To A Thief - Chapter 49: The Final Battle - Part 2

Is this the end?

Grauberg 

To the east, away from the others.

Ecco follows the sounds and vibrations of trembling earth to guide him to the two catalysts. It isn't long before he finds himself looking from atop a hill at the two catalysts facing off without holding back. 

"Heh, that's interesting," he smirks as he looks at Stiff, intrigued. "As a catalyst, he can't seem to utilize the power of darkness with his own control. It just seems to take over him entirely, despite trying so hard when in control of his body to save the very same friend he is now trying to kill. Then again, even I can't tell just how aware he is right now of his body." 

Far across from Stiff and staring him down with just as much menace in his eyes, was Draven. Though he was in control of his darkness, it only fueled the motives of his ultimate goal. Such fuel set the fires of his anger towards Altana's children ablaze, whether friend or foe. At this point, both friends were two enemies on separate sides. 

"Dear me, I don't think I have the capacity to stop them from killing each other, but perhaps..." Ecco thought aloud with a clever smile as he held his hands out and began pouring his own darkness out towards them," I'll pump them with even more juice! That way, they'll both be so chugged that the most they could do is beat themselves to near-death! Or at least, hold out until everything else is settled... I hope?"

He narrowed his eyes and grinned wide in admiration of his own plan. "Drink up, my little kiddies. Put on a big show for me!" 

Ecco's darkness flew out of him in shadowy wisps, spiraling out into the open as if each wisp had a mind of its own and chose between the two catalysts. They'd pick fairly, of course. One catalyst would not have more than the other! Everybody's a team player in the dark side... 

As Stiff and Draven began to absorb their shares of darkness unbeknownst to Ecco's presence, their shadowy auras began to grow larger. As such, with more darkness came more power, more hatred, more anger... 

Glaring at the other catalyst before him, Stiff stood up straight and clenched his fists as he held his arms out to his sides, throwing his head back. He began to growl loudly through gritted teeth, the pupils of his shadowed eyes dilating once his flesh began to take in the color of darkness. Within a few seconds, both his body and clothes were a pitch black tone, creating nothing but absence in color. The only thing left to see at that point, were the brown pupils of his eyes and his white snarling teeth. 

After that, was an ominous bellowing. However, it wasn't Stiff directly who was causing that. It was his darkness. That large curtain of black surrounding his body began to take shape, forming itself into the half of a dragon's body, suspended up into the air. The brown pupils within the darkness shut for a moment before reopening into the nooks of the dragon-like manifestation's eye sockets.

 Like Stiff, Draven's darkness begins to accumulate thanks to Ecco's plan. As such, his own shadowy aura begins to grow and engulf him, taking in its own peculiar shape. 

Catalyst Draven: (Slightly crouched, looking down at his own body.) "O'en to' gen na..? I'na templa to'..." 

                                                                                                 (What is going on..? My body is...") 

Manifested out of Draven's darkness, was the large upper body of an umbral wolf's shadow, which took the blue pupils of its host's eyes into its sockets. It answered the cry of the shadowy dragon with a low and menacing howl that was more reminiscent to a roar. 

"Heh! Would you... look at... that," Ecco breathed out as he fell to the ground in exhaustion. "To have such strong resolves and origin... that their own darkness would take those shapes! Call me crazy... but I find that rather beautiful! Darkness sure has style..."

******

Vero: (Scowling at all the new Descent members.) I knew it. You Descent are all a bunch of f*****g clowns! 

Fit Elvaan Male Recruit #1:  Ey, yo, tough guy! (Looking at Vero.) You talking to me? Eh? You want I should step over there and bash yer face in!? (Cracking knuckles.) 

Vero: (Throwing his axe over his shoulder and sneering.) Go ahead and try, liberace. Why don't you kiss my a*s while you're at it? 

Fit Elvaan Male Recruit #1: (Angrily approaching Vero, pulling up his cloak's sleeves to reveal steel-plated gauntlets.) Liberace? I ain't no liberace! You piece of s**t, I'll kill ya! You and your... and your... whateva! Just get over here so I can beat the s**t outta' ya. 

