Case #6-The Supernatural Tournament, Part 6
The sky begins to rumble as the earth begins to tremble. I look to the air, where I see the sky turn gray as storm clouds roll in. Lighting flashes through the air, the wind howls, and thunder roars. Loki's small body begins to twist and convulse rapidly, flailing about before falling off of his floating pillow and limply flopping to the ground.
"Is it…dead…?" I ask.
"There's no way…" Agent Sniper answers.
A creepy black and purple mist begins to ooze out from the pores of Loki's body, and Loki lets out a hideous scream. Though this time, the scream doesn't come from within our heads from Loki's telepathy, the scream comes from Loki itself. Loki then begins to grow larger and larger. As it expands, Loki's body becomes bloated and wrinkled, and covered in fat rolls. Loki continues growing until it stands at thousands of feet long and hundreds of feet tall. Loki looks like…a bloated, wrinkled, gray worm monster covered in fat rolls with a large mouth filled with rows and roof of jagged teeth and a singular circular eye on the front of its body, marking out its face.
The rest of the Consumers drop to one knee and begin chanting.
"All hail Loki the Consumer."
"All hail Loki the Consumer."
"All hail Loki the Consumer."
"All hail the strongest Consumer!"
Loki then lets out a hideous screech so loud and so powerful that it sends all of us flying backwards.
"Waaah!" We cry.
Four long, pitch-dork ended green tongues then fly out of Loki's mouth. Some of us jump out of the side to dodge, but some of us aren't as lucky. Cancer, Libra, Beelzebub, and Moloch are wrapped up in Loki's tongue.
"Oh, ew!" Libra groans.
"H-help!" Cancer cries as she struggles to break free.
"HEre we go, Moloch!" Beelzebub nervously shouts over the howling wind.
"Right!" Moloch replies.
Loki then retracts his four tongues into his mouth, dragging Cancer, Libra, Beelzebub, and Moloch into it, before chomping its mighty jaws down. That same black and purple gas begins leaking out of Loki's pores as its body grows even larger.
"D-did Loki eat them?!" Raiden cries.
"Shit, this isn't good!" Circe cries as well.
Loki lets out a howl as he shoots multiple tongues outwards again latching onto the Consumers around him and dragging them into his mouth, before swallowing for good. Just as before, Loki grows larger upon seeing them.
"So as he eats more creatures, Loki grows larger?" Koga asks.
"Damn, we need to make sure Loki doesn't eat anything else," Crimson replies.
Loki lets out a roar before spinning around in a circle, using his mighty tail as a wrecking ball. Loki's tall is too large to dodge, and everyone howls in pain as Loki slams into us, before sending us flying backwards and landing on the ground with an oof!
"Dammit…" I grunt as I struggle to push myself off of the ground.
"Z-Zach!" A voice cries, and I turn around to where I heard the voice, seeing Sapphire lead Emerald and Bronze as they carry Evelyn away. "Help!"
My eyes widen. "EVELYN!" I launch myself towards the Devils.
"WHAT DO YOU WANT WITH EVELYN?!" Crimson cries as she charges her sisters as well.
"UNHAND HER!" Koga orders.
"LET HER GO!" Circe shouts.
"EVELYN, WE'RE COMING!" Raiden cries.
The entirety of Team Reaper's Paranormal charges towards Sapphire, Bronze, and Emerald, but Ezra leaps in the way and fires off a volley of Soul Energy arrows at us, keeping us at bay.
"EZRA!" I roar. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"
"MY GOAL WAS NEVER THE SUPERNATURAL TOURNAMENT, ZACH!" Ezra cackles as he knocks back another arrow. "WITH SATAN BY MY SIDE…I SHALL SLAUGHTER EVERY REAPER LEFT IN THE WORLD!"
"EZRAAAAAA!!!!!!" I roar.
"ZAAAAAACH!!!!!!" Ezra roars back.
I draw my sickle-sword as I lunge towards Ezra, but before I can slash him with my sickle-sword, a volley of plasma bullets flies through the air towards erza, forcing the Reaper to leap back. "Sniper!" I cry.
