Arc 3: Choosing Reality by Embracing Life
Passed the clouds, under the night sky, was the glowing and large Capital of Walgonia. Within the center of all four districts was the large castle of Walgonia. Such castle was ingulfed in battle, the windows shattered, walls broken open, fires and waves of power blasting through the walls, and the entire thing was trembling and cracking. Within the ballroom was Kioshi Van Helsing blasting and pinballing between the balls, without her abilities, but still filled with supreme strength. The guards and knights had ran from the room, the anarchists turned to piles of blood. The remaining forces against here was the pale faced, vampiric jester, the Skeletal monster, the older-snake like man, and soaring black figure clad in dark sleek bird-like armor. Screams of power were sent out from the bird, waves of dark dense scaly arms from the snake, and contorted streams of blood and bullets of bone sent out from the blue haired, laughing, wrinkled vampire.
Kioshi {I cannot let them leave this room! I must hold out until I can think of something, until I can unleash my strength, or until I can get some support! I can't belie they're doing this!}
Down below it all, deep in the damp dark tight dungeon, was a newly invigored Gray Kyojin. He took a deep breath, stood up, and gently looked at his shaking callused hands.
Gray: "I have to do this, for them."
He had run away, he had made a fool of himself, he had left them in their moment of need. He knew he was gonna have to make it up to them fast before it was too late, so his heart fluttered with conviction while his mind focused on Rosemary. Then, suddenly flowing out from the golden necklace and crescent shaped charm, was an oozing dark cloak. It felt cold, like corruption contorted and compressed, but faint and comforting at the same time.
Gray: "Oooooh, cloak of darkness. Not very creative but I figured it was more darkness based then nasty goo. Wish I had asked how to use it."
All he could think about was the fact Azalea had used it, but then he knew that this charm had great power latent within. Great power he defiantly needed to use, and wanted to use. So to cover any fear on his face he puts the dark hood over his head, stepping in front of the iron door.
Gray {Alright. Focus, calm, don't break your body. Don't waste your strength! If I wanna do better I have to prove it dammit!}
He took a breath, generating a small amount of mana on his arm, and slams it against the lock on the cell door. It cracks the wall, makes a quite loud noise, but breaks the lock all the same. Then he quickly dashes out of the cell, running down the maze like halls before suddenly stopping in his tracks, looking around for any anarchists. He gets closer and closer to the light, going up the small stair cases winding up the dungeon. Nearing the exit, he stops. He hears two people talking near him, so he gets down and slowly approaches them.
"Do you really think Kioshi will lose? She's supposed to be the strongest ever right!?"
Gray's ears picked up, sitting and listening closer to the conversing anarchists.
"I have full faith in the Upper Pillars. Even if it is their vessles, they've been planning this for a long time now. They would need a real miracle to get away from this."
Gray {Dammit their leaders are fighting Kioshi!? Maybe not, they said Upper Pillar. Maybe is like a ranking, like Lower Upper Top. Or maybe the Upper really are the bosses! I need to get to Rosemary and the others as fast as I can. So I need to beat these guys and loot them without being found. ONE TWO THREE, GO!}
Gray jumps out of his hiding spot, screaming to spook them. They flinched, pulling out their daggers. Yet the closest anarchists was slammed down by Gray, using a "Mana Overdrive ''. His fist swirling with bright purple mana rocked the anarchists gut and knocked the wind out of him, throwing him back into the steps behind him.
Gray {EEEK!}
Gray leapt back immediately, dodging the anarchists swinging dagger. He tumbled back, rolling over the cloak and almost gets impaled right there.
"DAMN! BLACK FIRE IS GONNA GET MAD AT ME FOR THIS!"
Gray {Black fire!? Oh, Arthur. That's way to obvious.}
He instantly fell back into the panic of battle after quickly piecing that together. He didn't dodge, hope, or run, but threw his leg out with mana blazing. He kicked the anarchists arm up, tossing his blade into the roof, and sets up the anarchist to another kick to the groined.
Gray: "SORRY BRO!"
He then pushed more mana into his fist, flinging into the anarchists face. It shattered his mask and knocked him out, letting Gray cheer in victory and shout in pain.
Gray {I did it! By my self! And without gear. I guess they were normal dudes but I did it! And my body only hurts a lot, and not so much I can't move!"
