The Tourney of Champions!!!

As benkei attempted to grabbed lady persephone two creatures descended in front of him and snapped at him "Ugly creatures be gone with thee!!" he twirled his staff in a circle hitting them both hard and running towards the oracle but benkei was once again stopped by a mysterious man "Get out of my way vile scum i will save my lady if its the last thing i do" He looked at him as the man said he could not allow her to be taken "WHY DO YOU NEED HER SO BAD!!! WHAT IS YOUR PLAN!" he was in a rush since his blinding light would not last to long on the other two men behind him. Benkei watched as the oracle lie their helpless "Answer me dam it!" he charged at the man with such anger and force

Arena

Benkei had blinded Evindal and Morlorn briefly. At that moment he would attempt to rescue the Oracle. Just as he got close enough he was met by the two beasts Koulro had with him crashing down. Koulro himself had appeared before them. Evindal had begun to regain vision. "Lord Koulro!?" He says. "Huh? Lord Koulro you say!?" Morlorn is distracted as he looked back at Koulro. Benkei was fed up and attempted to rush through. He was intercepted by Evindal. "Our plans with the girl are of no concern to you."

Virgil and Remi are now at Biggs' side. "Hey take a quick break buddy, we'll handle this." Virgil had said to Biggs smiling. Remi was at the front preparing to engage Sata. Her hands would glow fiery as she prepared a fire spell to launch at the giantess.

To Nir's shock, Braaga was nearly unharmed from his Faith. Braaga's club would come crashing down at Nir but Nir was able to defend using his shield. A beam of light was cast from the mouth of the lion head of his shield and shot straight into the sky. "What's this?" Braaga says confused.

A large lion-like beastman descended upon Anna with the announcer from the tournament. Anna was fearful as the beastman put off an intimidating presence. He directly talks to Anna asking her to take care of Kira. He would turn to face the fighters and would roar loud enough every fighter had been stunned from his voice. Anna being one of the closest had been shaken up a good deal. She was scared out of her wits.

Palace

After hearing Shishio speak Orion couldn't believe him. He knew he was lying. Sir Francis became enraged. Shishio would look at them both and chuckle. Sir Francis claims to be the Mountain of Galatia. This triggered fear in one of the Viper soldiers that transferred to some others. One of the soldiers smacked the one who initially started it and said fear was weakness. "SILENCE!!" Shishio says in anger. "You are proud Duran soldiers. Don't forget the first rule of being a soldier of Duran. Fear doesn't exist. If you do have fear in you, is punishable by death." Shishio turns to face Sir Francis and Orion. "Now I guess I should continue telling you about our mission then."

Arena

The two creatures would be fended off by Benkai, but would pursue him. They'd eventually surround him, with Evindal intercepting his path from the front. "Yes! It is I, Koulro!" He'd bow down, and raise his head towards Benkai. "Now, you can't know about our plans! That'd be giving it away too easily! So it's best if you just mind your business you know? Hehe." Koulro would lean back onto his ball and rest his leg over the other. "Besides, if I told you, I'd have to kill you! And I don't want to do that! Because I'm a fan! Hahahahah!" The creatures would begin salivating, ready to attack Benkai and rip him to shreds.

Down on the platform, Nir had fired off a warning shot. The light beam would shoot straight into the clouds, parting it. "Do not make me kill you. Please." Nir would lower the shield, but keeping it ready in case Braaga attacked again. Faith was still in hand, glowing as bright as ever. If Nir had to, he'd tap into its power to rid Galatia of this foe. But the good in him always had hope for peace. "Just go now! Leave-" A powerful roar would alarm Nir. In mere seconds, Leo had landed onto the platform, cracking it even more.

The beastman would unsheathe Champion. "So you are the ones who caused this!?" There was a fire in Leo's eyes. Just laying eyes on his daughter in that condition that pushed him over the edge. He was ready to kill. "I shall vanquish you!!!" Leo would slam the broadsword down, sending an arc of magical energy towards Braaga. It's power would split the entire arena in half!

Palace

The VIPER soldier would lower his head, submitting to the commander. "Forgive me!!! I shall hold my tongue sir!" Orion would chuckle, "I can't take them serious." As for Sir Francis, he was beginning to turn a shade of red. Veins were beginning to surface. Orion would catch sight of this and hold his arm out, "Francis! Calm down! We cannot put the queen and prince at the risk of danger!!" The taller warrior would gnash his teeth, trying to restrain his magical power. "I just want to decimate these fools!"

Orion would turn back to Shishio, who appeared to be the main talker. "Make this quick! Tell us what you were really here for!! Before we lose our patience and decide to kill you without answers..."

Benkei watched as he was helpless and couldn't do a thing "You could kill me and fail but my duty is to her and i will stand by that " As he turned around he noticed his escape plan had failed and the to mens vision was returning "Oh great now these two are going to be a pain " He glared at the man floating there in front of him with his two creatures taunting him "So you say your a fan! think i care in a time like this lives are at stake and you are taking this like a game some dam childs play!" Benkei pointed to the ledge of the other men below them fighting for their lives "You think those men are taking this as a game they are fighting to protect their people and their town" A large rawr could be heard from below

Arena

Koulro had just introduced himself. "My apologies Lord Koulro but what are you doing here?" Evindal had asked. Just then Benkei would point out after Koulro's comment on how he was a fan, that this was not a game. People are fighting for their lives. "Morlorn finish the job!" Evindal shouts. "Sheesh alright... bossy." Morlorn replies.

"Kill me? Ahahahahahaha!!" Braaga had laughed historically. "You could me? That's a good one. Punks like you are the reason I love to fight." He points to Nir and smirks. After Nir had shouted for him to leave a loud roar was heard which alerted Braaga immediately. "What the hell was that?" He says. The beastman had descended onto the platform and would face the fighters. Braaga's attention was now on him. Leo had unsheathed his broadsword Champion and would cleave at Braaga sending an arc wave of magic. Braaga would defend the strike but is pushed back into the arena walls. He would lay there for some time.

Before the Leo had descended, Remi and Virgil were taking on Sata. Remi was at the front attacking Sata and dodging attacks from Sata. Virgil had been shooting his arrows at the giantess but with her mobility she could easily avoid them. Their fight would be halted as Leo had roared. They would all stare as Leo who strike down Braaga splitting the arena.