"Reaper, go save your friends!" Sniper orders as Kardos, Hexley, Smith, and Gaumond step up behind him. "We'll take care of Saggittarius!"
My eyes widen. "Thank you!" I reply, before charging towards Sapphire, Bronze, and Emerald again, and my friends follow.
"SOUL HUNTER!"
"HELLFIRE SCREAM!"
"FULMINIS URE!"
"POISON CURSE MAGIC!"
AREKURUU SHURIKEN!"
Team Reaper's Paranormal lets out a roar as we launch our attacks towards Sapphire and her two sisters, but before our attacks can land, a flaming hole opens up underneath the feet of the three Devils. "Help!" Evelyn cries as she flails desperately against Bronze and Emerald's grasp.
"That's a portal to hell!" Crimson cries. "We need to rab Evelyn before she's dragged into it!" Hundreds of scaly black hands then reach out of the wormhole, latching onto Sapphire, Evelyn, Bronze, and Emerald, dragging them down into Hell.
"See ya' later, Crimson!" Sapphire cackles.
"ZACH!!!!!" Evelyn cries as she disappears into the wormhole.
"EVELYN!!!!" I cry as I drop my sickle-sword and throw my body forwards, reaching a hand to Evelyn. Evelyn flails about until one of her hands manages to break free. Evelyn's eyes light up as she reaches out to my hand, as she's dragged even further down into Hell. But then…before our hands can touch…the wormhole closes.
And Evelyn disappears into Hell.
A land onto ground where the portal just was on my stomach.
"Evelyn…" Raiden whimpers.
"What…just happened…?" Circe asks.
"Is Evelyn…gone…?" Koga asks.
"What has my father done…?" Crimson gasps.
My eyes widen and my entire body begins to tremble as I stare down at the wormhole.
My mouth opens…but nothing comes out.
My eyes begin to water, but no tears fall.
And then…I scream. I scream and I scream and I scream.
I don't even say anything particular. I just make noise.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
"EVELYN!" I roar as I raise a fist up and slam it into the ground. "EVELYN!" I cry as I slam my fist into the ground again, not even cracking the floor.
"EVELYN!" Thud
"EVELYN!" Thud
"EVELYN!" Thud
I continue slamming fist again and again into the ground, until Crimson latches onto me. "ZACH, STOP IT!" She orders. "YOU CAN'T BREAK THROUGH THE EARTH TO GET TO HELL, YOU'RE ONLY HURTING YOURSELF!" Raiden, Circe, and Koga then latch onto me as well, but I throw them off and continue pounding my fist into the ground.
"EVELYN!"
"EVELYN!"
"ZACH!" Crimson then snaps, causing me to pause. "NOT FREAK OUT, WE CAN STILL SAVE EVELYN!"
Slowly, I turn to face Crimson. "THEN SHOW ME!" I roar. "AND IF YOU CAN'T, I'LL PUNCH THE GROUND UNTIL MY FIST BREAKS!" In response, Crimson punches me in the face, sending me flying backwards. "IS THAT ALL YOU GOT?!" I roar as I sit up.
"THINK RATIONALLY," Crimson snaps again, and senses returns to my glossed- over eyes. "Evelyn has been taken to Hell! And if my father wanted her dead, he would have killed here on Earth! Evelyn…is still alive! We can save her later, but for now…we need to focus on the threat in front of us!"
I let out a sigh. "I'm sorry, guys," I say as I stand back up. "But I'm alright now."
"Good," Crimson replies as she turns to face Loki. "Now then…what should we do?"
"Hey, Reaper!" A voice says, and I look to my side, where I see Yamata and Mikoto approach us.
"Yamato? Mikoto?" I ask. "What are you guys doing?"
"Sagitarrius…has lied to us…" Mikoto answers. "He never cared about our wishes, he only cared about his own goals. He only used us to further his own path, and now…we've been deserted."
"So let's team up!" Yamata adds. "This Loki guy seems a little strong for just you guys alone!"