Vero: (Smirks as he approaches him, drawing his axe and engaging the guy with a vertical swing of his great axe, which the hooded Elvaan male catches in his his hands by the sides.) I call dibs on this one's head. 

Annie: (Sarcastic salute.) Give him hell, Vero. (Turns to the others and mumbles.) Great, now there's two Veronauts... 

Flint: (Eyes bugging out of his head, staring at the hooded Mithra from the Descent.) Sure thing, Vero... but I want that one right there! (Points at her.) 

Slender, Big Breasted Mithran Female Recruit #2: (Pulling a retractable weapon from under her sleeve with a compact sickle that she folds out to take the shape of a scythe.) Foolish Hume, do you really think you can defeat me? 

Flint: (Scratching his head and blinking.) Defeat you? Who said anything about that! I just want to take you out on a date, is all. (Grinning.) 

Slender, Big Breasted Mithran Female Recruit #2: (Readying her weapon and running towards Flint.) Do you mock me, Hume? I shall reap your soul... prepare to die! 

Flint: (Pouting, cocking his custom gun.) Why do all the babes want to kill me? It's so unfair! (Sighs and prepares himself.) 

Nanaa: (Using Flee, she dashes over to the scythe-wielding Mithran female and knocks her weapon out of direction with the use of her dagger.) Sorry, lady. (Winks.) You won't be reaping his soul, but you've certainly taken his heart. Too bad that's an effect all girls with perks such as you has on him~

Slender, Big Breasted Mithran Female Recruit #2: (Spinning herself on her heel and countering Nanaa with a swift swing.) One side, cur! You shall be next! 

Nanaa: (Spinning on par with the hooded female, keeping herself behind her and quickly reaching up to stop the girl with her hands... using those large breasts to do so. [SFX: Honk!]) Hmm? Oh, wow... they feel even bigger in my hands! And so soft, too. How do you get them so big? They might even be bigger than Claire's! (Gentle squeezing them, keeping her head over the hooded female's shoulder.) 

Slender Hume Male Recruit #3: [SFX: Fshiwww...](Changes his beatboxing rhythm to something more sensual while swaying.) (Whispering.) Risqué ...

Slender, Big Breasted Mithran Female Recruit #2: (Frantically tugging at Nanaa's hands, dropping her scythe.) Unhand me, vile woman! (Throwing her head back and letting out a bit of a moan.) Release me at once...! 

Nanaa: (Gives an evil smile, enjoying the humiliation. Reaching up to the girl's cloak zipper, she forces it down and pries the cloak apart to reveal her ballistics!) 

All the men from both sides, except the Descent leader: (Their noses blowing out two consistent streams of blood, causing them to flop around the floor like a wild, untended garden hoses.) [Slender Hume Male Recruit #3 SFX: Scratching record.]

Descent leader: (Standing there, expressionless albeit in disbelief as to what's going on.) .....

Short, Glasses-Wearing Tarutaru Female Recruit #1: (Looking around in a panic.) Oh, my! Oh, dear! What just happened? Why are all the men bleeding!? Why aren't they bleeding? (Points at Flint and her leader.) 

All the women from the Brigade: (All turning to Flint in shock!) 

Okina: (Peeking up at Flint, who's just standing there completely frozen.) F-Flint? Are you... okay, okay? (Shoves her hand against his forehead, wondering if he's sick.) 

Flint: ...

Mel: (Blinking and marveling at the sight.) For Flint not to react to such a scene... I'm both amazed and worried! 

Flint: ...

Annie: (Scoffing.) Is he even conscious? I think it was too much sexiness for him, so his body must have gone into a frozen shock. A pervert can only take so much...

Flint: ...

Nanaa: (Walking over to Flint, leaving the hooded Mithran female who was on her knees and clutching her own breasts after zipping back up.) Did I overdo it? (Snaps her fingers in front of Flint.) Hello~? Did I... oh? (Blinks.) 

