Chapter  <ⅩⅤ>

   Mio is like the moon, 

 

   The sole bright core that sweeps away all dark.

 

   Mio is my light.

   Arashi the second aid, only lesser than Roy Mustangoo of the Golden Company under Lord Awesome Toshiumi Al Seraphim the Exian Lord of Gold, sits alone in the back cabin of the military jet, leaving Aurora island, leaving the security post of lord Toshiumi’s wife her ladyship Mio the fare, who Arashi this second of the golden lord bares deep unwavering feelings.

 

  For the reason why he was called away from securing the ladyship’s welfare Arashi wasn’t sure, but deep down he believes his lord Toshiumi knows of the impure affection he has to his lord’s maiden.

 

  But Arashi was not a man to give up easily. He has been a page boy for most of his years, any sort of hardship he dares say he witnessed most, and his looks ever so younger than the age he actually was, pitch black hair and cold looks, with medium eyebrows that narrows to a frown, this Arashi do see of himself from the reflection of the jet window, feeling rather confident of his own looks.

 

   He too can bear the weight of Mio’s sickness.

 

   He too can be a hero of their tale.

 

   If only he can present the Seed instead of his Lord Toshiumi.

   Soon, the jet landed and Arashi descended, to see battle-torn castle bases, with no walls unharmed, no man unhurt. War seemed to have just ceased the moment Arashi arrived, and in a split second Arashi felt a sudden surge of delight wishing lord Toshiumi is dead.

 

   “ Arashi !! Well Met !”

 

   Arashi the aid winced in shock, to see his Lord Toshiumi Al Seraphim, Brave of Zabanya and Savior of Vilencia,  beaming like the second sun, walking towards him unscathed and unharmed, as clean as ever unlike the battered fortress around them

 

  “ I was expecting you. Come! We have a fortress to rebuild and more men to save !!” 

 

  And beyond the fortress walls were still phalanxes of brainwashed men, too many to be subdued at once.

  

   Reluctantly, Arashi followed his Lord to help save the many remaining Vilencian heroes.

 

  “ Wait !” Toshiumi noticed something and stopped to pick up his phone.

 

  And then and there, Arashi saw his Lord’s Awesome face turn stern like a rock in half a second’s time.

  “........What is it…My Lord ?” Arashi asked his lord who awesomely looked up to the walls beyond, far beyond what Arashi can see far to the south, far far away in dastardly Helltron.

 

   “ We must hurry.” Toshiumi spake and flew up to the air, ready to subdue the armies of brainwashed men as quickly as possible, for the Seed is in a perilous situation as they speak.

…

………

    Like skeletons of buildings that were once tall and proud now crooked and marred, not a sight of this abandoned city was clean and unharmed, and after nearly decades after the incident that caused this irreversible tragedy the city was still shrouded under a thick smog of dread, the atmosphere literally heavier than the plains before the city and the air turned cold as the Axalara closed into landing.

 

   Haru looked out of her window, to see colors die on their way into bleak Helltron and all was left were dull grey tattered foregrounds and pitch black ash smothered across the ravaged building frameworks.

 

   “ No way.” Griffon coughed, though his wounds have partially healed, the broken ribs still aching as he speaks.

  “ Finding fuel here is like looking for water in a desert.” Griffon croaked

  “ This place is very cursed. We Parusefors would always say to those who want to start a business in Helltron ‘Helltron Go, Coffin sold! ”

 

  “ Stop being a naysayer, man Griffon ! We are not staying for more than half an hour, or so I hope.”

   Nina told the grim Parusefor dude Griffon, being kind of uneasy herself but did not show.

  “ Hope…is a dangerous thing.” Rang, of all people, looking at the winds that blow through the empty building insides, the ash that slowly descends on his palm, a melancholy genius being sentiment.

 

   Griffon approached the strategist with his walking stick to support his casted leg while walking

  “ Mr. Rang, I know this is a question everyone has asked more than once, but why are Really here? Just for the fuel? And where is the fuel anyways ?”

   Griffon asked with high concern, seeing the strategist just standing there with melancholy.

 

  “ We are here for fuel, which has already arrived.” Rang then showed them a new tank of energy being transmitted into the Axalara, by a ninja in golden armor.

 

  A ninja in golden armor? Griffon rubbed his eyes to check if he saw right.

 

  Yes, a ninja robed in black and golden linings, slim and tall, ejected power sources into the back of the airship.

 

  “ Who is that ?” Griffon pointed at the ninja.

 

  “ That is Snape, the professional ninja of the Golden Company. He has been assisting me ever since the beginning, in the shadows of course. He helped us charter the energy tanks before we arrived. We should thank him for his silent but honest work.”