Gray quickly loots the bodies, taking the tanto as well as some throwing knives off of the other Anarchists on the stairs. He would quickly jog down the hall, limping for a moment from the pain and numbness in his leg before getting back to running normally. He finally leaves the dungeon, heading toward a spiral staircase t the end of the tunnel. Gray runs up the stairs as fast as he can, spinning around and around and around. Feeling the shaking, trembling, battle breaking castle. Hearing the many screams of knights, anarchists, the roars of Demi-humans, cut off screams of the dead and the horrific blood curdling yells of the dying. Gray had to push forward, he had to move, he couldn't die. He couldn't waste time no matter how bad it made him feel, as he had to save Rosemary and the others. He had to make up for what he did to Soku, for how he treated Edward, for how sad he made Ophelia, for how he spat in the training of Musashi, and for Rosemary Rosemary Rosemary. Slamming against his head just as hard as his past beratements.
Gray {I've had to run up five or ten floors at least, I can hear fighting all over the place but I can hear a lot of it about one or more floors up. If my luck plays out then they're up there!}
Sweating heavily but still pushing forward he ran. Yet, before Gray can get up to the last two floors, he senses a good sum of mana rushing toward him. It feels familiar to him like he's met this person before, and a dense smell of corruption he couldn't look away from. Four long arms, with three claw like fingers on each of them, made out of pitch black mana break through the walls of the staircase. Gray ducks in fear, dodging the initial attack, though one of the arms grabs onto Gray's neck and yanks him forward. Being pulling right out of the stairwell and into one of the many long halls of the castle. Windows to his right, bright crystals and candles around him, and the constant sound of fighting surrounding them. Without a second thought Gray uses the tanto to slice through the arm, setting him free.
With his hood falling off, he tried as hard as he could push past the fear. The panic of staring toward a foe that almost killed him, now all alone to fight him a little over a month later.
Gray: "NOT THE BEST TIME FOR A REMATCH, BUT I'LL TAKE IT I GUESS! Hey, you got your mask back too!"
The thirteen year-old, long black haired, hunched over Lower Pillar. Screaming forward with rage while his dark arms spiraled around him, imitating from beneath his cloak. Seeping out of his chest.
Jeremiah: "What are you blabbering about boy? I knew I could sense your mana, and here you are right in front of me. Unlike before, your friends aren't here to help you, and neither is a box of explosives to throw at me! So what will you do to win this time!?"
Gray: "I'll just have to drop the whole castle on you."
Jeremiah: "YOU IDIOT! I WILL KILL YOU!"
Jeremiah screams and twitches in a bleeding rage. Yelling, he releases a bombardment of arms all rushing toward Gray. The arms tear through the floor, ceiling, and walls to get to him. Paniced, Gray flows the maximum amount of mana his body can handle. Forcing everything into overdrive for just a moment to insure he's not overwhelmed. Then he blasts forward, swinging his tanto around with quick succession. Not aiming for any point in particular, just trying to force it through each of them. He manages to do it; he slashes through all the arms, flowing between strikes and carrying all the momentum towards Jeremiah as he charged forward.
Gray: "YOUR ARMS WERE WEAKER BEFORE! YOU GOT BETTER! EVEN IF IT'S JUST A TINY BIT"
Jeremiah: "You also have seemed to grow in strength! Making it even better when I beat you! Damned brat!"''
Jeremiah uses more arms to push himself backward, trying to dodge Gray.
Gray: "Me!? The brat!? You're like ten!"
As Gray continued to run forward he stopped, his body surging with pain and his OD left feeling like it's crying. As he collapsed Jeremiah laughed and laughed, all ten of his shadowy arms merging and twisting together as they flew forward. Mixing together to create the large, hall way sized goliath arm, flying forward at a break neck pace to break the hall and Gray.
Gray {COME ON!}
He bit his lip so hard it bled, forcing through the pain.
Gray {I gotta fight smarter! Can't break my whole body, can't waste my strength on nothing!}
As the arm made it's way toward Gray, towering over him with it's shadow, encompassing his form, he acted. He erupted in a sudden burst of power before screaming with all his might.
Gray: "SATIC!"
As he did it, the wave of disturbing mana sent ripples through their minds. It caused Jeremiah to screech in pain and grab hold of his head, the giant arm collapsing into thin air. Gray pushed through it and pours mana into the tanto before throwing it with all of its might.
Jeremiah: "NO!"
He sent out a flurry of arms that were instantly cut through. It forced the tanto away, but Gray was right behind it. Screaming with a pained look over his face and a wave of bright purple mana over his arm.
