Chapter Twenty-Nine: Destruction

Marachii, Luca, and Hikari kept pushing through the trees as Luca ate his bird. Hikari took one look at him and covered her mouth in disgust.

"Please...put that thing down."

"But I'm halfway done."

While they argued, Marachii saw an opening in the trees that revealed a glimpse of the Dwarf Kingdom in the distance, along with all the fighting.

"I think that's where we're supposed to go."

Hikari peeped between them as well. "There! Akari and General Fujii must be there! Come on guys, let's go find them!"

"Ehhh." Luca scratched his neck.

"It looks dangerous!" Marachii exclaimed. "Maybe it would be better to stay back?"

"What kind of soldiers ARE you two? Come on, guys!"

Hikari basically dragged them along as they squeezed between the trees on their way to the center. But then…

RUMBLE.

The ground shook beneath them, the trees seemed like they were going to be ripped out of the ground, and they saw the castle they were heading towards crumble like a cookie.

Luca narrowed his eyes. "That looks bad."

"Of course it does! Who…has that kind of power? General Fujii? Akari? A…dwarf?" Hikari began to shudder.

Meanwhile, back at the Dwarf Kingdom…

"What the…?!" Alarax watched as his castle crumbled down, dwarves running out of it to escape the wreckage. He angrily tried to break out once he saw this.

"Damn it! What have you monsters DONE?!?"

Fujii had to jump back to dodge the rubble coming from the destroyed castle. He sliced a large part of it that headed his way, sending it off course.

"Shit, this is bad! What do they have?" he thought to himself. Himeka, Morino, Nakada, Shinjii, and Toru all noticed it too, pausing their respective fights as rubble slid down the streets of the town like a landslide.

Everyone had to move to get to higher ground; even the rookies were shocked. Squad S-2 had abandoned the dwarves they were fighting and retreated.

"What is THAT?" Tetsuya asked as he hurried up to hop on a roof.

"I don't know! We have to stay off the ground!" Kazue stated, using a wall of candy to try and slow it down. Tsugumi tried to keep calm, but she clearly was nervous.

"General, your orders?" she asked, as she pulled her brother further up the rooftop. Himeka stared at the chaos, unable to move. Kanai had to shake her to snap her out of it.

"Himeka!"

"Oh, sorry! Stay away from all the rubble!"

Morino and Nakada both regrouped with their squads, getting them to the rooftops for safety.

Nishiyama clung to Morino. "Sir! I've never seen anything like that!"

"It'll be fine, just stay away from it!"

Atomu barely managed to escape the landslide, and Mashimo had to pull him up. "Be careful, Prince!"

"Thank you. I will."

While Obara and Kai followed Nakada and Oyakawa up to the roofs, Shinji slammed his axe down to repel the wreckage coming his way. "Anchor down, S-5! We DO not break!"

As Arata and Ken came to assist, Toru led Squad S-1 into a nearby house that acted as cover. "Stay in here, I have to check on Naito and her squad."

He left the building, looking around for Squad S-7, and he found them running from the carnage. He drew his Joustblade and used a powerful strike to clear a path, and then he called out: "Run! Get in the houses!"

As everyone got to safety, the rubble cleared, and there, standing in the rubble of the ruined castle, was:

"Haha! You were right, Takamoto, this is all fun!"

Tomoko weakly got up, slightly bleeding. "Haha! I know!"

Dachii looked around him, as many shocked eyes stared at him in a mix of confusion and fear.

"That boy…?!" Nishiyama thought to herself.

"When could he ever do THAT?" Tsugumi wondered.

"What the HELL?" Arata exclaimed, confused. "Where was all that before?"

Morino immediately could tell something was wrong. "Dachii! Oh no…!"

As Fujii contemplated the situation, Alarax used his remaining strength to break free.

"I'll KILL you, runt! What have you done to my home? My SISTER?"

Alarax retrieved his hammer from the ice and leaped down with a powerful crushing attack. Fujii immediately went after him.

"Dachii, get out of here!"

Dachii just stood there, mind seemingly distracted. Alarax swung his hammer and Dachii punched it so hard it BROKE.