   Rang praised this professional ninja who nodded to both Griffon and Rang as he went on with his work.

 

  “ Well cool, then.” Griffon shrugged and his eyes caught the attention of someone else that is more than the strategist’s melancholy, sitting by the airship on a broken bench, looking not at the catastrophic scenery but the scorched torn cement road.

  

   It was Haru, and her melancholy has begun long before they lifted off from peach blossom village.

 

  “ Ahh, I suppose I am not the only melancholy character here.” Rang grinned wryly

“ Must be about our late coproprietar Mr. Tenmei Akiro.”

 

  Griffon was silent too, knowing Tenmei is gone and possibly defeated by a saber man from a rundown village in the mountains, That he, a trained Parusefor cannot achieve due to cowardice and weak will, being far lesser than a man with a big sword.

  His pride was shattered, and feeling like an epic fail of man did this Griffon, knowing pretty well that Marian his crush had turned her back on him the night when the Parusefors came to hunt the Ark’arios. Griffon still could remember Marian that night in peach blossom, with one short cold emotionless glance back at his wounded state, leaving in full chase like he was a total stranger.

   And soon Griffon realized, he too has become melancholy.

 

  “ Must be the atmosphere that is doing the trick.” Rang nodded to himself with a sad smile

“ It is heavier, due to the power blast ages ago.”

 

  “ Then what are you being melancholy about ?” Griffon asked, unwilling to be the only one whose secrets are being known by Rang.

 

   Rang looked up at the pale heavens

 

  “ We cannot simply leave after our fuel is full.” Rang began his concerns.

 “ For as I predicted and ninja Snape saw, Lasvet has sent all his troops and Books of Mobile Walkers down here to intercept the Seed. They will very likely shoot us down the moment we lift off.”

 

  Griffon uttered a silent gasp, mouth wide open that could catch a fly. But even the flies were all dead here in dastardly Helltron.

 

  Nina overheard what Rang said and she too was appalled by the news.

 

  “ Then why lead us here, Strategist Rang sir ?!” Nina asked bravely

“ Griffon is wounded, Varis is still under repair, those who can fight are me and that pompous Reeve Lowangleen! That is not enough !”

 

  “ Of this step, I have reviewed and replanned the most.” Rang continued to share his thoughts

  “ And after some consideration, I found that there is no place safer than here, that is grave Helltron. This city was full of buildings once, now they have fallen and scattered their frameworks across the parameters, acting as natural barricades. and this spot we now park is the innermost section of Helltron, a higher terrain than the outer sections where there are three ways to come in.

   My plan, is to defend ourselves in times when retreating is not an option.”

 

  But Nina Zefield was not convinced yet

  “ But strategist, there are troops and mobile walkers. We can’t stop them !”

 

  “ Well, conveniently, someone will.” Rang stroked his mustache as he walked off to a mound where Reeve Lowangleen the pompous demon slayer was appointed to look out for Rang.

 

  “ Strategist sir !!” Reeve cried out as soon as Rang and Nina and Griffon approached the dude.

  “ Tron armies in the north, east, and west !! Coming in seas of men with guns !!”

 

  Haru heard what Reeve uttered and quickly ran to the small mound by the cliff, which was once a ceiling of a skyscraper but has crumbled down to their feet.

 

  And indeed, the vast Tron armies slowly flow in the barren streets of Helltron, swarming the dead city with iron soulless armadas, all armed to the teeth. Giant Mobile Walkers march alongside the main regiment, long cannons strapped to the machine giants’ backs and huge guns they hold in their cold metallic grips. 

 

  “ Rang sir…..who is it you say will help us stop this sea of death ?” Griffon asked the stern-looking Strategist standing at the front facing the whole battlefield, waving his feathered fan slowly to himself.

  Only Rang knows.

  That someone, is none other than Varche Scirocco, King of Terminas and Lord bearer of the Red Exian Rune, riding on his royal airship towards Helltron above the heads of all the Tron men beneath.

   Though he formally be assisting the notorious prime minister of Tron Lasvet Hikaru due to the wicked politician's request, Varche secretly was on his sworn brother Toshiumi Al Seraphim the Awesome and Lord bearer of the Golden Exian rune’s side. Accompanying him were his loyal clansman Flamming Genale the knight that has saved his lord countless times, and Pablo Roaneru, master of anything craftable, and also, his secretary and resourceful advisor, his soulmate and love of his life, Milina, who observed the map of the Helltron grounds on her virtual screen board in serious deep thought.

