Elemental Zodiack

Chapter 18: The true war

"Good grief... It seems like those small fries couldn't withstand some heat... You've grown a lot, Shiro!" 

"Percival..."

--- Standing face to face were now Shiro... and the former Number 1 Zodiack of Dinsfurd, Percival Dalais. The tension could be felt, floating in the air... Most of the Zodiacks that recognized his face started trembling in fear, while the people that didn't know him, were still feeling anxious, feeling the pressure he created upon his arrival.

"My my, I see there are a few faces that I don't recognize! Would you mind introducing me... Shiro boy?" says Percival while moving his look from Yoso to Kein, back and forth.

 Shiro couldn't say a word and just looked at the two boys that didn't understand why the tension was so dense...

"I am the 3rd Zodiack of Dinsfurd! Yoso Edroch!" says Yoso with a loud, cheerful voice.

"I am number twelve... Kein Shimada," says Kein with an expression that looked like he didn't care about the situation, but this might be because the skill he just used exhausted him.

"Oho! So the kids got to rule against that hopeless group... Moreover, number 3? Geoff! You are saying this kid is better than you?" says Percival while laughing about the matter regarding the new rankings and Zodiacks.

"Keep your mouth shut Dalais boy... You'd be surprised," says Geoff with a smug smile on his face

"Oh? So that's how it is... Well, it is obvious that the Black Cross cult ended today because of your group... Too bad that this is just at the surface. There is no such team that would cease to exist just because it lost some henchmen... After all, the main Black Cross force is standing right here, in front of you!" says Percival with an awfully arrogant tone.

 There were four other people behind Percival that looked way stronger than regular soldiers, the pressure they gave off showing the power of their Life force.

"I see... If it weren't for you, this would've been an easy task... But of course, you wouldn't be affected by a skill such as 'Blast Burn'. I bet you would've been able to defend the entire battlefield from that skill if you wanted to. You just mocked us... right?" explains Shiro while facing Percival with an angered look

"I don't really understand... After all, how could he escape unharmed, mister Shiro?" asks Yoso after thinking through it once, but failing to understand.

"He escaped because Percival's affinity is... Gravity,"

"Gravity?" asks Yoso dumbfounded

"Let me give you a demonstration..." says Percival 

 He then, raises his hand that was wearing some purple gauntlet on it, and using the force of gravity, he drags Shouko out of the crowd and catches her by her neck.

 Shouko couldn't say anything but let out a quiet scream. The force he used in his grip was no joke.

"You bastard!" shouts Kein while charging at full throttle towards Percival, with his steel claws upfront.

 However, his attack seemed to be easily blocked by one of Percival's henchmen.

"Calm down kid... Mister Percival was just having a peaceful talk with the number one Zodiack over there. It's not polite to charge in like this," says the hooded henchmen that blocked Kein's steel claws with his black daggers.

"Bold of you to assume that you can actually block my attack... Move!" shouts Kein after throwing his opponent aside.

"Oh?" Percival lets out a slight sign of being impressed by Kein's manoeuvre.

 Kein then attacks Percival with just as much speed as before, using his steel claws to target his hand, that he used for strangling Shouko.

"You are a very impressive kid... I understand what you're trying to do, but if I don't try to block your attacks, you won't be able to hit me..." says Percival while evading almost all of Kein's attacks... 'Almost' that is.

 A clean cut suddenly appeared on his arm, forcing him to drop Shouko from his grip, which was afterwards caught by the Thunder Zodiack, Alex Iulio.

"You kid..."

"I just adjusted the amount of Life force output and extended my reach for a few seconds... Let your guard down or something?" says Kein with a somewhat accomplished expression on his face, however, you could see from far away that he was way too tired, to a point that he shouldn't even be fighting.

 Percival looked at Kein with an expression that made everyone feel the danger Kein has put himself into. A look full of disgust came from the being that was now the centre of the fight... And just like this, Percival let out a strong range attack using his gravity magic, targeting Kein.

"Kein!" shouts Shizuo, seeing that he could not do anything at the moment.

"Crap... I don't have much Life force left... I won't make it in time," and so, Kein closed his eyes

"Yo, mister Kein... You should find yourself a defence skill... So you won't put yourself in such situations anymore..." says Yoso that was keeping Kein in his arms, after just tanking a big chunk of damage from Percival's attack.

