Meal 37
Floating just over the ground, Cyrus lashed out at Bruce with just a single tail. Swinging his whip, it was all the obese canine could do to hold off the tail as it smashed into the ground with terrifying force.
"This is very tedious," yawned Cyrus sending the tail into a frenzie forcing Bruce to run and dodge from it. "Can't you just get hit so this can be over with already? In case you haven't realized it yet, I have been barely even putting in any effort into this at all. There is no way you can possibly defeat me so why even bother?"
"Self-preservation... pride... determination to kick your ass!" answered Bruce. "Pick one, because I refuse to die here."
"Such pitiful reasons," said Cyrus. "This fight will drag on longer than I'd be willing to allow it if I don't put in a fractional bit of effort and I suppose I should at the very least allow you to die with some acknowledgement. Consider it a going to die present." Two more of Cyrus's tails began to move and join the first. They then flew at Bruce together.
"More tails," panted Bruce continuing his defensiveness. "Not a problem." As the tails neared him, the two new ones changed at the tips, morphing into hands. "He can do something like that too?" Swinging the whip, he repelled the still normal tail. Lashing it back again, he hit away one of the handed tails, but before he could attack the last one, it reached him and grabbed his whip-wielding arm. "Damn! Let go!" The tail gripped him tightly and the other tail clamped his other arm. Slowly lifting him off the ground and pulling his arms painfully apart, Bruce was held up like a dart board and Cyrus pointed his third tail at him like a dart.
"Would you preferred to be pierced through the head or the heart?" asked Cyrus. "Both would instantly kill you, but which be more pleasant for you?"
"Can I have a few hours to think it over?" he asked.
"No," replied Cyrus. "My patience for this has ended." Cyrus's tail began to spin rapidly like a drill before shooting at Bruce. Then from above, Killajor crashed down, stomping on the tail and smashing it into the ground.
"Save by, uh, who are you?" he asked.
"I was hoping to sit back and let everyone take one another out so I could handle cleanup," commented Kill, ignoring Bruce. "But your side is proving too strong so I had to change my tactics. It would be troublesome to allow your side to regroup once they finish their fights. It would be better for me to battle you with superior numbers."
"Do you honestly think teaming up with that one who is already all but defeated can help you?" asked Cyrus. "Do you honestly believe you have any hope of doing any better either?" The tail that Kill had stomped into the ground, suddenly burst out of it from behind Kill and pierced him through his back. It then held him over to Cyrus as the life began to fade from him. "Of course you won't."
"You misunderstood me," replied Kill with his last breath before death. His body then crumbled to dust and vanished.
"What?" asked Cyrus confused. Then he felt a sharp pain as a clawed hand stabbed deep into his back.
"I was talking about me," snickered Killajor, this time in dragon form.
"And me," added another Kill this one a roo. He had one of Cyrus's tails in hand and tugged it back with all his might.
"And me," continued yet another Kill in Koopa form tugging at another tail.
"And us!" said five more Kills handling the rest of his tails.
"I wasn't talking about teaming up with that other guy," explained another Killajor this one in Tanuki form like the first. "He just happened to be lucky that I acted before he was killed, though it did benefit me slightly it seems."
"Impressive," admitted Cyrus. "I didn't expect that I'd encounter someone with the ability to create incarnations and ten including the one I killed. Quite a talent, but do you honestly think even this is enough to defeat me? You have me pinned and stabbed, but if this is the best you can manage you have only accomplished agitating me slightly."
"When it rains, it always starts with a drizzle," explained Tanuki Kill. "But it can suddenly turn into a typhoon in an instant." On cue with that, the sky darkened. Looking up, there were thousands upon thousand of Killajors in countless forms raining down on top of Cyrus. The kitsune watched them come down on top of him, some clawing and scratching, others casting magic all of it relentless. Cyrus was covered in a mountain of pain.
"Time to join our side," said Darkfang pointing his evil arrow between Vic's eyes. A hammer larger than his head smashed into Darkfang's face and sent him flying.