Flint: (Body turning completely red from head to toe. He begins to tremble and his lips begin to purse. When his face turns red, his eyes widen and his nose finally erupts, taking lift off like a bloody rocket into the great sky.)

Everyone: (Watching him as he disappears into a tiny Flint glint.) 

Okina: (Holding her hand over her brows as she watches him off.) Ah, off he goes, goes... I wonder where he's headed, headed? 

Mel: (Shrugs.) Off to new heights, I suppose. 

Annie: (Putting her hands to her hips and shaking her head.) What a pervert. 

A loud pair of roaring and howling, along with the rumbling of the earth brings everyone to attention again. 

Short, Glasses-Wearing Tarutaru Female Recruit #1: (Running around frantically, asking a dozen questions per second about the strange sounds.) 

Okina: (Looking around in surprise.) What was that!? 

Bear: (Furrowing his brows in thought.) Is it those two? 

Descent leader: (Staring in the direction that the two catalysts had gone off in.) Ecco... what are you up to? 

Kyrie: (Gazing into the distance with a hint of concern in her eyes.) Draven... (She decides to hurry off in their direction, just in case.) 

Descent leader: (Reaching his hand out.) Kyrie, what are you doing? (But Kyrie continues running, quickly out of sight as a Ninja would be.) Stop! 

Okina: (Looks down at the ground and purses her lips in thought. She didn't like seeing Stiffy in his other form because he was so different and scary, but she didn't want him or Draven to get hurt.) I'm going after Stiff! (Takes off in the same direction Kyrie ran off in.) 

Claire: (Pointing her sword at the Descent leader.) Tell me, what's going on over there? What did you do with Stiff and Draven? 

Descent leader: (Turning his head slightly to look at Claire.) That is none of your concern. 

Claire: (Narrowing her eyes as she stares at his face.) Why did you do it? How could you take Vincent's life...? Was he not your friend? 

Descent leader: (Turning away.) He would have been in front of you, had the Dawn Child not intervened. Either way... I plan to bring it all back. Everything. To the way it should have been. (Drawing his swords from his palms once more and facing Claire.) And if I have to force you away to do so, I shall. 

Small and Petite Hume Female Recruit #3: (Tugging at her leader's hood and looking up at him, though not saying anything.) 

Descent leader: (Glancing at her.) Don't worry... it'll be fine. (Appears to be familiar with that recruit. But he looks back at Claire and prepares himself.) 

Claire: (Running towards him, driven by memories of Vincent to engage him.) I will not lose so easily! 

******

Catalyst Stiff [Dragon Manif.]: (Roaring and breathing out shadowy flames from its mouth towards the wolf manifestation.) 

Catalyst Draven [Wolf Manif.]: (Dashes to its left, dodging the shadow flames and making a sprint directly for the dragon manifestation.) 

Catalyst Stiff [Dragon Manif.]: (Spreads its black misty wings and flaps them back once, gaining speed as it makes a dive towards the wolf in return.)

The two manifestations clash head on, biting at each other's necks before pulling back and swiping at one another. 

Draven's wolf manifestation lunges forward, attempting to tackle the dragon with full force with the use of its head. 

Stiff's dragon manifestation brings one shadowy wing forward however, and absorbs the impact into it. The force still causes it to stumble back, not not completely down. It pulls out its other wing and swings it forward towards the wolf, who attempted to jump back and dodge but was hit anyway, causing it to tumble backward. 

As it rolls back onto its feet, the wolf paws angrily at the earth and throws its head back to howl in frustration. Turning its glare back at the dragon, it snarls and holds one shadowy paw out. Energy circulating from the base of the wolf's manifestation is collected into its paw, forming a pulsing sphere made of it a black and dark purple color. It was very similar to the attack he had used to make his way out of Eldieme Necropolis a few weeks back during their last encounter. One that Stiff had perceived to be another Pulse Attack- or Dragon Flare as he now called it. 

However, that day, the one Draven had was about the size of a ball. He wasn't some gigantic wolf avatar at the time, of course. This one that the wolf manifestation was creating now was about the size of a small house. 

