- Genres
- Fantasy, sci-fi, post apocalyptic, parody.
Dark Bogan was hit with a one-two punch, with Edward's intrusion into his mind and the twins adding insult to injury. He was no longer in the mood to toy with his victims. Yet he did not worry about his mobility being limited, he had ways around that. If he could get them to come towards him, that would be all he needed.
"Why you little shits!!!! Such attitude!!! Trying to infiltrate my mind and expecting to get away with it alive! Then you little annoying elves attacking ME! Don't you bitches realize you're doing with a Dark Beast?!!! Let me remind you of my power!!!!The power to END the world!!! You have yet to see true horror!!!! You all are wasting time protecting this shit hole of a world!! Sometimes it's better just to let it all FALL DOWN!!!!" Dark Bogan released a huge dark energy beam towards the shrine.
Lowe quickly created a large earth wall to attempt to block the attack and armor of earth around his body. However it quickly broke through. Lowe had little choice but to jump towards it and intercept it with his own body. He succeeded but the beam wounded him near the chest, burning his skin partially. He felt extreme pain but he held back any screams of pain, he would not give Dark Bogan that pleasure. Carla looked over at Lowe, clearly concerned but she saw he was still able to fight. "You pretentious little pussy!! As if blocking that will get you anywhere when I can just do it again! You and I are no different, Earth Beast! You're a slave to that ass!!! A man should take what he wants in this world with force, not gently or subtly!!! Primal urges cannot be DENIED and must be fulfilled! Romance is a fool's game! Do you really think screwing with a Dark Beast will end well? I can tell you, it won't! She might end up just like me one day if you aren't careful ahahah..Evolution you see. We got the same killing instinct and hers might go wild one day. You surface people are our natural enemies after all." Lowe ignored Dark Bogan's taunt.
Nacim looked over at Sheena as he held his naginata. "NOW!!!!" He released a gust of wind that propelled his naginata straight into Dark Bogan's chest. He had no chance to dodge thanks to the efforts of Edward and the twins. Sheena took Nacim's cue and aimed her halberd for Dark Bogan's head, she hurled it furiously and it impaled his head successfully!
"I--i-impossible..Not this..TIME! Aurghhhhhhhhhhh!" Dark Bogan let out a death cry. Nothing could survive being pierced though the chest and the brain. His eyes shut, his body went limp and his heart stopped beating. The ABC and the OOA had finally triumphed over him it seemed.
Sienna looked nervous but relieved as she asked, "Is...Is it over?? That monster...Is he really gone???" She looked over at Dark Bogan, nervously. Someone would have to check if he was really dead.
It was an awkward moment as the two forces did not have a plan for this. Sienna reluctantly decided to check herself making a hasty move without consulting Sheena,"I...I...will check...I..." She flew over to Dark Bogan's body reluctantly.
Dark Bogan's face lit up and returned to life as he laughed and reached to grab Sienna,"Get over here, you little winged whore!!! You're like the tenth fool to fall for this old trick!!!" Sienna was terrified as she tried to dodge. She failed until the old wind beast hurled her out of the way. However, Dark Bogan was able to grab the old man instead.
"O-o-old man!!! NO! Let him go, let him go you monster!!!Just leave us ALONE!" She created her glaive of wind energy and flew back towards Dark Bogan. Before Sheena, Nacim and others could move in to help, Dark Bogan created a force field of dark energy. It was large enough to trap Sienna, the old man and Dark Bogan inside it. The others tried to destroy the field but it was futile.
He applied dark energy to his claws expanding them and making them razor sharp, "Well young lady..It's your first time now.. Ever seen this before? Probably lived a sheltered life....Yesss..Poor baby, parents got wasted by the bombs. I never saw what it does to a person. I heard all sorts of things...Reduced to ash...Or maybe it peeled off their flesh like fried chicken. Yes..What a sight it must have been, little girl. Now you get to see this...The most painful thing aside from being hit with those bombs..Your first taste of real blood! OF REAL WAR! Because of your mistake..THIS OLD MAN WILL DIE!" He pulled out the weapons stuck inside him and broke them apart, then he brutally ripped off the left wing of the old wind beast. Truly this was the cruelest way to kill a Wind beast.. Sienna reacted, looking disgusted and disturbed. She held back any tears as Dark Bogan brought up such disturbing imagery of how her parents died. Seeing the old man get torn apart disturbed her as well as she covered her own eyes and tried to break free.
