(SORRY FOR DYING ALL OF A SUDDEN!!!)
(This is a two in one chapter, so it's gonna be far longer than usual. You don't have to read it all in one go if it's overwhelming.)
I've been feeling very lost lately, especially on the direction I want this book to take. Especially with the events happening irl, I was unsure if I would continue.
I've taken a bit of time to reassess my plans and I'm just too invested to stop. If you have any concerns or questions, or if you feel like I'm doing something wrong, feel free to message me about it.)
ENOUGH RAMBLING! Let's get right into it!
(and thank you for 200k reads)
(NOBODY POV)
Everyone who walked by the Coloso that afternoon would look over and wonder what the hell was going on as the stadium walls trembled every so often. Usually, they would have gotten seats during the lunch break to watch the contestants train but not today.
"I don't want an audience today," America had declared, "What happens here stays here. The fewer people, the better."
People thought it was an odd decision but if they saw it, they would have understood. For the next hour or two, the Superpower was continuously tossed into the air, only to be shot right down by Poland. Not even 20 minutes had passed when the newly paved stone platform began to crack.
"You gotta stop letting me get you from behind," Poland scolded as he brandished his spear, "On your feet! Again!"
Germany raised his hand and Kerberos (now merged into a three-headed hound) crouched in preparation. It leapt towards America in a flash and throttled him into the sky where he attempted to right himself but Poland was already there.
"You're flailing too much! Recover faster!"
Russia winced as America rocketed back into the ground. This was hard to watch, even for him.
"Poland's not pulling any punches huh," Germany remarked as he looked away, "He's sounding just like a drill sergeant."
"I'm sure NATO would be proud."
"Mhm."
Despite not having dodged a single attack in the air during the entire hour, there were subtle improvements that only Poland noticed while he was airborne. He wasn't really blocking, but he was shifting his position ever so slightly to minimize the damage from Poland's attacks. Perhaps it was instinct? He wasn't sure but it was why he was still able to get up after being beaten down.
"Again!" he agreed.
By the time the chimes rang, America was so tired that he could barely stand. Poland was also out of energy and his wings flickered violently before disappearing.
"I'm sweating buckets over here," he panted as he flopped onto the stone bench, "How do you guys keep up with him? It's like he never stops."
"We don't," Germany grinned as Russia summoned a slight breeze to cool them off, parting the dusty gray clouds. The air glimmered like diamonds in the thread of sunlight.
(NASA POV)
The air buzzed violently and every hair on my body jolted up. With a swipe of my hand, a rift appeared above our heads just in time to swallow another bolt of lightning.
"This is getting kind of annoying," I sighed as we continued to edge our way across a ledge and up the mountain. It was like the lightning was being aimed at us and I was certain it would only get worse. Greece ducked just in time to avoid being struck and swore under his breath in an archaic tongue.
"This is what I get for looking after you for thousands of years," he grumbled as he pulled himself back onto the path, "We're almost there. C'mon."
The path up to the summit widened considerably and the converging point of the storm was now visible. As we got closer, we could see bits and pieces of stone pillars sticking out of the path and a torn down structure. The sky above was a violent mess of blues, blacks and greys. Shadows clashed against the scorching lights and it only got worse as we walked towards the center.
Despite missing a roof and how ravaged the ruins looked, it was clear it used to be a shining temple or something of that sort.
Something in the distance caught my eye. I wasn't sure if it was just the light playing tricks on me or something but hazy silhouettes began to dot the path ahead. It looked like large groups of people were gathered, carrying gifts and offerings, though something didn't seem right about them.
"NASA? Are you alright?"
I looked up to see NATO steadying me with a concerned expression on his face. The silhouettes were gone.
"Did I... did I just black out back there?" I shook my head but it didn't do anything to help, "Sorry about that. I should be fine now."
Perhaps the abnormally electrical environment was interfering with my bionic attachments and sensors. NATO still looked worried but we continued up onto the summit, hoping to grab and go as quickly as possible.
After dodging bolt after bolt, we finally reached the entrance of the temple which had been reduced to a giant rectangle of half-pillars.
"It should be somewhere here," Greece muttered to himself, "Let's spread out and look for it."
They got to work digging through piles of rubble, lifting fallen pillars, checking empty jars and diving away from more lightning bolts.
It was still nowhere to be found and I began to get frustrated as a high pitched hum grew louder in my head. The flashing lights didn't help the nausea either.