"His Element! It's more dangerous than I thought!" Fujii realized to himself, while Alarax and Dachii both charged at each other.

"I knew you were just like them! What Power is that?"

Dachii smiled, getting into a low stance. "Come find out!"

They both rushed toward each other at the same time, getting in the air and throwing powerful haymakers that seemed to break the sound barrier. Alarax fell back to the ground first, as the dwarves rushed to his side. Nukuri ran over to him.

"Prince! Are you okay?"

"Get back, Nukuri! He doesn't have a normal Power!"

The force of the blows made it so Kenshi couldn't get near. Dachii landed on the ground, seemingly much slower than Alarax did.

Alarax stood up, pounding his fist into his hand. "You'll destroy for these traitorous bastards! I'll deal with you, you fake HUMAN!"

He and Alarax both rushed at each other again, striking blows as both landed back down. Alarax began to feel the weight of Dachii's punches, as Fujii arrived.

"I'll handle this! You and Tomoko just stay back!"

Tomoko laughed in response, but Dachii, ignoring Fujii, slowly moved closer to the battle. Alarax swung at Fujii again and again, out of control.

"You planned this, didn't you? This is YOUR FAULT!"

As Fujii delivered a slash attack to Alarax, Dachii put his hand up, preparing to unleash the same devastating power he did a moment ago. Alarax watched as he aimed at him, but…

"Wrong…enemy…"

A voice in his head spoke…

…and he switched his target and aimed at FUJII.

"Oh sh—-!"

As a force attempted to pull him in, Fujii had to create a massive ice wall to protect himself, which gave him enough time to get away before it sucked the entire thing up.

Tomoko giggled and grabbed Dachii's shoulder. "That's our friend!"

"Enemy…" the voice whispered.

Dachii continued to aim his arm at the retreating Fujii, as Alarax stared in confusion.

"What's happening…?" he wondered.

Tomoko shook Dachii again, saying: "Point it at the dwarf! Haha!"

Immediately, Dachii's eyes returned back to normal, and he tried to grab his arm. "Stop! STOP!"

He aimed it in the air, and it sucked in a crowd of birds flying. Alarax got away from the scene, but he heard a voice trapped beneath the rubble.

"Someone…help…!"

"Throme!"

Alarax instantly tore through the rubble to find his sister, bleeding and holding her arm. "Throme, are you okay?"

"Yeah…what happened…?"

"The kid with the Power! He's gone feral!"

"What?"

"No time, we gotta go!"

"Wait…we can't leave the others!"

Alarax looked back at the other dwarves, who were all equally as shocked and terrified. "You're right…stay here."

As he set her down, she coughed and got up. "No…! I'm coming too!"

"You can't! It's too dangerous!"

Meanwhile, the Voltians watched as Dachii struggled with his power, even biting his arm in an attempt to stop it. "Calm down! STOP!"

But it didn't work and yet again, everywhere he aimed his arm, the stuff around pulled towards it. Tomoko yet again tried to shake Dachii. "Point at the dwarves! Point at the dwarves! Haha!"

"Tomoko, get away! I can't…do…anything…!"

As Dachii's arm yet again flailed out of control, a blur sped in and grabbed Tomoko before he could be dragged into it.

"Sir!"

"Tomoko, you crazy kid!" Morino set him down near Squad S-3, as Nishiyama glared at him. Morino looked back at the carnage Dachii was causing, as even trees were beginning to be attracted to the arm.

"Damn it, this isn't good!"

Atomu approached him, also watching Dachii carefully. "Sir, is that a curse, like mine?"

"I…don't know. No one go near him!"

Fujii, having gotten far enough away now, caught his breath for a moment. "Okay, I'll need to handle this quick—-!"

His eyes widened when he saw Dachii, who sported the same dark look and eyes on his face, watching his every move.

And without a word, he reached out again and ACTIVATED HIS POWER.

"Wall!"

He stomped his foot into the ground, and from it came an even taller and thicker ice wall that managed to temporarily hold against the force of Dachii's power.

"Himeka! I'm gonna have to restrain him, but don't let the dwarves get away!"

She looked over at him. "I don't wanna be sucked up! I don't wanna!"

"Himeka! We've got to act!"