The old wind beast cried out in agony. He told Sienna, "Get..Out of here!!! Forget about me..My time here...Is done..."
Tears began to fall from Sienna's eyes as she shouted,"W-w-why???! Old man, please! You don't need to die for me!! I'll..I'll save you!!!!!!!" She readied her glaive as she tried to impale Dark Bogan with it. She did several strikes but Dark Bogan laughed it all off as he continued his attack on the old man, going after the right wing next. She then tried to grab the old man and free him from Dark Bogan's grasp. It was futile as his strength was far superior to hers.
The Beast broke into a fit of laughter and revealed the truth about his motivation, "Well isn't that just touching? Aahaha..This poor old man sacrifices himself for a ditz like you! Why did he do that? You remind him of his dead girls? You see, this is what things like love do to you, little girl. Or maybe stupidity is more accurate, the whole thing could have been avoided. You just don't know who are you are fucking with if you expected me to die so eaaassily. This body is nothing but a vessel, you don't seem to get that!!!! My other half, my light counterpart and my true body..They're what is left in the seal after that my little spawn helped me hehehe. Nailing the daughter of the city leader has its perks after all yess."
"Watch..WATCH HIM SCREAM LITTLE GIRL!!! Suffering is the purest and the most genuine emotion!!!!!!" He ripped off the other wing of the old man painfully. The blood loss was too much as the old wind beast lost consciousness. He then dug his claws into the old man's skull and finished him off. He laughed as he set his sights on Sienna. "Well looks like he has expired...He didn't buy you enough time..you should have ran...But no..Seeing him torn apart...For your sake..You couldn't turn away could you? You're not cut out to be a fighter. You should have looked into other professions, little girl..Things you'd be more useful for...Mmmm. Such a beautiful voice you know.. Heh, not like anyone will miss the old geezer. I don't think you even know his name!!! He was just fodder for me to slaughter...Mmm..And now I seize my prize!!!"
"STOP! JUST STOP IT! Ww-w-hy do you say and do all these horrible things? Why...Why can't you just let us live?! What did we ever do to you??? Just..Stay away from me!!!!" She stabbed his arm with her glaive but he broke it with his other arm easily. He laughed at her as he closed in.
"You take it too personally. It's the way the world is now, little girl. The weak are food for the strong. Destruction reigns over life...The desire for War is stronger than the desire for Peace! All this... is just for fun, good clean fun. I'm not trying to bully a sweet little thing like you. Though if your screams weren't so sickeningly sweet to the ears maybe I'd just gut you! It's like music hearing you cry out in vain! This world is meant to be one of death, it is nothing personal! I hate every last one of you equally, although the men I will kill first.The women and girls I'll take..ALIVE! Now...How badly do you want to live, little wings?? Answer before time is up..." He readied his claws to threaten her as he implied indecency was what he wanted from her.
Nacim was disgusted by this. Even if it risked his ABC career, he had to save her. He couldn't just watch as that monster had his way with Sienna! He ordered Carla,"I want you to kill that thing! Provide me with everything you can while I get in there and rescue that OOA girl. Intelligence indicates she is a Sheena's niece. If I take her hostage, it will give us the edge. This mission was a loss but we can still come out on top!" Nacim stated, disguising his true motivation easily. His plan disgusted Carla yet she did not question it. Now was not the time, it was either they beat Dark Bogan now or never..No one else delighted in the death he caused. This thing has no business getting involved in the war!
"Understood Commander...I'll charge the next barrage. Get in there first if you can and get her out. Then I'll release it..It should kill him...But keep in mind he is a Dark Beast. A freak among our people. I cannot quite grasp how he survived..." Carla responded. Nacim wasted no more time. He charged up his wind energy and flew into the sky. He began to build up speed and then applied energy to create a horizontal cyclone, sending him towards the force field at an insane speed!
