The Battle (Part 5)

Night One Hundred And Forty One

Age 1991

Irene felt a large frown cross onto her face as she stared at Shiki. "You're... Why are you here?"

Shiki simply let out a grunt and shrugged his shoulders. His legs and waist glowed as they shifted into his metal lion legs, and he motioned at her as if to tell her to get back up or something like that?

"You're gonna fight with me? Why?"

Once again he simply shrugged causing Irene to let out a sigh.

"Right... You're sort of mute aren't you... Damn... Oh well. Let's beat this girl." Irene nodded. The two of them turned to see Ghazel who had a slightly worried look on her face as she eyed them both.

Over with Rilla he had a large frown on his face. "This wasn't part of the plan-"

Santa's fist flew out slamming into the animal man's face smashing his head down into the stone floor. Santa stood over him now as he began to slam his axe down smashing the blunt edge into Rilla's face over and over again bashing it down. Rilla tried to get back to his feet and raised his arms up to try and block the strike but Santa just reached out with his other hand roughly grabbing Rilla by the lower jaw as he twisted his body and slammed him back into a nearby building as hard as he could.

He then jumped into the air and came spinning down as fast as he could with his massive battle axe ready to throw out the finishing blow.

Rilla let out a loud groan getting back up and ripping a massive stone pillar out of the ground holding it up above his head right as Santa came down. The axe slash easily split the stone pillar in half, and slammed the blade down into Rilla's head as hard as he could. His fur, and hair, was able to block the blade stopping it from splitting his skull open, but the force was still strong enough that it easily caused all of his teeth to shatter in his jaws.

Rilla roared in pain grabbing at his broken jaw as the blood and teeth shards spilled down from it, tears rolling down his eyes.

He let out a loud hiss of anger as he clawed out with his tiny claws slashing into Santa's shoulder and splitting it open. Blood rained down from his shoulder wound dripping down as the elderly man howled in pain. Rilla reached up grabbing the Christmas themed man by the beard and and yanking his head down as hard as he could slamming his knee into his face so hard Santa's broken nose was busted open even more.

Santa spat out a few globs of blood as he raised the axe up and slammed the butt of the axe down as hard as he could into the head of the man over and over until the man let go. Rilla stumbled back as Santa slammed the axe into the head of the man. Despite the blood running down his face and his bruised up beard, Santa still gave a large grin as he raised it up above his head.

"I'm ending this battle here and now." Santa announced. Rilla spat out more of his broken teeth as he glared back at the elder man. Santa's axe began to spin faster and faster as he raised it up. "Black Coal." He announced slamming it down as a massive block of coal, bigger than a truck exploded out of the end of his axe slamming into the animal man throwing him back with so much force the building he slammed into came crashing down around him. Rilla let out a loud pained groan as his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he collapsed unconscious. "Oh thank God..." Santa fell forward landing on his knees as he dropped the axe. "I'm totally done with fighting..."

Over with Irene and Shiki the two charged the fast moving girl. Ghazel jumped off of them flipping around and using her deer legs to kick into Irene pushing the blonde girl back and throwing herself high into the air.

Once in the air Ghazel spun around pulling out several jagged knives. She threw them all out at Shiki who raised his own metal leg up and blocked several of the knives. His toes opened up and caught one of the knives between them. He kicked out throwing the knife back at Ghazel but she dodged it as she fell rolling as soon as she landed. She kicked out with her strong leg, and Shiki did the same causing them to clash with a powerful kick. Shiki's tail whipped out at her but she ducked back as the tail whipped over her. She punched out slamming her fist into Shiki's face making him groan as he dropped back.

The wild beast that was Shiki's fighting spirit didn't know the meaning of 'give up' though as his tail managed to wrap around the girls leg. He raised the tail up and slammed her into the ground as hard as he could over and over again bashing her into the ground. Ghazel flailed around with her arms and managed to slash out with her knife slicing through his tail with her knife. As soon as she landed on the ground she charged forward tackling him to the ground and began to punch out with her fists slamming her hands into his head over and over again.

"Take this!"

Ghazel looked up and her eyes went wide just in time as Irene slammed a large block of ice into the woman's head throwing her back. Ghazel stumbled back and flipped herself over as she charged at Irene blood dripping down her head from her new head wound. She threw out a punch but Irene countered with a punch of her own, but due to the fact that she wore a gauntlet made out of ice her punch was far stronger than Ghazel's causing the animal girl to scream in pain as the bone in her hands shattered.

