by Troy Dukart
They began making their way across the battlefield as quickly as possible. Many of them began collapsing halfway across the plains, so scouts began to go out and help them. We managed to bring all the people fleeing the mountain back across to our side. One person stayed behind though, carrying a woman in their arms. She was in bad shape, with blood and dirt all over her body and her head hanging limp. When the person made it over, we found the last piece to the puzzle, it was Zon.
All of his armor had been stripped from his body, leaving only a dark blue shirt and pants for clothing. He still carried his faithful sword and bandana though, so we knew it was him.
“Please help Hanoka, she was badly wounded as we defended Miega Castle,” Zon pleaded.
Some of my troops carried her to the backlines to get airlifted away for medical treatment, along with some of the other survivors in need of care. For the first time in my time with Zon, I saw tears roll down his cheeks as he knelt down on both knees to pray for her. After he got up, we welcomed him back with hugs. When I looked into his eyes, I saw both relief and regret flowing through them, “Who was that you were carrying?”
“As Fukuzanza always said, Being quick with the sword takes less strength than being quick to say I love you,” Zon replied.
“She is special to you Yoichi?” Roya noticed.
“I hope that she lives long enough for her to know,” Zon sighed as he tilted his head down.
Rousseau put his arm over Zon's shoulders and slapped his chest before saying, “I knew you had a heart beneath all that rock!”
We laughed a bit again, but not for long. Tremors began erupting all over the place. On the other side near the mountain, giant Slate Stones began emerging from the ground like they did in the Yuwherian stadium and Crotona. There must have been twenty of them standing and they all began shedding Slates.
Soon, there was an entire army. We then saw the Senti, who flew in from behind the mountain. They had two motherships like we did, along with an armada of smaller Mag-Ships. Troops began descending from them onto the field behind the Slates; there was no doubt they were here to defend Miega Castle.
“My Prince, the Dennarians have sent word they are sending their largest warship, the Soldaflak, to come join the fight. It should be here in 45 minutes,” one of the Royal Guards told Rousseau.
“Hmm, that should freak these guys out a bit,” he replied.
“That's a long time to hold back an almost infinite army. They're trying to activate a gate in our holy Miega Castle. I don't know what will happen afterwards,” Zon informed us.
“How many are up there?” I asked.
“About 100 men when we started fighting, maybe 25 now. Longwei is commanding them and summoned more Slates. The Senti Commander is with them as well. We fought until we could no more,” Zon explained.
“This is fine Yoichi, you did a good job. We will stop them,” Roya assuaged.
“Thank you my friend,” Zon told her as he patted her shoulder.
“It's time to end this,” I said to everyone.
The beginning of the battle unfolded much like it did when I fell into the canyon back home. Brutus was with me the entire time and we fought all the way until I heard that same eerie laugh as before.
Chapter 26
Strafe
After the energy beam hit the ground, everything beneath it was vaporized. Slates, humans, machines, it didn't matter. The only thing left was scorched, glassed earth. I wasn't near the impact zone but did get blasted away like a rag doll a couple of hundred feet. I would've died if I didn't use the Tongwa to cushion my fall. My skin was full of small cuts and I had a bit of shell-shock. Brutus ran over to me, “You alright Strafe?”
“Your loyalty and love gives me strength Brutus,” I mumbled as I rubbed his face.
The sky had darkened from all the dirt that had been flung up and I had a hard time hearing things momentarily. I didn't have long to fret, for some very familiar faces stood in front of me while I was still on the ground. It was Barzakh, Tiras and Gain. Brutus growled when he saw them.
“ldsjelkafj… lejlajfleoeqp!” Barzakh kept chanting.
I rubbed my eyes and used the God Blade to help me get to my feet. I could feel some burns on my arms and legs. It seemed as though I was saved again by some mysterious force, but would it save me again?
“Strafe! You're alive!” Tiras said to me, “Why do I keep having to say those words!?”
“Because people like you don't have what it takes to end me,” I replied as I wiped some blood from my eye.