The shadowy dragon avatar watched the pulsating sphere of dark energy form, snarling out in an inhuman tone: 

Catalyst Stiff [Dragon Manif.]: De'ga Lusé? (Retracting its wings.) 

                                         (Dragon Flare?)

Catalyst Draven [Wolf Manif.]: (Giving a low growl, not stopping its ability.) "Grav'iton Oerba."

                                                                                                          (Gravity Globe.)

Catalyst Stiff [Dragon Manif.]: (Confused as to the similarity of the ability to its Dragon Flare, but doesn't care. It bellows, somewhat intimidated into charging up its own Dragon Flare attack within one of its claws.) 

Ecco: (Watching from atop the safety of a cliff side.) Heh, from a struggle of two Thieves to a battle of titans. This is quite the spectacle, I must say. Catalysts are such curious things... (Deviant grin.) 

The energy from both abilities was so vast because of their size, that the wind began to push violently. It sent smaller rocks and debris from the aged and abandoned homes in Grauberg around them to be hurled around the pulsating spheres. 

In the same instant, the two manifestations charged at one another with the intent to kill. Though not making contact with the ground, their attacks seemingly distorted the surface that they loomed over, creating a sort of "ditch" as the two ran for one another. 

Once close enough, the two prepared to make contact. Just before impact, however, Stiff heard what sounded like Okina's voice. 

"STIFF!" She shouted from afar, a frantic look on her face. Despite the two looking like big monsters, she knew that Stiff was still in there among all that darkness. 

Stiff's mind flashed as he heard her voice, but he hadn't stopped just yet. It wasn't until the very last second that he heard a young man's voice call out to him from within. It was a voice he wasn't familiar with. 

Don't do it, Stiff!

The dragon manifestation's eyes widened in surprise for a second, coming to a quick second of sense and hurling its body to one side just before hitting the wolf with its giant Dragon Flare so that it wouldn't. 

However, the Gravity Globe that the wolf manifestation was using didn't stop, and the shadowy dragon didn't move entirely away in time. While it avoided being hit directly, the Gravity Globe grazed it right in the brow, just around its eye. That small touch of contact alone caused a devastating pull toward the Gravity Globe, sucking in anything it made contact with before pulsing once and exploding. 

While it had grazed the dragon like that when it had moved away, the attack didn't explode until the wolf manifestation went forward and made direct contact with the mountain side. 

The end result was a large flash in the area followed by an explosion that sent debris and sections of earth flying everywhere. Ecco, Kyrie, and Okina- who were all some yalms away from the area of the explosion were sent flying back by it's force. While they weren't hit, the area soon became even more dangerous as the sections of earth and debris began to rain down on everything. 

"Whoa!" Ecco managed to hold onto some rock sticking out of the ground. "The Gravity Globe alone did that...! The other catalyst stopped its attack for whatever reason, but I'd hate to see the result of those two abilities clashing together in those forms." 

Large amounts of water began to pour into the area, blanketing this part of the wasteland. 

"Guh!" Okina grunted as she stopped tumbling on the floor and looked up. Her eyes widened as she saw the incoming wave of water. "Oh, no!" 

Kyrie had managed to tumble beside her, as the two were met  by the previous force together. Thinking fast, the Ninja looked up to the sections of earth falling above and leaped into the air, jumping from section to section so that she wouldn't get washed away. 

Picking up on that plan, Okina did the exact same in true Opo-Opo fashion, both girls doing so until they would reach their own safe hills that were high enough to avoid the incoming flood. 

Upon reaching the hill, Okina could see clearly what had happened and the result of the damage. 

The wolf manifestation's attack had practically blown an entire side of the valley's perimeter away, causing water that was blocked off from the other side to run straight through and flood the area. 

Such a fight had changed even the terrain...

The loud bellowing of the dragon manifestation was endless. It was clutching the side of its face in pain, keeping a claw over its eye. Amid the bellows, one could almost hear a more human scream overlapping with the dragon's. The darkness appeared to be separating itself in quantities from the dragon manifestation's body. It was falling down to the earth and dispersing, causing the avatar to become smaller and smaller in size. 