"Hey, your side doesn't need anymore help," called Jokull holding a massive warhammer in hand. He continued to wallop and smash Darkfang, the sound of bones snapping with each hit he received. With all his might Jokull uppercutted Darkfang in the jaw with his hammer sending him skyward. Leaping into the air with his fat body, he flapped his wings to pick up speed and get over his foe. Striking at Darkfang once more he slammed Darkfang back to the ground and dived down on him, smashing him with one last crushing blow. "How was that, Glenn?"
"Awesome!" the moogle cheered excitedly. "You kicked his ass and crushed his bones to dust. I give it a nine out of ten. I have to deduct a few points since you didn't shout, "HAMMER TIME!" when you attacked."
"I'll hammer time you," panted Jokull sitting back and they resting on his back. "That wasn't easy to do. This hammer has the ability of weighing one thousand times the weight of the wielder when attacking and light as air the rest of the time. It sounds like it shouldn't be that tiring, but those instances it becomes ridiculously heavy it takes nearly all my strength to keep from dropping it. I need a moment to rest."
"Better be a fast moment!" cried Glenn as he spotted Ivy charging a Hyper Beam.
"Ivy no!" shouted Vic,using Hyper Beam too. As the two attacks charged up they collided and misfired. The two Legendary Pokemon were engulfed in a powerful explosion shaking the ground. Glenn held onto Jokull to keep from blowing away. Out of the billowing smoke that resulted from the explosion the two Luigi flew out at two different points. The dark one quickly began to pursue the normal Lugia, opening her maw to fire a Hyper Beam. Crying out to her, Vic returned fire and their battle continued.
"Can he beat her?" asked Glenn watching them chase one another through the air.
"I don't know if it is as simple as that," replied Jokull. "They were friends and now she's been corrupted. If it was a simple matter of her turning back after being beaten it would be one thing, but he won't fight full strength against her and I doubt she's going to return the favor."
"In that case," suggested Glenn. "We have to go and help him."
"I'd agree with you," replied Jokull. "But we are not done with this fight."
"Not done?" asked Glenn. "He's still alive?"
"Nothing like a little regeneration to help with the circulation," said Darkmane as his skull fixed itself. The two watched as the evil panda began to recover, his bones reforming and snapping back into place, the sight as eerie as a possession as body parts bent in ways they shouldn't have been able to as they attempted to connect properly. The resisted the urge to puke till he fully recovered and the feeling passed.
"I'm surprised you didn't attack me while I was healing and vulnerable," he commented.
"It wouldn't have done me any good," admitted Jokull. "This hammer was due to expire in a few seconds." As he said this the hammer poofed away. "If I acted too hastily I'd end up defenseless at the worst possible time. I've already had plenty of slaps on the wrist for not considering the time on the cards."
"Smart, but that doesn't change the fact that you still don't have a solution on how to kill me," Darkfang stated. "I'll just regenerate the second you stop attacking me and you'll have to between cards. Do you think you can figure a way to stop me before running out of cards or will you simply try and run away? I think I'll force your hand right now. I dislike dragging things on unnecessarily long." Holding his bow, he aimed it at Jokull as he formed another arrow of darkness. "Let's see what cards you have in your hand." Quickly turning, Darkfang switched targets to Glenn and fired.
"Wah?" was all Glenn managed to say as the arrow flew at him at an incredible speed, but as it was about to make contact Glenn vanished and the arrow hit the ground and dispersed.
"I don't see your friend around here anymore," commented Darkfang. "Can I assume that was your only escape card?"
"No sense pretending," admitted Jokull holding up the Warp Card he had in his hand as it crumbled away. "I sent Glenn off somewhere far away to keep him safe. It was the only card like that I had meaning I can't escape if things take a turn for the worse."
"Then this battle can be brought to its final stage then," chuckled Darkfang.
"Good," nodded Jokull using a card as he charged at Darkfang with all his might. Metallic gauntlets covered his fists as the card took effect. "Get over here!"
"No need for me to do that," he scoffed. "I attack from a distance after all."
"That wasn't a request!" snapped Jokull. "It's Fisticuffs!"
"Huh?" asked Darkfang as a pair of gauntlets appeared on his appeared on him as well and his body began to get dragged over to Jokull. "What did you do?"