It got so bad that I had to find the nearest surface and sit down, cradling my head in my hands as I tried to steady my oddly erratic breathing.
The noise slowly disappeared, only to be replaced by incoherent mutterings of people. I didn't know if it was any better than before.
"Excuse me, you're in my way."
My eyes snapped open to see no one else until I realized the voice was coming from the ground. A shadow of a man carrying an amphora, brimming with wine, tapped his foot impatiently as he gestured at the shadow I casted. He looked a bit miffed and tilted his head towards the pile of rubble behind me.
"If you don't mind, I have an offering to make."
I let him pass by and watched as he placed the jar upon the rubble and disappeared before my very eyes.
"NASA!!!"
I snapped out of my trance for a second time to find NATO shaking my shoulders furiously.
"Are you there? Are you unwell? You shouldn't stay here- I'll take you back."
As I struggled to string together a sentence against NATO's nagging, Greece turned towards where I was staring at.
An amphora brimming with wine stood there, untouched, and now a solid object fixed in reality. The surface of the liquid rippled with the ominous glow of lightning. He frowned and peered into it before picking it up gingerly.
"This... I don't remember this being here before?" he mused as a sickly sweet aroma washed over his senses. He felt a tug on his arm and when he looked down, he stared back at his shadow, gesturing to the amphora and pointed to a spot on the floor. He walked over to it.
Before anyone could stop him, he was shoved by an unseen force as the amphora tumbled and shattered, spilling the dark liquid out onto the floor exposed by the sky. Some shadows of unseen souls peeked out of from the dark and gathered around Greece. They began to sway and dance, like they were doing a sort of ceremony.
"WAIT GREECE-" was all NATO could say before the country stepped back just enough to let me see. The wine within had not formed a puddle. Instead, it seemed to churn on the floor like inky black clouds until finally settling to create an image.
Thunder rumbled and lightning churned in the clouds but did not strike, as if the sky was holding its breath.
The shadows depicted the ceiling of the grand, unbroken temple with a dozen humans placing offerings at an invisible altar. A grand figure with flowing hair like the rolling storm clouds and eyes as fierce as molten plasma sat above the mortals. He basked in their voices calling, "O lord of heaven! Oh mighty Zeus!" and whatnot while giving nothing in return.
Those who forget their place, those who succumb to the poison called hubris, those who cross the line will be struck down. Even gods may die, Zeus.
Even you.
Helliniki Dimokratia.
(NATO POV)
Before we could understand what was happening, the shadow people suddenly scrambled away from that spot just as a massive lightning bolt struck the temple. It caused the whole mountain to shake and nearly blinded us all. When the light faded enough, I could see the inky vapor puddle hissing and churning like ocean waves.
"A demon-possessed puddle," I thought to myself, "What else is new?"
I was about to grab everyone and run away but before I could, a bolt of lightning nearly singed my eyebrows off. A deafening rumble of thunder made it pretty clear that I was supposed to not do that. To my surprise, the dark sky darkened even more.
Everything quieted around us- not in the calming way though. It was more like it was being muffled but before I could register what was happening, a flash of light, brighter than any other bolt of lightning, struck the center of the now-completely-formed temple. Once the light disappeared, I could see a familiar figure laying on the ground, his body crumbling and smoldering as tendrils of electricity snapped at him as he tried to get away.
Another devastating bolt was brought down upon him, followed by another and another. His enraged curses in primeval Greek competed with the violent bellowing thunder. Mortals hurried through the streets, scrambling for shelter and fearing they might also be targeted by this godly wrath. Unbeknownst to them, it was a "god" who was facing this punishment.
From sunset to sunrise the next day, the sound of crackling lightning never ceased. Only when the midday sun rose to its peak did the sky rest and only then did the humans dare peek outside.
Which devious soul had inflamed the temper of the divine? What did they do to deserve such a cursed fate? Those were the questions that pestered the onlookers as well as the damned one in his final moments.
"If you were truly a god, why do you stand on the banks of the Underworld?"
He was the King of Gods. He was the all powerful immortal who wielded a thousand storms.
But there were no gods. Only long-deceased allies, blessed with forgotten talents. There was no power in his hands. Only blinding sins, hubris, and a weapon that could take no more.
The temple of "Zeus" lay upon the mountain for all to see. A ruination of a bygone "god" who was shattered by his very own weapon.