She reluctantly nodded in response, as Dachii watched the two come at him with a smile before lifting his hand again. Quickly, Fujii froze him up to his neck in a massive ice structure, while Himeka chased after Alarax and Throme.

"Sorry, Dachii! But we've got to get you under control!"

As the crazed Dachii struggled against the ice, Himeka reached Alarax, her Gigarang now at its full size. "Hey guys, can't let you run!"

"You stupid girl! We're not running!" Alarax tried to punch her but she evaded his attack, hitting him in the face with the Gigarang and knocking him over.

"Brother!" Throme picked up a rock and threw it at Himeka. "Get away, you hideous girl!"

"That's rude!" Himeka batted the rock off course as Nukuri jumped in to help, his blade clashing with her boomerang. "Prince! Princess! Go! I'll hold her!"

"No, Nukuri!" As Throme got up to help, Alarax was still on the ground, staring up into the sky.

"No…more…forms…out…of…power. Is…this…it?" he thought to himself, as a tear rolled down his cheek.

But then he saw Dachii, who was somehow turning against the Voltians, and he remembered something. A promise, someone had told him not too long ago.

5 weeks ago…

In an unknown location, a tall man in a robe and gloves, with his entire body unseen, sat down at a bar in the Dwarf Kingdom. Alarax walked in and sat down across from him, eyes wary.

"So, what do you want?" Alarax asked, eyes studying the man.

"Oh, nothing. I hear those self-righteous elves are planning an attack on you soon. I just hope you're ready."

"Of course I'm ready! They won't take my home, not AGAIN! I'll crush every single one of them I have to, I won't hesitate for a second!"

"Is that so? Are you sure you can crush them all with only that necklace of yours? They aren't any pushovers, especially their damned generals. S-1 will be your biggest problem, Kenshi Fujii."

Alarax growled under his breath. "Their champion. The man who murdered my mother in cold blood. A Queen who only wanted peace. He will feel the pain she did."

Alarax stood up. "My necklace will get the job done. It's from the Mistress herself!"

The man casually put his hands up, as if in mock surrender. "Okay, okay. If you insist." He then pulled out a bracelet. Not just any bracelet, but one that was seemingly made of shadow.

"If ever in need, wear this. Keep it stored in the deepest pocket you have. It CAN NOT fall into the wrong hands."

Alarax hesitated, before taking the bracelet and looking at it. The energy it seemed to emit was great, so great that Alarax felt an immense amount of strength just from holding it.

"What…what are you…?" But when he looked back at the man, he was gone, and only a note was left.

"Win this war. Put the monsters in their place."

Meanwhile, back in present day…

Alarax stood up, watching Nukuri try to fend off Himeka. He saw Throme running to help.

"No, Throme! The gift! I'll have to use the gift!"

She immediately stopped and looked back at him in horror. "Brother! It's untested and dangerous! Don't risk it!"

"I have to! Now that the boy has put them all in disarray, we can capitalize and beat them!"

Before she could protest further, Alarax destroyed his wooden armor and put on the bracelet, which immediately burned him and sent purple energy coursing through his veins. "ARGH!"

"Brother!"

"Prince!"

Fujii, Morino, Himeka, and the other generals shifted their attention to Alarax, who now had glowing purple eyes, shadowy armor, and a new and improved hammer, mixed with black and purple.

Fujii seemed to recognize the power. "No…"

Alarax jumped up, landing in the middle of the wreckage of the castle. He looked up at Dachii, who was still struggling to escape the ice.

"Thank you, boy. Truly," he stated as he clenched his fist.

Then, as he took in the chaos of the Kingdom before him, he steadied himself. "The boy must be kept alive…"

And he dropped his hammer to the ground, which unleashed an ominous aura.

"…AND EVERYONE ELSE MUST DIE!"

As he began to charge a powerful attack up, a MASSIVE BLAST of energy hit him from the side. "Wha—-?"

"Finally. I found you all."

Akari landed right in front of him, charged up with her Energy. She put one hand on her hip and motioned for Alarax to come at her.

"Try and kill me first. I've been dying to fight someone GOOD."

As she taunted him, he rushed at her, hammer at the ready. "DIE!"

—-