Gray {FOCUS! DON'T EXLPODE DON'T BREAK!}
With intense pressure he flung his arm forward. Imitating a lower powered, more focused flow of mana, he slammed it against Jeremiahs stomach. Grays arm shook with pain, but he didn't waste mana or risk an overabundance of damage to his arm. Jeremiah would almost vomit, his eyes blank. He was thrown back and looked forward just as Gray went to flick his face.
Gray {JUST LIKE ROSEMARY!}
Focusing a wave of mana around his finger he flicked Jeremiahs nose and broke it before slapping. Jeremiah dead in the face. Getting kicked away right after. Gray could only be impressed with himself while Jeremiah crawled back in fear, screaming and crying and throwing his arms out in a panic.
Jeremiah: "HOW! NO, NO, NO! IN A MONTH YOU'VE GROWN THIS MUCH? LEAVE ME ALONE! GO AWAY FOREVER"
Jeremiah uses his arms to break through the castle walls, climbing up the side of the outside of the wall like a strange spider.
Gray: "DON'T RUN NOW!"
Gray picks up the tanto and jumps outside, stabbing the tanto into the wall to give him leverage. When he looked up and began to focus mana he surged with fear, watching Jeremiah coming right toward him.
Jeremiah: "YOU IDIOT!"
Jeremiah uses his arms to break the wall Gray's hanging off of, causing him to fall off the side of the castle.
Gray {SHIT!}
Seeing the ground, the building wind, and the many stories he was going to fall, all he could feel was an impending since of death and defeat. In that moment Gray reaches out his arm, trying to grab onto the wall. With the wall just out of reach, the cloak stretched out like goo. It attached itself to the wall like a web in an instant, giving Gray the chance he needed. Gray sees this, grabbing onto the cloak with his hand and yanking himself back onto the wall.
Jeremiah: "HOW!? THE CLOAK OF DARKNESS IS IN YOUR HANDS? THIS IS UNBELIEVABLE!"
Jeremiah was heading back up the side of the castle, looking back and down, screaming in defiance.
Gray: "Yeah, that was awesome!"
The Cloak was stuck to the wall, letting go just as Gray stabbed the roof with his blade. He had absolutley no control over it, almost like it was a quiet person flowing around him. A very protective person.
Gray {It's like a grappling hook or something, one I can control! if I only knew how to though! }
Jeremiah climbs up the wall, placing himself on a side roof of the castle. Gray instead used mana to pull himself up, stabs into the wall, and does it a few times over and over again until he makes it up the short wall. Landing on the same part of the roof as Jeremiah. It was small and slanted, just enough for the two to stand and fight.
Gray {I JUST WALL JUMPED IN REAL LIFE! Kinda.}
Jeremiah: "GO! JUST GO! Just leave me alone now and I won't come after you, okay?"
While Gray would ready himself Jeremiah would as well, flowing a volley of arms around him. When Jeremiah spoke, trembled, reached out, Gray saw the child he was. But when he felt the fear from his abilities, when he felt the malicious simile behind his mask, when he realized just what this boy would do to him, he knew he had to throw that away.
Gray: "Nope sorry! I will give you props though, you are the whole reason I made it this far. If you hadn't attacked the house back in the slums I might have been selling stolen goods or something right now."
Jeremiah: "DO YOU THINK I CARE!? YOU ARE NOTHING BUT A FOOL! A FAILURE BLESSED WITH POWER HE DOES NOT UNDERSTAND!"
Jeremiah would sent the arms out toward Gray, four more powerful and focused ones swirling around to confuse and disorient Gray. The closer he got, he would have to make a choice. The choice to kill this boy. That caused hesitation he just couldn't allow to control him any Gray throws the three knives he stole at Jeremiah. Jeremiah leans backward, barely dodging the knives. They get close enough to leave three straight lines going up the mouth part of the mask causing it to look like a skull a child would draw.
Gray {I don't wanna do this, but I have to! I have to, to live!}
Gray uses the opening the knives created to jump toward Jeremiah. Jeremiah tries to use the Goliath arm as a last-ditch effort, but to no avail. Gray screams internally, biting his lip to bear the pain, and erupts mana out of his body as he runs. He then focus it toward his palm, rotating it and swirling the slowly and barley condensing mana. Gray then struggles to grab hold of the clump of his purplish black mana, forming it into a sphere of powerful mana.