The liquid had seeped through the cracks, ending the reflection from the past. Standing before Greece was the amphora jar- unshattered and seemingly made from solid gold. Engraved on the side was a single word:
Exodos
(GREECE POV)
The smell of ozone and the tingling static energy had lifted, allowing muddled rays of sunlight to shine upon this bleak, cursed mountain. Though my body rejoiced at the alleviated pressure, a thunderstorm of memories churned in my head as I stared at the receding afterimages of my past demise.
Flashes of the ancient past darted through my brain. Some portrayed me as a brave warrior, who cleansed the land from terror, while others... made it look like the complete opposite. I vocalized what I could.
"I've seen my fair share of tragedies," I grumbled, "Mine surely takes the cake."
I walked out of the ruins in a daze and took a seat at a ledge overlooking the village. The golden Exodos jar glimmered in my hands as I stared into my murky gold reflection. NASA stepped off the path to join me, followed suit by NATO.
"Helliniki Dimokratia... that was your name back then right?" she asked, "Before all that... happened, I mean."
When I didn't respond, she shuffled to the edge with me and sat beside me. We stared down specks below, at the abandoned village that may have housed those poor, frightened, mortals many millennia ago. From here, it was easy to see how someone could lose themselves. It felt like we were closer to the sky than we were to the ground.
After recounting all I could from the resurfacing past, a gap of silence settled between us. How shameful it was to forget one's own origin and the countless friends who had passed over the ages. Looking back, I couldn't help but wonder what they would say if they saw me now.
Then again, how could I be sure that these memories were indeed my own and not just a burden brought onto me by someone else? All these revelations began to shake my own image.
"I'm not sure how to feel about this," I admitted as I pulled my knees to my chest, "Who exactly does this make me then?"
In truth, I was simply denying my mistakes. No excuses would help me now.
NATO put a hand on my shoulder and said, "I think that's really up to you. I'm sure you've known subconsciously, far longer than you think."
I sighed, defeated as I allowed myself to lean against him. The world slowly dimmed but in a calming manner as all my energy drained from my body. My form began to flicker as my Awakening could no longer hold. Like my mind, it could no longer mask any past regrets.
My hair billowed out like rolling storm clouds and my eyes glowed like molten plasma, though dimmed considerably. Cracks ran all over my body- a reminder of my fatal flaw.
I died that day, my hubris causing my ruination along with that temple but my form carried on. I was given a new beginning but all would eventually return to the beginning.
So here I was.
(NOBODY POV)
Only when a horrible shriek sound from behind did NATO realize the figure who had tailed them all the way up the mountain. And now, whoever they were, had a dagger in hand.
"OI! NASA, BEHIND YOU!" he hollered just in time for her to notice the assailant, who lunged towards them.
She was quick to react, ducking to one side as her arm disappeared into a starry rift, only to reappear behind the hooded figure. She grabbed them and flung them to the ground, forcing them to let go of the blade.
"Are you alright?" Greece finally asked as he snapped out of his previous sulking.
"I'm fine, thank you," she assured him as she stepped in front of him, prepared to protect. Before the person could recover, NATO was on top of them, pinning them to the ground. They struggled desperately and to NATO's surprise, their strength was inhuman. An angry wail, like the ear splitting sound of scraping metal, erupted from the figure before it nearly bucked him off. With a massive heave, NATO wrestled them over his shoulder and slammed them back against the ground. Finally, the figure went still as painful creaking noises slowly died down.
"Now who the hell is that?" Greece scowled as he peered over NASA's shoulder, "They've been trying to get up this mountain for days. I'm getting tired of seeing these shady people."
"You can say that again," NATO grumbled as he knelt down. He grabbed the hood and lifted it, ready to put a face to the assaulter but they suddenly jolted up and their eyes met just as a toxic plume of ash was blown into NATO's face.
He instinctively stumbled back and luckily NASA had seen it coming. Most of the ashes were swallowed into the depths of space, leaving NATO relatively unharmed.
"That could have ended really badly-" NASA grumbled.
Amidst the chaos, they didn't realize the person was gone until Greece yelped in surprise.
NASA turned just in time to catch a final glimpse at the figure's unhooded face before they dragged Greece off the ledge, plummeting back to Earth in a flurry of darkness.
...
Germany was unsure of what to think.
"I- sorry I messed you up," Canada apologized profusely but Germany wasn't listening. He was too focused on... whatever that was.
