a belief. His fist, his knuckles struck true and found their target.

Bolato’s fist broke the skull of the hyena, with a loud snapping sound. It fell to the ground, deader than dust. The soldier sucked in the cool air, and held his fist to the sky.

“...I love you all. And holy shit I’m tired…”

“...I love ya all. And holy shit this hurt-hurts!” Vega groaned, the cracks all over her body shifting into a violent purple. The Soul Gems on the guitar and her hip matched the change. Skaldi could only look on, not knowing how to fix Vega.

Only managing to comfort, Sorbet held onto Vega’s hands and tried to make Vega not move too much.

Unknown to them, Vega was having the scarecrow’s equivalent to a nightmare. Well, a nightmare of memories melting together into a stew of awfulness and self doubt.

…So the opposite of a wet dream.

When she first cried, when she realized the voice wasn’t her friend, memories of when she was just a tool and were alone without anyone to help or to help her. Existential fears and personal torments, flashing together like lighting.

Slowly, the memories faded away and Vega opened her eyes, surprised to see it was still dark out.

“...why the hell-hell do Soul Gems do this.” She lifted her head slightly, and Sorbet’s eyes widened seeing that she was awake.

“Vega, it’s okay. You’re safe.”

“...thank you both. Again…” Weak, Vega could hardly move her eye without feeling the cracks on her body split and shake.

“...Vega… do you think you can still do this?” Skaldi needed an answer. If there was anyone to take out Runtaii, it had to be her. No one else could do it. He kept lookout, not wanting to see if Vega would tell with her eyes.

She didn’t know. She wished she did, but she didn’t. But perhaps she could find an answer.

“...Well, I kinda need to know more about these Soul Gems before we make our next move.” Vega looked at the guitar string, gleaming purple.

“I’m sort of the only person who knows anything about, even then it's a few factoids. I’m so sorry Vega. I wish I could do so much more.” Guilt at what she was capable of doing, Sorbet gave a sad smile to her. Holding Vega’s hand, Sorbet wished she could be stronger instead of relying on others to act for her.

“It’s fine. Maybe ya could explain things…” Vega pushed Sorbet’s hand awhile, and looked for where her guitar was.

“I only really stole the Soul Gem. I’m not so sure I’m good at explaining how it works.” Shrugging, Sorbet wasn’t very sure on how much she could actually help. She wasn’t a fighter like Skaldi, nor smart like Amir.

“Come on. Ya worked with Oligarch Tibato, ya have to know something. Plus, I kinda just… want to play a little music.” Vega spoke as if she were vulnerable, as if this want to play music was childish.

I mean, it was a war zone they were in, so it kinda was. But who fucking cares?