Gray: "TITANS IMPACT!"
The ball of mana explodes, destroying the arm and leaving Jeremiah open for the last time.
Jeremiah: "IMPOSSIBLE!"
Gray: "NOT FOR ME IT ISN'T!"
Gray leapt forward with all he had, mana surging from his legs, no matter how much it hurt, and stabs the tanto into Jeremiah's stomach. The force sends them tumbling, but Gray holds tight and continues pinning him to the ground.
Jeremiah: "Pl, Please! Don't! Don't do this!"
A child, his wavering voice almost making Gray throw up right there.
Gray: "You started this fight, this is on you!"
Gray takes the mask off Jeremiah, looking at the three markings he made. A marker of what he did to this lost boy. So, to cover his shaking and sweating, almost teary eyed face, and places it on himself. As he did Jeremiah would send out the lasts of his strength in the shape of two powerful arms. They would grab and wind around Grays arms, about to snap them like twigs.
Gray {SHIT!}
Erupting with mana out of fear he broke through the arms, flinging his mana charged fist across Jeremiah's bruised bleeding face. Jeremiah would be thrown against the ground, bleeding and crying, once again asking for help.
Gray: "I'm sorry. I tried."
Jeremiah was filled with hatred from beginning to end. Born, raised, taught, and trained only to destroy. To hate, to fight, to survive their corrupted lords. In the world there were thoughts you always wish you could save. You wish you could help them, could have helped them, could have done something. But some will thrash and claw, they will pull you down with them or step over you to live. Thoughts people had to be let go, they could not be saved. Not unless you wanted to die. And, right now, Gray Kyojin did not want to die. Not even close.
Jeremiah: "I hate you. Forever, I hate you"
Gray: "I really am sorry, I'm so sorry."
Jeremiah: "If only my masters, my mother, my siblings..."
Gray would take a deep breath, staring deeply at the broken boy. Unable to make the move, unable to take his life.
Gray {He's losing it, man this sucks! He's just a kid....but it's too late now. I can't take it back, I can't fix this. }
Gray checks Jeremiah's pockets, taking out his golden communicator shaped like the Sects crest. At first he shook it up and down, tapped it on Jeremiahs body, pressed it against it chest, tried to "Hey Google" it, and nothing.
Jeremiah: "It's a communicator…you fool…"
Gray: "Oh thanks!"
Then, like a light bulb in his head, he pushed a little of his mana into it, thinking it's similar to the mana crystals used all around the world for basic needs. And like that, it glowed red. Seemingly reacting to his corrupted mana or Azalea-like signature.
Gray: "If you are on the other end of this line there is a big chance you're a part of the Sect of Anarchy. And if you are, know, we're coming for you. And stop messin' with Gray Kyojin if you could, he's the Grim Reaper after all! And his friends too leave them alone please. Oh, and EVERYBODY ELSE! Okay bye bye!"
Gray looks down at the crying and bleeding Jeremiah, and his heart sinks for just a moment. A young boy was born into this life, bleeding out because of his actions. So he gribbed tightly on the tanto -
Jeremiah: "YOU FOOL!"
He had thrown out a dagger, one that sliced through the side of Grays left arm. It left a bleeding gash in his arm, a red cut in his jacket, but was not nearly enough. But with a shake of his face, it wears off.
Gray: "I'M SORRY!"
Gray would plunge the blade into his chest, his gasping breath scaring Grays psyche.
Jeremiah: "You are…the reaper…"
With Jeremiah's last dying breath, he lets out a cry of fear. Dead with tears of pain in his eyes. He had done it; Gray Kyojin had killed somebody for the first time in his life, and a child at a that. Anarchist or not he would bite his lip so hard it bled, puking and beating his own chest in right after. Slamming his head against the ground over and over.
Gray: "DAMMIT! WHAT THAT HELL IS WRONG ME WITH!?"
However, after coming so far, he couldn't let this hold him back. Not when so many people needed him. So, holding the cloak close to him and letting a few tears fall, Gray takes a moment of silence, to take in everything he just did. To kill a kid, that was something he never thought he'd do. But with regret filling his mind, he just couldn't, he couldn't stop when he's gone this far to come back.
Gray: "This is just a small bit of my punishment. I don't deserve to sit here and stay safe, I gotta go find the others."
Gray crushes the communicator tosses it aside, and then breaks back into the castle through the roof.