With Russia's energy, Canada's transference, Poland's readiness to act if something went wrong, Nurse WHO just a dial away and America's emotional support, they had attempted to summon Bundesadler without Germany losing all his energy like last time.
The sky had darkened just like previously and Germany once again faced the glowing eyes of his beast. But something went wrong and now...
"HONK!" Bundesadler protested.
"That's a goose," America pointed out helpfully, "Canada, what did you do?"
"I DUNNO!"
AU sighed as she stared at their team of oddballs.
"I think that's a sign to end today's practice," she suggested before exiting the Coloso, "Classes ended four hours ago."
Despite all of them being absolutely pooped, none of them were ready to leave yet. America sat down with Poland to receive tips about how to improve in the air.
"Are you absolutely certain that you don't want to join us at the Tournament?" America urged, "You super duper duper duper sure???"
Poland leaned back to put some distance between their faces, "I- I- I'm... not sure... I'll see."
Meanwhile, Russia and Germany rehearsed their combo attacks on a smaller scale.
"Honestly, Bundesadler looks oddly adorable as a goose-OW!" Germany yelped as the ink-black goose snapped at his nose, "Nevermind. I take that back."
...
Despite being told to take it easy and relax, Five couldn't help but feel unnerved by some unknown situation. He had previously brushed it off as worry or even jealousy of NATO going on this super big and badass mission without him but now, he wasn't so sure. His instincts told him the threat was far closer to home than he had thought.
He walked down the eerily quiet halls and a shiver ran up his spine as he passed a newly constructed stairway. It lead to a black stone door, guarded by the shadows itself. Even from here, he could feel the piercing gazes of UN's secret unit, tasked with only the most important of tasks.
The shadow agents, he liked to call them. They were the most cutthroat and skilled unit that UN had and they usually tied up all the loose ends in the Headmaster's plans. Five was no stranger to this shady bunch.
"Not a step closer."
Five found at least ten sniper rifles aimed at him as soon as he turned towards the mysterious doors.
"Whoa whoa, calm down fellas!" he chuckled as he backed up with his hands in the air, "Just looking, I'm not a threat."
As he walked away, he made a note of the hidden guards that surrounded the area completely. Security was tight. It was really no surprise given that what was happening behind that door. The tsurugi was being sealed and UN had made it clear, there was no room for error.
"So why does my gut tell me to go inside?!" Five growled in frustration. Over the years and with hundreds of missions under his belt, he had learned to listen to his gut feeling. And to the funny fish messengers they had met previously.
"AAIE- oh wait, I know you two!" he remarked after running into them (literally), "Aren't you Japan's- er I mean, the Chrysanthemum's messengers? Never thought I would see you again after you leapt into the water and turned into those eel thingies."
"Oarfish, good sir," one of them corrected, "And technically, we are the messengers of the Sea Lord, not just the young master."
"This is why we are here before you right now. You see, the Lord is troubled."
"Troubled? What, did the Sea Lady cheat on him or something?"
"The tsurugi is in danger. We are here to retrieve it and take it back to the depths, upon the orders of our Lord," they said in unison before pulling a small lantern from their sleeves. Five took a sharp breath, unsure of what to do.
He was pretty sure UN wasn't going to be happy with two oarfish stealing the tsurugi they had just retrieved. Five quickly ran to catch up.
"So uh... what exactly is this danger you were talking about?" he asked as they ducked out of a guard's line of sight.
"We do not know yet. But if we were to guess, there is a traitor within your walls."
Their lanterns glowed with an alluring silver light, like bottled moonlight and finally, they reached a hidden door that lead down, into the chamber behind the stone door.
"There's always a back door," they muttered to themselves before crawling through it. Five had no choice but to follow suit.
The chamber opened up much larger than he had expected. There were two rows of doorways, lining the walls and only one would lead to the tsurugi. From what Five had heard, the rooms would spin, reshuffle reorganize occasionally so its location would constantly be shifted but despite all that and a bajillion other defenses, one door was opened.
It was pitch black except for the light from the lanterns. One of the messengers tapped the ground with the lantern and suddenly, the room was flooded with a silvery glow.
A single shadowed figure remained in the open doorway, the tsurugi in their hands.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: HERE ENDS THE CHAPTER!