"Don't leave us out!" A voice says, and I look to my other side, where I see Hexley, Smith, and Gaumond standing there. "We'll help you too!"
"Alrighty then," I say as I smirk spreads across my face. I grab my sickle-sword before taking a step forwards and aiming its blade at Loki.
"Team Reaper's Paranormal…" I begin to say. "IT'S REPPIN' TIME!"
"RIGHT!"
***
Just a moment ago…
"You guys go stop Loki," Sniper orders. "I'll take care of sagittarius."
"You're not the Team Captain, I am!" Hexley snaps. "And I say that you can't defeat Sagittarius alone."
"That's why I'll help him!" Kardos says as she takes a step forwards and draws her plasma sword.
Hexley sighs. "Alrighty then," he says, before turning around to Smith and Gaumond. "Smith! Gaumond! Let's go stop Loki!"
"Right!" Smith and Gaumond reply, and the three Supernatural Investigators take off towards Reaper's Paranormal's group.
***
"Plasma sword…awaken!" Kardos shouts as she awakens her plasma sword, then charges Ezra. "Plasma Sword Decapitation!" Kardos shouts as she swings her sickle-sword down towards Ezra. In response, Ezra brings his bow up to block, and the two blades clash.
"A two on one, eh?" Ezra smirks from behind his blade. "You're feeling confident today!" Kardos growls as she struggles from behind her blade.
"Six Shooters!" Sniper shouts as he aims his revolvers at Ezra and fires off another volley of plasma bullets towards him, causing Ezra to leap backwards in order to dodge.
"We're this late into the game and you're still using those bullets?" Ezra smirks. "Come on! Show me that eye!"
"You asked for it…" Sniper growls as he reaches up and pulls off his eyepatch, revealing his Garuda's Eye.
Sniper then reholsters his revolvers then brings his palms together, cheering up a sphere of dark green magic between them. "Bluffed Bullet Volley!" Sniper shouts as he thrusts both hands forwards, firing a volley of magic bullets towards Ezra.
"Ezra Reaper's Arrow!" Extra shouts as he leaps backwards and knocks back multiple Soul Energy arrows, which he then fires, sending them flying towards Sniper, and canceling his attack out.
But then, while Ezra is distracted, Kardos charges. "Plasma Sword Decapitation!" Kardos shouts as she swings her awakened plasma sword down towards Ezra, which just narrowly leaps backwards in order to dodge.
With a roar, Kardos then swings her plasma sword towards Ezra, but again he uses one of his bow's bladed limbs to counter. "Zion Reaper's Katana!" Ezra shouts as the bladed limb of his bow begins to glow purple and extend outwards, forming a katana blade, which he uses to clash against Kardos' blade. "I want that eye, Sniper!" Ezra roars as he peers past Kardos towards Agent Sniper. "And no one can stop me from getting my hands on it!"
"YOU'LL NEVER GET YOUR HANDS ON MY EYE, REAPER!" Sniper roars.
***
Loki lets out a mighty scream, causing Crimson, Raiden, Circe, Koga, Yamata, Mikoto, Hexley, Smith, Gaumond, and myself to stumble backwards a bit.
"Let's go, guys!" I shout, then charge Loki.
"Right!" Everyone replies, then charges after me. Loki opens its mouth and lets out a roar, sending dozens of tongues flying towards us.
"SOUL HUNTER!"
"HELLFIRE MACE!"
"AREKURUU SHURIKEN!"
"PREDETERMINED CUTTER!"
"PLASMA SHIELD!"
Using our melee attacks, Crimson, Koga, Mikoto, Gaumond, and myself, strike and repel Loki's multiple tongues, who howls in pain, causing all of his tongues to retract back into Loki's mouth. "Everyone, attack its eye!" Hexley orders as he aims a finger gun towards Loki's eye. "That's probably its weak point! Infinite Jolt!"
"RIGHT!" Everyone replies.
""FULMINIS URE!"
"POISON CURSE MAGIC!"
"MONO DRAGONS: SERPENT'S WRATH!"