He crashed through the field and managed to break it. He grabbed Sienna and then quickly flew out. Carla's attack was finally ready. She put her right hand on her eye-patch yet did not remove it or do anything else with it. She got Dark Bogan's head in her sights. She quickly released her energy to create a second rifle that she set up to fire upon him from a separate direction. She finally released her energy from the palm of one hand and the two rifles, causing three gigantic beams of dark energy to head straight for Dark Bogan, one from the left, one from the center and the last one from the right!
The beams ripped and roared through the air as they made their way towards him. They easily collided with him and created an explosion of dark energy where he once stood! The destruction Carla caused could only be surpassed by Dark Bogan himself! Yet it was clear in this one attack she exhausted all of her energy. She had nothing left if Dark Bogan had survived. It was a calculated risk on her part.
In the aftermath. Dark Bogan's body was totally gone. Not a single trace of him left. Yet no one celebrated, they knew it was too soon. They had to seal him away for a reason after all. Carla walked over to where Dark Bogan stood and analyzed it. She could not conclude he was dead. There were no traces of him yet even so. There would have been something if he had died, ashes at least. This disturbed her yet it was clear it at least forced him to retreat somewhere else. Yet how? He was unable to move well. The creature defied many expectations, surviving being impaled through the brain and the chest so escaping an attack was possible for it.
Sienna cried on Nacim's shoulder. "U-u-u-uncle...I don't want to fight anymore. That poor old man died so I could live but I couldn't..I could do nothing for him..I'm so weak...I don't want to let Lady Lucia down b-b-but...I can't do this...I just...can't.." This upset Nacim as it risked revealing his identity yet he could not just force her away from him like that. He quickly flew over to Sheena and handed Sienna over to her.
"Take her and leave! I expect you to press for a truce or a cease-fire with us. Sad child, You do not belong on the battlefield! This is what war is like. It is not glamorous. I suggest you ask your superiors to give her proper training! Now get out of my sight before I change my mind. I rather take you as prisoners but...You aided us in that battle. I cannot discount that. Now GO before the reinforcements get here! Stay safe and watch over her for me, Sheena...Don't let Lucia force her to fight any longer! As for the old timer.. Sorry I could not save him..." Nacim ordered Sheena and Sienna somewhat quietly. He made sure the rest of the ABC did not hear him. Yet despite that, he did not feel safe. He did not allow his true self to show all the way through.
"Shine...I'll do what I can...Thank you. Don't ever feel you are beyond salvation. You are not like that monster at all..You have a good heart just as you always did..You saved Sienna and let her cry on your shoulder despite being our enemy....You risked your position in the ABC and your own life to save her. I will discover the truth behind the purging one day for your sake.. Please, do not lose hope. I will do the right thing for both of us! I'll find some way..." She looked at Nacim longingly, unable to show her affection for him due to the situation.. Nacim looked back at her, perhaps feeling the same way. They parted ways after exchanging one last glance. Sheena took to the skies with Sienna in tow, clinging to her. She looked at Nacim as she tried to dry her eyes. She no longer doubted it, he was definitely her Uncle.
As for the ALF side. The Colonel was long gone. He escaped during the fight with Dark Bogan. He had no intention of staying to fight Dark Bogan with the others. He was out for blood however, to find who in the ALF was responsible. They were the ones responsible for his humiliation and defeat...The reinforcements from Azull could now be seen in the distance.
Finally the mission was over....
"Help has arrived. We managed to survive this encounter but I doubt we have killed it. For now all we can do is move on. We will head to Azull to recover. You all have earned a rest and those of you who need medical attention will be given the best Azull has to offer. Now Lowe, let's get the ship ready to go and we will take everyone there!" Nacim ordered the unit, devoid of any sense of victory. While it was true they survived, they lost more in the process of defending the shrine than the other factions. Despite that, surviving against Dark Bogan was an accomplishment in itself.
