Ch 16: Open Wounds and Broken Hearts

Lost in the grip of a spell generated by the Nameless One's power, Grey bends to Alastor's will and joins him in battle against his own friends. Can Amy only watch helplessly as they're defeated?

            “Go find somewhere safe to hide Amy!” Scott said, and with one last glance at the battle unfolding between Grey and Alexander, Amy quickly ran for cover. His aura surrounding him, Scott charged at Alastor as he scraped his staff across the ground, and as crackling electricity erupted around Scott’s staff he swung it upwards from the ground at Alastor. Striking Alastor’s air pressure barrier, EDE clashed in the air around them as Alastor said, “I see… You use static electricity as a base, and then you amplify and control it using your EDE. To think such a cheap trick has gotten you so far, I pity the Special Forces…” Scott glared at him as he continued to push against the barrier in spite of the futility of his efforts, and he said, “I don’t wanna hear that from someone who hides behind a barrier of air pressure created through a similar method!” Alastor raised a hand and channeled EDE into it, saying, “Touché, however I have far more up my sleeve.” Jumping back, Scott channeled EDE into his hand as well, and spinning his staff in the other hand so the ends scraped along the ground, he replied, “I don’t care if you’re the leader of Altera Veritas or even some Dark God, you won’t get away with what you’ve done to Matt!” Facing his hand at Scott, Alastor fired a sphere of violent wind at him, numerous arc shaped blades of wind bouncing around within it, all waiting to be released. Scott raised his own hand and drew electricity from his staff to fire a lightning bolt in response, and as the attacks met and exploded, Scott found himself dodging and deflecting with his staff as the wind blades rained out across the area. Alastor rushed through the dust in the air stirred up by their attacks, and before Scott could defend himself, the villain sent him sailing with a jumping pressurized spin kick. Raising a finger at Scott as he struggled to get up, Alastor channeled EDE into it as he said, “I’m really somewhat disappointed Mr. Matthews, I expected more than this from someone with your reputation. The Special Forces has only had thirty years to learn how to develop an energist’s powers though, so I suppose it can’t be helped. Farewell, Thunderfury Energist.”

            Scott jumped to his feet and ran down a row of graves as Alastor began firing beams of dark energy at him from his finger. Scraping his staff on the ground as he went, Scott thought, “He can amplify the air pressure to the point where it’s an unbreakable wall, but he can’t keep it up all the time or he wouldn’t be able to attack. He must raise it once he knows the attack is coming, and probably only in the area he thinks the attack will land. Also, I can use EDE interference against him by charging the air with my own EDE using my lightning. Any ability that uses already existing elements can be negatively affected if that element becomes saturated with EDE from another EDE user. I’ll show him the real power of a Class S!” Looping around graves as he evaded Alastor’s beams, Scott charged at Alastor. He pulled a small rectangular object with holes in it from the pouch on his utility belt, and continuing to dodge side to side to avoid energy beams, Scott pressed a button on the object and hurled it at Alastor. It bounced off the air pressure barrier, and as it clattered to the ground, Alastor started to say, “Well… That was effecti-” He broke off as suddenly the object spewed a pepper spray smoke from the holes in it, and as Alastor was engulfed by a cloud of pepper spray, Scott channeled EDE into his staff and stabbed it into the ground before leaping high into the air. Blowing the smoke away with a burst of wind from his hand, his eyes burning, Alastor did not realize what had happened to Scott. Then the staff suddenly started spewing lightning from itself in all directions, and he remained distracted as Scott gathered EDE in the air, landed a short distance behind him, and turned to fire a bolt of lightning from his hand. Struck in the back, Alastor was knocked forward off his feet, falling on his face as electricity ran through his body. He struggled up on one knee, still shaking somewhat even as the electrify running through his body subsided, but then as Scott charged up behind him, Alastor aimed a hand back and knocked him away with a burst of wind generated from his hand. Standing, he turned to Scott, who was rising as well, and said, “Not bad. You realized my barrier’s one flaw and took advantage of it, distracting and disorienting me long enough to launch a surprise attack. However it would have been much more impressive if you’d struck with a killing blow. I won’t be so careless again Mr. Matthews…”