*Greece was known as Helliniki Dimokratia back in ancient times*
*Exodos refers to the final scene in Greek theatre, especially in Greek tragedy*
*Because he was a countryhuman, many of his feats were viewed as superhuman which lead the mortals to give him the name of "Zeus" and worshipped him as a god*
...
Strife In the Dead of Night: FIVE
(JAPAN POV)
After changing into something more casual and comfortable, I wandered down to the school courtyards for a walk to clear my head. I had to relax a bit after such a busy week.
The gardens were maintained all year round and it showed. The different budding bushes were trimmed to perfection.
The blood red camellias stood out from the frosted white ground and I knelt down as I picked one that had fallen on the ground.
They had always been my favorite, defying spring and blooming like rubies in the dead of winter.
I made myself a mental note to come here more often. I hadn't even realized we had camellias until today.
I sat down on the stone bench by the bush and pulled out my headphones and a sketchpad. As I silently observed the landscape in front of me, time began to fly. Before long, the sky had shifted to a dusty sunset. I hadn't realized how tired I really was until I drifted off to sleep, sitting next to the camellia bush.
(FIVE POV)
"HALT!" I hollered just as the twin messengers darted into action. The shady person tried to duck out of there but there was no getting away from the divine Oarfish bros. It was two against one and it didn't take long for them to overwhelm the thief, forcing whoever they were to adopt a more defensive strategy. I took the opportunity to get behind them.
"YAH!" I screamed as I tackled them from behind and we crashed to the ground as I ripped the sheathed tsurugi from their hands, "I got it!"
My objective at this point was to remove the divine sword from the scene. I would have to leave the rest to the messengers and UN's other agents. I just knew that the sword was not safe here and therefore, had to be moved elsewhere. The enemy wasn't about to let that happen.
Finally realizing that their cover was blown, the person threw stealth out the window and drew two guns and fired. I barely dodged the bullets and raced up the staircase towards the solid, black stone door. The enemy was gaining on me but luckily, the Oarfish bros did their best to slow them down. I could hear the bitter cursing and gunshots sound behind me as I slammed into the door.
"OPEN UP!" I thought frantically but it wouldn't budge.
Another gunshot. They were getting closer. My head began to spin as panic suddenly kicked in. With no other foreseeable options, I took a step back from the door and made a silent prayer before clasping the hilt of the sword.
"Here goes nothing!"
When I drew the blade, I didn't know what to expect but as soon as the sheathe slipped off, I could feel the raging power burst from the sword. With a thunderous boom, the doors and surrounding walls exploded as if a train had barreled through it.
"One swing did all this," I grumbled to myself as I hoisted myself out of the newly-made hole, "UN's gonna kill me if I make it out alive."
Alarms blared as I rushed out the HQ, unsure what to do or where to go now. If the tsurugi wasn't safe here, I wasn't sure where it would be. A streak of silver whizzed past me and one of the messengers appeared before me. His clothes were torn and ink black blood dripped down his face.
"Hand me the tsurugi!" he urged as he tried to grab it but I held it out of his reach. I couldn't let him take it. Not after everything we had done to retrieve it.
"You can't! It doesn't belong to the ocean! Not anymore," I responded as I shielded it. The messenger grew frustrated but at wasn't going to let go.
"Don't you understand?! The Kusanagi no Tsurugi is not safe in your hands! It is not a weapon meant for your kind!" he growled, "Return it to the gods before you destroy us all!"
Now it was my turn to get frustrated. When he reached out for the sword, I stepped to the side and grabbed him instead. With the sheathed sword, I was able to twist around and pin the him to the ground before slapping him with some truth.
"Look dude, thanks for your concern but this doesn't involve you or the gods anymore. That ship has sailed long ago."
He froze as his eyes glazed over. I didn't know if he looked offended or saddened but I didn't care either way. This was something he had to hear.
"Look, me and my friends retrieved this sword and proved ourselves worthy. I have no intention of tossing the sword back to the ocean- that's what got that shogun guy in trouble at the beginning of all this."
"But- don't you think a divine sword should require a god's protection?"
"I don't know if you've been living under a rock or something but you gods... are kind of insignificant in a modern world built by humans. I mean... it was under your protection before and I still got my hands on it."
After a moment of silence, he stopped struggling and sighed in defeat, "In that case, the Lord has instructed me to guide you. He thought something like this would happen."
I let him sit up and he retrieved his lantern again. He tossed it into the air and it began to glow before turning into the shape of a little glowing fish that swam around in midair. It swished over to me, and poked at the tsurugi before darting away a bit.
