Chapter 18: OBLIVION'S AWAKENING.

Out in the stranded lands away from the battlegrounds was Chris Deratea. Candy Cat was awaiting Chris to make his appearance visible to her, she stood in the dusty wind of the wastelands when she spotted him in the distance. She then summoned her Ruger SP101 fully loaded, and shouted out to him, "Hey kid! Over here! Your fresh fright is right here!" Chris approaches her and is pulled into a feeling of irritant due to the sound of her loud, obnoxious, and country accent. He parks his footing and stares down the western gunslinger, his expectation level decreased at seeing her as his opponent. Chris had high anticipation for someone of stronger power rather than someone who had no challenge, Candy Cat asks and calls him out saying, "What exactly brings you out here, you manipulator?" Chris chuckles slightly at her comment, he then replies to her, "What do you mean by manipulator? Whatever, it doesn't really matter to me. As far as I'm concerned, I'm only here for one reason alone, so what are you waiting for grandma, come and fight me you old hag." Candy Cat only then laughs at his insult and is filled with pure amusement. She speaks to him and continues chortling, "Kid, no one hasn't called me something so hurtful in years, typically when someone insults me, I usually brush it off like it ain't nothing. However, they usually don't speak to me when I get a hold of them afterward." Chris laughs at her response and can't find the air to cover his extreme laughter, he replies with evil remarks," I've seen many old hags in my life who'd hit harder than your weakling self. Moreover, I think it's time for you to finally change out your dentures, I can smell your nasty breathe all the way over here."

 She slowly made her way over to him as he continued his cold remarks and his nonsense, she aimed her Ruger SP101 straight at his forehead. Chris stared at her as she threatened his life, she then said to him, "Tell you what, kid. I'd like to know why it is you are not where you ought to be, you should be on the battlegrounds fighting me in the spring water area. Either you tell me what it is you're doing out here, or I'll simply shut you down and release you out of the knights. This isn't any place for someone who has the intentions of playing games. You should be aware of this." Chris then interrupts her and shouts loudly, "Do You Ever Shut Up! I don't need your stupid little pep talk here, I'm not here to tend to you, you old loud and annoying hag!" Immediately, Candy shoots off her bullet to his forehead, Chris wounded, had his head flicked back hard. However, he looked forward again with disappointment and insulted her, "This is the mighty power of you elden knights, paintballs? This has to be a joke." Candy replied to him, "This is the exams, smart one. We can't use real lethal force; otherwise it would call for disqualification. I can't kill a young new knight, not that you'll even make it to become one, that is." Chris, filled with humiliation, summons his weapon and speaks to her aggressively, "Well then, I guess there's no need for me to hold back then.

 If I'm not going to make it into the knights, not that it would've mattered to me anyway." Chris then charges forward ready to wage war against the western gunslinger, he launches many powerful sword slashes and many strikes, she dodges all easily without error. Candy jumps back far, shooting off numberless shots at Chris, aiming for his head, feet, hands, and body. Most of her shots went pass him, and only rage and anger filled inside of him as she continuously pressed against him. Candy then took out her nerfed dynamite, and tossed it over to him as he wasn't aware of it, she then detonated it, filling the area with smoke and rocks flying everywhere. Candy remained aerial above the smoke and ashes, with confidence that the job had been finished, she gave herself a pat on the back. Then suddenly, Chris jumped straight out of the smoke with his left hand charging a dark energy beam, she quickly summons an 1873 Rifle aiming straight for him as his charge continues to proceed. She fires off three shots, but unsuccessful, Chris finishes his beam charge and ruthlessly fires it off. The dark beam fires off at speeds almost compared to Darcie. Candy moves her head, just nearly being chipped on her neck from the malice dark energy. Candy then cast more of her dynamite out, which was a total of three at once. 

Her aim to ignite the bombs was quick and swiftly as she fires off three bullets piercing the explosives, times three of the explosions filled the skies. Candy then descends downward to the arena with the rush of excitement she hasn't felt in decades of her service. Out of nowhere, a beam is blasted from behind in the distance, she dodges the beam barely once more and spots Chris charging at her again. He shoots his shot even quicker, but misses her a third time. Candy then summons her Ruger SP101, as Chris's head is touching the front sight of her revolver. He pauses and chuckles quietly as his head remains stilled, as at any moment could be the end of him. He provokes her to take a shot at him, saying, "Go ahead, I hope you pull the trigger, cowgirl. It's okay to admit it, I know how you truly feel." Candy then has feelings of rage dwindling up inside her as he continued to speak against her. Chris then proceeds," I know you fear that your age will get in the way of your success. You also don't like being pushed to the side by Emerald. You can't stand it when someone calls you out, old Miss. Betsy. Just admit it already, you'll always remain as the lowest ranking among all the knights, even the new knights. You don't know how to even make your own decisions in battle, don't you? Now, give me one reason why I should fear someone who can't pull her weight or think for herself." 

Immediately after he finished his speech, Candy slid her finger back on the trigger of her Ruger and pulled a real bullet out. Chris's brain flew out from his head as well as blood spilling everywhere, she watched him fall down in death. She then spoke to him, "Well kid, I am grateful for your words there. I very much needed that encouragement. Now, I know you're not dead yet, I know you're around here somewhere. Show Yourself, big boy!" The dead body in front of her begins to disseminate into dark ashes, and then the sound of his voice could be heard in the distance, saying to her, "Finally, I knew you had it within you. Now, where were we?" Chris and Candy then charge forward in an all out clash royal, their fight was distant from the battlegrounds and was unknown to the audience, as well as the rest of the elden knights. Their destructive and explosive battle raged on.