            Flashing a grin, Scott rushed at Alastor and fired a lightning charged punch, and as Alastor tried to raise his air pressure barrier, Scott’s strike broke through. Staggering back as the punch connected with his face, Alastor thought, “What happened just now? It was all I could do to slow it down, the air is…” Regaining his balance, Alastor looked back to where the staff was still spewing lightning, and quickly he thought in realization, “His staff is charged with a huge amount of electricity created with EDE that’s slowly pouring out into the air, weakening my command over it through EDE interference. Between the lightning bolt before and the punch just now, it’s clear he doesn’t just control static electricity with EDE. He has mastered his affinity, and is capable of directly utilizing EDE to both generate and control electricity at will. He merely uses static electricity to add to his power.” Dodging another lightning charged strike, Alastor leaped back through the air to land behind the electrified staff, and raising a finger at the spot on the ground where it was stuck he fired a beam of dark energy. The staff was blown out of the ground, and Scott bent over to pick it up as it rolled over to him. A dark aura erupted around Alastor as he said, “I’ve greatly underestimated you, Thunderfury Energist. The Special Forces has lost one of its finest. Even now that I’ve stopped your staff, the damage is done. Due to the electrical field you’re generating to hold it all in place, it’s likely that the electrically charged air will remain in the area regardless of wind currents. I cannot sustain a viable barrier without air I can manipulate, it would consume far too much of my power.” Forming his twin swords, Alastor continued, “However Mr. Matthews, your efforts are for naught. With or without my barrier, there is no comparison between you and me. I am on a far greater level…”

            The dense EDE overflowing from his body, Grey continued his attacks against Alexander, swing after swing, blow after blow. Alexander barely managed to keep up, blocking and dodging again and again as he shouted, “Don’t make me do this Grey! I will do it if I must, I will keep my promise, but must it really end this way?!” Grey remained unfazed, a blank, empty look in his eyes, and within Alexander’s mind, Serius said, “It’s no good Alexander…” Breaking off his attack, Grey jumped back multiple times, quickly putting distance between them as he fired energy spheres from one of his swords. Channeling EDE into his own sword, Alexander charged after Grey, deflecting energy spheres with the EDE charged blade. Then Alexander swung his sword, willing the power within it to flow forth, and a volatile wave of energy raced toward Grey. Channeling EDE into his twin swords, Grey countered with his own waves of energy, the power bursting from the blades as he swung towards the incoming attack. The waves collided in a titanic blast. Charging through the explosion’s wake, Alexander followed his senses and leaped to strike at Grey. However, suddenly the aftermath and Alexander were blown away as Grey unleashed a telekinetic shockwave in all directions. Managing to land on his feet, Alexander said, “I don’t know if we’d have a much better chance against him together Serius, but it’s worth trying…” Within his mind, Serius replied, “Agreed.” Grey rushed at Alexander at high speed, and quickly Alexander stabbed his sword in the ground and chanted, “Validus Terra Obex!” Dark green lines appeared from the place where the blade was stabbed into the ground, tracing a large dark green rune circle upon the ground, and quickly thick stone walls rose up from the ground itself to create a large stone shell around Alexander. 

Grey hacked and slashed away at the stone shell, and with his powerful swings, his blades slowly caused it to crack little by little. Finally the side of the shell broke apart, and from within the shell came Serius, who dealt Grey a smashing punch to the face with one of his stone fists. At the same time, Alexander was still within the broken shell, chanting, “Pluvia Eversio, Vultus Glacies!” Knocked flying by Serius’ punch, Grey smashed into the side of a large tomb, bouncing off and landing on his hands and knees. Meanwhile, Serius jumped out of the way as from out of the crack in the broken earth shell a barrage of razor sharp ice arrows shot forth, all radiating from out of the tip of Alexander’s blade. As the countless arrows of ice sailed towards him, Grey got to his feet quickly and pointed a sword towards them as he chanted, “Velo Eternus Nox.” Black lines formed a black rune circle, and as it glowed, the rune circle was replaced with black hexagons linked together like scales that formed a large wall in front of him. The arrows of ice collided with the wall, deflecting off of it or simply breaking apart. Within the broken earth shell, Alexander muttered to himself, “I never taught him that…” Watching from behind a large grave, unsure how much safety it would provide her, Amy wondered, “Oh, what do I do now?” As she watched Serius and Alexander struggling against Grey, she thought “This is terrible! Is Grey really gone no matter what? He seems so much stronger now, I don’t know that they can even survive against him, let alone save him… No! There has to be a way!” Turning to watch Alastor and Scott, she watched as Scott barely hung on against his overwhelming opponent, thinking, “Plus it looks like Grey is about the only person who might stand a chance against Alastor! We have to get him back, or Altera Veritas wins! If only I could help… I feel so useless just sitting here… ”