"CARPET BOMB!"
Using their ranged attacks, Raiden, Circe, Yamata, Smith, and Hexley launch their attacks towards Loki's eye, which blasts into Loki, causing it to screech in pain.
"Yes!" I cheer. "Good work, guys!"
***
The battle between Sniper and Kardos vs Ezra continues until Ezra shouts: "EZRA REAPER'S ARROW," and fires volley after volley of Soul Energy arrows upon Sniper at a rapid fire pace so fast that barely anyone can keep up.
"KARDOS, STAY BACK!" Sniper orders as he leaps in front of his partner and fries volley after volley of plasma bullets towards Erza, using his Garuda's Eye to just barely keep up.
"C-Colt?!" Kardos cries. "I can help!"
"Stay out of my way!" Sniper grunts as he and Ezra continue to trade arrows and bullets. "Only I can keep up with Ezra's speed using my Garuda's Eye. Ezra continues to fire off arrow after arrow upon Sniper, who counters with his plasma bullets, the two men trading attacks back and forth. Even with his Garuda's Eye, Sniper is just barely able to keep up with Ezra's speed, and soon finds himself overwhelmed, until…
An arrow pieces Sniper through his right eye.
"Sheesh…" Sniper whistles. "Too close…!"
Sniper spits up a glob of blood as he stumbles backwards a bit.
"COOOOLT!" Kardos cries.
"I was…too slow…" Sniper grunts.
Kardos then draws her plasma sword and leaps towards Sniper, but before she can block, an onslaught of another four hours pierces through Sniper's chest, causing him to stumble backwards even further, blood leaking from his wounds.
"Damn…" Sniper weakly grunts as he peers down at his wounds. "That… hurts…". And then…Sniper falls to the ground.
"NO!" Kardos cries as he drops to the ground next to Sniper. "Colt…hang in there…!" Kardos wails as she takes her partner's hand.
"Kardos…?" Sniper weakly asks as his Garuda's Eye flutters up to meet Kardos's gaze. "I can't see out of my right eye, and all I see in my left eye…is darkness …is that you?"
Kardos' eyes widen. "N-no…" she sobs. "What does that mean…?"
"Within the next few seconds…" Sniper weakly answers. "Do I…die…?"
"NO!" Kardos shouts, followed by a nervous laugh. "Within the next few seconds, you fall asleep, that's all! You just fall asleep…"
"Oh…I see…" Sniper replies as his eye slowly closes. "That's good. I'm tired…"
"Yeah…" Kardos sniffles with a sobbing laugh. "Rest up, Colt…"
"Brandish…" Sniper softly says.
"Y-yeah…?" Kardos sobs.
"I've never taken up your drinking offers…" Sniper weakly answers. "Let's go… tomorrow…"
"Of course…!" Kardos replies with a sobbing smile. "I'm free after work tomorrow…!" And then…Sniper's hand slips out of Kardos' grasp and falls to the ground. Kardos doubles over as she sobs into Sniper's chest. "Colt…" she sobs. "I love you…"
Colt Sniper, Agent Sniper of the Supernatural Investigators…has died.
"Now…" Erza begins to say with a sadistic grin as he reaches out towards Sniper. "That eye is mine!" But before Ezra can take another step forwards, pain courses throughout his entire hand, and then, blood sprays from his hand into the air. "H-huh…?" Ezra blinks. Ezra then looks down again, seeing a seething Kardos baring her fangs at him with her plasma sword drawn and poised in the air post-swing, cradling Sniper's body.
"You will not…" Kardos growls. "LAY YOUR FINGERS ON HIM!" The ground beneath Kardos then begins to tremble, causing Ezra's eyes to widen. And then, in the blink of an eye, a line of blood forms across Ezra's face going down the left side of his hace. Ezra's blood then sprays the air, as Ezra lets out a scream of pain before stumbling backwards and clutching his left eye.
"My eye…" Ezra groans. "You slashed my eye…"
"IF YOU WANT COLT'S EYE SO BADLY, THEN I'LL TAKE YOURS OUT MYSELF!" Kardos roars.