Ghazel roared in pain and stabbed out with her large horns using them to slash out at Irene and cut into the woman's shoulder. Irene let out a hiss and slammed her arms out knocking Ghazel off of her. She slammed her leg down firing out a massive ice pillar which slammed into Ghazel from down below and threw the woman up into the air. Ghazel spun around in the air and crashed back down into the ground. She groaned in pain as she tried to stand back up but wobbled slightly shaking her head.

"Face it..." Irene sighed still clutching her stomach wound. "You've lost..."

"I... I can't... You guys cheated..." Ghazel spat out. She let out a growl glaring at Irene. "If not for him I would have won..."

"Yeah... Maybe you would have." Irene nodded. "But he's here now. Don't go crying over spilled milk. Now get back up so I can kick your ass back down into the dirt."

Shiki got back to his feet as well wobbling slightly but he simply spat out a glob of blood. Him and Irene both nodded as they charged the injured girl. Shiki slashed out with his tail, and feet, throwing out powerful kicks, while Irene created large blocks of ice, that had thin ice needles coming out of them, almost like an ice hammer. It wasn't one of North's weapons, but it would get the job done. Shiki's feet clawed into Ghazel, while Irene's hammer shattered as she rammed it into the woman's head and snapped both her horns off.

Ghazel stumbled back once more still glaring at them. "Cheaters, cheaters, cheaters... You're dirty cheaters! You're cheating! I should have won! I would have-"

"Oh shut the hell up." Ghazel felt a force slam into the back of her head as she fell forward unconscious. Light stood holding his gun which he had bashed into her head. "We win."

Irene let out a small sigh as she dropped to her knees. "W... We should catch up with the others-"

"Nah."

The group all stopped and turned to see Santa who was now sitting down. He pulled out a flask of some kind and began to drink it allowing some of the liquid to spill down his chin. "We're all banged up... Besides this fighting has been going on for a while. I'm guessing it's nearing its end. Plus if lion legs over there, is here, I'm gonna assume the other two aren't to far behind... Hero, and Kitsune have back up, from an unlikely Squad..."

***

Meanwhile...

"Need some help Nine?"

"What?" Kitsune slowly opened his eyes and stared down at the awaiting hand of Max from Squad One...

"We're here to help." Max said rolling his eyes. Kitsune eyed him suspiciously for a second but slowly reached out grabbing the boys hand. "You can trust us."

"I'm not going to... And did you say us?"

"Oh yeah there are more of us." Max shrugged. "But it's not important right now... Let's take this sucker down." He announced turning to look back at the Bestia Macht. "We all drew straws to see who got stuck with who, and I lost so I'm stuck with you."

"Wow... Thanks..."

"Don't mention-"

The Bestia Macht roared firing forward as ice exploded off of it. Max gave a large smirk as he stomped down onto the ground sending out a wave of lava which rolled out and splashed into the beasts leg. It roared as its leg began to slowly melt and it was burned clean off. The lava swarmed Max's arms allowing him to throw out a powerful punch which he slammed into the beasts head. It crashed back flipping around as it glared at him only causing Max's smirk to grow. All the damage on the beast had steam pouring off of it as it healed.

"This thing has a fast regeneration huh..." Max noted nodding his head.

"Yeah it does..." Kitsune nodded. "It's a human Bestia Macht so taking its-"

"Yeah yeah, stab it through the heart." Max nodded. "These things have been popping up in Rose city as well. I know how to fight them."

Kitsune let out a small sigh but gave a small smirk. He fired forward flames pouring off of him as he slashed out with his katana sending out a powerful wave of flames which he slammed down into the beast. It roared but jumped through the flames even as its flesh began to melt off. It clawed out at him but was unable to lay a finger on him, as Max slammed his body into the beast. Due to him be a Caster Type he was immune to the icy virus, as he slammed a large blade of lava into the beast.

He couldn't stab its heart though as the beast spun its body around throwing it off of him. The beast slammed Max into the ground than spun slamming Max into Kitsune and throwing both boys back as they rolled across the ground. It opened its mouth firing out a massive beam of crackling energy right as Kitsune and Max both got back up. Max slammed his hands down creating a pillar of lava which blocked the strike just in time.

