Ch 51: The Sealed Ultimate Power, Deus Amictus

Chasing Conwell down, Grey battles against him in the very skies. The strings spread across the city reach even here, and they seem to let Conwell read every move. Will Grey find the power to win?

            Pushing away from Conwell, Grey put distance between them not a moment too soon. Appearing from small dark vortexes all around Conwell in the air, an army of little Conwell dolls appeared and flew after Grey. Flying away from them, Grey bobbed and weaved like an airship avoiding homing missiles. Flying high up, Grey turned and flew straight down as he shouted “Accelerate!” Moving as a blur of speed, he shot through an opening in the oncoming army of dolls, making it through just as they converged together and exploded upon contact with one another. The threat averted, Grey dived at Conwell, but with a grin Conwell raised his hands on either side of him and from behind his chair appeared another legion of little Conwell dolls. Leaping into the air they sailed at Grey, who barely swerved away just as they exploded. Swerving around the blast, Grey stopped in the air to aim a sword at Conwell, but then Conwell pressed a button on his chair and beneath it a panel opened. To Grey’s surprise, a large EDE cannon extracted itself from the bottom of the chair. Watching the cannon take aim at him, Grey quickly began to move again as Conwell laughed maniacally and opened fire. Speeding through the air avoiding Conwell’s fire, Grey circled around him and shouted, “Accelerate!” His speed increased again and he turned to fly directly at Conwell, dodging the EDE shells that Conwell continued to fire at him. As Grey slashed at Conwell, once again the little doll in his hand blocked his strike, and as Grey continued to strike he found himself locked in an epic battle with the doll. As the doll blocked another of Grey’s strikes, Conwell humorously said, “Oh I’m sorry, were you trying to hit me Grey? I’m afraid you didn’t say the magic word!” Grey simply glared at him, then breaking off the attack Grey said, “You wanna hear the magic word?!” Taking aim with a blade, Grey shouted, “Iacio!” White and light green runes appeared on Grey’s blade, and from the tip of the blade shot a barrage of arrows made of light energy. Raising his free hand with a grin, Conwell formed a shield of strings. Yet as they struck his defenses, Conwell’s grin evaporated as the arrows were surrounded by wind and spun like drills, digging into his wall of strings just like Alexander’s attack back at the palace. Breaking through the shield of strings, the arrows closed in on Conwell, and he and his chair disappeared in a blast of light. As the air cleared though, it became apparent it was not over yet. With an unpleasant look, Conwell hovered in the air just above the smoking chair, which broke apart with a fizzle and began falling down through the sky. Grinning maliciously, Conwell gathered EDE and said, “You really ought to have not done that!”

            Upon the deck of the Audentia, Amy, Schmitt, Catherine, Rufus, and the members of the Council watched the unfolding battle. Adjusting his shades, Felix muttered, “Unbelievable… To think there were such powerful energists we had failed to detect.” Laughing, Admiral Reese said, “Yer telling me! Blow me down, this is quite the show! Could sell tickets fer this!” Ian atop his hat, Rufus looked up from his camera with stars in his eyes as he said, “This has got to be the most incredible thing I’ve ever filmed!” Queen Bianca merely sighed in irritation. Looking annoyed as well, Catherine shook her head and muttered, “This is hardly the time! We need to figure a way out of our current predicament!” She pointed to one of the manikins beating away at the barrier. Concentrating on maintaining the barrier against the constant onslaught, Amy said, “I can still hold it for awhile longer. Can’t we just wait for Grey to win?” With a big grin, Schmitt crossed his arms and said, “That’s right! Now that the kid’s here, there ain’t nuthin to worry bout!” Holding his staff ready to defend himself if the barrier should fall, Emperor Alcott scoffed, “I’m afraid I don’t share your confidence! I don’t care who but someone think of a way out of this mess already!”