Palace

Orion and Sir Francis were fed up with Shishio. What could he be planning? "Well, first of all before I can tell you exactly what we are planing, I'll need you to understand our motive first. Have you ever heard of the legend of Baak?" Shishio asks and is silent until Orion or Sir Francis answers his question.

Arena

Koulro would turn to both Evindal and Morlorn, "What am I doing here? Well, I was attending the tournament to see who'd win! Until some bafoons ruined the entire show!" His facial expression switched to a saddened one. "Oh well!" They'd realize that he completely ignored Benkai. Actually, Koulro would realize that himself. "Oh my! I am so sorry! I forgot you were speaking to me! Haha! How silly of me..." The saddened expression would change to a joyful one. Then it suddenly switched to a serious expression. "Unfortunately, we cannot stay here and chat too long." Koulro would raise his hand, opening his palm in Benkai's direction. An eye would suddenly open on his palm.

The jester would invade Benkai's mind. Benkai would soon be enveloped in darkness. The laughs of a child would resonate in the void, slowly turning out to be a lonely young Benkai. "You are weak monk." The Benkai would lower his head in the void. "Your sole mission to protect The Oracle, and you let her slip away." The boy would gradually become The Oracle. Tears of blood would stream from her eyes as she looked up at Benkai. "Let me show you the future!!" In an instant Benkai would be shown cryptic images in a series of flashes. From mysterious statues, to a hellish world, it'd ultimately end with the sight of a powerful radiance.

Down at the arena platform, Nir would be insulted by Braaga. His laugh would insinuate that he was incapable of killing the orc. Nir gripped onto the handle of Faith tightly, until Leo intervened, parting the entire arena with a single slash of his sword. The arc of energy released had smacked dead into Braaga, sending him flying into the outer wall. "Captain Lionsworth!!!" Nir would bow his head, holding his shield to his chest in a salute.

Leo would turn his head in the direction of Nir, changing his focus to Virgil and Remi, who were engaged with Sata. "Intruders shall be destroyed here! I shall not allow anyone to escape! You need to make sure the king is safe and sound! I shall deal with these two!" Nir would hesitate to leave, wanting to battle Braaga. But he knew what he had to do. "Understood captain Lionsworth! Virgil! Come with me! You! Big guy, make sure Shinji's okay! We've got to make sure--No!! Persephone!" Nir realized that his dear friend was in danger herself. He'd quickly turn in the direction of the royal observatory and begin running off.

Leo would slowly approach Sata with Champion in his hand. "......Prepare yourself giant." He'd begin snarling, ready to take Sata on. If Braaga wanted to intervene, he was also ready for him.

Palace

Orion stood silently in front of the queen's chamber. He had been asked a question about Baak. But Orion was clueless, "No. I've never heard of such a name. Why do you bring it up?" Sir Francis would look down at Orion, "Orion, why do you let this man stall? We could end them now and proceed to help others." Orion sighed, knowing well that Francis was right. But he wanted to gain as much intel as he could.

"We need this information. If we can provide it to the Galatian army, we can begin avenging the lives lost here." Sir Francis would raise his axe, "Then I shall eliminate everyone else but this Shishio!" He'd quickly move around the Shishio, moving rather fast for a man of his stature, and run towards the VIPER soldiers. They were thrown off by the pursuit, to invested in what Shishio was saying. The men quickly tried to ready their crossbows, only to be attacked by the giant axe. "Die!!!"

Arena

Koulro had disregarded Benkei and was apologetic at first but got serious right away. The changing of his faces make him difficult to understand. Koulro had extended his hand out to Benkei. In that monent Evindal had backed off from Benkei, jumping back to Morlorn'a side. "This is such a rare opportunity to watch Lord Koulro fight... Now Lord Koulro.:. Show me what you're capable of, so that I can kill you!" Evindal had thought this all in his head as he watched Koulro attack Benkei.

Sata had watched Leo as he was in pursuit of her next. Even though Her comrade was blown away she would not falter. Was this the pride of the giant race? Or was it something else? Nir had singled over to Virgil to follow him in pursuit of the king and oracle however, Virgil didn't take a liking to abandoning a fight. Similarly, Remi was also upset at the fact Nir did not include her. "Hey you jerk don't count me out! I can fight too you know!" She said as she made fist and put them on her hips in a pouty way. Leo was getting more enraged, and that was when Virgil, Remi and Biggs had simultaneously agreed to move away. Remi and Virgil rushed off with Nir while Biggs went to Anna. Morlorn had felt a disturbance through his telepathy. "Hey, Evindal." Morlorn would say. "What? What is it?" Evindal responds as he is watching Koulro trying not to miss a single moment. "We are gonna have some guests in a few." Morlorn says. "You gotta be kidding me!" Evindal says in his head. "How long until they get here?" Evindal asks. "I'd say about mmmm 23 seconds." Morlorn says with a grin. Evindal takes a deep breath. "I'm on it."

As Leo had continued to approach Sata, she stood there motionless, emotionless. The walls had crumbled down where Braaga was launched. Just then that monstrosity of an Orc and emerged slowly from the hole. "Dammit. That really fucking hurt you bastard." Braaga had said as he would begin to stretch out his neck. Even though he claims Leo's attack hurt him, his body would say otherwise. There weren't many wounds on his body. "Shit if I weren't me then I probably would've died from that... HEY BEAST LION!!! DON'T THINK THIS FIGHT IS OVER YET!!!" Braaga was enraged now. His body would start to pulsate. The pulsing wasn't noticeable but Sata could tell Braaga was serious about killing Leo now.

Palace

Shishio would stand there as Sir Francis would attempt to take out the VIPER soldiers. Sir Francis was Successful in taking 5 of the VIPER soldiers out however, the large Jin was there to stop him from killing g the rest of the soldiers. Jin was quite, he didn't say a word. But he was able to hold off Sir Francis' sword slash with his own. Poe had taken a seat near the wall. "You know you should listen to people before you go swinging." Shishio had said. After Sir Francis would respond. Shishio would ignore him and talk back to Orion. "So anyway, where were we... mmm oh yes Baak! So the story goes like this. A man by the name of Baak was nothing but a general in the the kingdom of Duran. Well known, a very fierce warrior!" Orion would tell Shishio to get on with it. "Baak had been given a prophecy by 3 witches. They told him that one day he would be king. Baak had been so eager to achieve that title of king, he went to seize the thrown himself. He killed King Draco the IV. With a little bit of influence he had was able to succeed the thrown. Unfortunately for him. he covered up his tracks too well." Orion had cut off Shishio, "unfortunately?" He says. "Yes unfortunately." Shishio responds. "But how could that be a bad thing?" Orion asks. "The answer to that is actual quite simple." Shishio says. "So, what was it?" Orion asks. "Paranoia." Shishio responds. The look on Orion's face was confused. "Baak had covered up his tracks too well that he would even begin to think it was possible that someone would eventually find him out. So he ended up killing the lives of those who he felt knew too much" Shishio threw up air quotes as he said "knew too much." Shishio continued, "the killings by Baak wouldn't stop and at that point many people in the king's party became more suspicious of Baak ultimately running him out of Duran." Shishio had ended his little story and is waiting on the response of Orion.