            Grey lowered his sword and the dark wall vanished seamlessly. Then he quickly raised a sword to block Serius, who had leaped into the air and came crashing down at him with a powerful punch. Leaping back out of range as Grey swung with his other sword, Serius began to channel EDE into his fists as Alexander rushed to his side. As Grey began firing energy spheres at them both, Alexander stepped in front of Serius and channeled EDE into his blade, once again using it to deflect them. Then Alexander moved away as Serius slammed his fists together, generating a sonic shockwave. At that moment Serius concentrated, and using telekinesis he willed the shockwave to compress, then directed all its force straight at Grey. Obliterating everything that stood in its way, as the massive focused shockwave tore across the graveyard at Grey, he had no chance of evading. For a moment Alexander thought they might have done it, but suddenly Grey unleashed a telekinetic shockwave in all directions, with far more power than before. Clashing with Serius’ shockwave, it was not enough to stop the concentrated force, but held it long enough for Grey to channel EDE into his blades. Raising them overhead, he swung them down and created a wave of energy that sliced through the sonic shockwave, cutting it in half vertically. As the halves of the shockwave annihilated everything on either side of him as they tore past, Grey remained calmly standing there, unharmed. Serius turned to Alexander and said, “You may be right… Even together, in our current condition we may not stand much chance…” Charging towards them once more, Grey gave them little time to form a strategy. Thinking quickly, Serius shouted, “I will hold him with every ounce of my strength! Whatever powerful spell you can muster, now is the time!” Gathering a mass of EDE into one hand, Serius crystallized it into a deadly looking glaive, a weapon with two long, curved blades, one protruding from each end of the handle. As Serius rushed off to intercept Grey, Alexander began to chant, “Veni Lentusque Spiritus Ignis Septem…” As he slowly chanted, burning energy started swirling around the blade of his sword. Serius meanwhile was locked in combat with Grey, both slashing and blocking with deadly power and skill. Alexander continued to chant “…Te Accerso Nostro Lateri Ad Combustio Per Caliginem…” His spell almost complete, Alexander pointed his blade up to the sky. It was the signal Serius had been waiting for, and just in time as with a powerful strike Grey knocked the glaive from his hand. Jumping back before Grey could slash him with his blades, Serius quickly put great distance between them as Grey fired energy waves after him, and then Alexander finished, “…Saltatio, Angeli Fauillae!” 

The energy that had swirled around the blade gathered at its tip and shot up into the sky. High in the air it stopped and red lines shot from it in all directions to trace a magnificent rune circle. As the rune circle shined, seven fire swords similar in shape to his own came down and formed a circle around Alexander. He willed them to line up before him, and by his will as well, from each sword a burning beam of flames fired from the blades at Grey, who once again quickly chanted, “Velo Eternus Nox.” The dark wall formed before him again, and the burning energy crashed into it and exploded in a flash of fiery power. The fire beams were blocked, but the shield crumbled apart before Grey even lowered his sword. Alexander stabbed his own sword into the ground and quickly chanted, “Cesso, Infrangilis Occupo Terra.” Then he took one of the burning swords in each hand, and willed the other five behind his back, grouped into a formation that made it look like they were wings of fire. Grey’s attention was now fully on Alexander, and he raced towards him unleashing a hail of energy spheres from the tip of his sword. Deflecting several with his fiery swords, Alexander rose into the air to avoid the rest, proving his sword wings weren’t just for show. Alexander swung a fire sword through the air in Grey’s direction, unleashing a wave of burning energy at him as Grey leaped into the air in pursuit of Alexander. Grey quickly channeled EDE into his blade, yet without time to launch a wave of his own he could only block Alexander’s burning wave, and the force with which it pushed against his EDE charged blade quickly drove him back to the ground. Yet planting his feet on the ground, Grey barely stood firm against the wave and at last used all his strength to deflect it with his charged blade. Soaring down at him to strike, Alexander clashed with Grey, the two raining forth blows with their swords while also blocking and dodging each other’s blades. The epic battle of power and skill finally ended as with all his might Alexander swung down his swords, the force of the attack sending cracks running through Grey’s sword blades. Then as Grey pushed him away and leaped up to bring his swords down in a jumping slash, Alexander met him with an upwards diagonal strike that shattered his blades and cut a gash into Grey’s chest.