The wolf manifestation had taken some extent of the damage as well, but not as much as the surrounding area. It laid on its side, keeping its form unlike the other. 

It appeared calmer now, watching the frenzied and disintegrating dragon silently, wondering why its opponent had stopped their Dragon Flare attack. 

******

After explaining who the enemy was, the new recruits of the Descent engaged the others. It had become a huge free for all, with the two sides fighting violently against one another. For the most part, however, they all seemed to be quite on par with one another.

Descent leader: (Using his darkness to create tendrils like the ones he used against Vincent.) I've had enough of this. It is time to end it. (Sends them shooting towards Claire.) 

Claire: (Holds her sword out before her and closes her eyes. Her hand lets out a small bright glow that disperses little streams of light into her sword's blade. With this, she slashes at each incoming tendril and slices them apart with ease.) 

Descent leader: (Showing a bit of surprise, but then retracts his darkness as he realizes what she did.) I see. So you're no longer a simple Paladin, are you? You've ascended into a Valor Knight... such as the ones that guarded King Destin himself. You must have royal blood in you. 

Claire: (Holding out her sword and keeping a collective attitude.) Vincent unfortunately, belonged to the dark... so it was simple for you to manipulate his body. However, It won't be so easy for you against me.

Descent leader: (Smirking.) You may be confident, if you wish. It still won't change the fact that you will not be able to stop me. 

Claire: (Narrowing her eyes.) You are annoying, you know that? Such a stubborn man. That is something you've kept after all this time...

Lanky Hume Male Recruit #2: (Hands in his cloak pockets, not really paying attention to anybody.) This is stupid. Why am I even here? I thought we were going to sleep for a while... man, what a bummer. (Getting ready to walk away, but is suddenly brought against the ground by an incoming target from above landing on him.)

Flint: (Laying on Lanky Hume Male Recruit #2, catching his bearings after having a perverted bloody nose blast off.) Oh man... that... was AWESOME! 

Annie: (Clashing her katana with the hooded female Mithra's scythe.) Eh? (Looks over at Flint.) Are you just now arriving again? How high did you even go?? 

Flint: (In a dreamy state) I... was in heaven! 

Lanky Hume Male Recruit #2: (Kicks Flint off of him and grunts) Get off me, man! (Standing up and rubbing his back.) Damn, that hurt... why did you decide to land on me, of all people? (Sighs.) Now I have to kick your a*s... what a bummer. (Pulling out a pair of dice from his pocket and a hexagun[six-barreled firearm] from the other.)

Flint: Heh! (Kicking himself up off the ground and doing a little twirl while pulling out his own custom gun.) Alright! This'll be my kinda fight! (Both of them begin running around shooting at each other.)

Bear: (Raises a brow as he looks over at the hooded Hume male in the middle of everything and cripwalking to the rythm of his own beatboxing.) What's up with this guy? He's in his own world... I don't know if I should even attack him or not. 

Slender Hume Male Recruit #3: (Points his finger over at Bear and stops his current beat, winding up another one and nodding his head to it. This next beat was more deep and had a slower beat.) Ris... (Beat.) ... Qué. (And so on.) 

Bear: (Furrowing both brows, glancing at his baby wyvern.) What's with the slow and deep beat thrown at me? (Eyes widen as he realizes something.) Huh? I... what's with my body? (Body is moving real slow, as if he were walking on the moon.) 

Slender Hume Male Recruit #3: (Winds up the beat, keeping his finger pointed at Bear before snapping it against his thumb.) Ri-ah Ri-ah-Squé! 

Bear: (Able to move normally again.) What the...? (Looking at the beatboxing recruit and then at the other Descent recruits, noticing the way he keeps changing beats in different situations.) Okay, I see now. You're some kind of beatboxing, cripwalking Bard. (Some of his songs effects are apparent on the other recruits, like being able to move faster or increasing their strength and defense, as well as holding regenerative effects.) 