Benkei watched as the evil wizard put his hand out and was drawn into the vast reaches of his mind "what is this, where are you!" He looked around to see a small child in front of him. He closely look at the child to realize it was him just much younger"what in gods name is this!" Benkei's younger self laughed at him as he taunted him about his failures. Seconds later the vision of himself turned into the oracle crying blood pointed at him for failing to for fill his duty and his mission."no that's not true ! That will never be true !!!!" He dropped to his knees holding his head trying to gain control of himself.

Arena

Leo continued walking at a slow pace. It was evident that Sata did not fear him, for she stood her ground pretty well. "Your pride giant. It may get you killed one day." He'd stop in his tracks, turning to Braaga, who made his way back onto the platform. "Hm?" Leo could see his body pulsating. "Is this the durability of the orc race? Interesting." The lion would raise Champion, "Come. Let me see what you two are made of." That fire from earlier was still in his eyes. Leo's passion was at an all time high!

Above, Nir was closing in on the observatory. Virgil and Remi were close behind him. He'd run pass the entryway, stumbling upon the invaders crowding around an unconscious Persephone. Just a couple of meters away, the king was laying on the floor lifeless. Blood was seeping from the wound on his neck. Benkai was also present, struggling to keep his sanity. The sight was sending Nir into a place he promised himself he'd never go to. He'd tightly grip onto the hilt of Faith, his head lowered. "You......YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS!!!!" Nir would raise his head, revealing some held back tears. Faith began radiating brightly!

Koulro would turn to Nir, "Oh goodness! Kill him boys!" The two creatures of darkness would leap over Benkai, attacking Nir from both sides. In one swift move, he'd spin, slashing both of them with a clean move. Upon impact the blade would vanquish the dark creatures! Koulro would flinch, "Whoah!! What kind of weapon!? Haha! He's all yours Elfdorf, I mean Evindal! Haha!"

Palace

Sir Francis would clash with Jin, eyeing him dead in the face. "You best get out of my way!" Orion would facepalm; his captain sure was a hotheaded man. He'd ignore it however, returning his focus to Shishio. "So, this man Baak was exiled because he was murdering innocent lives. Out of his paranoia....Weird. But my question is, what's that have to do you with your attack today? Why shouldn't we just kill you here right now?"

Orion's eyes would pierce Shishio, as if he was cold and emotionless. Truth be told, he was tired of the talking. He didn't care about a legend that had nothing to do with his kingdom's current situation.

Arena

Sata continued to stand silent until Leo had stopped. He would say the her pride as a giant would get her killed. However, this time it was not the case. Leo turned to see Braaga had emerged. He was a bit surprised as to how this man survived his blow. He noticed that Braaga's body was pulsating. "No no no, I'm just not your average Orc." Braaga says in responce to Leo's comment about the durability of the Orc race. "Ya see, my body is at least 10 times more durable than that of a giant. My skin and bones were reconstructed in a experiment with mostly abalone shells and dragon scales. I am the result of the two." Braaga had boasted throwing his hands out to the side as if he should be praised. Leo had been very interested in seeing the full extent of Braaga as well as the giantess who did not fear him. Leo had prepared to face them both. "Hey Sata go after our original prey, this guy is all mine." Braaga had put on a sus yet smile. He charged in after Leo ready to start their fight. Sata would then and run towards Virgil, Remi and Nir. "Don't order me around." She says while running off.

Nir had just finished off the two demonic beasts. To Koulro's surprise. He would mix Evindal's name up and send him after Nir. "I definitely will kill you one day bastard." Evindal would say in his head as he was noticeable angered by the mix up of names. "I'll take care of it Lord Koulro." Evindal had jumped into Nir's path. "I will warn you now human. I'm not in the best of moods." Evindal would take up his sword preparing to take Nir on.

"It's done! Took a little longer than expected but her mind... the oracle's mind is mine to control" Morlorn had laughed meniacly. Persephone dropped onto the floor with no regards for her safety. This would anger anyone around who wanted to protect her. "I'll contact Lord Raphael now." Morlorn had used his telepathy to contact Rapahael. He had to put his two index fingers on his temple in order to perform a link to speak with someone through his mind. Virgil and Remi had just reached the platform in which Nir and the others were on. Morlorn had just finished contacting Raphael. "He'll be here soon, so we just gotta protect her body until then." Morlorn would say joining Evindal at his side. They would then be fine there battle.

Palace

Although Sir Franics was shouting at Jin to get out of his way, Jin remained silent. Orion had held Francis back trying to cool him down. Orion himself was starting to get to a breaking point. He would ask what was the point of his story. He didn't care for something that had nothing to do with his city. "Remember when I said we had came with five people?" Shishio would point his finger in the direction of Orion and Sir Francis. Wait not at them but behind them. He was pointing at the door they were guarding. Just as the two would turn around the door would creek and slowly open. A female with a nice slender body had emerged from it. She had a small oni mask to the side of her head that would cover one of her pig tails. She was shown wearing a short yukata. It was solid white with reddish orange floral patterns and a reddish orange sash along with a black very short underskirt. "Woooww! This guys are still alive?" The girl would ask as she looked in awe. "Hey capt! What's up? I did my job." She is very pouty and crosses her arms. Based on her demeanor as well as her looks she is definitely still but a child. "I'm sorry Sylvi, these guys are pretty strong. I didn't want to risk losing One of these guys fighting them now." Shishio would respond. Sylvia was her full name. Before Orion and Sir Francis knew it Sylvia was already in front of them, then already at Shishio's side. Shishio would pat her on the head and tell her "job well done" with a smile. "Men! Get to the Airship! Our mission is complete." Shishio ordered a retreat.