"I altered our battle," he explained. "If I let you fight your way I doubt I'd stand a chance. So I'm going to brute force my way through this!" With all his might, Jokull smashed his fist into Darkfang's face.
Black blood dripped out his nose. Licking it with his tongue, Darkfang paused for a moment. "My regeneration isn't working?"
"This card negates all recovering powers," continued Jokull. "Only strength and endurance matter here. And the first person to drop to their needs or take a single step back will suffer greatly. It is a high risk card, but I'd say it is perfect in this situation."
"You think I can't win in a battle of strength?" laugh Darkfang returning a powerful strike of his own right into Jokull's gut. "Don't assume attempting something like this could give you the advantage. You needed a miracle in the first place to win and resorting to this just proves how desperate you are. May I assume that you were planning on doing this after you sent Glenn safely out of range in the event you lost?"
"And can I assume you attacked him to force me to use the card and trap me like this?" Jukull asked back.
"Seems we can see right through one another," chuckled Darkfang. "Brute force will be the only way to resolve this fight."
"Exactly," agreed Jokull as he struck another blow at Darkfang who did the same and their brutal battle continued.
Dropping to the ground, Zane reached the battlefield and faced his foe. "You're just in time," snickered Remgat picking his teeth with a claw. "Just in time to be my dessert."
"I take it someone else was dinner then," asked Zane. He closed his eyes to sense his aura, observing it for a few moments with intrigue. "He's still in there, but he's being consumed rather quickly. I can barely tell his aura apart from yours."
"So he's still alive?" replied Remgat poking his gut. "Well all his strength is already mine. He's worthless as anything but food now so he might as well be grateful that I decided to devour him."
"There's something else," observed Zane. "Your aura... It is trailing off in two different directions, mixed with a different auras. Can you explain that?"
"I can't see auras or whatever it is you are doing," replied Remgat. "How am I supposed to... well maybe it is those two minions of mine. I infused them with my essence to make them every bit evil as I am."
"So then the best way thing I can do is to destroy you and break them free of your control," theorized Zane.
"Assuming you can even do that?" taunted Remgat flexing his muscles. "I might just end up squashing you like a bug first!" Raising a massive hand, he slammed it down on Zane. He left an imprint in the ground, on and around Zane snickering sadistically, but it was only momentary as burst of energy pieced from his palm to the back of his hand where Zane had been standing.
"A dillo several times your size had been trying to crush me over and over again already," he commented. "I had hoped you would be more entertaining that that."
"Interesting," grinned Remgat lifting up his hand and admiring the wound. "It isn't healing instantly. Seems your power does not agree with me. In fact, it is just like that power that has been giving me problems as of late. You wouldn't happened to be the source of that power, would you?"
"I can't say for certain," he answered. "But it probably was."
"Then it is my lucky day," cheered Remgat. "I have an opponent I can use all my strength on. Perhaps you can help me kill some time and enjoy myself."
"Assuming you can prove worth my time as well," countered Zane. Creating an aura sphere in his hand he fired it it Remgat who blocked it with his arm. Remgat grinned feeling the sting on his arm. Making a fist, a large curved blade gushed out of the wound on the Remgat's hand. He swung it at Zane who quickly focused his aura as he met the attack head on. Catching the blade with his paws, his feet slid backwards and Remgat pushed him backwards. Raising the power of his aura higher still, Zane managed to match Remgat's power and prevent himself from getting pushed back any further.
"Not bad," commented Remgat. "You managed to prevent getting cut down the middle, but seems you weren't able to completely block my attack."
Pressing a hand on his shoulder, Zane winced feeling the shallow cut that ran from his left shoulder down to the right side of his waist. "It wasn't that I didn't use enough aura to block," admitted Zane. "Your power just increased suddenly."
"So you noticed," chuckled Remgat. "That's correct, my strength has been building up to its maximum little by little. I was getting myself ready for when I'd turn my gaze on Cyrus. I am grateful for all he's done, but I know in the end he turn on me and my minions when we no longer hold any value for him."