"Hey Nine... Get ready... We're nearing the end?"

"We are?"

"We are! Level Two!" The lava exploded out around Max covering in lava armor that looked like the suit of armor a knight would wear, but with a large wolf head for the helmet. The lava formed a large shield on his left arm and a large flaming great sword made out of molten metal in his other hand. He held the shield up blocking the beam as he charged forward pushing through the powerful beam as hard as he could as he got closer and closer to the beast. He stabbed out with his powerful sword as hard as he could but the beast, which was still firing a beam of red and black energy out of its mouth, raised its arms up catching the lava blade stopping him from running it through. Max smirked though when he saw the beast caught his blade. "Now... Finish him off Squad Six!"

The beasts eyes went wide as a blade stabbed through it from behind the beast. Kitsune stood behind the monster after running it through. It gasped and spat out blood as it cocked its head back to look at Kitsune.

"Y... You..." The Beast moaned out as its skin began to crack off. It gained more human like qualities showing, Servey who glared at Kitsune. "Y... You... You're..."

"You're done for." Max sneered. "Now burn away." His lava began to morph over the creature as it began to melt and dissolve. Max's sneer vanished as he closed his eyes and powered back down his lava armor slowly dripping down his body.

"D... Damn brats-" Servey cried out as he melted down to a puddle of nothingness...

Kitsune let out a sigh spinning his blade and quickly sheathing it. "We should keep going." He said. "We need to head to where Hero is."

"I don't think you can fight like that." Max chuckled reaching out and slapping Kitsune on the back causing the boy to trip and fall flat on his face.

"Ow..." Kitsune groaned.

Max slowly crouched down as he looked up at the large stone tower. "Let's just leave it to Hero, and Shelly. I'm going to put my trust in that they can win..."

***

Meanwhile...

"Hero look out!" Ken yelled.

Hero looked up just in time to see Automata dropping down, her blades ready to run him through and finish him off, with this next attack...

'This can't be- Wait what's what light?'

"Light-"

As Automata fell she suddenly turned her body avoiding a ball of pink flames that flew over her head and slammed into the wall...

"What the hell-"

"How many times am I gonna have to save you! You keep owing me!"

'Oh God it's Shelly... What did we do to deserve this Hero...'

"Shelly?" Ken asked hearing the voice of her... Whatever Shelly was to her.

"We came to save you Squad Six idiots." Shelly nodded. "Sit tight. I'll finish this soon." Shelly now stood on Hero's head as the snow haired boy let out a deep sigh and his eye twitched. "Why are you just sitting there!"

"Because some pink haired idiot is standing on my head!" Hero yelled.

"You calling me fat! You should be able to handle my weight!"

"My gravity has been screwed with..." Hero growled.

"Oh. Why didn't you say so." Shelly shrugged as she crouched down and pressed her hands into his side. They glowed pink for a moment as Hero's eyes went wide and he was back to his feet now fully healed, and light once more.

"You can do that! How?"

"You can't-"

"No, no, no!" Newt screamed stomping his feet. "This is cheating! Hero's supposed to battle my Vice Captain! Why is a recruit from Squad One here!" He yelled.

"Not just me." Shelly smirked giving the man a cool look as her pink flames began to pour off of her. "Max, and Shiki, are dealing with your other lame fights."

"That's... That's... You're cheating!"

"Someone's throwing a hissy fit." Hero noted. He cracked his neck and shoulder as he began to walk towards the Squad Nine Captain. "Yo Shell-Dog you handle the Vicy, I'm shutting this guy up here and now."

"Don't tell me what to do! Why don't you fight the Vice Captain?"

"She can increase gravity by touching people. She's the one who is keeping Ken like that. You're weird and can somehow break it or something so you deal with it. Besides she in your way from getting back to yelling at Ken."

Shelly fumed for a moment not liking that Hero was bossing her around. "Fine... I'll fight her, but only because you can't. You owe me three now though, just so you know." She turned seeing Automata who was now getting back up. "You owe me big time..."

"Yeah, yeah..." Hero walked away as he faced the Captain. "Now you..."

"We can talk about this right..." Newt asked letting out a small gulp.

"No. This fist is going to turn your face into your ass, and your ass into your face."

"That sounds like it'll hurt."

"God I hope so..."