Lowe was wincing in pain as his burn began to really sting. Carla could see the pain on his face and she waked over to him. She helped him make his way towards the airship,"Lowe. Before we take off.. Let me look at that wound...I'll treat it before it gets any worse. You did well protecting the shrine. That thing may not be dead but at least we did not let it become complete."
Lowe responded with only a half smile and a few soft spoken words he could not seem to finish, "Thank you Carla. You know I really think you and I-" He could not finish his sentence as he saw Nacim was urging him to hurry. It ruined the moment for him but Lowe realized now was not the time. Time was of the essence with Noe, Hideki and himself all in bad shape. The others needed to rest after barely surviving that battle.
After they were loaded up and the dead were recovered, all the ABC members were flown to Azull to rest and recover.
*Azull*
Azull was the snowy city in the region. Snowy pine trees could be found all around in the distance. There were beautiful mountains that still stood there to this day. It was one of the only tundras in the world that could support life and thus was a good place to hunt, a favorite of 13's before Dark Bogan killed him there. There were still some monsters lurking yet not as many as the outskirts of Arcadia. None the less, Azull still employed the same barrier technology and emphasize on keeping the gate closed.
The sky near Azull still looked somewhat beautiful, especially at night with the snow still coming down. Sometimes one could even spot the Aurora phenomena at night. These natural lights were considered quite the sight for travelers to see. Right now the sun was setting however, it would be sometime until night set in fully.
The city itself was fortified for defense during the wars. It was far more militaristic than Arcadia, hence it had the necessary weapons to fend off the ALF assault already in place. Weapons like artillery and even some old cannons allowed them to suffer only moderate causalities despite being both outclassed and outnumbered by ALF forces. Bases, forts, barracks, and other structures of that sort were numerous throughout the city. Despite these advantages, the city still had some signs of damage. Crews were working to repair the barrier system and other essential structures destroyed in the attempted siege. Luckily the fighting never reached the residential areas.
It had an arena just like Arcadia except it was less classy, more brutal. It was more of a way of life for the people of Azull instead of being entertainment. Refugees and those who moved from the City of Warriors practically lived in the Arena. Their culture rubbed off on Azull. It was open 24/7 unlike the Arcadian Arena. Even despite the end of the world, it remained open! They felt it was necessary to keep the troops, militia and other fighters ready for any other threats. It also generated some tourism after all.
It was not much of a city for the arts or for intellectuals, scientists, or artists. It was for warriors, fighters and mercenaries! Your value in this city was determined by your strength. It was no place for the weak. Politicians weren't well liked in Azull. The city's government collapsed in a scandal after the war, hording food and supplies was their crime. Zigus stepped in and offered to take control of the government. The people accepted him and trusted him, having been long time allies with Arcadia. Azull became a territory under Zigus's control. They liked how Zigus's government did not intrude upon them as much as previous administrations.
The Azull Market was also quite well known and one of the biggest parts of the city. There you could buy almost everything that was left in the world. Food, medicine, relics, scrolls, books, and of course, weapons! Merchants of all kind set up shop there on every corner. Most of the goods were legal but there was a shady side to it as well. Yet the government mostly kept that in check, if illegal activity was done, it involved stolen products from the ALF. They turned a blind eye to such activity. It was usually bustling but closed up in the night. Only a few essential or shady stores remained open overnight.
The only technological achievements the city were a radio tower that was dwarfed by Arcadia's, an airport that was old and rather run down but still functional. Anyu Hospital was the most vital place for those interested in non combat related professions. The hospital was a necessity due to all the fights held in the arena. All of those wounded in the fight with Dark Bogan and the ALF would go there for treatment. It had some of the most up to date medical technology, the best doctors, healers and even expert light and ice beast healers for those whom needed fast treatment.
Lastly there were several pubs and taverns to go along with the Arena. There was even one single cafe for the more classy and upper-class. The people could not spend all their time fighting after all. Places were weary warriors could quench their thirst, socialize and share stories of the world. People couldn't live Azull too often so these places were quite lively. They were the most calm of all places, bar fights weren't all that common. The strongest fighters whom went to them would often play the role of peace-keeper after all. Azull was a proud city and they intended to keep it that way.