Gain stood silent, wearing Senti battle armor. I could sense he was carrying Siopi Stones as I felt uneasy like I had before being around them. Barzakh wore what he always did, a black robe, but with an eye patch on his left eye.
“I thought by cutting that rope back in the canyon would have done the trick, but now you give me no choice to sick this dried up dog on you,” Tiras told me.
He held a cylindrical container that glowed red, it was Zixin's heart. That was the key in controlling the demon inside him. There was something in Gain's eyes that told me he had regretted what he had done. I had to save my brother, so I tried to be tricky and pull on his heart-strings.
“Gain, what happened to us? We were like family? Remember, when we were kids and we used to talk about traveling the world together and going on adventures? Or that time we went surfing and got dragged out, and we ended up being saved by dolphins? You were like a brother to me. The brother I never had,” I lamented.
For a few moments, Gain looked back with a look of regret and sadness, but it was short lived. He then closed his eyes and a look of anger shot across his face, “This wasn't about you, Strafe, this was about me. I had a life heading nowhere, and not even my own country would help me. No matter how hard I tried, life kept spitting in my face! I could do no right in their eyes. The Senti and Federation welcomed me with open arms. And if that meant I could get back at those who doubted and hurt me, then I was all for it. I, still, should've never turned my back on you Strafe. You were like a little brother to me. I just was a piece of shit.”
My heart sank when I realized his betrayal stemmed from his insecurities. I had to try to convince him to change, “Gain, so this is what this is all about!? Do you realize how much pain this has caused people? You don't need to do this! You can get everything you want in life if you do what's right and that starts by helping us stop the Senti! Please, I'm begging you, let my brother go and let's end all this madness.”
Tiras began to shake his head, “You don't understand Strafe, he can't go back to his old life. Do you really think the 'Great' United States of America will accept him back with open arms after what he's done here? People called him a failure, a moron, a crook back home, but in Sentium, he will be a savior. There's nothing for him but to move forward and advance the glory of the great Senti nation. We are on a holy and glorious path to salvation that cannot be stopped. I may not be able to kill you myself, but your brother is more than capable. I control his heart.”
“My brother is innocent! Gain, help me!!!” I pleaded as I got into a battle stance.
“Here is your ultimate test Strafe! Kill him or he will kill you!” Tiras yelled.
Before he could command Barzakh to attack me, Gain slashed Tiras' hand off with his sword.
“AAAAAHHHH!!! You damn dog!” Tiras screamed in pain.
Gain ran over and grabbed Zixin's heart, but Barzakh grabbed him and threw him to the ground. Tiras stood over Gain, grabbing the heart box while clutching his hand and said,
“This body Barzakh inhabits is old and broken, but yours is fresh. Barzakh, take this one instead. Nobody will miss him. I give you free reigns.”
Tiras kicked Gain and knocked him out temporarily. He then took the heart box and gave back Zixin his heart. He pulled it out of the box and pushed it back into his chest, which made Zixin scream. Tiras then ran away and left us on the battlefield.
“What the hell?” I wondered.
/> Barzakh began to chuckle as he grabbed his left shoulder. Barzakh began yelling and screaming terrible screeches, until finally he looked up into my eyes. I was wearing both my pendant and the pendant Zixin had told me to get for our final battle.
I could feel the pendants beginning to move on my chest the longer I was around Zixin. Upon closer inspection, they fit together like a ying-yang insignia, and when I clicked them together, Zixin' eyes opened wide and color came back across his face. Then with one quick movement, he blasted his own left arm off his body. I stood there speechless.
Zixin fell to the ground. As the arm fell, we could see it had been transformed. It was all black and the fingers were long and pointy like that of a demon. The same black ooze formed all around the arm like a pile of blood, and it laid there motionless. Gain laid on the ground, writhing in pain. Brutus and I ran over to see if Zixin was okay, and to see why he had shot his own arm off.
“Zixin!!!” I said to him frantically as I turned him over, “Is that you!?”
With a small grin, he smiled and said, “Ahoy my brother…. I've waited a long time to see you in person.”
