Chapter 62-Noah+Gaia vs Wood, Part Two

"Wood Charge, Level Two: Explosive Roots!"  Wood shouts as he snaps his fingers again, and just like before, hundreds of his tree roots decorating the walls and ceiling of the cave begin flying towards Gaia and I.

"Water Charge, Level Two: Rapids Claw!"  I shout as water begins swirling around my hand, which I then slash towards the tree roots.

"Earth Charge, Level Two: Stone Fists!"  Gaia shouts as he swipes his wand outwards, and subsequently, jagged pillars of rock begin to rise out of the ground around Gaia, their ends taking the form of fists, which fly towards the tree roots.

But this time, unlike before, mine and Gaia's attacks fail to break through the tree roots, which then continue flying towards us like arrows.

"Crap!"  I yelp.

"So Wood was just testing us before," Gaia grumbles.

I flinch, and bring my arms up to block.

Wood's tree roots continue flying towards Gaia and I, but before we're pierced by the attack, Gaia resumes his Charge Stance and shouts: "Earth Charge, Level Three: Rock Shield!"

Gaia swipes his wands downwards, and jagged stone pillars rise out of the ground around Gaia and I, shielding the two of us from Wood's attack.

"H-huh…?"  I ask as I lower my arms, and I see that standing before me, is a pillar of rock which has Wood's tree roots piercing through it, tree roots that AREN'T piercing me.

"Th-thanks," I say as I turn to face Gaia.

"Don't mention it," Gaia grunts, "You're more useful alive than DEAD."

"Sure," I grumble as I roll my eyes.

Wood resumes his Charge Stance.

"Wood Charge, Level One: Tree Summoning!"  Wood shouts as the ground underneath mine and Gaia's feet begin to rumble then split again, and through the split earth, grows a small tree underneath both of us.  Gaia and I jump backwards in order to dodge, but thick green vines fly out of the tree and wrap around Gaia and I, binding our arms to our sides, and lifting the two of us high into the air.

"Dammit…" Gaia grunts as the two of us struggle and flail against the vines, but are powerless to break free.

"Not much you can do without your Charge Stances, eh?"  Wood smirks.

"Are you crazy?"  Gaia smirks back, "We're THE-Chargers of two of the original elements!  Just watch us."

"WATER CHARGER!"

"RIGHT!"

Gaia tenses up his body and grunts, and I do the same.  Orange sparks of energy begin to burst and swirl around Gaia's entire body, as seafoam-green sparks of energy swirl around mine, but…nothing happens.

Mine and Gaia's eyes widen.

Wood raises an eyebrow at Gaia and I.

"Was…something supposed to happen…?"  Wood asks.

"E-Chargers are able to break free from entrapment spells by E-Charging, but…I can't break free!"  Gaia exclaims, "And if I can't then I KNOW you can't either!"

"D-does this mean…that Wood is STRONGER than us?!"  I cry.

"So it seems!"  Wood cackles as he resumes his Charge Stance.

"Earth Charge…Level Two…Stone Fists…" Gaia grunts, and a small, weak pillar of rock begins to rise out of the ground, but before it can make its way over to Gaia and I, it crumbles, and falls back to the earth.

"SHIT…" Gaia pants as he tenses his body.

"Water Charger…can you whip up a spell to get us out of here?"  Gaia grunts.

"If you can't, I can't…" I sigh, as water begins to swirl around my body and splash the vines binding Gaia and I, "I'm unable to generate enough force to slash through these vines!"

"Wood Charge, Level Two: Explosive Roots!"  Wood shouts as his tree roots begin flying towards Gaia and I, who -powerless to defend without our Charge Stances- are forced to take Wood's spell.

Gaia and I howl in pain as we're pierced by Wood's tree roots, blood exploding from our bodies.

Wood's vines then unwrap around Gaia and I, allowing for the two of us to fall to the ground in heaps of blood.

"It looks like I lied," Wood smokers, "You two were about as easy to kill as I thought."

"Water Charger…?"  Gaia grunts as he weakly lifts his face off of the floor, "You still good to go…?"

"Are ya' kidding…?"  I weakly smirk as I do the same, "I could't call myself the leader of Team Noah if I wasn't…!"

"Oh…?"  Wood smirks as he resumes his Charge Stance, "I spoke too soon."

Slowly, Gaia and I begin to push our bloody bodies off of the floor.

"Wood Charge, Level Two: Explosive Roots!"  Wood shouts as his tree roots fly towards Gaia and I, and pierce us, just like before.

But ignoring the pain echoing across our bodies, Gaia and I stand up at last!  Panting, as we stand across from Wood.

"WHAT?!"  Wood cries, "How can you still stand?!"

"We need to combine our strength in order to defeat Wood," I pant.

"How?"  Gaia asks as he rips a tree root out of his chest.

"Follow my lead," I pant as I resumes my Charge Stance.

"Water Charge, Level Four: Whirlpool!"  I shout as water begins swirling around my entire body.

I then thrust my hand towards the ground, sending the water swirling around my body spinning out words, and flooding the cavern.

"I see," Gaia smirks as he resumes his Charge Stance.

"Earth Charge, Level Three…" Gaia begins to say as he collapses his weight and stabs the ground with his wooden spoon-like-wand, piercing the earth, "-EARTHQUAKE!"

The entire ground begins to tremble and rumble, as rocks begin collapsing from the cavern ceiling.

"Shit!"  Wood cries as he dodges a falling boulder.

"If an earthquake occurs under water…" Gaia begins to say.

"You get…" I will continue.

"DISASTER CHARGE, LEVEL ONE: TSUNAMI!"  Gaia and I roar in unison.

Gaia's underwater earthquake causes my whirlpool to intensify then kick up, and soon, a GIANT tsunami wave begins to rise out of the water before wood.

"W-Wood Charge-!"  Wood disperses stammers as he resumes his Charge Stance.

"-LEVEL THREE: PETRIFICATION!"  Wood roars as he thrusts a hand towards mine and Gaia's tsunami, firing off a powerful and thick trunk of wood from his palm.

Wood's spell blasts into mine and Gaia's tsunami, sending water sapling everywhere, and shattering the three roots which wood sent flying towards Gaia and I, as well.

Our two spells struggle for dominance, taking turns as to who's pushing who back.

I roar.

Gaia roars.

Wood roars.

"I can't…let this all end here…" Wood begins to say, "NOT WHEN I'M SO CLOSE TO SEEING MY PARENTS AGAIN!  GIVE ME THE FRUIT, GOD DAMMIT!"

Wood lets out a savage, desperate cry, as mine and Gaia's roars intensify.

And then, in one final push, mine and Gaia's tsunami pushes past Wood's spell, then blasts into Wood at last, sending me flying backwards, and smashing straight through the wall behind him.  Giant boulders then begin to fall from the ceiling again.

"Ohh…" Wood groans as he sits up and rubs his head.

My eyes widen.  "He's going to get smushed!"

"Who cares," Gaia grunts.

"L-LOOK OUT!"  I cry as I point towards the boulders falling over my head.

Wood screams as he peers up towards the assuming landslide, and bark-brown sparks of energy begin to burst and swirl around Wood's body, but before Wood can do anything, the boulders collapse upon Wood at last, silencing his screams.