"Why you little shits!!!! Such attitude!!! Trying to infiltrate my mind and expecting to get away with it alive! Then you little annoying elves attacking ME! Don't you bitches realize you're doing with a Dark Beast?!!! Let me remind you of my power!!!!The power to END the world!!! You have yet to see true horror!!!! You all are wasting time protecting this shit hole of a world!! Sometimes it's better just to let it all FALL DOWN!!!!" Dark Bogan released a huge dark energy beam towards the shrine.
Lowe quickly created a large earth wall to attempt to block the attack and armor of earth around his body. However it quickly broke through. Lowe had little choice but to jump towards it and intercept it with his own body. He succeeded but the beam wounded him near the chest, burning his skin partially. He felt extreme pain but he held back any screams of pain, he would not give Dark Bogan that pleasure. Carla looked over at Lowe, clearly concerned but she saw he was still able to fight. "You pretentious little pussy!! As if blocking that will get you anywhere when I can just do it again! You and I are no different, Earth Beast! You're a slave to that ass!!! A man should take what he wants in this world with force, not gently or subtly!!! Primal urges cannot be DENIED and must be fulfilled! Romance is a fool's game! Do you really think screwing with a Dark Beast will end well? I can tell you, it won't! She might end up just like me one day if you aren't careful ahahah..Evolution you see. We got the same killing instinct and hers might go wild one day. You surface people are our natural enemies after all." Lowe ignored Dark Bogan's taunt.
Nacim looked over at Sheena as he held his naginata. "NOW!!!!" He released a gust of wind that propelled his naginata straight into Dark Bogan's chest. He had no chance to dodge thanks to the efforts of Edward and the twins. Sheena took Nacim's cue and aimed her halberd for Dark Bogan's head, she hurled it furiously and it impaled his head successfully!
"I--i-impossible..Not this..TIME! Aurghhhhhhhhhhh!" Dark Bogan let out a death cry. Nothing could survive being pierced though the chest and the brain. His eyes shut, his body went limp and his heart stopped beating. The ABC and the OOA had finally triumphed over him it seemed.
Sienna looked nervous but relieved as she asked, "Is...Is it over?? That monster...Is he really gone???" She looked over at Dark Bogan, nervously. Someone would have to check if he was really dead.
It was an awkward moment as the two forces did not have a plan for this. Sienna reluctantly decided to check herself making a hasty move without consulting Sheena,"I...I...will check...I..." She flew over to Dark Bogan's body reluctantly.
Dark Bogan's face lit up and returned to life as he laughed and reached to grab Sienna,"Get over here, you little winged whore!!! You're like the tenth fool to fall for this old trick!!!" Sienna was terrified as she tried to dodge. She failed until the old wind beast hurled her out of the way. However, Dark Bogan was able to grab the old man instead.
"O-o-old man!!! NO! Let him go, let him go you monster!!!Just leave us ALONE!" She created her glaive of wind energy and flew back towards Dark Bogan. Before Sheena, Nacim and others could move in to help, Dark Bogan created a force field of dark energy. It was large enough to trap Sienna, the old man and Dark Bogan inside it. The others tried to destroy the field but it was futile.
He applied dark energy to his claws expanding them and making them razor sharp, "Well young lady..It's your first time now.. Ever seen this before? Probably lived a sheltered life....Yesss..Poor baby, parents got wasted by the bombs. I never saw what it does to a person. I heard all sorts of things...Reduced to ash...Or maybe it peeled off their flesh like fried chicken. Yes..What a sight it must have been, little girl. Now you get to see this...The most painful thing aside from being hit with those bombs..Your first taste of real blood! OF REAL WAR! Because of your mistake..THIS OLD MAN WILL DIE!" He pulled out the weapons stuck inside him and broke them apart, then he brutally ripped off the left wing of the old wind beast. Truly this was the cruelest way to kill a Wind beast.. Sienna reacted, looking disgusted and disturbed. She held back any tears as Dark Bogan brought up such disturbing imagery of how her parents died. Seeing the old man get torn apart disturbed her as well as she covered her own eyes and tried to break free.