"Follow the lanternfish. It will guide you to someone who can truly help you with the tsurugi," the messenger explained as he glanced warily at the Headquarters, "I'll stay to intercept the attacker. Get going now!"
The enemy would find us eventually.
Not sure what else to do, I gave him a salute before hopping over the bushes and into the thickets that surrounded Headquarters. The silvery glow was all that aided me as the sun began to fade under the horizon. I could feel the presence of another person getting ever closer but I dared not look back.
"This was definitely not on my to-do list today," I grumbled as I continued into the darkness, hoping I would find help before whoever they were found me.
(NOBODY POV)
"It's dark already?" Germany commented as he finally looked up into the sky. The sun was nothing more than a sliver at this point.
"Time really flew by," Poland agreed as he swooped down with a bagful of baked goods and passed it to everyone there. America also stepped in with an armful of food to pass around. They had all missed dinnertime so this would have to do for now.
It had been a very exhausting day but the Tournament was looming over them. They had yet to secure the last member and a backup. Poland was still on the fence, despite America's best efforts. Deep down, he wanted to fight alongside Germany but the prospect of going up against someone like China shook his bones.
"You've been really quiet," Germany remarked as he sat down next to him, "Here. Let's eat now."
Japan woke with a start at sounds of distant shouting. Her ears perked up, alarmed and alert. Her hearing was more acute than normal but she couldn't exactly pin point the source of the noise just yet.
It was already pretty dark out and the cold chill of night was setting in, prompting her to zip up her coat. It was already past curfew but alarm bells rang in her head, warning her to stay. Someone was coming and she would be there to see.
Every so often, a crack or a rumble sounded and she ducked behind the bushes as she waited. The sounds got closer and closer until-
"Hey Japan. What are you doing squatting behind a bush?"
She jumped five feet into the air as someone had snuck up on her. She stumbled back, coming face to face with America and the rest of the contestants.
"HOLY JEEZ YOU SHOULDN'T SCARE ME LIKE," Japan hissed as she brushed the leaves out of her hair, "What are you guys doing out so late? And aren't you cold?"
"We were about to ask you about the exact same thing," Germany replied.
"Poland got tired so we called it a day," Canada explained helpfully, "And America is like a walking heater. We're fine."
Japan was just about to follow then back to the dorms when a giant crashing sound came from the forested area behind them. It was so loud that everyone could hear it.
"What was that?" Russia whipped around and already on high alert. They all stared at the tree line, waiting for something or someone to charge out of the dark. And sure enough, someone did.
A faint silver glow swished around before darting out of the trees, immediately followed by a earsplitting crack and a man was sent flying out. He landing at their feet and they almost screamed until they recognized who it was.
He clothes were torn and caked with mud and leaves. His hair was not much tidier. In his arms was a bundle that held a sheathed sword, something he had refused to let go.
"FIVE?!" Ame gasped as he knelt down to examine him, "DON'T GO TOWARDS THE LIGHT! DON'T DIE-"
"I'M NOT DEAD YET!" Five yelled back before groaning in pain, "Oh ow. Ow ow ow."
"What happened to you? You just came rocketing out of the forest," Germany began but was quickly silenced by Five as he shoved the sword into his hands.
"There's no time," he growled, frantically scanning the trees, "I'm being chased by someone and they're strong. They're after the sword!"
"The sword?" America asked confused, "What sword?"
"The tsurugi!" Japan suddenly realized as she reached for the place where her magatama charm used to be. It all made sense to her now. Also the energy emitting from the blade was basically unmistakable.
Five nodded in confirmation but time for chit-chat came to an end when a storm of bullets rained down on them. Russia and Germany were quick to react.
"GET DOWN!" they both screamed as a wall of ice blocked their path while tendrils of smog lashed out at whoever was in the forest. Germany shoved the sword into Japan's arms and went on the attack. The person leapt out of the trees, dodging with ease while sending unending barrages towards them. Russia grit his teeth as the cold began to bit his fingers painfully. He had already expended so much energy in the day.
"Five, are you alright?" Canada asked as he gingerly helped him to his feet. Bits and pieces of stone were already cracking and falling from his body. He was already in terrible shape and if he was damaged any more, he would crumble into stone and his soul would detach again.