I gave him a hug, “Why did you shoot your arm off?”
“Barzakh was going to rip me apart to escape my body. I pushed all of him into that arm to free myself. You must destroy it before it gets to Gain!” he gasped between breaths.
I looked over to Gain, “Gain! Are you alright!?”
“Strafe,” he said with tears in his eyes, “I'm so sorry. I made a huge mistake. I just want to go back home, start over, in a new life.”
Without warning, the severed arm hopped up onto its fingers and made its way over to Gain. He barely had time to react when the hand jumped down Gain's throat.
“GAIN!!! NOOOOO!!!” I screamed.
Gain yelled in pain, as the black ooze began pouring out of every edifice of his body. He began turning and tossing violently as the ooze engulfed him. Underneath the black ooze I could see Gain being transformed before our very eyes into something macabre. The person I once knew began to merge with the flesh of Barzakh. Then, with a splash, the bubble surrounding him burst, and standing around seven feet tall, stood the true form of the demon that was controlling my brother.
This thing was the most terrifying monster I had ever seen in my life. Its body was jet black. Its arms and legs were long and it had razor-sharp claws. There were white spikes that stuck out of its elbows as well. The body itself resembled a human's, but the face was indescribably evil looking. Yellow sharp and pointy teeth protruded from its mouth. Two horns stuck out of its skull and pointed forward. Disgusting black saliva dripped from its mouth. Waving back and forth was a long and pointy tail. The demon's retinas were a yellow with tiny black pupils.
When it stood up, it stretched its arms wide and lifted its head toward the sky and breathed in a deep breath. It then looked back and me and smiled a wicked grin before licking its fingers in a hissing voice,
“The first thing I'm going to eat is your face while you're still alive. Then after I'm done with you, I'm gonna find your friends and do the same thing, hehehehe.”
The demon was intimidating, but there was no way I would let him get to me. I put Zixin on Brutus' back and told him to go get help. I then stood in front of him with my sword drawn. I responded, “Stay the hell away from my family you disgusting piece of shit!”
“Ah!” Barzakh said, “That's the thing there boy, if it wasn't for the greed of your family, I wouldn't have been here. God is supposed to love his children, yet he made them lust for power so greatly they would give up their soul to reach it. Your father brought your brother to my temple and prayed to ME to help protect his child from those who would do harm to him, hehehehe.”
“I don't care what happened in the past, you don't belong here. They were tricked into believing you an angel, but you're just a wretched demon!” I shouted.
“Your brother was weak, almost as weak as your father. I enjoyed watching him bleed to death while your brother looked on in horror. And I will peal the skin off of your mother and cover myself in her blood,” Barzakh snickered.
“DEMON, YOU DON'T HAVE A FUTURE!!!” I exclaimed.
This was personal. Despite my rage, my aura wouldn't turn on. Barzakh must have absorbed the Siopi Stones when he fused with Gain. I began running at him full speed; Barzakh crouched down and hissed at me. I jumped in the air and took a swing at him but he deflected it with a tail swipe.
Barzakh ran at me and I was knocked backward and we began to circle each other. Both of us had fire in our blood, ready to fight to the death. What I didn't know about the demon was his whole body could be manipulated into various shapes and sizes. Before I could blink, from ten feet away his arm extended from his body like a haymaker and slashed me. It left cuts on my arms. When he pulled his arm back, he licked the blood off his claws. Damnit he's strong.
That really pissed me off, but told me about his reach. When I ran at him again, he disappeared into thin air. Shit! He must have absorbed Gain's Power of Despair!
Barzakh grabbed me from behind and bit into my shoulder which made me scream in pain. Then he tossed me backwards and shot some of his ooze on me to pin me down. No matter what I did I couldn't move.
“I'm going to enjoy eating your face now!” Barzakh hissed.
“STRAFE!” a voice yelled.
Before Barzakh could pounce on me, I saw Brutus jump forth and bite him on the neck. Brutus pulled him down and started savagely biting his face as Barzakh squirmed. Brutus found the Siopi Stone in Barzakh and shattered it with his bite. Barzakh laid motionless as Brutus ran over to me.