The old wind beast cried out in agony. He told Sienna, "Get..Out of here!!! Forget about me..My time here...Is done..."
Tears began to fall from Sienna's eyes as she shouted,"W-w-why???! Old man, please! You don't need to die for me!! I'll..I'll save you!!!!!!!" She readied her glaive as she tried to impale Dark Bogan with it. She did several strikes but Dark Bogan laughed it all off as he continued his attack on the old man, going after the right wing next. She then tried to grab the old man and free him from Dark Bogan's grasp. It was futile as his strength was far superior to hers.
The Beast broke into a fit of laughter and revealed the truth about his motivation, "Well isn't that just touching? Aahaha..This poor old man sacrifices himself for a ditz like you! Why did he do that? You remind him of his dead girls? You see, this is what things like love do to you, little girl. Or maybe stupidity is more accurate, the whole thing could have been avoided. You just don't know who are you are fucking with if you expected me to die so eaaassily. This body is nothing but a vessel, you don't seem to get that!!!! My other half, my light counterpart and my true body..They're what is left in the seal after that my little spawn helped me hehehe. Nailing the daughter of the city leader has its perks after all yess."
"Watch..WATCH HIM SCREAM LITTLE GIRL!!! Suffering is the purest and the most genuine emotion!!!!!!" He ripped off the other wing of the old man painfully. The blood loss was too much as the old wind beast lost consciousness. He then dug his claws into the old man's skull and finished him off. He laughed as he set his sights on Sienna. "Well looks like he has expired...He didn't buy you enough time..you should have ran...But no..Seeing him torn apart...For your sake..You couldn't turn away could you? You're not cut out to be a fighter. You should have looked into other professions, little girl..Things you'd be more useful for...Mmmm. Such a beautiful voice you know.. Heh, not like anyone will miss the old geezer. I don't think you even know his name!!! He was just fodder for me to slaughter...Mmm..And now I seize my prize!!!"
"STOP! JUST STOP IT! Ww-w-hy do you say and do all these horrible things? Why...Why can't you just let us live?! What did we ever do to you??? Just..Stay away from me!!!!" She stabbed his arm with her glaive but he broke it with his other arm easily. He laughed at her as he closed in.
"You take it too personally. It's the way the world is now, little girl. The weak are food for the strong. Destruction reigns over life...The desire for War is stronger than the desire for Peace! All this... is just for fun, good clean fun. I'm not trying to bully a sweet little thing like you. Though if your screams weren't so sickeningly sweet to the ears maybe I'd just gut you! It's like music hearing you cry out in vain! This world is meant to be one of death, it is nothing personal! I hate every last one of you equally, although the men I will kill first.The women and girls I'll take..ALIVE! Now...How badly do you want to live, little wings?? Answer before time is up..." He readied his claws to threaten her as he implied indecency was what he wanted from her.
Nacim was disgusted by this. Even if it risked his ABC career, he had to save her. He couldn't just watch as that monster had his way with Sienna! He ordered Carla,"I want you to kill that thing! Provide me with everything you can while I get in there and rescue that OOA girl. Intelligence indicates she is a Sheena's niece. If I take her hostage, it will give us the edge. This mission was a loss but we can still come out on top!" Nacim stated, disguising his true motivation easily. His plan disgusted Carla yet she did not question it. Now was not the time, it was either they beat Dark Bogan now or never..No one else delighted in the death he caused. This thing has no business getting involved in the war!
"Understood Commander...I'll charge the next barrage. Get in there first if you can and get her out. Then I'll release it..It should kill him...But keep in mind he is a Dark Beast. A freak among our people. I cannot quite grasp how he survived..." Carla responded. Nacim wasted no more time. He charged up his wind energy and flew into the sky. He began to build up speed and then applied energy to create a horizontal cyclone, sending him towards the force field at an insane speed!
