The End to Madness
Chapter 9
The End to Madness
Alistor and his team continue to gaze at the Neon Prism. Bewildered and puzzled by its sight. They could only guess what purpose it served.
"Even I don't have any idea what it does. Come on; let us be on our way. They're waiting for us beyond that door." Maigashi pointed.
Reaching up the last stairs, the door slams open. Alistor, Katty, and Maigashi confront Auroa at the command chamber. Havok and Kabuki stare down in wait as the Wind Ruler greets them.
"Nice of you three to make it all the way here. You can pat yourselves on the back. Enjoying the nice view?"
"Enough talk. We came here to battle. No matter what happens. You're still our friend." Alistor said.
The Wind Ruler materializes an air scepter from the palm of his hands. Ready to engage in battle as Havok and Kabuki stand by.
"Let's see how strong you become. The first move is yours." Auroa pestered.
"It's been a long time. I've been waiting for this moment."
The three of them charged at Auroa. Alistor makes the first strike with his sword slipping through the Wind Ruler. Maigashi and Katty jump in to pin him from behind, but they were swept back from the force of the wind. Alistor went in for another swing but misses. Instead, he appears behind his Crown Blade, smacking him across the floors.
"A weapon of that complexity takes time, master. Remember back in the days?"
Alistor got back up, recalling Sairori's words.
"This is just like practice back in the days, and we're just getting started," Maigashi muttered.
He fires rounds of electrical arrows, but Auroa was unaffected. So Katty went in to fire his nova attack.
"Your lightning won't do much to me, and you know it. So I can control where I want it to land, and I choose you."
A high breeze builds in the room. The air around deflects all of Maigashi's attacks sending them flying back.
"Alistor! Are you all right?"
"I'm barely just fine, thanks." He responded sarcastically. "We need to channel fire somehow. Lightning isn't gonna do anything."
Auroa casts a blast of air, pushing the three back. The three held their ground, taking the hit as they went straight back at Auroa, ready with three charged attacks.
"Star Breaker!"
"Saw that coming." Auroa pestered.
The Wind Ruler blasts them away with exploding ice shards, knocking them all down.
"Man, you are pretty good. You've really gotten stronger." Katty admits.
"Couldn't say more. I'm impressed as well." Alistor added.
Auroa backs away, giving them the chance to get back up. They could only wonder what he had in store.
"What are you up to now?" Maigashi wondered.
"If you were to defeat me, Sarah won't be pleased. I am her true target after all." Auroa reminded.
Auroa slipped a smile.
"So you're aware of the promise," Katty noted.
"Yes! Instead, I'd like you to fight this monster. So come on out, Mirror Knight."
Dropping down from above, the three dodged out of harm's way. An obscure monster composed of nothing but glass and marble stands before them. Drawing out a crescent blade, it begins swinging down at them—a stream of energy bursts at them from the attack's impact.
"My final gift to you, my friends. Now I must go."
The Wind Ruler takes his leave from the fortress with Havok and Kabuki following. Katty tried to chase after them, but Mirror Knight blocks the path. The monster swings at them again, but Maigashi blocks it.
"Let's take this thing out as quick as possible. No time to waste."
Back down from Capital City, things were taking their toll. The castle gates get breached by Spades and Diamonds army as destruction commenced all around. Walls fell, city buildings under fire as spider tanks and gear ships ravaged the scene, paving the way to the palace. The kingdom was on the edge of defeat.
"The throne is ours!!!" Spade laughed.
Spades and Diamonds cut through the royal army.
Returning to Sarah's team, the Drillbit titan continues to shake things up. The giant slowly swings its hammer down at them. General Hearts and Clubs continue to laugh away.
"It's over! You may as well surrender now." Hearts pestered.
The party came out from hiding.
"What are we doing? Are we gonna let this big thing stop us?" Sarah said. "I about had it with them."
The rest nodded to her.
"For generals, you guys sure are cowards. Hiding behind a big wall to do all your dirty work." Mira pestered.
"What you say? Cowards! We'll show you! Drillbit! It's time to shut these fools up. Deliver the final swing." Clubs snapped.
"FULL POWER!!!"
The drill titan slowly begins to lift its megaton hammer in the air. Sarah and the rest about had it with them. As the hammer swings down, Winoa stops it with a binding force from her wind magic. Drillbit was unable to move its arm.
"What's going on? Attack!" Hearts ordered.