“Strafe! Are you okay? Help is on the way,” Brutus assuaged as he began to bite off the ooze.
“God bless you Brutus, you saved my life!” I said with a tear in my eye.
What happened next was the hardest moment of my life to witness.
Suddenly Brutus was grabbed by Barzakh's long reach and he pulled him away from me. Brutus yipped in pain as Barzakh stood up and held him in the air. I violently tried to free myself and save Brutus. Barzakh's face had reconstructed itself and he looked at me with furious anger, “STRAFE! I will show you what pain truly feels like! Say goodbye to your mutt!”
With his free arm, Barzakh changed his hand into a bladed weapon, he then pulled his arm back. Brutus looked over to me and said, “I will always be with you Strafe. Take my power. Be brave and I love you with all my heart.” After his last word Barzakh stabbed Brutus through the chest.
“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” I screamed.
Brutus' Power of Joy flew into me. I turned on my aura and broke free from the ooze. I was filled with anger and sorrow that could only be diminished by killing Barzakh. I bolted over to engage him. We clashed blades as we ran back and forth. All of my senses were enhanced; I could smell, taste, hear and anticipate everything at a much higher level than I could before. I swung the God Blade at Barzakh and knocked him back a fair ways. He looked pissed. We exchanged a few blows but he sucker-punched me in my stomach and grabbed me. Barzakh tried to chop my head off but I guarded against it with the God Blade. He leaned over and began to push the sword toward my throat with his blade arm.
“DIIIIIEEE!” Barzakh hissed, “You are nothing, just like that little shit of a wolf I just killed! You are a stain on humanity. You will never amount to anything!”
Barzakh pushed the God Blade and drew blood on my neck but with my heightened intelligence I noticed an opening in his guard. I kicked him in the stomach to throw him off-balance.
“AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!” I screamed as I slashed his blade weapon in pieces.
I also managed to slash him across his face. The God Blade was glowing bright now. I began to unleash a flurry of slashes on Barzakh; it cut him like butter. On my final strike I slashed him across the chest and sent him flying backward. I pursued him and pointed my blade downward to stab him but he slapped me away with his giant tail.
I flew across the dirt until I dug
the God Blade into the ground. Barzakh crawled up fast on his hands and feet, like a scorpion. He almost slashed my head off with his claws. I deflected it and noticed he was pointing his sharp tail at me. I had to acrobatically dodge his attacks when he tried to whip me. I saw an opportunity to counter, so I grabbed the tail as Barzakh whipped it at me and tried to pull him off his feet.
“Let go you rat!!!” Barzakh yelled.
Using my strength I pulled him down and began to spin him around. Once I got enough momentum in the spin, I twirled him up and slammed him into the ground as hard as I could. Strangely when he landed he bounced up like he was made of jello and pinned me down on the ground. “AAAAAHHHH!” Barzakh screamed.
With one hand he pinned down my sword arm and the other he began choking me. He also was trying to stab me with his tail but I grabbed that with my free arm. We struggled for a moment as we were both trying to gain the advantage. I had to push him back with my legs as he was also trying to bite my face.
Barzakh was blood drunk. I couldn't beat him with brute strength alone, but I could outsmart him. His tail broke free of my grip and he came down again to stab me with it. With a quick movement, I grabbed it and stabbed his tail into his neck which freed his grip on my sword arm. I got up on my feet and began to punch him in the face. After I weakened him enough I pulled back my fist and struck him as hard as I could. This time he didn't have time to counter when I jumped on him.
“AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!” I yelled at the top of my lungs.
I stabbed him repeatedly in the face and torso. On my final strike I stuck the God Blade down his throat and slashed outward, splitting him in two. Barzakh squirmed around, but with both sides of his face smiled at me before his ooze shot out and entangled me. I squirmed and grunted but I couldn't break free from his grip. The ooze dangled me in the air as Barzakh transformed himself into a new monster.