Mel: (Crossing staves with the tarutaru Descent recruit that was wearing glasses.) I must admit, you're all an interesting bunch! Not like the usual psychos that the Descent consists of. But still! (Swinging her hand across herself, throwing an ice elemental spell along her target's way.) That doesn't make you any less the bad guys! 

Short, Glasses-Wearing Tarutaru Female Recruit #1: (Hit by the ice spell, her arms freeze outward causing her stave to fall and her to tumble back stiffly.) Aiie! You froze my arms!? (Lying on the floor face up, arms held out towards the sky.) Why my arms of all things? Why not my legs? Now I can't use my hands to cast spells anymore! Why do you have to be so mean? Why do you think we're the bad guys? Aren't we the ones restoring peace? 

Mel: (Plugging her ears.) Gosh, you're not that great at magic... but your voice is killing me! 

Slender, Big Breasted Mithran Female Recruit #2: (Stepping over to the tarutaru female recruit and picking her up by her frozen arms, her own hands bearing a red hue before lighting into fire to melt the ice.) Silence, puny one! Your speech is the epitome of destruction, but even I can't admire such a thing! 

Short, Glasses-Wearing Tarutaru Female Recruit #1: (Eventually left hanging by her arms in the hooded Mithran recruit member's hands.) Ah! Was that fire? Then are you a Dark Knight? You are aren't you? Can't Dark Knight's use black magic? Then you must be one, right? Wait, what are you doing? (Being lifted up over the woman's head and attempting to flail her arms.) Are you going to toss me? Why would you do such a thing!? Will you put me down? NOOOOO! 

Slender, Big Breasted Mithran Female Recruit #2: I said, silence! (Hurls the little tarutaru recruit into the air with all her might.) [SFX: Woosh!]

Vero: (Thrusting the base of his great axe's hilt at the Elvaan male recruit's stomach.) Like I said! CLOWNS! 

Fit Elvaan Male Recruit #1: (Leaning forward and grunting in pain as it hits him.) Dagh! That all ya got, s**t bird!? (Coughing.) 

Vero: (Smirking.) Far from it, kid. 

Fit Elvaan Male Recruit #1: (Standing back up straight and cracking his neck.) Kid? Oh I'm a kid, yeah? Alright, that's fine. All the more glory to yours truly when I grind ya into pasta and marinate ya in yer own blood! (Begins to run at Vero, but bumps into Nanaa who was running by.) Ey! Watch it, bi-(Keeps holding her by the shoulders, stopping as he gets a good look at her.) Daaaaamn, looks like I got myself a keeper here fellas! Yo, how's about I take ya outta' here and violate ya like a parking meter? 

Nanaa: (Looking up at him in surprise, but then giving a playful wink.) Oh? It'll cost you a gil~ (Purrs, peering up into the opening of his hood.) You know... you're no slouch! 

Fit Elvaan Male Recruit #1: (Wraps his arm around her waist and snickers.) Ey, yo! You gonna talk like that? Aight!

Flint: (Glaring at the Elvaan recruit flirting with Nanaa while the hexagun-wielding recruit holds him in a headlock.) Hey! Who do you think you are, punk!? Nobody touches my girls! (Fumbling for his gun.) I'm gonna blow you a new one, pal! Besides, you stole that parking meter line from somewhere! 

All the girls in the Brigade: "Your girls?" 

Fit Elvaan Male Recruit #1: (Not even turning to look at Flint, waving his hand in the air.) Yeah, yeah, whateva. I'll trade ya' Big Tits over there for her... 

Flint: (Glances once at the big breasted Mithran recruit and makes an OK signal with his fingers.) 

Nanaa: (Pulling her head back.) Um, what? Flint! 

All girls on both sides: (Jumping the two perverts and slapping the s**t out of them.) 

Flint: (Struggling to take cover.) Aghh! It was a joke! A joke! 

Fit Elvaan Male Recruit #1: (Struggling to keep his face protected.) Aghh! Yo, not the face!

Descent leader: (Grabbing his pendant as it resonated.) What is it?

Ecco [Speaking from the pendant]: Hey boss, um... can you get here asap? 