Popping out of the clouds near the Audentia, Scott sailed stealthily over to the ship. Then as he came into range, he quickly fired thunderbolts from his hand and laid waste to a contingent of manikins. Wielding Levitas Curator, Scott charged the lightning halberd up to enormous size and swung it, sweeping aside the rest of the manikins as they charged at him. Grinning, Scott said, “Ok, that’s that! Let’s get outta here!” Relieved to see him, Amy lowered the barrier and exclaimed, “Scott!” Grinning at Scott, relieved as well, Catherine said, “What took you, Thunderfury?” Laughing, Scott rested Levitas Curator on his shoulder and said, “Here I thought I was right on time! Anyways, time to fly Schmitt! Let’s get this ship moving!” Beaming at him, with a salute Schmitt replied, “Aye aye, Admiral!” As everyone made a dash for the door back into the ship, up in the air, Conwell turned and muttered, “What?! When did he…?” With a smug look on his face, Grey said, “Looks like you’re the one who’s been tricked this time Conwell!” Turning back to him with a sneer, Conwell said, “Don’t get too cocky! I’ve still got your precious little airship trapped here with my strings surrounding the area!” Gathering EDE, Grey said, “Then I’ll just have to kick your a*s! Accelerate!” In a blur of speed, Grey closed the distance and began swinging his sword in multiple strikes, but Conwell twisted and dodged in the air. Watching him trying to land a blow, Conwell looked quite amused as he said, “You still don’t get it do you Grey?! You can’t beat me! As long we’re within the city, my strings are everywhere, invisibly telling me your body’s slightest movements, allowing me to predict your every move! Your bothersome friend may have slipped past undetected while you had me distracted, but I still hold you all in the palm of my hand!” Dodging another of Grey’s blows, with a spinning kick, Conwell knocked Grey away. As Grey regained himself, Conwell formed masses of EDE that gathered on both sides of him and crystallized into his floating mechanical hands. Then raising his own hand above him, there was an evil look in his eye as Conwell said, “Prepare to feel the wrath of The Puppet Master!”

            The skies around them darkened as Conwell clenched his hand into a fist, and Grey looked around him as strings seemed to appear all around him from out of thin air. Quickly Grey swerved and weaved through the air, barely avoiding as countless strings chased after him, yet soon there was nowhere to go. Slashing out against the strings with his swords of light, Grey broke through and continued to evade, and in mid flight he aimed his blade at Conwell and shouted, “Secundus Iacio!” White and yellow runes ran across his blades and combined, and arrows of light energy shot from the tip of Grey’s blade at Conwell. Summoning his floating hands before him, Conwell raised his hands at the floating appendages and channeled EDE into them. Dark energy gathered around the floating hands, and from their palms twin energy beams of darkness shot out and met Grey’s attack. Both the arrows and the beams met and exploded, but bursting out of the explosion from seemingly nowhere, bolts of lightning homed in on Conwell. Then, also out of nowhere, strings appeared from the skies around the lightning bolts and blocked them before they could reach Conwell. The strings closing in on him, as Grey bobbed and weaved in the air, Conwell’s floating hands appeared in his path. Grey managed to deflect one, but the other caught hold of his leg. Struggling against its grasp, Grey stabbed one of his swords in between its fingers and loosened it from his leg, but by the time he had broken free, the strings closing in around him had taken hold of one of his arms. As he tried to pull free, the strings grasped his other arm, and soon Grey found himself bound in the air. With a triumphant grin, Conwell said, “You’ve given me quite a lot of trouble Grey, but I’m afraid it’s over!” 

Struggling with the strings binding him there, already tired from the battle, Grey could not escape. As the strings around his wrists tightened he lost hold of his swords, and as they fell down through the sky, Grey’s wings of light faded away. Grey quickly realized he was at Conwell’s mercy. Seeing no hope of victory now, Grey thought, “Damn…” Hovering before him, Conwell fired a powerful punch into Grey’s stomach and said, “The great He of the Infinite! The Herald of Origin’s Will! Hah!” With another powerful punch to Grey’s face, as blood dripped from Grey’s nose, Conwell muttered, “Disappointing Grey, quite disappointing!” Suddenly, from behind Conwell a powerful bang rang out, and from the EDE cannons of the Audentia, shells of concentrated EDE rained out at him. Conwell raised a shield wall of strings to defend himself just in time as one of the shells struck it dead on. Then soaring through the air towards them from the Audentia, Scott rushed to help Grey, lightning crackling around Levitas Curator. Retracting his strings into his hand, Conwell leveled his hand at Scott and unleashed them again. Scott quickly cut through them with Levitas Curator, but then one of Conwell’s floating hands struck him from out of nowhere. Grinning wickedly, Conwell swiftly tied Scott up with strings as he reeled from the sucker punch, saying, “If it isn’t the aspiring sidekick!” Drawing Scott over to him, Conwell said, “You won’t spoil my moment of triumph! I’ll let you watch as he dies!” Glaring, Scott shouted, “Let him go!” With a long, drawn out evil laugh, Conwell said, “Very well!” The strings around Grey released him, and without his wings of light, Grey quickly fell through the sky towards the ground. Scott could do nothing but yell, “MAAAATTT!” Aboard the bridge of the Audentia, everyone watched the unfolding events in horror. Pressing up against the glass of the windows, with a look of terror on her face as she watched Grey fall, Amy slumped to her knees as she choked, “No…” Then she burst into tears as she shouted, “NO!”