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Within the castle were the many fighting guards, knights, and anarchists. Near the top of the castle, under the floor of the quaking and shattering ballroom, were Walgonias upcoming Heroes fighting for their lives. Edward, Rosemary, and Soku fought against the Lower Pillars of Anarchy. Fighting fighting fighting, for everything that came before and everything they must do after; They had to win, as they might be the only ones left to save Walgonia in its darkest hour.
Rosemary: "Why do you have to do this? What do you get out of this!"
Carla: "I JUST DO WHAT I'M TOLD!"
Soku: "Great system you got going on there then, a real team."
Rosemary leads the fight with Carla, with Soku helping from afar. Rosemary uses her third stage, which is barely able to keep up with Carla using both her hand blades. Dodging, ducking, stepping back, all to avoid her fast swings and razor sharp swipes. Rosemary wasn't fully on the back foot though; Rosemary would throw out punches of her own, forcing Carla to block, and sending quakes of pain through her each time. Carla would spin around her like a snake, forced to block and dodge the fast moving wind blades coming toward her. Unable to attack Rosemary, completely stuck; With Sokus' cover, it prevents Rosemary from being sliced by Carla's hand blades and prevents Carla from getting any ground. Back at the mansion, the main reason they were losing so badly was that they were surprised and didn't have a plan of attack. However, with Rosemary's intense strength whittling down Carla while each punch and Souk's wind slashing forward Carla focuses on defending against them and not Rosemary, she is trapped within their attacks. If Carla turned around Rosemary could attack her back, if she continued fighting like this she'd slowly lose, so it seemed, Carla wasn't going to be victorious this time. Causing a growing panic and malice to grow on her face. Meanwhile, a few halls away, Conroy and Edward are having a much closer battle.
Conroy: "COME ON! SHOW ME THAT WARRIORS SPIRIT!"
Conroy was leaping between the walls, roof, and floor to deliver a barrage of strikes toward Edwards' large blade. The tight halls made it difficult for Edward to swing such a blade, Conroys agile nature easily getting past Edwards overpowering strength.
Edward: "Is that all I'm good for? What is wrong with everyone!?"
Edward was shaking, trembling, sweating. Not from just this fight, but the built up anger through the knight exam. Especially toward Conroy. Everytime Edward looked toward him he felt the heat of the burning mansion, the anger of his loss, and the immense pain of Als death. Conroy had slayed Al himself; Edward had to kill Conroy, no matter what it took or how angry he got. Holding in his emotions, controlling them and bottling them up for so long, all just wasted effort now.
Conroy: "That's just how the world works!, people take what they want no matter how much the person cares."
Edward {He's right. No matter how bad it sounds, if I don't I'll lose. I have to sink deeper, see nothing, want nothing, become nothing. Let the fire take me, be the animal the world wants me to be.}
Conroy slipped under Edwards legs, spinning and slashing at his heel before holding his arm out, screaming -
Conroy: "IGNUM!"
A quick ball of fire was shot out and erupted around Edwards body. But instead of getting thrown back, he roars with rage and leapt through the flame.
Edward: "DIE! DAMMIT DIE!"
He would smash his massive blade against the floor, shattering it before attempting to cleave through Conroy once again. Conroy couldn't help but flutter with joy, leaping up to stand on Edwards sword. Then, locking eyes, he thrust his blade toward Edward's skull. So Edward flung his blade upward, throwing Conroy against the ceiling. Conroy would launch himself down, focusing his mana around his blade.
Conroy: "IGEN!"
His blade would quickly ignite in low powered flame, clashing against Edwards towering dense sword. Edward would fling him down the hall with ease, lunging out without a second thought.
Conroy: "THIS IS MORE LIKE IT!"
While Conroy was living for the fight, Edward made the move to shift victory to his side. Edward released his mind from his body, giving up control to instinct. To the Warriors Spirit and his Helsing blood. Seeping deep into his want to fight, to his hatred toward the world and the many things within it. It makes the once-heavy sword become as light as a feather, and all the emotions flowing through his body turn into the want to win.
Conroy: "IGEN!"
Still Conroy would fight, flaring flame around his blade once again. He would then fling his sword forward, tossing out the slow moving weak blade of condensed fire. Edward would swing through it. Seeing Conroy ready. Conroy had sprinted right behind his attack, going for a quick thrust on Edward's open neck.