Descent leader: (Narrowing his eyes.) What did you do, Ecco? 

Ecco [Speaking from the pendant]: Uh... I'll meet you here! (Ends the transmission.)

Descent leader: Hmph. (Putting his pendant away, somewhat anxious.) It's time. (Turns and throws the pendant into the ground, watching it sink in and create a large portal just like it did before.) We are leaving. 

The ground begins to rumble just as the Descent leader and his recruits make an escape into the portal. 

Slender Hume Male Recruit #3: (Turning at the last second and throwing up two fingers at the Brigadiers.) Risqué! Peace OUUUT! (Back flips into the portal and out of sight.)

Without another warning, the water from the flood that the other two had caused came raging in, though nowhere near as big or powerful as it was where it came from. It had traveled all the way here, so the force was dying down. 

Everybody else was forced to swim as the level of the water picked up, making them float up. 

"Where the heck did all this water come from?" Annie coughed as she surfaced. "My outfit's ruined!" 

"All our outfits are ruined, Annie," Mel said as she floated up beside her, spitting out some water. 

Vero splashes out into the surface, growling in irritation. "What the hell have those two maggots done now!?" 

"Bear, link into Wert and tell him to get here on the double! We need to get to those two fast," Claire ordered, concerned about Draven and Stiff.

******

For a moment, everything around the two catalysts, including the darkness that had engulfed their bodies vanished from Draven's sight. While anyone else would still see them as large and shadowy beasts, he could only see a themselves in their normal Hume shape. 

Draven was laying on his back, looking across from him at Stiff who was also on the ground against his stomach. The two were covered in wounds and their faces were stained with dirt and blood, looking on at one another. 

While Draven laid there calmly, his friend appeared to be struggling to get to him, ignoring severe wounds in order to do so.

Stiff would reach his hand forward and pull himself up along the ground, using whatever strength he had left to crawl, looking back at Draven with the one eye he had remaining. The eyelid where his other eye used to be remained shut, bleeding out quite a bit. 

"Why?" Draven asked silently as he watched him in confusion. "Why couldn't you just stay away? Why did you have to come here? Why did you have to get in the way of my world and my clan?"

Stiff stopped to catch his breath, responding through gasps, "I don't care about... your world... or your clan. Also, I don't care... about Altana, either. I can't bring Sister Eri... or my parents back," he began. " And I'll accept that, because now I have you... and Okina... and Moku... and everybody else. You guys are my clan... and you make this world a place worth living! Can't think of a better place. That's all I care about." 

Draven looked at him, his eyes widening if only by a bit. "...!"

"So please... come back to us!" Stiff pleaded, clenching his fists. "You brought me back when I felt like a monster, and didn't want to belong in this world... remember? Now I'm going to bring you back...! Whatever it takes." 

Draven bit his lower lip, his mind fogging up so much that it was hard for him to make out anything anymore. He could no longer tell what he was doing, if only for these few moments. One thing he could see in that "fog" however, was the very vague image of himself with his two friends. When all of this started...

While the two confronted each other like this here, the dragon manifestation's frenzy had come to a close and the darkness eventually just dissolved into nothing, leaving nothing but fading streams coming from Stiff's body. 

He had been giving Draven a weakened grin up until the darkness left him. Soon after, he literally felt the life being choked out of him. Before he could say anything, he gave a rasp cough and gasped out some pitch black blood onto the floor. "Damn..." was all he managed to blurt out. 

He laid his head against the floor and remained silent, taking slow breaths.

Draven's eyes showed a little surprise when he saw Stiff cough out that tar-like blood, but he didn't think too much of it. "I... I don't know, Stiff. Even if I did go back... nothing would be the same. Not after everything that's happened. It's too late... isn't it?" 

There was only silence. 

Draven rose his head, rolling onto his stomach and looking over at his friend. "Isn't it, Stiff?" 

Stiff didn't reply, however. He was lying there silently, facing away from Draven and looking off into nothingness. He made no more attempts to speak or crawl. 

His life had just suddenly come to an end after Ecco's darkness left his body. 