That same sadistic grin forms on Ezra's lips. "PERFECT!" He cackles. "YOU'VE SAVED ME THE TROUBLE OF REMOVING THIS EYE MYSELF!" The ground beneath Kardos trembles as she charges Ezra again, and as she swings her plasma sword towards him, Kardos' body begins to glow yellow, orange, and red from beneath her skin like flames. Ezra's eyes widen. "So you've achieved it…" he softly says. "Burst Release." Kardos slashes her plasma sword towards Ezra as he brings the bladed limb of his now up to block. Kardos' plasma sword slams into Ezra's bow, instantly overpowering it, and sending Ezra flying backwards again, and landing on the ground in a cloud of dust. "You've unlocked an amazing power…" Ezra smirks as he clutches his ruined left eye and stands back up.
"I don't care…" Kardos growls.
"It's called Burst Release," Ezra explains. "It's an ability that only humans can achieve upon realizing their physical perfection, it allows you to use one hundred percent of your body's strength. Thousands of years ago, almost every human had this ability, but living your cozy lives has dulled your senses and strength."
"Maybe I should have tried taking your abilities instead of Sniper's."
Kardos' eyes widen. She then drops to her knees and lets out a scream.
***
"What…was that…?" I ask as I hear desperate, pained scream. I then turn to where I heard the scream, where I see a sobbing Agent Kardos on the ground on her knees. Before her, is a snickering Ezra, and behind her, is Agent Sniper, lying on the ground and soaked in blood. Multiple Soul Energy arrows are sticking out of his chest. My eyes widen, and my body begins trembling. "Sniper…?" I softly ask.
"Zach, look out!" A voice cries. I then turn and look over to Loki, watching as a tongue flies over to me. Before I can react, a bolt of lightning flies from the side, zapping Loki's tongue, and causing it to retract back into its mouth.
"Zach, are you alright?!" Raiden cries as he hustles over to me.
"Y-yeah…" I nervously answer as I stare at Sniper. "You take it from here!"
"R-right…?" Raiden replies as I take off towards Sniper.
"EZRAAAA!!!!" I roar as I draw my sickle-sword, my entire body swirling with Soul Energy. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!"
"ZACH!" Ezra cackles as he turns back to face me as the bladed limb of his bow begins to glow purple.
Ezra and I clash, sending a burst of Soul Energy flying everywhere.
"R-Reaper…" Kardos whimpers.
"WHAT DID YOU DO TO SNIPER?!" I roar.
"I KILLED HIM, ZACH!" Ezra cackles. "I KILLED HIM!"
"GIVE EVELYN BACK!" I roar. "GIVE SNIPER BACK!"
"IT'S TOO LATE FOR THAT!" Ezra cackles. "SATAN HAS TAKEN EVELYN TO HELL, SHE'S CRUCIAL FOR HIS GOALS! AND SNIPER…IS ALREADY DEAD!"
I raise my sickle-sword high above my head as it bursts with Soul Energy, forming an extra large scythe blade. "SUPER SOUL HUNTER!" I roar as I slam my sickle-sword into Ezra, sending him flying backwards. "EZRAAAAAA!!!!!!" I then roar as I charge my cousin again.
"COME AT ME, LITTLE COUSIN!" Ezra cackles as Soul Energy explodes out of his body, taking the form of a huge cross-bow shaped turret of Soul Energy. "EZRA REAPER'S ARROW MEGA!" Ezra shouts as his arrow flies towards me, sending shockwaves of Soul Energy and air flying everywhere.
Soul Energy swirls around my sickle-sword, taking the form of a giant blade again. "SUPER SOUL HUNTER!" I roar back as I swing my sickle-sword towards Erza's arrow, and our two attacks explode in a giant burst of Soul Energy. But swiftly, I'm overpowered by Ezra's attack, and I'm sent flying backwards. "Dammit…" I grunt as I struggle to push myself off of the ground.