"Sounds to me you are just biding your time," commented Zane. "Are you hoping he gets worn down so that you can defeat him after you've been playing around?"
"You dare speak to me in such a belittling manner!" snapped Remgat, his blood boiling in his veins. "Nobody is stronger than me, not even Cyrus and especially not you!"
Swinging the blade at Zane once more, Zane, this time, repled with a swing of his arm wrapped in aura. As he made contact the blade snapped off. With his other hand, Zane grabbed ahold of one of Remgat's fingers. As the monstrous dragotaur attempted to move his arm, he found himself unable to break free of Zane's grasp.
"You increased your power a lot more," observed Zane. "But you aren't using your full strength. You really do fear this Cyrus guy a lot more than you do me. Seems I was mistaken. You aren't worth my time to fight if you are going to be like this."
"You bastard!" growled Remgat moving to attack once again, but Zane responded swinging him over his head and ramming Remgat headfirst into the ground.
"Finished yet?" asked Zane. "Because I am." He turned to walk away. "You just stay like that with your ass in the air and I'll take care of Cyrus."
"We aren't through until I say we are!" barked Remgat. "Don't turn your back on me! Fight me!"
"No more!" growled Zane turning and firing a beam of aura at Remgat's chest. "I am no longer your opponent!"
"Gwah!" screamed Remgat his body enveloped in the attack. Then his arm burst out of it and snatched up Zane squeezing him tight, but he didn't flinch. The light faded around Remgat and he snarled showing all his large teeth. "Acting so high and mighty! Well, don't overestimate your abilities. That last attack didn't even hurt me a little! You've pissed me off to no end in such a short amount of time, but if you grovel a little I will forgive you and we can fight again. I'll even use my full strength as well. Of course, if you refuse I'll crush you in an instant. What will it be?"
Zane turned his head slightly to Remgat. "I am no longer the one who will fight you."
"Then di-" roared Remgat, but his voice cracked. Tagmer's hand pierced out of Remgat's chest.
Darkmane slashed and clawed at his opponents as they ducked and dodged around his attacks. Any sounds they tried to make was distorted by the distortion in the air. Vincent, Rhodes, and Donavin sweated as they fearfully, their bodies getting more and more covered in cuts. Some were shallow and merely stung, but some tore in deep and blood began to flow out.
"Now for the kill!" exclaimed Darkfang as the air around them turned back to normal. Thrusting his claws forward, he stabbed into Rhodes and Donavin, right into their thick hides. "Hah! Two down and I haven't even got a single scratch on me."
"Give it a minute," replied Vincent standing in between his two friends. "Sorry, but just hang on a little longer."
"What are you going on about?" asked Darkmane as he attempted to pull his claws out of his first two victims only to find he was incapable of doing that. The two of them had held onto his arms with all the strength they could muster ignoring the pain and the blood leaking out of their latest injury. "Hey! Let go of my arms! Nothing should be able to stop my claws. They can't be blocked by anything!"
"But that doesn't mean they can't be stopped," explained Vincent. "If you can't move your arms then you can't move your claws and that means you can't attack, but I still can." Playing his guitar, Vincent began pulling in all the energy he could muster into it, the music growing louder and sharper as he did.
"Don't screw around with me!" snapped Darkmane. "I can't be defeated so easily! It's impossible!"
"You won't be interrupting our music any longer," snapped Vincent as he stabbed into Darkmane's stomach. "I'm going to destroy you with my strongest attack! Tuning Fork!" Moving his hand to strum his guitar and unleash his attack, Rhodes and Donavin held onto the struggling wolf with all their might. His arms were held fast, but then his face turned to a grimace.
Balancing on one foot, Darkmane swung his foot at Vincent, the nails on it extending into blades like the ones on his arms. Before Vincent could attack Darkmane sliced through his guitar and stomach. Crying out in pain, he collapsed onto the ground his comrades cried out in horror. Feeling their grip loosen, Darkmane pulled his claws free and cut them down as well.
"Not bad," he laughed. "You might have hurt me a bit if you had succeeded, but even that would have failed to defeat me. You risked so much and it all amounted to less than nothing. All injured and awaiting my finishing attack." Gritting their teeth, they stared angrily at him. "What's the matter? I didn't distort the air this time."