He crashed through the field and managed to break it. He grabbed Sienna and then quickly flew out. Carla's attack was finally ready. She put her right hand on her eye-patch yet did not remove it or do anything else with it. She got Dark Bogan's head in her sights. She quickly released her energy to create a second rifle that she set up to fire upon him from a separate direction. She finally released her energy from the palm of one hand and the two rifles, causing three gigantic beams of dark energy to head straight for Dark Bogan, one from the left, one from the center and the last one from the right!
The beams ripped and roared through the air as they made their way towards him. They easily collided with him and created an explosion of dark energy where he once stood! The destruction Carla caused could only be surpassed by Dark Bogan himself! Yet it was clear in this one attack she exhausted all of her energy. She had nothing left if Dark Bogan had survived. It was a calculated risk on her part.
In the aftermath. Dark Bogan's body was totally gone. Not a single trace of him left. Yet no one celebrated, they knew it was too soon. They had to seal him away for a reason after all. Carla walked over to where Dark Bogan stood and analyzed it. She could not conclude he was dead. There were no traces of him yet even so. There would have been something if he had died, ashes at least. This disturbed her yet it was clear it at least forced him to retreat somewhere else. Yet how? He was unable to move well. The creature defied many expectations, surviving being impaled through the brain and the chest so escaping an attack was possible for it.
Sienna cried on Nacim's shoulder. "U-u-u-uncle...I don't want to fight anymore. That poor old man died so I could live but I couldn't..I could do nothing for him..I'm so weak...I don't want to let Lady Lucia down b-b-but...I can't do this...I just...can't.." This upset Nacim as it risked revealing his identity yet he could not just force her away from him like that. He quickly flew over to Sheena and handed Sienna over to her.
"Take her and leave! I expect you to press for a truce or a cease-fire with us. Sad child, You do not belong on the battlefield! This is what war is like. It is not glamorous. I suggest you ask your superiors to give her proper training! Now get out of my sight before I change my mind. I rather take you as prisoners but...You aided us in that battle. I cannot discount that. Now GO before the reinforcements get here! Stay safe and watch over her for me, Sheena...Don't let Lucia force her to fight any longer! As for the old timer.. Sorry I could not save him..." Nacim ordered Sheena and Sienna somewhat quietly. He made sure the rest of the ABC did not hear him. Yet despite that, he did not feel safe. He did not allow his true self to show all the way through.
"Shine...I'll do what I can...Thank you. Don't ever feel you are beyond salvation. You are not like that monster at all..You have a good heart just as you always did..You saved Sienna and let her cry on your shoulder despite being our enemy....You risked your position in the ABC and your own life to save her. I will discover the truth behind the purging one day for your sake.. Please, do not lose hope. I will do the right thing for both of us! I'll find some way..." She looked at Nacim longingly, unable to show her affection for him due to the situation.. Nacim looked back at her, perhaps feeling the same way. They parted ways after exchanging one last glance. Sheena took to the skies with Sienna in tow, clinging to her. She looked at Nacim as she tried to dry her eyes. She no longer doubted it, he was definitely her Uncle.
As for the ALF side. The Colonel was long gone. He escaped during the fight with Dark Bogan. He had no intention of staying to fight Dark Bogan with the others. He was out for blood however, to find who in the ALF was responsible. They were the ones responsible for his humiliation and defeat...The reinforcements from Azull could now be seen in the distance.
Finally the mission was over....
"Help has arrived. We managed to survive this encounter but I doubt we have killed it. For now all we can do is move on. We will head to Azull to recover. You all have earned a rest and those of you who need medical attention will be given the best Azull has to offer. Now Lowe, let's get the ship ready to go and we will take everyone there!" Nacim ordered the unit, devoid of any sense of victory. While it was true they survived, they lost more in the process of defending the shrine than the other factions. Despite that, surviving against Dark Bogan was an accomplishment in itself.
Lowe was wincing in pain as his burn began to really sting. Carla could see the pain on his face and she waked over to him. She helped him make his way towards the airship,"Lowe. Before we take off.. Let me look at that wound...I'll treat it before it gets any worse. You did well protecting the shrine. That thing may not be dead but at least we did not let it become complete."