"Now…" Ezra smirks as he knocks back a Soul Energy arrow and aims it at me. "DIE!" But before Ezra can fire his arrow, a golden-white sphere of light flies from the side, blasting into Ezra, and sending him stumbling backwards. "Damn…" Ezra grumbles as he leers at Agent Hexley, who approaches the two of us, with Agents Smith and Gaumond behind him.
Hexley looks around, observing the sobbing Kardos and the late Sniper. Hexley's eyes widen. "What…happened…?" He asks.
"Oh no…" Gaumond says as his eyes widen.
"Sniper!" Smith gasps.
"Sniper is…Sniper is…" I begin to say, but my voice gets all choked up.
"COME ON, SPIT IT OUT!" Hexley shouts. "WHAT'S WRONG WITH SNIPER, IS HE ALRIGHT?!" I look away in shame.
"Colt…is dead…" Kardos whimpers.
"It…can't be…" Helxey says as his eyes widen. My eyes remain trained on the ground. "WHY ARE YOU UPSET?!" Helxey roars as he smashes a fist into my nose, sending me tumbling to the ground. "SNIPER WAS YOUR MORTAL ENEMY, HE KEPT TRYING TO KILL YOU! WHY ARE YOU UPSET?!" I don't answer. I just keep my eyes trained on the ground as I wipe my nose. "DAMMIT!" Hexley roars as he spins towards Ezra and aims a finger gun at him. "YOU DID THIS, HUH?!" Hexley asks as he fires another sphere of golden-white light towards Ezra, but before Hexley's attack can connect, a flaming hole opens up beneath Ezra, and dozens of scaly, black hands reach out and latch into Ezra.
"Awww…come on, now?" Ezra wines. "Things were just getting good!"
"What's…happening…?" Smith asks.
"Ezra is being dragged into Hell…" I gloomily answer.
Hexley's Infinite Joly continues flying towards Ezra, but the Devil hands continue ragging Ezra deeper into Hell, causing Hexley's attack to miss. "I'll be taking my leave now!" Ezra says as he fully disappears into Hell. "See ya' soon, Zach!"
And then…the portal closes for good…
"DAMMIT!" Hexley roars. Hexley then whips his head towards Sniper. "Come on!" Hexley orders as he scoops Sniper's body up. Gaumond grabs his other half. "Let's find a way out of here!" Hexley then turns around and he and Gaumond swiftly carry Sniper's body away.
Kardos doesn't move.
"Kardos!" Helxey barks.
Nothing.
"Smith, grab Kardos!" Hexley orders as he continues hustling away. "We need to get Sniper's body out of here!"
"R-right!" Smith answers as she grabs Kardos by the shirt collar then hoists her up to her feet and begins dragging Kardos alongside her.
"Zach!" A voice cries, and I look up to see Raiden surrounded by dozens of Loki's tongues. Raiden then releases a shockwave of electricity, rippling some of the tongues, but more just keep coming. "We need your help!"
"Zach!" Crimson barks as she fends off a few of Loki's tongues with her Hellfire. "Get your ass back intot he game!"
"Zach!" Circe cries as she melts a few of Loki's tongues with her poison.
"Dammit, Reaper!" Koga snaps as he bats some of Loki's tongues away with his bo-staff. "I mean…Zach!"
"We can't do this without you, Reaper!" Yamata snaps as he blasts away a few Loki tongues with his dragon heads.
"It looks like we're gonna have to team up for this one," Mikoto adds as he slashes through a few tongues.
"Zach!"
"Zach!"
"Zach!"
"ZACH!"
My eyes widen.
"Evelyn…" I softly say as I stand back up. And then…I reach down and pick up my sickle-sword. "I will…save you…"
And then, in the blink of an eye, I charge forwards, slashing through what feels like hundreds of Loki's tongues with my Soul Energy infused sickle-sword.
Everyone's eyes widened. "Zach…?" They softly ask.
With a stoic, apprehensive glare, I aim my sickle-sword at Loki. And then, with a voice devoid of emotion, I say: "It's Reaping Time."