"That's enough picking on them you big bully," cried Krystal, approaching them. "Leave them alone!"
"A fat cow has shown up," grinned Darkmane drooling at the sight of her meaty haunches. "I would have preferred bacon, but you'll hit the spot once I carve your meat off your bones."
"I'll deal with you later," she replied. "These three need my help. You can try and eat me afterwards."
"Don't act like you have a say in when I'm going to eat you," he hissed. "I am hungry right now!" Lunging at her with beastly speed, Darkmane attacked Krystal, thrusting his claws at her. With the slightest of movement, Krystal avoided the attack and grabbed Darkmane with one of her hooved hands. He let out a surprised whine just before she drove his head straight down into the ground at her feet. While he struggled to free his head, Krystal walked over to the others and one by one fed them her milk. They winced in pain as they felt a tingling sensation around their wounds, but quickly it subsided as the injuries healed rapidly leaving not even a trace of a scar behind.
"I feel so much better," stated Rhodes poking at the spots where his greatest injuries were.
"I think all the blood we lost has been replaced too," commented Emilian. "I don't feel even a little light-headed now."
"My milk should have you all feeling better, but I recommend taking it easy and rest till you are fully healed," she told them.
"We can't thank you enough, Ms. Krystal," said Vincent.
"You know me?" she asked. "Come to think of it, you all do look familiar."
"We were the ones who cownapped you a while back in order to try and save you and defeat Obamon," he explained. "Things didn't work out too well then, but we're glad you are okay."
"Yeah, you can help us fight this guy and help the others," added Rhodes. "This could be just what we needed to beat them."
"I'll definitely be doing a lot of fighting," she answered with a smile. "And I especially want to find Zane as soon as possible."
"He was with me a while back," stated Vincent. "I don't know where he is now, but he has to be near with all this fighting going on."
"He probably is," agreed Krystal. "He isn't the type to let others fight tough enemies without him."
Digging at the ground with his claws, Darkmane snarled and growled. "That was a cheap attack! When I find that cow I'm going to-" His words were inaudible against the sudden crackle and pop of lightning. He turned around to see and saw as Vincent, Rhodes, and Donavin collapsed to the ground, their bodies charred, crispy. Krystal stood their wielding her spear her eyes gazing upon them. "Y-you! What the hell are you doing? Didn't you come here to save them?"
"I did heal them," she replied. "However, while it is in my nature to care for the injured I must obey Obamon's desires and defeat my enemies even if it means fighting those I have just healed."
"Seems rather psycho to me," he pointed out. "You don't have that mad cow disease? That's something good to know before I decide to eat you."
"I'm healthy as a horse," she explained. "Now that I have taken care of those three, I can give you all my attention. Will you be the first opponent I get to fight seriously against?"
"Heh, if I am then maybe I can fight seriously too," he chuckled.
"Don't shoot!" cried Glenn fearfully shielding his body as he reappeared from Jokull's warp spell. When he didn't feel an arrow pierce his torso, he opened and eye and realized he was not on the battlefield anymore. "What? Where am I? Did Jokull do something?" Looking around, he noticed battles way off in the distance, but not who was fighting. "He must have sent me to safety, but did he have to send me so far away. Now I have to walk all the way over there all over again." Sighing, seeing he had no other choice, Glenn began to walk towards the fighting once again. He didn't get very far though, when he spotted someone nearby. It was Drag! "What's he doing all the way out here? Hey, Drag! Are you having a snack break or something?"
Suddenly, Glenn saw Snow tackle Drag who swung his claws back against him. Yure then leapt at Drag and bit at his ears while tugging on his hair and Dillon bodyslammed on Snow. Struggling to push Dillon off him, he tried sinking his teeth into the dillo's arm. Hiding behind a rock, Glenn worriedly watched their savage battle continue as they had their free-for-all battle.
"What in the world happened to them?!?" cried Glenn. His words caught their attention and they all set their gaze on him gritting their teeth and growling. "Uh, oh."