"I'll be fine, don't worry. I can always make a new clone," he grimaced as he gestured at Poland, "Quickly, I want you to fly as fast as you can. Go fetch Nurse WHO and any Power you can find. This is a dire situation!"
Poland didn't need to be told twice and with a flash, his gleaming wings swept him off the ground. Immediately, shots began to zip past him, trying to shoot him down. With a frustrated growl, he spread his wings as wide as he could and sent a hurricane-like gale barreling down at them. This bought Germany enough time to finally land a solid blast in the face, blinding the enemy and allowing Poland to escape.
"Great! Now we just have to hold up till help arrives," Russia muttered to himself as bullets flew from every direction. The enemy was shooting randomly which actually made it even more difficult for them. Germany retreated behind the ice sheet again, cursing silently under his breath.
"We need to find a way to press him back into the trees," he exclaimed, "His line of fire will be more obstructed and-"
Before he could finish his sentence, a massive hole was blasted through the glacial shield and it began to tumble down. Germany was just in time to dive out of the way and they all scrambled back to safety, confused and bewildered.
"How the- ," Canada was about to say when he looked down to see something resembling a cannon ball. The smoke and fog that had been kicked up in the icefall finally settled, and to their horror, there were now two figures against them. And one of them was half morphed into a cannon pointed straight at them.
"See? I told you you wouldn't be able to handle this mission on your own." the cannon man mocked his partner.
"Shut it, peashooter," they retorted as they tossed away spent casings, "I don't wanna hear it from you."
From what they could tell, they both had Awakenings, though relatively weak and stiff ones. The gunperson never seemed to run out of ammo while providing shells for the cannon. The other was more obvious, with half his body shifting into the cannon in question. Alone, they were not too difficult to deal with but the situation had now changed.
They turned their guns towards the group, and Russia tensed up. If he put up another wall, it would only be blasted down by the cannon fire. Of course there was the Core Polaris ice but he was exhausted. He couldn't risk breaking apart again.
"Which is why we'll leave this to him," Germany grimaced as he glanced up.
"It's best if we don't get caught in the crossfire.
Right on cue, the darkness was ripped apart by a blaze of red and yellow as a massive fireball smashed into the ground with an explosion that sent waves of fire rolling across the garden.
The alarmed cries of the enemy were quickly cut off.
America grabbed the two assailants by the neck and hoisted them into the air, slowly crushing their windpipe. The smell of burning flesh rose into the air.
"Y'know what?" America said with a voice as sharp as steel, "I've grown sick and tired of seeing you lot." Waves of molten gold covered his entire figure as all concepts of control were overthrown by seething red rage. He had snapped again.
"What are your plans?! Who's behind this?! Why the fuck do you assholes keep coming after us?!"
Burning metal replaced flesh as they tried desperately to escape. The man pointed the cannon at him but before it could shoot, America rammed his partner over the opening. The cannon imploded on itself, sending the man into a fit of agony and the other coughed up blood after basically being shot at point blank range. Blood spattered all over America didn't seem to feel or care. It was extremely rare to see America so worked up like this. He seemed like a completely different person and it unsettled all of them.
"Who- who are you," he gasped in between laboring breaths, "The lord didn't say we would be going against someone this strong!"
"Tch- no matter! I've already called for backup- ERK!" he choked before finally losing consciousness. America tossed them aside like rag dolls and his flames finally disappeared. A long silence settled back in with the darkness as the last wisps burnt out.
"America... are you," Canada squeaked cautiously but America shook his head.
"I'm fine," he replied with a voice still dripping with hostility, "Stay alert, we're going to have company.
Just as he finished his sentence, the familiar and horrific sounds of grinding metal rang out from the darkness of the forest. A giant rift from ripped open space and NASA, NATO and two others came crashing down from the sky.
"HOLY HELL!" Five yelped in surprise as NATO collapsed in front of him. His body was decorated with new gashes and blade marks.
NASA lay crumpled on the ground as violent coughing fits racked her body. She and NATO had dove off the cliff after Greece and the other hooded figure. She had been able to take Greece from their clutches but was hit with their Awakening. NATO was able to drag the attacker off of NASA but the damage was already done.
Now blinded and choking in a cloud of volcanic ash, NASA quickly shielded Greece from harm and instinctively opened a doorway to space to catch their fall and return to their home turf.
Unfortunately, the enemy followed them through and now they were facing off against America.