Sarah went in to disarm the titan, lashing out her fire in midair. The heavy hammer falls onto a row of incoming spider tanks, destroying them. Mira and Claws shot away at the giant. Chunks from metal plates to cheap aluminum chips off from the body. Things were shaking for the generals sitting above.
"Whoah! Hey, stop it! We're gonna lose balance." Clubs muttered.
"This thing is not even durable." Winoa snickered.
"Some quality! It's falling completely apart." Claws pointed.
Inside the giant, they could see a team of Vortex soldiers controlling the mechanism as they panicked, trying to stabilize it. Within moments a gush of water and red lightning pierce through the giant, ripping it apart. Hearts and Clubs fall over as Drillbit collapsed into nothing but a pile of scrap.
"Woo hoo hoo hoo!"
"This can't be happening." Clubs cried.
Both generals got back up, surrounded by the party in sudden embarrassment. Zolhalla arrives at the scene, reinforcing the remaining lines with their units.
Their heads dropped down, feeling hopeless. They both got back up to stand against the surrounding numbers of reinforcements but suddenly bolt off in the other direction.
"And don't come back!" Winoa yelled.
"Their army may be massive, but their commanders are horrible," Mira said.
"At least the tide of battle can begin to change." Claws said.
Meanwhile, back at the castle, things worsen up. General Spades and Diamonds completely breach the throne room, tearing everything apart.
Back with team one… Mirror Knight swings its crescent blade at them once more. Maigashi comes up with a plan to take the monster out. Katty and Alistor follow along.
"Position it right there! I got a lock."
Maigashi unleashes a quaking thunder from his fist, collapsing the floor below. Mirror Knight was now trapped.
"Now, end this!"
Alistor rushes in with his final attack.
"Silver Shrapnel!!!"
His attack impacts Mirror Knight forcing it to crash through many floors below. A loud explosion commenced. The battle was over.
"So what now?" Katty wondered.
"No use hanging here. It's time we confront Auroa below. See how his battle with Sarah plays out." Maigashi suggested.
Alistor and the team made their way out. The Neon Prism comes to Katty's mind as he turned to look back. Maigashi pulls him away.
"Come on! We have to get out. No time for stops."
"But, but, the prism."
Stumbling for the moment, he came to his senses. Down through the teetering stairs, they find their way back to the ship's bunker.
Alistor and the rest board the ship quickly. Finally, they escape from the Crystal Fortress.
Back from the throne room, General Hearts and Clubs arrives, crawling back to Spades. A pile of defeated soldiers lies across the feet of the stairs.
"What? What do you mean you already lost half the fleet?" Diamond pounded.
The general sliced the throne in half after hearing the unexpected news. The lesser generals continue rambling on.
"We're sorry…We didn't expect those kids to advance this quickly." Clubs said.
"We got word Auroa will be arriving down any minute. From what I hear, they're not pleased with what we did. Especially Havok!" Hearts cried.
"Auroa's coming down? This changes everything then." Spades muttered."
"So, what's your call?" Diamond asked.
General Spades took a look at the scene outside. A trail of destruction was left from their doings.
"We fall back…."
"You mean to abandon our army?" Clubs muttered.
"From this day forth, we are no longer part of the Crystal Vortex. Mr. Rare's problems are no longer ours. I have no time for quarrels with Havok. Let them clean this mess up."
The generals take one final glance at the windows. The last fleet from the Vortex army was within the distant sight. A cold chilling air picks up. High power from the winds starts to build from a distance.
"I can feel the Wind Ruler's energy. That's our cue to leave." Hearts muttered.
"We'll be back one day. You fools wait."
General Spades takes his leave, not looking back. Four lights teleport out from the scene as Sarah, and the rest of the team closes in at the gates. Alistor and Katty jump out from the ship while Maigashi parks by what was left of the castle gates.
From high above, Auroa watched the Card General's retreat away.
"Good riddance to them." Kabuki pestered.
"It's time to get the show on the road. Havok? Kabuki? You both ready?"
The both of them nodded. Within seconds a hurricane sweeps down on the city. Then, from a tornado, Auroa appears at the top of the castle for a final confrontation.
As the rest of the team heads to face the remaining fleet, Sarah stands off with the Wind Ruler.
"Don't celebrate just yet. I've been waiting for this moment. So please give me a good fight. It all ends right here." Sarah pestered.
"I've been waiting for this moment too. So now give me all you got."
"You can count on it."