Stiff was dead. 

"Why won't you answer me?" Draven asked him. He made another weak attempt to call his name, thinking he might have gone unconscious. "Stiff!" 

When he did that, he felt himself suddenly pulled out of this blank empty space in their minds. 

Everything returned to normal now. Well, almost everything. Draven was back in the flooded wasteland in his wolf's manifestation form, but the dragon wasn't. There, on a small portion of land that was high enough to escape the water lay Stiff as his normal Hume self. He was face down on the ground, Ecco's darkness having dissipated entirely from his body. 

Catching its bearings, the wolf manifestation finally stood up off its side and loomed over the little Hume, watching him closely for a minute. When he wouldn't move, the wolf manifestation lowered itself and brought its snout forward, using its nose to roll Stiff onto his back. 

He noticed that he was quite limp, and looking over at nothing in particular with the one open eye he had left. 

The wolf proceeded to watch the Hume, as if expecting something to happen. It lowered its shadowy ears when it didn't see movement. Lowering itself against the earth on its belly, it threw its head back and howled- one last attempt to call to its friend. It went on for a few seconds, afterwards laying its head against the floor and closing its bright blue eyes. 

Stiff, even if I did come back... surely, now more than ever, it could never be the same.

The wolf's form dispersed into a big black mist, leaving only Draven lying unconscious there on the ground across from Stiff's body. Though Draven was alive, the darkness had also taken a huge toll on his own body. 

Ecco had just barely made it to that strip of land that wasn't submerged when the Descent leader ported into their location. The recruits were back at their base, so he was here alone now. Ecco dropped to his knees in exhaustion, catching his breath. Due to expending most of his darkness for these two, he had grown quite weak. 

The Descent leader stood there, clenching his fists in anger as he looked at the two catalysts. "It wasn't supposed to be this way... I needed both of them alive. This sets us back very much." 

Kyrie joined them a minute later, having traveled the surface of the water with the use of her ninjutsu. "Draven!" 

She quickly made her way over to him, letting out a deep sigh of relief when she saw that he was still alive and simply unconscious. "We have to get Draven away from this place, master," she said, recollecting her tone and posture. 

"Ecco," the Descent leader said as he looked the two catalysts over. 

"Got it, boss," Ecco breathed out as he tiredly made his way over to Draven. Pulling his top up, he placed his hand on Draven's bare chest and began to replenish what little darkness he could inside of him, using his own. The more Ecco did that, however, the weaker he became. 

"What of the other, master?" Kyrie asked silently as she looked at Stiff's lifeless body. 

"I don't know," her leader replied. "I wasn't planning this, nor did I think it would happen. Ecco is there any way...?" 

"Boss..." Ecco breathed in gasps, his face growing faint and his eyelids drooping. "... I don't think... I can keep this up... you know?" 

The Descent leader only gritted his teeth behind closed lips, thinking hard. "That's enough for now. Both of you, move it," he ordered, crouching over to pick the unconscious Draven up and throw him over his shoulder. 

When the other two made their way into the portal, he stepped over to Stiff and looked down at him silently. He was about to reach down towards him when Okina's voice broke the silence. 

"DON'T TOUCH HIM!" She screamed frantically, pulling herself out of the water and onto that strip of land. Making her way over to them, she threw herself over Stiff and pulled him into her arms, glaring through tears at the Descent leader. "If you touch him... I'll kill you! I'll kill you!" 

The man would only look at her in silence with a difficult face to read. What finally got him to move, was the blaring engine of the Icarus Wing Mk. III flying overhead. 

With that, he turned and made his way into his portal, looking back only once before it vanished into thin air. 

Okina laid Stiff's head down on her lap and looked down at him, clutching his hands in hers as her tears landed on his cheeks. "Stiffy... why? You promised me... you promised!" 

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To be concluded in Chapter 50: Goodbye, Stiff

Reviews

[okina]

The beginning of this chapter was hilarious xD I loved imagining the brigadiers trying to fight the weird recruits.
I really hope Stiff isn't actually dead ; __ ;