Every cell into their body screamed for them to run. Unlike the other two, he was aware of what he was capable of beforehand. The two smoldering bodies at his feet also reinforced his dread. Faced with such an obstacle, there was a choice to be made. Either prioritize the mission and risk getting capture or killed, or retreat with the backup now and face punishment but still make it out alive to fight another day. The choice was clear and the person turned and bolted the other way but they didn't get far before a massive wall of flames stopped them.
"You're not getting away again, coward!" America spat as he grappled with the enemy in a deadly wrestling match. They pushed and shoved until they managed to come face to face and they took a deep breath.
"CAREFUL AMERICA!" NASA rasped in between shallow breaths, "They have a fully-developed Awakening that lets them exhale volcanic ash! Don't breath it in!"
But who knew if the Superpower heard a word she said. He was in a world of his own.
However, it didn't really matter because he wasn't giving the enemy any time to counter attack. He sent a twisted punch to the gut and all the wind was knocked out of their sails.
As the two of them were occupied with each other, Germany and Russia turned to face the trees once more as a humanoid hunks of metal stepped out of the forest, coming in droves.
"Oh great," Russia growled, "It's those iron shits again."
"Who?" Germany asked but he waved it off. Japan hobbled over with Five and NATO slung over her shoulders while Canada supported NASA.
"Canada, be a dear and give me that capsule in my pocket," NASA requested as Canada fished around for that tiny silver pill. She swallowed it quickly and sighed in relief as a rush of energy and warmth swirled through her body. Though she was fine for now, she knew the effects of the Consequence would be amplified later but facing such dire situation, what choice did she have?
The angry cry of scraping metal erupted from the "iron zombies" and they all charged forward. Russia was the first to act and the temperature dropped so drastically that the trees snapped and exploded from being suddenly frozen. The metal frosted over but it only slowed them down slightly. It was clear that they had been improved to withstand extreme temperatures.
"Tch," he hissed as he clutched his numbing fingers, "This won't work. We need to go on the attack. Right now, before they rally together."
"But how? They outnumber us by a lot. Our main powerhouse is distracted elsewhere too!" NATO coughed but Germany had already thought of that.
"Well we may not be as good at hardcore assault compared to Ame but we do have our own perks as well," he reminded them, "If we need to stop them from coming together, we'll have to hit them hard and fast, cutting their forces in half. I'll then stall one side while Russia can take the other. The rest of you, support us the best you can."
Russia finally caught on to what Germany was suggesting. They had been working on it as a combo attack but it was shaky at best. In fact, the first time they attempted the tactic was during their training session with NATO where things got a bit out of hand. Even then, it was incomplete.
Germany, however, was confident that this was the way to go. Because of their dwindling energy, things would need to end as soon as possible. He had witnessed this strategy sweep aside armies with devastating speeds before and its fatal flaws would also be covered with Russia's defensive cover, strengthening it even further.
It was a perilously risky gamble but it would all be worth it, should they succeed. True to its name, it would bring a lightning war.
"A Perfect Blitzkrieg."
Ker and Ber leapt out of the ground and crouched into position while Ros ran to cover the support group. Russia grabbed onto Ber and glanced at the German, awaiting his signal.
The surroundings seemed to suddenly quiet as a violent magenta glow slowly built up. Germany took a deep breath and gripped so hard that his knuckles were white. The tension in the air was unbearable and it felt like reality itself was about to shatter under this pressure.
And then it did, setting all hell loose.
His eyes flashed open and they tore through the trees in a flash and a thunderclap. It was as if they had temporarily warped through time. No one had seen a thing, but one moment, they were there and the next, a hellish streak had been clawed out of the trees, leaving ruins in its wake. Just as Germany had promised, the defenses were broken clean down the middle, splitting the re enforcements in half.
"NOW!" Germany screamed and Ber, who had been infused by Russia dove into the dead center. A whipping blizzard crashed down into the trees and colossal glacial walls erupted out from the ground, setting clear dividers for the two countries.
After Russia rushed off to the right, Germany turned his attention to the other group and thus began their battle to end it all.
To be continued...
AUTHOR'S NOTES:
I will probably come back to this chapter later. I'm sorry if it feels a bit forced but that's because it partially is.
Desperately clawing my way out of unproductive hell right now. But it should be ok soon cuz shit gets real next chapter >:)
(Almost 7400 words phew-)
Edit: I completely forgot I had this... it's been sitting in my gallery for who know how long 😭
But hey, have some fun fish ppl