Edward {NOOOO!}
Screaming out with a rage, becoming nothing but his need to win, like some sort of animal Edward opens roared and it through Conroy blade, shattering the sword into pieces in an instant. This act of viciousness evokes an infinite fear in Conroy, as his death which seemed impossible was the only clear future he could see. The only thing he could think, feel, understand. Death was what Conroy was. It made him feel anger, anger toward himself especially. The only reason he had no corrupted ability was because he was waiting, waiting until he proved to himself he was strong without it. Now, he was going to die before ever reaching that height.
Conroy {At least it was to a Helsing, nobody would talk down to you for dying to a Helsing. They'd give you props for trying!}
Edward, enveloped in his rage, swings Bjørn rapidly throughout the hallway, carving through the walls like a hot knife through butter. Conroy pulls out an extra sword but all chances for his victory are instantly turned to zero; Edward builds up momentum bashes through his sword, slamming against Conroys face. Broken, bleeding, in shock and a daze, he looked up to the roaring beast. Edward Van Helsing in his purest form.
Edward: "IT'S OVER!"
Spinning, pulling his blade through the ground, wall, and sky, he slammed the blade down as hard as he could. It slammed against Conroys head, turning it into nothing more than a broken bursting balloon of blood. Huffing and puffing, coming back to his senses.
Edward: "It's over…"
Edward, after a few breaths, he dashes off. Instantly heading over to Rosemary and Soku.
Carla: "JUST DIE ALREADY! HOW ARE YOU THIS GOOD AT DODGING!?"
Rosemary pulls back her arm, pushing it into the fourth stage. Even with the distance small between the two, the wind pressure pushes Carla back. Meanwhile, Soku stands patiently, focusing and refining her mana into a sharp edge.
Rosemary: "GET BACK!"
Carla blocks once again, her blades cracking against the impressive power. The force coming off of her aura pushed and shattered the hall around them, slamming Carla back. As she tumbled down the hall, counseling toward Soku, Soku threw the wind blade at Carla. Carla tries to turn her body to block the blade, though it slices her arms, allowing Rosemary to leap into the air. Glowing a bright gold, she was all Carla could see, ignited into the fourth stage throughout her entire body.
Carla: "NOT LIKE THIS!"
Screaming out in a panic, bloody rage, she launched toward Rosemary to match her. Dodging her slash, Rosemary curved around her, landing right behind her. She would then slam against Carlas back, hitting her with a quick barrage of punches right after. The force would break Carla while her stages emitting pressure would heighten it even more.
Soku: "I GOT IT!"
Soku, having charged her blade the entire time, screamed as she threw it against Carlas back. She erupted with wind, her back carved and torn to pieces. Left nothing but a bleeding gash. Soku pulled back, repulsed by what she had just done. So Rosemary stepped up, stomping on the back of Carlas head with the last of her fourth stage's power. Doing it with a dead, calm, content look in her eye. Walking back over to Soku right after, holding her trembling body.
Soku: "Did we win?"
Rosemary: "Yes. You did great!"
Soku: "So did you! You went full throttle and you handled it!"
When Soku slapped Rosemary's shoulder with joy Rosemary screamed in pain, her body reaching its limits. However she was able to handle it, the true victor of this battle.
Rosemary: "I'm fine…how much mana do you have left?"
Soku: "Like half."
Sokus eyes instantly widened, screaming out -
Soku: " OPHELIA COME OUT!"
Ophelia leaves her hiding place, walking up to Rosemary and Soku. But right when they get a moment to rest, cloth bandages attack and grab onto the young girl. And so the attacker stood, with Ophelia up in the air.
Soku: "OPHELIA!"
Ophelia: "HELP! PLEASE!"
As Ophelia cried Rosemary turned her focus to the attacker. Soku went to slash at the magical, blackish purple glowing wrappings, but Rosemary put her hand out to stop her, not knowing what these wrappings could do to her dear sister.
Rosemary: "COME OUT! WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO WORK THIS OUT!"
A cloaked and bandaged woman walks out of a guest room, those same bandages holding up Ophelia leave her arms open. And on her arms, nothing but muscle, as it seems these bandages were her skin. And the wrappings pulled Ophelia in with a sudden grasping pull, holding her up by her throat.
Rosemary: "Please! Let her go! She's just a child!"
Anibis: "Yeah I know that. I have been sent to retrieve you all and bring you back to the ballroom. Kioshi is currently fighting all of the future pillars of justice, our dear Upper Pillars, our dear lords. And they're waiting for an audience, so for the sake of your friend come with me."