            Falling through the sky, Grey stared down towards the ground. It all seemed like a bad dream to him, and he thought, “Is that really it? I’m really going to die? After everyone has fought so hard, did I really let them down? This can’t be happening…” The ground grew closer and closer, and Grey became lost in thought. Shutting his eyes, he suddenly thought, “No! It can’t end like this!” Quickly he struggled to reform his swords, but drained from the battle, he could not muster the strength to form his complete Anima Weapon again. The ground drawing ever nearer, Grey thought, “I’m sorry everyone. I couldn’t do it…” Amy’s face came to his mind, and struggling to not break into tears, he thought, “After everything I said, I couldn’t even protect her… D****t… D****T!” Staring down at the ground as it was almost upon him, Grey tried to form his weapon one last time as he shouted, “I don’t care what happens to me, but I will protect her! Just let there be some way! GIVE ME THE POWER TO PROTECT HER!” Just as he was about to strike the pavement of the city street, Grey disappeared in a blast of shining light. Meanwhile, standing back on the terrace of the palace, Alexander treated Mythra’s neck. She had suffered damage to her windpipe from Conwell’s constricting strings, and after healing her as best he could, Alexander finally removed his hands and said, “Well, that should do for the time being. Now we just wait for them to get back.” Having been worried about letting Scott and Grey face Conwell by themselves, Mythra rasped, “I should have gone…” Shaking his head, Alexander said, “It would have been harder to heal such an injury if we’d waited. Just try not to talk for a little bit. I know that’s asking a lot from you, but it’s for your own good.” Mythra glared at Alexander as he simply flashed a mischievous grin. Turning to look up at the cloud formation, Alexander said, “I’m worried as well, but we have to leave it in their hands for now.” Then both his eyes and Mythra’s eyes suddenly went wide as they sensed something they had not sensed in a very long time. Alexander rushed over to the edge of the terrace as Mythra struggled to her feet and hurried over to stand beside him. They stared out at a shining light at the ground beneath the cloud formation, and with his eyes fixed on it, Alexander muttered, “It can’t be! That just can’t be possible!” Shaking her head with a look of awe, Mythra muttered, “There’s no mistake Alexander. That can only be… Deus Amictus, the Sealed Ultimate Power!”

            Still holding Scott prisoner in the grasp of his strings, Conwell stared down at the radiant light below him and muttered, “What is this I’m feeling?! This aura, it’s unlike anything I’ve ever sensed before!” Seeing his hand trembling, he clenched it into a fist and said, “N-no matter! I am The Puppet Master! I fear nothing!” Channeling EDE into his hand, Conwell glared down at the shining light. Then his eyes went wide as he saw a massive ray of light climbing up towards him. Enveloping the sky around him, the ray of shining light obliterated the shadowy veil of strings he had summoned up around him, freeing Scott and the Audentia. Holding his arms up to shield his eyes, Conwell shouted, “What is this light?!” Suddenly soaring up to hover before him in the air, through the light Conwell could see the shadow of a sword wielding figure. A look of disbelief in his beady yellow eyes, Conwell stammered, “N-no! It can’t be! I defeated you, it’s my victory! This isn’t fair!” As the light around them dimmed, Conwell could clearly see Grey hovering before him, his shining aura around his body and wings of light at his heels. His clothes had changed and he now wore a gallant looking blue and white oufit, his long blue coat fluttering in the air. In his right hand he held a sword almost identical to those of his complete Anima Weapon, the only difference being the colors upon it, a blue and gray hilt and burning orange gems. Upon the now gray ornamental cover along the top side of the blade, etched in glowing orange writing, were the words: Solum Vires Corde Somnium Inanimatis Figura. Leveling his sword at Conwell with a grin, Grey said, “No Conwell. This is our victory!”