Arena

Leo stood there listening to Braaga. Something about Abalone shells and dragon scales. But he didn't seem to care much. "So, that explains the power of your flesh. I want to test it with my sword here." He raised the Champion, "Let's see if your flesh can withstand a direct blow from this metal." Braaga would then order Sata to go after the original prey, but Leo wasn't going to just allow that. These two were his, and his only. In a flash, he appeared in front of Sata, blocking her path. With his free hand, he'd send a powerful palm thrust towards her. "I didn't say you can leave giant!"

In the observatory, Virgil had his opponent set; It was this Evindal. In the background he could see Persephone's body drop onto the floor. This had only angered Nir more than before. "You bastards!" He'd quickly move in, running for Evindal, sliding onto the floor and slashing at his legs! Koulro would hover higher than the leveled balcony, watching from above. "Oooo!!!! I guess this can make up for the Finals! Hahaha!"

Persephone would lay on the floor, her eyes beginning to slowly open. Her power would only allow for a minute or so of consciousness. She'd slowly rip the necklace off her neck, and slide it against the floor, away from her. She'd then smile as she passed out again.

Palace

Orion raised his brow. He was thrown off by what Shishio said. "Five? I only see three...." The door to the chamber would open, "My queen! I adv-" He'd turn his head only to see a masked female exit the room saying the job was done. "What.....?" There was an expression of horror on his face as he rushed over to the door, running past the girl without paying her mind. He would peer into the room, only to see a bloody scene. Both the queen and the son were laying in a pool of blood, mutilated. Orion would drop to his knees. "No...No.....No!!!!!!"

That alone was enough to give Sir Francis the idea of what had transpired. He'd close his eyes and smile, his body beginning to shake. "You....you don't know what you've just done....none of...none of you are LEAVING!!!!!" A powerful burst of magical energy had pulsated from Sir Francis. The walls of the entire room would dent inward and crack, and the marble floor would crack open. Sir Francis was beginning to grow much larger, his muscles beginning to bulk, the skin beginning to turn blood red. "AGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!" Francis' sclera had turned black and his iris became yellow. This form didn't appear to be human. Before the four knew it, they were in the presence of a fifteen foot beast with a bloodlust.He'd look down on Jin, sending a powerful backhand in his direction.

The weapons of the fallen VIPER soldiers would magically levitate, aiming at the remaining soldiers. They were to distracted by the monster unleashing his fury. The weapons would fire, killing each one of the remaining soldiers. Orion would walk out the room with a serious expression and his lance in hand. "......You'll all die here!"

Benkei would hold his head trying to gain his sanity and his breathing was heavy . Benkei would talk to himself to try to calm himself down "this wasn't my fault I did everything I could for her lady, it is my duty to protect and be her shield" Benkei stood up on his feet breathing softly and clearing his mind" this is my mind and body and I will do what I can to save my lady no matter the cost "he would look at the evil image of himself and koulro "I am not a game and my mission is not something to be laUghed at you animal " he pointed his staff at them angry and it began to glow "stay out of my head you beast and never come back " the light from his staff exploded and caused him to break out of the trance briefly before he could see that nir and virgil had arrived for back up "where is my lady!" He looked around and also wondered where had van gone that he needed to be here by now. He raised his staff to attack

Arena

Leo had come to strike back at Braaga testing his alleged tough body. It didn't seem he out his all into it and jumped off to attack Sata. Braaga unfazed was ticked off. "You bastard.. taking me lightly." He said. Leo had just appeared before Sata sending powerful palm thrust at her. She retaliated with her agility, ducking and weaving his hand out of the way. Before she would send her own attack back Braaga jumped in between the two. "I can't wait to kill you." Braaga would then throw a very powerful straight right into Leo's chest, hoping to cause some damage. Sata would then run off again.

Nir would come angered sliding towards Evindal, attempting to slash at his legs. "Hmph? As if." Evindal noticed the angered Nir and would activate his magic. He didn't show that same dark aura but instead it was a light aura. From the ground behind Nir when sliding a tree door had emerged. It would grab Nir from his wrist, stopping him in his tracks. "As if someone blinded with rage could ever hope to defeat me." Evindal would say. Virgil had charged in after noticing Nir get wrapped up. He took to his bow and prepared to launch and arrow freeing Nir but was met with many more branches. He would avoid them as skillfully as he could but was eventually tripped up and fell to the ground. Just as the branches where about to close in on him. They were frozen in an instant. Remi with her had lit had used her magic to freeze the branches attacking Virgil. They had shattered into many pieces. "Take the shot!" Remi shouted. Without anymore hesitation Virgil has readied an arrow that would free Nir. The branches from Evindal would keep coming but Remi would counter them with her ice magic. At the point Virgil had freed Nir, Morlorn had appeared behind Virgil. Morlorn put his hand out and Virgil was instantly put in a trance much like that if the oracle.

Palace

Sir Francis har mmm just comprehended the meaning behind Shishio's story. He was doing nothing more but stalling for time. He was shaking in rage and burst with magical energy. His body had grown and his eyes had changed. Immediately after his change he attacked the nearby Jin. Jin had tried to guard against that attack but was still sent flying back. The other VIPER soldiers had been killed from the floating weapons. Shishio sighed. "Damn now I'm gonna have to fight." Orion too would show anger claiming that they would all die. "Poe. I want you and Sylvi to round up the remaining soldiers and prepare departure. Kroll should've killed the members of the Holy Council by now." Shishio says. "What!? No way Cap! These guys look strong and I wanna fight them!" Sylvia had cried. "Sylvia we were given an order by the captain. Do you really want to disobey him?" Poe would say. Sylvia would look at Poe in distress. "Why can't I fight them? I can win." "Now is not the time Sylvia!" Shishio would shout causing Sylvia to look at him in fear. "You are indeed strong, stronger then us all but.. your body needs to rest right now, you've been awake for too long." Sylvia would turn around with her head tilted down. She was angry. "Will you be there when I wake up again?" Her hands were clenched. There was a slight pause from Shishio. "Yes.. I will be there when you awake Sylvi." She then runs off with Poe. "JIN! Get up!" Shishio would shout. After a short pause he would then say, "Jin, Kill!" From where Jin was thrown, he stood up with his eyes glowing. Silent as always, he was prepared to Kill Orion and Francis.