            Dropping his shattered swords, Grey clutched his wound with his right hand and glared at Alexander. Alexander slowly approached him and said, “It’s over Grey. Don’t force me to finish this. Amy, Scott, even Schmitt and Serius are all waiting for you to come back to us… I want you to come back too! I know what power the Nameless One has over you, I know it’s probably impossible, but I ask you one last time! Come back, Grey! Come back, Matthew Greyson!” A shadow fell over Grey’s face as he turned his head down to stare at his blood covered hand, and Alexander sensed Grey suddenly generating immense amounts of EDE. A dense aura of EDE swirling around him, Grey gathered a mass of EDE in his hand and crystallized it into a large, jagged looking scythe. His wound healed quickly, and Alexander thought in wonder, “That fast?! I know he has regenerative abilities, but that’s just absurd!” Grey looked up at Alexander once again, and Alexander was shocked as he saw his face. His eyes, although still red, now had slit pupils like those of a snake, and his face now had strange markings tattooed upon it. With a bloodthirsty grin, Grey said to Alexander, “Die…” Alexander thought to himself, “The Nameless One. I can sense his raw EDE becoming Corrupted EDE, and that scythe… Acerbitas Desiderium, the Scythe of Destruction…” Steeling himself, Alexander made his decision, and said, “Very well… I shall fulfill my promise!” Grey leaped at Alexander. His speed seemed to have doubled, and his attacks were more vicious than ever. Despite having two weapons against Grey’s one weapon, Alexander quickly found himself at a disadvantage both from the range of his scythe and the incredible skill Grey wielded it with. Rushing to assist Alexander, Serius charged at Grey with his reclaimed glaive. Knocking Alexander back, Grey spun around with a spinning kick which struck Serius as he came up behind him. Then Grey slashed downwards with his scythe, smashing it into the ground and unleashing a wave of dark energy that tore through the ground as it lashed out towards Serius. Unable to avoid, Serius was struck by the wave, and as it exploded Serius’ limp body was flung into the air. Watching him fall motionless to the ground, Alexander shouted, “SERIUS!” He had little time to worry about his comrade, as Grey quickly returned his attention to him once more.

            Pointing both his burning swords at Grey, Alexander fired twin waves of flames at him, but leaping over them, Grey came down with a slash charged with dark energy that sliced through Alexander’s two blades. Alexander stumbled back as scythe blade drew a shallow wound along his right shoulder and chest. Blood seeping from his wound, despite the pain Alexander forced himself to quickly draw another two swords from his back, and began to once again block and dodge Grey’s furious attacks. Finally he managed to break away from Grey, and fleeing from him, Alexander quickly flew across the ground towards his trump card. Arriving at his original sword still stuck in the ground, with Grey firing energy spheres after him as he pursued, Alexander turned and started deflecting the spheres with his fire swords as he waited for Grey to come into range. Lunging, Grey struck out with his scythe at Alexander, but moving back quickly, Alexander shouted, “Iacio!” It was a delayed cast trigger incantation that activated the spell he’d placed on his sword before. A dark green rune circle appeared over the ground around the sword, and Grey found himself suddenly immobilized as the ground itself had risen up around his legs and encased them in thick stone. Flying into the air, Alexander quickly threw down both swords, and grabbing another from his back he threw it as well. Blade first, they stabbed into the ground in a triangular placement around Grey, and they began to burn more intensely as the burning energy that formed them was becoming unstable. Finally they went critical and all three exploded, a mighty blast of fire bringing everything around them to ruin. Coming down to land, Alexander watched nervously as the dust settled, breathing heavily as he clutched his injury in pain. Yet it became clear victory would not be his. Grey stood, with black wings like those of a fallen angel upon his back, folded up around him like a shell and glowing with dark energy. Unfurling the wings from around himself as the energy dissipated from them, Grey brought the blade of his scythe, which began to glow with dark energy, down to the stone binds on his legs. Tapping them with the scythe blade, they crumbled, and Grey stepped from the rubble and started walking towards Alexander. He had two swords left, but Alexander knew at this point he did not even have the strength to hold them. Not only injured, but exhausted as well, he sank to his knees and said, “Forgive me Grey. I could not keep my promise…”

Reviews

[Ryan Henderson]

Truly a thrilling chapter! I love how he hero bends to the villain's will in a time of weakness, it just adds danger and a sense of longing to the story. It leaves the reader wondering 'why the heck would Grey do that???" Like I said before, I am getting kind of an "Anime/steampunk" feeling from reading this. Again, correct me if I am wrong. I like the 'steampunk' aspect, it just interests me. Very good writing skills, no spelling errors and exhilarating moments! I like your style, Keith!

[KeithKVH]

From what Alexander said in the last chapter, you can generally assume he was taken control of at this point using the Dark God's power, I won't reveal anything not yet given though. Again, "steampunk" might be a presence, and anime most definitely. I am a big fan of anime, Grey was originally a fan character that I daydreamed about while inserted into one of my favorite animes, and a large amount of my inspiration is probably derived from the anime and JRPGs I have spent so much time with.

In a way, this kind of storyline is structured in a way similar to the original stories told in the very long and amazing "Tales of" RPG series, and it was my initial intention to try and create a story with that very same feel they give.

I must note that you read exceptionally fast, from how quickly they popped up in my email box that happened to be open and the time stamps on the site, you read all three chapters here in just 8 minutes...