            A look of rage mixed with fear upon his face, Conwell shouted, “You haven’t won anything yet!” Motioning his floating fists to go on the attack, the airborne appendages sailed at Grey, yet with two swift and powerful swings Grey cleaved them apart. Then leveling his blade at Conwell, the blade shined and white runes appeared on it without any incantation, and from the blade’s tip arrows of light shot out in a barrage. Forming more strings, Conwell raised a woven shield just in time, but once more the arrows were surrounded by swirling wind and started to drill through. Drawing a mini Conwell doll from his pocket, Conwell tossed it in the path of the arrows just at they broke through and it exploded in their path, allowing Conwell to escape with only minor burns. Then Conwell quickly moved away as Grey appeared in a blur of speed and slashed at him, his blade now covered in light green runes and surrounded by a powerful wind. Barely Conwell evaded, but in the wake of Grey’s swing a powerful blast of wind shot out and sent Conwell flying. As he steadied himself, Conwell thought, “He’s removed my strings, I can’t predict his movements! Not to mention he can suddenly cast his Rune Swordsmanship without an incantation!” Gathering EDE, Conwell unleashed it into the air around him and an army of mini Conwell dolls armed with various weapons appeared. As the doll army sailed at him, Grey quickly charged his blade with EDE and activated a light enchantment upon it, the blade shining with light energy as he battled with the Conwell dolls. Clashing with doll after doll, Grey destroyed them one by one. Leaving a chain of explosions scattered across the sky as he sliced apart and blew away dolls with energy attacks, Grey went after Conwell, who quickly formed another doll holding a lance. Blocking Grey’s assault, Conwell was clearly at a disadvantage as Grey struck out at him with his light sword, steadily gained ground. Then as Grey changed the enchantment again, yellow runes began shining on his blade, with a powerful swing of his now lightning charged blade, Grey shattered the lance and in the same motion unleashed a wave of lightning that struck Conwell dead on. Falling away from Grey with a cry of pain, as Conwell managed to pull himself out of his nose dive, he heard Grey call out, “What’s wrong?! Not talking smack anymore Conwell?!” 

Flying up high with a look of fury on his face, Conwell shouted, “This ends NOW!” As Conwell gathered a mass of EDE, Grey turned to Scott, who had been hovering there watching Grey in awe. Shaking Scott out of his stupor, Grey shouted, “Get outta here Scott, I’ve got this!” With a nod, Scott stammered, “A-alright!” As Scott zoomed off back to the Audentia, Conwell laughed maniacally and said, “I’ll give you a rare treat Grey! Let me show you the power of MY Grand Anima Weapon! Come forth Vinco Manus, the Master Hand!” Gathering the mass of EDE before him, Conwell formed it into a giant floating mechanical hand. As the hand opened with its palm facing at Grey, Conwell began channeling EDE into it, charging up a powerful final attack. Meanwhile, Grey held his sword ready to swing, beginning to channel massive amounts of EDE into the blade. A mad look in his eyes as Corrupted EDE flared around his Vinco Manus, Conwell shouted, “Go and join your worthless parents already, you worthless brat! SHADOW FLASH!” From the massive hand’s palm shot an equally massive beam of Corrupted EDE. As it raced at him, Grey simply stood his ground with a determined look on his face as his blade shined and surged with energy, the mechanisms within humming powerfully. Swinging it through the air at Conwell’s attack with all his might, he roared, “The only one who’s worthless is YOU!” Unleashing the power within his blade, Grey shouted, “EIN SOPH AUR!” From his blade erupted a massive wave of energy that blew away the clouds around them, and quickly pushing back Conwell’s attack, it engulfed both his Vinco Manus and Conwell himself. Disintegrating in the massive blast of shining power, Conwell’s final words sounded little more than a garbled scream.

Reviews

[Ryan Henderson]

Hi! Sorry I haven't reviewed in a while. It was my birthday a few days ago and I was busy with the celebrations. Got $100.00 on steam and was breaking in some new games. Plus my internet hasn't been the greatest lately.

Just one thing.

the arrows closed in on Conwell, and he and his chair disappeared in a blast of light. - There's nothing really wrong with it, but I feel that the flow of the reading would be a little more fluent if you wrote it as 'the arrows closed in on Conwell, he and his chair disappeared in a blast of light' as having two 'and's sort of interrupts it. You don't have to change it, just a suggestion.

Scott could do nothing but yell, “MAAAATTT!” - I haven't read past this part yet, but I'm thinking Grey's going to be pissed at Scott for calling him Matt...

"Just try not to talk for a little bit. I know that’s asking a lot from you, but it’s for your own good.” - OMG! Here's the pure Alexander humor we all love so much!

Leveling his sword at Conwell with a grin, Grey said, “No Conwell. This is our victory!” - Possibly the most epic quote made by Grey ever. The quote plus the scenery and the music I had in my head added to the whole scene and made it more dramatic and awesome! :D

“What’s wrong?! Not talking smack anymore Conwell?!” - XD Great quote made by Grey!

My god! This chapter was amazing! The action and fight scenes were so intense, the humor and cockiness was to die for, and you switched viewpoints at just the right times! Now spelling errors, only that one minor grammar error I listed above. I'm almost done Volume 1 and just about ready for Volume 2! Very nice job on this chapter, it was great!