Arena

Nir had been caught during his slide! A branch had wrapped around his wrist, stopping him in his tracks. Unfortunately it was his hand wielding the Faith, so he couldn't just cut himself free. He showed frustration before being set free by Virgil's arrow shot. That was his chance to continue his attack! He'd swipe the sword in Evindal's direction, an arc of light magic. In its wake, he followed, ready to strike Evindal with a sword stab aimed for his chest.

Meanwhile, back at the arena, Leo's palm thrust would be avoided. Sata would use her agile movement to bypass him, giving Braaga the opening to intervene and attack Leo with a straight to his chest. But such moves would easily be countered by the veteran. Leo would place his palm out, which would take the punch from Braaga. He'd close his grip, latching onto his fist using his sharp claws. Leo's eyes would then shift to Sata as he raised Champion. A beam of magical energy would fire from the tip of the blade and curve outwards, creating a dome around the entire arena. "I told you before! None of you are leaving alive!!!" Leo would send a knee to Braaga's gut, hoping to stun him a bit.

Palace

Back at the palace, the four were beginning to announce their retreat. Jin was sent into the walls, were'd he collapse it. Francis would send a roar of rage, looking at Jin, who would emerge with glowing eyes. Orion on the hand would dismantle his lance again, having the metal pikes float around him. He was ready to engage Shishio.

Francis in his state, would send both fists down onto the floor, collapsing the entire floor! The entire room would be leveled from the move. Everyone who was in the room would be sent into freefall! Falling into the lower level of the palace, which was forty feet below!

Arena

To Braaga's surprise his fist was stopped. Leo would then send a beam of light that would create a barrier around them. He had also thrown a knee to Braaga's chest. Braaga took this opportune moment to grab onto Leo's leg tightly. "Hehe don't avert your eyes!" Braaga would squeeze ever more tightly. Actually the pressure he would use was enough to break the bones of a regular beastman with ease. Sata was stopped in her tracks because if the barrier. She paused for a moment, then sits down with her legs crossed like a pretzel. She had been focusing her magical energy.

Palace

Francis had destroyed the floor causing it crumble at the feet of those still in the room. Poe and Sylvia had already left but Shishio and Jin were already falling. "Bad move." Shishio had said under his breath smirking. He would put both hands open palmed behind him as if he had his hands on a wall. From his hands and feet force propelled him towards Orion. He would take his up his sword and attempt to slash at Orion's head. Jin had followed up in the same manner. Except he would charge into Francis trying to force him downwards into the lower level.

benkei would join the batle along side nir and virgil" Mind if i join you gentleman " Benkei would use his magic to put a shield around Nir and Remi for divine protection "Now then these two men have hurt my lady and you dare enter my mind with your evil wit, you men are just asking for death so see here " Benkei would then slam his staff into the ground and slam his fist together chanting "Heed my call divine ones lend me your strength to vanquish my enemies in the name of the oracle and those that seek justice bestow upon me the power of light and darkness to balance out the impurities of this world !" Black and white lights surround benkei's fist and forearms creating some type of legendary gaunlets " I CALL UPON THE WEAPON UNITY BREAKER!!!!!"
Benkei would raise his fist to the sky and charge at his opponents with Nir and Remi by his sides "I will create a opening " He would slam the ground with bursting white and black energy in front of them creating a shock wave

http://img15.deviantart.net/c106/i/2013/005/e/6/magic_gauntlet_by_haardod-d5qiyu9.jpg

Arena

Leo smirked, "You must not know who I am." Braaga's grip on his leg was very tightening, but didn't cause alarm. Leo brought his arms up, sending a cross chop at Braaga's chest, using his claws as an extra weapon to deliver a slash. "I shall enlighten you!!" The whole time he did not pay any mind to Sata, who was meditating and gathering her magic.

Above, Nir began his strike with the aid of Benkai. First, he'd have to free Virgil from his trance-like state. With a swing of his sword, he'd send an arc of light at Morlorn. "Benkai! Let's take this Evindal out!" He'd turn back in the direction of Evindal, continuing his assault alongside Benkai, who summoned forth gauntlets.

Koulro would hover above the entire observatory, "Interesting. Could those be the gauntlets created by the ancient Twilight race?"

Palace

Back in the palace, the entire top half had begun collapsing down. They were all suspended in mid-air, but Shishio and Jin would take this opportunity to attack. Shishio's sword strike would be met by two pikes floating around Orion. Six more of the floating pikes would then be directed to shoot in towards Shishio. One went for the head shot, three for his torso and two for the legs. "You're not going to get me that easy." Orion said, giving Shishio an emotionless look.

Francis on the other hand, while falling, noticed Jin attacking in the same manner. He'd place his arms out to block against his attack, but the force of his charge would send him down at a faster rate. He'd crash into the lower level, shattering the entire floor. "RAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!" From the debris and smoke, the same magical energy would seep out of Francis. He'd begin growing larger, his hair growing longer. At this point the armor he was wearing could not contain his frame. Orion was able to catch onto this, "Shit....."

Apparently, Francis had entered an even more berserk form. The beast would clap his hands, sending a powerful shockwave throughout the entire palace main level. Columns would snap and the walls would cave in, removing the foundation to what remained of the upper levels. It was chaos!!

Further down the West wing, a girl could be seen crouching within a room. "Please dear Oracle, I pray that you are safe." She feared for her life at the moment as she listened to Francis' roars.

Arena

Virgil was brought to his knees as he was about to lose consciousness. Nir had attacked Morlorn with Faith sending an arc of Light towards him. Morlorn would then surround both him and Virgil in a barrier that was strong enough to fend off Nir's attack. At that moment Nir would tell Benkei to attack Evindal with him. "I'll go save Virgil!" Remi would rush towards the barrier with a flurry of attacks. She would use her fire magic to engulf the barrier hoping to destroy it in one hit. The barrier was unphased. She would then use a combined her ice magic that would freeze over the barrier. After the ice had been shattered with her fire a fog was created. As it cleared up it was revealed that the barrier still stood strong. "You are wasting your time girl." Morlorn would smirk. Remi is getting noticeably frustrated. "AAGGGGHHHH!!" She charges in again throwing her all into these next few attacks. Fire, Ice, Lightning, Wind and Earth. She used every bit a elemental magic she could to try and destroy the barrier. Morlorn would simply laugh at how futile her attacks were. "I think I'll have you two fight each other. That'll be interesting." Morlorn would unleash his magic and would invade Virgil's mind.