Lowe responded with only a half smile and a few soft spoken words he could not seem to finish, "Thank you Carla. You know I really think you and I-" He could not finish his sentence as he saw Nacim was urging him to hurry. It ruined the moment for him but Lowe realized now was not the time. Time was of the essence with Noe, Hideki and himself all in bad shape. The others needed to rest after barely surviving that battle.
After they were loaded up and the dead were recovered, all the ABC members were flown to Azull to rest and recover.
*Azull*
Azull was the snowy city in the region. Snowy pine trees could be found all around in the distance. There were beautiful mountains that still stood there to this day. It was one of the only tundras in the world that could support life and thus was a good place to hunt, a favorite of 13's before Dark Bogan killed him there. There were still some monsters lurking yet not as many as the outskirts of Arcadia. None the less, Azull still employed the same barrier technology and emphasize on keeping the gate closed.
The sky near Azull still looked somewhat beautiful, especially at night with the snow still coming down. Sometimes one could even spot the Aurora phenomena at night. These natural lights were considered quite the sight for travelers to see. Right now the sun was setting however, it would be sometime until night set in fully.
The city itself was fortified for defense during the wars. It was far more militaristic than Arcadia, hence it had the necessary weapons to fend off the ALF assault already in place. Weapons like artillery and even some old cannons allowed them to suffer only moderate causalities despite being both outclassed and outnumbered by ALF forces. Bases, forts, barracks, and other structures of that sort were numerous throughout the city. Despite these advantages, the city still had some signs of damage. Crews were working to repair the barrier system and other essential structures destroyed in the attempted siege. Luckily the fighting never reached the residential areas.
It had an arena just like Arcadia except it was less classy, more brutal. It was more of a way of life for the people of Azull instead of being entertainment. Refugees and those who moved from the City of Warriors practically lived in the Arena. Their culture rubbed off on Azull. It was open 24/7 unlike the Arcadian Arena. Even despite the end of the world, it remained open! They felt it was necessary to keep the troops, militia and other fighters ready for any other threats. It also generated some tourism after all.
It was not much of a city for the arts or for intellectuals, scientists, or artists. It was for warriors, fighters and mercenaries! Your value in this city was determined by your strength. It was no place for the weak. Politicians weren't well liked in Azull. The city's government collapsed in a scandal after the war, hording food and supplies was their crime. Zigus stepped in and offered to take control of the government. The people accepted him and trusted him, having been long time allies with Arcadia. Azull became a territory under Zigus's control. They liked how Zigus's government did not intrude upon them as much as previous administrations.
The Azull Market was also quite well known and one of the biggest parts of the city. There you could buy almost everything that was left in the world. Food, medicine, relics, scrolls, books, and of course, weapons! Merchants of all kind set up shop there on every corner. Most of the goods were legal but there was a shady side to it as well. Yet the government mostly kept that in check, if illegal activity was done, it involved stolen products from the ALF. They turned a blind eye to such activity. It was usually bustling but closed up in the night. Only a few essential or shady stores remained open overnight.
The only technological achievements the city were a radio tower that was dwarfed by Arcadia's, an airport that was old and rather run down but still functional. Anyu Hospital was the most vital place for those interested in non combat related professions. The hospital was a necessity due to all the fights held in the arena. All of those wounded in the fight with Dark Bogan and the ALF would go there for treatment. It had some of the most up to date medical technology, the best doctors, healers and even expert light and ice beast healers for those whom needed fast treatment.
Lastly there were several pubs and taverns to go along with the Arena. There was even one single cafe for the more classy and upper-class. The people could not spend all their time fighting after all. Places were weary warriors could quench their thirst, socialize and share stories of the world. People couldn't live Azull too often so these places were quite lively. They were the most calm of all places, bar fights weren't all that common. The strongest fighters whom went to them would often play the role of peace-keeper after all. Azull was a proud city and they intended to keep it that way.