"That kid... he used lightning to get there at incredible speed, and afterwards... Did he use another affinity to defend himself from critical damage?" thinks Percival astonished by what he just witnessed.

"Now that I think of it... I feel like I have seen his face before..." whispers one of the people behind Percival.

"Yoso!" shouts Laure after seeing in how bad of a state Yoso was... He couldn't fully defend himself from a Gravity type attack, so his earth shield cracked, letting his back wounded and full of blood.

"I'm just alright!" shouts Yoso just before changing once again into thunder, and bringing Kein back to the group.

"You kid! I feel like I know you... You are that one wanted kid in Authorania! If I remember you were... Number 7: Yoso, the one that escaped from the military academy!" shouts the henchman that was standing behind Percival

"And... What if I am?" says Yoso, looking really troubled by the wound he just got.

"I will just say that you have a pretty big bounty on your head... You won't get away safely, you know right? Mister number 3 Zodiack?"

"Calm down, Zeroth... He won't leave at such a moment... He is not able to, and not just him... No one here will leave this place alive. You understand, right? Little Shiro?" says Percival while staring at the wound he got from Kein's last attack.

"I see... Well, that's unfortunate... I don't see many ways for all of us to finish this fight alive... But I don't see us losing. You understand this... Master?" says Shiro

"Ho? We'll see... Go for them, Mase!"

 And with this order, the only girl in the group that accompanied Percival, stepped forward, channelling her Life force into her catalyst under the form of a staff, and then she struck the ground with it.

"Earth Style: Tartarus!" and by casting this skill, the woman created numerous earth golems that rushed to attack the Zodiacks that were still standing on the hill.

"You can come all at once!" shouts Geoff after starting to destroy them one by one.

 There were Zodiacks that were fighting the golems easily, such as Geoff, Ye and Masto, that had some advantage against earth magic, but most of the others couldn't put a good fight against this type of skill.

 Seeing that they can't fight against the golems productively, they chose to ignore them and rushed for the user of the spell. Keigo attacked her with a ranged poison attack, but she got defended by one of the other three remaining underlings, that was using a spear and a shield. However, not the shield nor' the spear was the actual problem, but his skill that was giving a real challenge to a poison user such as Keigo...

"You are... made out of steel?" asks Keigo

"Of course not... This is just my original skill. Let's see you come at me, poison user!"

"As much as I'd like to, it's obvious that I am no match for you... But my affiliate might be," and after leaping backwards, he made a way for Ryuuen's fire cannon attack to hit the steel user.

 However, he was left completely unharmed...

"You will need greater firepower than this, fire user!"

 Witnessing the scene, some hooded figure steps in between Ryuuen and Keigo. He was the smoke Zodiack, Sarus, that was also a support type, such as Kein.

"Interesting... What is your name?" asks Sarus

"Hah! Since you won't be living to see me again, I will tell you! The name is Carrion, and I was also one of the people of this shitty kingdom! Nice to meet you!"

"I see... I am Sarus, and... I am sorry..." says Sarus with an apologetic look on his face

 Carrion couldn't help but dumbfoundedly look at Sarus, as he took off his hood.

"Smoke Original Skill: World of Pitch Black..." and by using this skill, both Carrion and Sarus got engulfed in a pitch-black cloud of smoke, that disappeared soon after, leaving nothing behind it.

 Keigo and Ryuuen could only look at each other, not understanding what truly happened. They didn't seem to know about that skill, but it couldn't be helped since no one truly tried to talk much with Sarus. Even the members of his squad weren't too pleased with him, since he didn't ever give concrete orders, and just let them do what they thought better. He was a male engulfed in mystery.

"I won't be asking about this now... Let's just use this opportunity he gave us!" shouts Ryuuen

 Seeing the path towards the earth user being wide open, Ryuuen let out a strong fire attack towards her. Even though she easily blocked it with an earth shield, Keigo was just getting behind her with his daggers, ready to use his poison to assassinate her on the spot. But just before striking her, he got shot in the hands by something that seemed undodgeable.

"Oi oi, calm down a little won't you? You won't be doing this while I and my Dual Berettas are here." says the guy that recognized Yoso earlier, that judging his catalyst and fighting style...

"He is... an Authorania soldier..." mutters Keigo