Inside Virgil's Mind

It is dark inside Virgil's world. There was only one bit of light that would be shown off in the distance. Morlorn would walk closer to that light. In the light there was a run down looking cage and inside that cage was Virgil sitting, motionless. "Ahh so there you are!" Morlorn continues moving closer to the cage. He would reach for the lock and would break it off. As he opened the door the darkness that surrounded the cage would begin to shift. It was windy in here. Morlorn would ignore the wind and reached for Virgil griping his shirt. He held his hand out to Virgil's face. "You are now mine to control." Morlorn would smirk and his hand would glow with magical aura. "Huh?" Morlorn noticed a darkness that would start surrounding Virgil's body. When it finally reached where Morlorn was grabbing, the dark aura would actually burn Morlorn's hand. "Aagggghh!! What the hell was that!" Morlorn released his grip to hold his hand from the pain. A shadowy figure had just started to form in front of Morlorn. "This vessel is not yours." An eerie voice was heard throughout the entire space of Virgil's mind. Much like an intimidation, the shadowy figure had a frightening presence that would cause Morlorn to shake in fear. He was so shook that he as completely kicked out of Virgil's mind.

Back in the Arena Morlorn was pushed back from Virgil and was brought to a knee. He had been breathing heavily. "What.. impossible!! What just happened!?" Morlorn was confused. Remi had ceased her attacks to see Morlorn in a knee. She believed her attacks finally worked. She showed a happy expression but that quickly changed. From Virgil's body a dark aura had started to take hold of him. Remi now with a scared worried look. "This can't be happening. Not now. Please not now. VIRGIL!" Remi would shout and then run towards Virgil.

Palace

"Damn! This guy really is going berserk." Shishio had been fending off the pikes from Orion as he noticed the explosive and destructive power of Francis. Shishio would think to himself. "If this continues, I will lose Jin." Shishio would block the last pike and would stop to stare at Orion. "Hey what do ya say we call it a draw?" Shishio would throw his arms up as if he quit. "There's no need for us to all lose our lives right here, plus you have a lot more to lose here than I." Shishio would point at a little girl down on the ground. A large piece of debris would start falling onto the girl. Hopefully for Shishio, Orion would go save the girl leaving him a Jin a chance to escape.

Benkei would attack with remi trying to break the barrier "Listen you must find the weak point in this magic barrier if you want to break through " Benkei would concentrate his magic on the points of his knuckles and rubs his hands on the barrier pushing his fist into it heavily. The barrier would still hold until small cracks started to appear "Ha see !" he slams his fist into the barrier harder and harder as it was breaking up" Remi attack with me on this points" he punched the barrier rapidly till his gauntlets shatters "Urgh my time is up " He grabbed his staff and twirled it summoning forth lightning smacking it down upon the whole area "Has virgil awaken yet we need him prompt!"

Arena

Nir turned to the barrier that Morlorn had created. It appeared that Remi could not penetrate it. Perhaps she was too weak. Instead of helping Nir attack Evindal, Benkai ran to Remi's aid. "Looks like I'm on my own on this one. So be it!" He turned back to Evindal, holding his shield out. Nir approached the elf slowly. "You're an elf. What is an elf doing with people like this?"

Down at the platform, where Anna was tending to Shinji and Kira. A cloaked figure would approach them. "Girl." They'd hold their chest, which was bloodied. Apparently he had suffered a slash to his chest. "Hey! Sorry to bother, but ya' think you can heal this guy here??" Kuro would emerge from the cloak, floating around Anna in his orb form.






Palace

"You bastard!" Orion was now left with no choice. It was either pursue after Shishio, or allow the small girl to be crushed. He wasn't going to let something like that happen! But would he be able to make it in time!? "Dammit!!!" Orion quickly averted himself to the small girl, diving in after her. His pikes would be fired at the rubble, beginning to shred it into smaller pieces. But it didn't look like it was going to be enough. "No!!!"

One large piece of rubble escaped the pike attacks. Orion couldn't do much to save her at this point! "No!!!!" The rubble would suddenly be enveloped in mid-air by some unknown energy. It appeared to be a pink colored bubbly aura. While falling, Orion smiled, he knew exactly who was responsible. After a flip, he landed on both feet, where he'd hold onto the girl. "Only the Hand of the Oracle would be quick enough to save the innocent. Thank you." The same girl who was cowering in one of the rooms, had found the courage to come out and save another life. "It is what my Lady would wish for." She moved the rubble, setting it down beside the two.

In the distance, they were able to hear Francis roaring in madness. Orion, would let go of the small girl, "I leave her in your care. I have to stop Francis before he gets out into the city and causes destruction."

Arena

Sata had prepared her magic now! She had molded her earth magic into her hands and would begin to send a barrage of her earth magic at the barrier targeting the same spot. The barrier would crash down allowing her to proceed on through. Braaga would continue to trade blows with Leo.

Evindal had readied himself with his nature magic as Nir would approach him. He had asked why someone of the elf race associate with the attackers. "Why? Hmm well for starters." Evindal would point in the sky towards Koulro. "You see that clown above us? I will one day kill him with my own hands. As to why I joined up with these guys. Well let's just say I can acquire the power I need in order to fulfill that task."

Benkei had assisted Remi in trying to destroy the barrier. "He was able to crack the barrier!?" Remi would think to herself. "Ok! Let's do it!" She's says to Benkei as she follows up. The barrier had started to crack! They had finally found a weak point in the barrier and would simultaneously strike it. Remi would envelop her arms in fire as she would punch along side Benkei. Morlorn had been too distracted to keep his barrier strong. "Fear? Do I know fear? Was I truly afraid? Huh?" He looked up and noticed too late that there was cracking in his barrier. "No! How could I let these.. these imbeciles destroy my barrier." Morlorn was no longer his calm and collected self. He was angry. Attempting to restore his barrier, from Virgil's body the dark aura started to expanded outwards. It started to become too intense and would erupt from his body. The dark aura would blow Morlorn away as well as destroy his barrier. The darkness would expand more and more to Benkei and Remi. They didn't have enough time to react and would be blown back from the intense dark aura from Virgil. As the dark aura would clear. Only darkness would surround Virgil. The most concentrated dark aura would be from his left arm. Virgil would stand tall motionless and quiet. Remi would raise up a little on the ground and would look around. She had seen Benkei about 10 feet from her and then she would see in the distance Virgil standing. "Virgil.." Remi had turned from her back to her stomach trying to get back up. "Virgil... are you alright?" She would continue to call out to Virgil as she advanced toward him slowly and in pain. He would not answer her.