Rosemary: "And if we -
Leaping to her knees was Soku, surprising Rosemary and Ophelia.
Soku: "WE'LL GO!"
Anibys: "See, you came around."
Anibys couldn't help but laugh, coughing and wincing in pain. It let Ophelia bite through the bindings, screaming out.
Ophelia: "NO SOKU DON'T!"
Soku: "I'll do whatever I need to make sure you're safe, even if it means my life."
Suddenly what can only be described as a ball of destruction bursts through a wall behind Anibys. Anibys screamed and flinched with fear, reaching for her whip while sending out her bandages indiscriminately. However the screaming force of anger and power broke through it all, cleaving through the bandages with its massive fast moving sword, then swinging at Anibys, breaking her arm and collarbone with a mighty slam of its blade.
Soku: "EDWARD CALM DOWN!"
It was Edward, breathing heavily and backing off of the screaming Anibys. Soku held Ophelia while Rosemary held down Anibys, focused on the battle at hand.
Rosemary: "Ok anarchist, explain what you're doing here and we'll let you go."
Anibys: "I don't know…and even if I did I wouldn't tell you…you royal brat."
Ophelia runs to Rosemary, pulling her leg away. It snaps Rosemary out of it, holding Ophelia and letting Edward take charge. Holding his large blade against Anybys' chest. Rosemary stands guard looking for any other anarchist with Soku, yet they heard a familiar voice right after; Before any more communication could begin, Anibys' communicator beneath her cloak activated receiving a voice call
""If you are on the other end of this line there is a big chance you're a part of the Sect of Anarchy. And if you are, know, we're coming for you. And stop messin' with Gray Kyojin if you could, he's the Grim Reaper after all! And his friends too leave them alone please. Oh, and EVERYBODY ELSE! Okay bye bye!"
A cry is heard on the communicator before turning off, ending the message. His response almost got a laugh out of them, but the shock was too much. Leaving Rosemary especially shaking in shock, not knowing how to feel. Leaving all of their hearts sinking.
Rosemary: "Gray! No way, he just...what!? Why is he here!?"
Soku: "I thought that guy left."
Ophelia: "GRAY'S HERE! WHERE, WHERE?"
While they spoke out Anibys could only seep into horror, into hatred. Hearing the cries of pain in the background of the call.
Anibis: "JEREMIAHS HURT! IS HE DEAD!? IF MY BROTHER WAS SLAIN BY YOU! NO! THAT!THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE! YOU CAN'T TAKE THEM AND MY DEAR SIBLINGS HERE WITHOUT PAYING FOR IT FIRST!"
But Anibys couldn't stand up to fight with a Helsing in front of her. Fear held her down, a blade held her down, pain caused her to remain still, and death looked down upon her like it did for her siblings.
Edward: "You're taking the pain well, and now that we know Gray's here you guys got some pain coming."
Their heads snap behind then, spotting about twenty anarchists coming from the end of the hall.
Soku: "Shit! I can't beat those guys, not all at once at least."
Rosemary: "My body is damaged…but I can still fight. It shouldn't be impossible"
Yet before they could think Edward was consumed by rage, roaring and cleaving through them all. He dashed forward, guarding against the thrown daggers before roaring. His massive blade broke through them, pushed them back, overwhelmed them with fear, and turned them all into a bloody pile of bits. Forcing Soku to cover Ophelia's eyes and ears while Rosemary held down Anibis.
Soku: "No way! That guy's insane, killing guy after guy with no time to breathe."
Rosemary: "He really is a Helsing."
Anibys: "NO! DON'T KILL THEM! PLEASE!"
He finishes killing the Anarchists, leading Edward to hold his sword at the last one. However the anarchist fell, a tanto in its back. Edward stopped, confused, staring at the dark cloaked, white masked man. However the cloak was not an anarchist, with a crescent shaped charm instead of the Sects crest. Then his white mask, like the Sects, but with three small lines down where the mouth would be.
Edward: "Who are you!?"
He laughed, pulling off his hood and mask. Smiling.
Gray: "Can't tell it's me? That's mean!"
Everyone's eyes opened. Rosemary looked on, unable to believe it. Unable to accept it. Unable to get past the surge of sudden, strange emotions. But the others ran over to him, leaving her behind. They were reunited, they had made it past the Anarchists, but things were not the same. As Rosemary and Gray would have to have a good long talk before that.