Anna had just finished tending to the wounds of Biggs, Koji and Kira. She would continued to sustain Shinji as his body is still in no condition to be moving. Biggs had been looking over the balcony watching the fighters. Just as the fights were getting more intense a strange figure had appeared before Anna. The figure had taken notice of her healing powers. And approached he asking her to heal someone. That person was Van and he had bore a large scar on his chest and had terrible wounds. Anna would shriek in fear as Kuro appeared before her in his ghastly form. "Who are you?" She readied herself to fight Kuro and stepped in front the downed bodies of Shinji, Koji and Kira. Her stance was remind and clumsy. "I.. I will stop you myself if I have to." She said in her timid voice. Biggs had heard her scream and rushed over quick. "Anna! Anna are you ok!!?" Biggs would yell as he ran in on the scene of her and Kuro squaring off. "Anna get back! Who the hell are you?" As Biggs would jump in between the two.  

Palace

Orion was angered by the cowardice of Shishio. He had no choice but to go after the girl. "Heh, perfect." Shishi smirked and would fly towards Jin and Francis. "Hey Jin! Toss him and let's get out of here!" Jin's eyes would light up in response to Shishio's command. He would swing Francis around and throw him into the crumbling walls. Francis would shout out a loud roar as he collided with the wall. Shishio and Jin would hover several feet in the air above Francis. "Let's go." Shishio and Jin would fly away.

Inner City

"Where is the commander?" "The scanner reads that he is right below us!" "Take us down, we're in a hurry!" Some of the Duran soldiers would talk amongst themselves in their airship. Still in the airship Poe would lead Sylvia to a room with a large dewar bed chamber in its center. Poe would open the door for Sylvia as she got in the chamber. "Goodnight my dear." Poe would say. Sylvia's response was her looking at him then turning away in disappointment. "COMMANDER POE!" A soldier and appeared. Before Poe as he exited the room. "Hmm.. yes what is it?" Poe responds. "You have to come quick it's commander Kroll!" Poe's face would turn to shock. They would rush to the outside if the ship. As they were getting off loud screams were heard not so far off. As they got closer and closer to the screams where even louder. They had walked open a man charging into the destroyed buildings. He was in excruciating pain. Poe would just look down into the pit where the man rampaged. "Who the hell could've done this to you of all people?" He thought. It was Kroll! Kroll had thrashing about because of the missing arm he has now. The amount of pain he was going through was enough to leave a normal man unconscious. "Why hasn't anyone brought him back to the airship yet!?" Poe would shout. The soldiers there looked at each other simultaneously as they would tell Poe why they couldn't retrieve him. "He.. well you see sir. We uhh can't do that." "Hmm and why not!?" Poe would turn and face the soldier that spoke angrily. The soldier shrieked! "Sir every attempt we make at trying to help the commander he just throws us away." "Yeah commander Kroll is too strong for us to hold down!" "Please Commander Poe! Help us!" The soldiers where desperate. "You are all pathetic." Poe would reach in his pocket and pulled out a blow gun. One soldier had whispered to another, "hey isn't that an old outdated blow gun?" "Yeah it is why?" "why would someone from the Black Mamba use something so old school? We got the new prototype firearms. Why not use those?" "Hey man don't ask me. But I heard that Commander Poe actually likes these things." "Really!?" "Yeah!" Poe had aimed for Kroll's neck. With great accuracy he fired if a single shot and hit. The thrashing Kroll would thrash no more. He would finally fall down to the ground unconscious after struggling to stay up. "Bring him to the infirmary quick! Once we're all set we'll hover above Galatia. And wait for the Captain and Jin to get to us!" Poe would say with much authority. "Sir!" The soldiers would simultaneously say as they would fan out and carry out their orders.

As the battle had progressed benkei watched as nir needed help and he responded "I am coming to aid you!" just then while everyone was distracted with all the commotion, everyone had turned to virgil who was leaking darkness "What in heavens name?" as he spoke a large explosion would occur rushing towards benkei and remi. The explosion was to intense and fast to react to and would send him flying 10 feet from remi. As the dust settle and benkei tried to get up to see if virgil was okay he would wince in pain as he grabbed his side seeing a piece of a sharp rock stabbed inside his rib "Urgh! dam it all!" He looked onward to see virgil standing still silent but seeping some type of demonic power especially from his arm. He watched as remi called out to him and would advance forward "Remi you fool stay away from him! we do not know what has become of him yet and i sense something dangerous coming from him do not approach!" Benkei would then call out for nir "Nir Nir stop remi!!!"he grabbed his side in pain as he ripped out the shard. Benkei would put his hands together in a waving motion and attempt to magically heal himself

Arena

Nir couldn't believe that an elf would stoop to such a low level, just to kill someone. The elves were a graceful and proud race, to have one with such mentality was unheard of. "The path you take is a treacherous one. You disgrace your-" There was suddenly a powerful outburst of darkness. It was strong enough to send Remi, Benkai and Morlorn back. Nir could feel its power from where he stood. "What is this!?" Faith began glowing even more, to the point it was beginning to vibrate. It was a reaction to this powerful darkness. Benkai would call out to Nir, asking him to get Remi. She was walking towards Virgil, who was cloaked in darkness. "Oh no!" He'd quickly move in towards the powerful pressure, making his way to Remi.

"Remi!!!" He'd place his shield on his back, freeing one hand. "Take my hand!! Don't walk any further! It's too dangerous!!!" He reached out to her, hoping that she'd take his hand. Koulro would float even higher, watching Virgil's output of power. "Interesting." He'd flick his finger up, controlling the Oracle's limp body. She'd quickly float up to him, where he'd grab her. "I can't afford to have you injured my dear!! Hehe!!" Koulro would maintain levitation above them all, "Now where is this Raphael...? Your leader is taking forever!!!" He'd shout down to Evindal.

-------------

Down at the platform, Leo was toying with Braaga. Any blow Braaga sent, was avoided by Leo's speed. Meanwhile, Leo would test out his durability by sending his own blows. "Who do you work for!?" He'd send a punch straight at Braaga's face.

Anna would stand up at the sight of Van and Kuro, trying to protect Koji, Shinji and Kira. Kuro'd float around her, "Whoah! Whoah! Whoah! Is it my face? We're not here to cause any problems little girl! Jeez!" Biggs would then arrive and protect Anna, keeping her behind him. Van would sigh, "Relax. I'm not an enemy. I just need her to heal me.." Van would point to the large wound on his chest, which was bleeding profusely. "I may bleed out if I don't get that medical attention."

Kuro would hover over the downed bodies, "Yeah! He's going to need some healin' you know? Besides, these three look fine! They're just regaining energy right now. Pulse rates are good!" The small orb of darkness would then turn in the direction of the balcony, "Holy smokes! You feel that Van!? Something's going down up there!" Van would turn in the direction, "Yeah....These two are also fighting here." He'd point to Leo and Braaga. "If you heal me, I'll be able to help out around here. You have my word girl." The young man would begin sweating and panting, the amount of blood loss now affecting his human body.

Palace

Orion would leave the two girls, running in the direction of Francis' roars. The beast was tossed into the walls by Jin, which angered him even more. He'd began thrashing about, breaking even more walls. "RAAAAAGH!!!" Orion would then arrive, "Francis!!! That's enough!!" He'd reach into a pouch, taking out a vial. "I can't let you rage on and destroy this city, or at least what's left of it." Orion would quickly run in Francis' direction. The brute would notice him coming and turn towards him, roaring.

Before Francis could even take off to attack Orion, the warrior was already in front of him, displaying his speed. He'd toss the vial at Francis' face, where it'd break and let loose a green gas. "AAAAAAGGG....UHHH" Francis would drop to his knees, beginning to revert back to his normal form. "I should have done this earlier. But I hoped that you would kill at least one of them..."

Outer City

The Duran airships had been laying in wait above Galatia. Shishio and Jin had just landed. Many of the soldiers and welcomed back both Shishio and Jin. Amongst the soldiers one of them walked up to Shishio bowing his head. "Commander Shishio I'm glad that you're here!" He would the raise his head. "Ah yes thank you!" Shishio would reply. "Sir! We have a report for you!" "Go on." "Sir! It's about Commander Kroll!" "Hmm?" Shishio would pause and stare at the soldier. "Mm sir! He seems to be going through surgery!" "Surgery? What for?" Shishio was confused. "Sir! Commander Kroll had fought and enemy that was strong enough to nearly take his life!" "So they had someone that could even take kroll down." Shishio would mutter to himself. "Take me to him." "Yes sir! The soldier responds with a salute.

Arena

Kuro had stated he meant no harm as well as Van who regained consciousness. Biggs would carefully assess the situation before he made a decision. Van had made a good point. He could help there friends out if he was healed. "Alright fine." Biggs would turn to Anna. "Hey Anna do you think you could heal this guy so he can help us out?" She would look at Biggs and nods her head with a smile. "They don't seem like bad people. I'll do my best!" Anna says with confidence. Just as they came to an understanding, Kuro had just pointed out an overflow of energy coming from the arena. "This awful energy." Anna would hold her chest. "Biggs." She would face Biggs. "It's got to be him right?" He responded as she nods her head yes.

All eyes were on Virgil now. The darkness that was around him caught everyone's attention. Nir had already run off towards Remi and Evindal would watch as his opponent would leave to go rescue Remi. Koulro had used his magic to leviatate the body of the Oracle and had asked Evindal where Raphael was. "I have wondered that myself Lord Koulro. Most likely he is indulging himself in women." Remi who was continuing to walk towards Virgil was eventually met by Nir. As the darkness spread around Virgil, Nir had called out to Remi and reaching for her. Remi would brush Nir off. "I can't leave him in this state! I can bring him back!" She sounded as if this had happened before. Remi had seemed very confident that she could stop the darkness spreading from Virgil. She would get just about ten feet away from Virgil, when finally a reaction was seen. Virgil would raise his head to look onto the frightened face of Remi. His face was different. The dark aura had altered his skin making it completely black. This would extend to his face as well. The only thing on his face was two white dots for eyes and an white outline of a mouth fitted for sharp fangs (basically looks like a tailed beast cloak from naruto just no tails and the only affected area is the skin, clothes stay intact). "V.. Virgil? It's.. it's gonna be ok. I just want to come over and help you out, ok." She would say as she approached him very cautiously. Virgil would watch her carefully. He seemed to be relaxed as he would recognize the sound of her voice. Morlorn had just looked upon the site of the beast Virgil had transformed into. "Ugly thing you've turn into. Just what the hell are you anyway?" Morlorn was angry and would float in the direction of Virgil and Remi. "Your gonna regret the day you messed with me!" Morlorn would say charging after Virgil. Evindal would also look on to the site to Virgil's. "What manner of beast is this?" Evindal was overwhelmed for a moment from the amount of darkness energy Virgil had put off. "This darkness. How does he possess such darkness?" Evindal would say in his head. Morlorn would attempt to strike Virgil with his telekinesis. Virgil had now been alert to Morlorn's attack. Just as Remi was face to face with him he let out a huge scream. The scream had sent vibrations through the air that would shake the bodies of those close enough. Morlorn was halted and fell from the sky and Remi was also brought to a knee. From Virgil's body the dark aura had started to erupt. It was his own dark explosion! As the darkness continued to expand until finally it burst. The smoke was scattering, the debris would fly up. The arena would crumble even more than it was previously. For those who were close by, how did they (if they did) escape this destructive force?

Benkei watched in horror as the friends did everything in their power to get to virgil "What is happening to him what does he have inside him" Benkei could see his skin changing and his face being completely back with only two white eyes and a devilish smile "Remi ! Nir! get away he is going to go berserk on this whole dam place pull back!" Just then benkei could so the oracle being taken away and he gasped "Get your disgusting hands off her now!!!" he pointed his hand out to her creating a rope around her waist pulling her to his side " i do not give a dam about your evil plans you will not be taking my lady anyway you hear me " He grabbed his side in pain and shouted to the rest of them "We need to get out of here fast with the lady oracle and figure out a way to calm virgil down fast before he kills someone or maybe all of us on that matter!" Benkei raised concernfor the safety of them all.