 

   “ What do you plan to do, Varche ?” Milina asked in a silent whisper to her lord and majesty’s ear

   “ The prime minister relies heavily on your assistance, seeing that you contributed nothing in the war of Liao, even holding out pacts to limit our Terminas tech sales as a threat for your actions.”

   Milina analyzed the whole situation with her king, who was closing his eyes in a quick nap.

   

  “ Lasvet thought he could push me with contracts and accords.” Varche smiled with a confident grin.

  “ But that never changed our plan, to slay the Demon and bring the Seed out of the wrong hands of Lasvet.”

 

   And Varche stood up to his clansmen linked in loyalty and Red Exian power

 

  “ Stir our ship to the front of Tron arrays. I will lead them !” 

 

  Pablo turned a set of gears on his wrist, stirring the whole royal Terminas Airship down to a swift landing before the Tron armies waiting for his arrival.

 

   Varche King came to the front of the sea of Tron men proudly

 

   “ Valiants of Tron, to me !!!” Varche Scrirocco King called out to all in his radiant charm and charisma

 

  “ To Helltron we march, upon my lead !!!!”

 

  Lo, Varche King with the Tron forces behind him, slowly flooded across the wrecked Helltron fields.

  “ Ahh, here they come.” Rang hummed deeply and turned to Griffon

“ Man Griffon, your flesh be torn and bones be broke, but your spirit still strong and provoke, I need you to lead my troops !”

  Rang patted the wounded young Parusefor on the back, who gasped incredulously.

 

  “ But do not fret, for I have strat. From ninja Snape, a weapon of shape !”

 

  And Rang the military genius led Griffon to a dark dilapidated building, with Nina and Reeve following behind to see an enormous bulky mobile walker, round and thick were its mainly white with golden lined arm and torso armors, grand and bulging were its chest plates, and two remarkable bull-like horns piercing up high from the side of its round head, a visor shaped as a Y drawing down it menacing face mask.

 

  The Mobile Walker knelt before them, taller than average Tron produced Mobile walkers, and double axes it held in both hulky arms.

 

  “ This is Thrond, a customized Mobile Walker enhanced in combat, able to link with the neuron reflexes of the pilot with nearly zero delay, designed for well-trained fighters to highly reflect and enhance their battle prowesses on the field.” 

   Rang introduced to all and bowed to Griffon, dumbfounded by such a menacing beast among mobile giants.

 

  “ But….but certainly there are others more worthy of this…” Griffon tried to shake the responsibility off but Rang willingly placed the keys to the mobile giant in Griffon’s hands

  “ I have seen your combat skills first hand, back when sir Melvin Bradley, may his soul rest, was still holding a revolution. You are truly a warrior of potential. Surely not only I have seen, but others too.”

 

  And Rang ushered aside, to Griffon who turned to Nina Zefield standing to a side, who nodded reassuringly

  “ Man up, Griffon !” Nina spoke to the wounded Parusefor aloud

 “ I…We can’t afford you sitting on a cold bench instead of fighting alongside us ! We Need You !!”

 

  Greatly boosted in morale, Griffon agreed, holding the keys to the Thrond Mobile Walker deep in a tight grasp.

 

  “ Hey, hey! How am I not invited when there’s a battle going on ?!?!”

grunted lo, the rough voice of the battered, the hardened, the betrayed the….

 

  “ Sir Nison of Char !! Never have I forgotten your honorable place in our ranks !” Rang bowed gladly to this vagabond hero, who is also a demon puncher

  “ And I have great news! Lord Varche of Terminas and Red is down below this terrain. waiting for you to pack a punch !!”

 

  “ Ha ha !! I will gladly do so !!!” And Nison Char, with whoever side needs to fight Varche he will be, raced down to face the enemy.

 

  Griffon leapt in the Thrond mobile walker cockpit and alongside Nina and Reeve, went forth with Nison Char to battle.

  Haru looked at them go worriedly.

 

  “ …..What can I do, Sir Rang ?” Haru asked, wishing she could be more help to the others in the current situation of sheer violence.

 

  “ Stay safe,” Rang assured Haru with a gentle smile

 “ Your part is most important in the grand picture, need not worry.”

  And so the battle of Helltron began.

  As the mobile walkers clash against the valiant heroes of the Axalara crew, 

  Far far away, deep down in the trenches beneath the sea of Liao, sits our man Tenmei Akiro at the bottom of the ocean floor, not dead and undrowning also.

 

  How can this possibly be achieved?

 

  For Tenmei Akiro realized the Rune of Blue shining upon his chest, glowing majestically and brightening the deep depth around him. Mayhap this Blue Exian Rune that is keeping him alive under the sea, Tenmei Akiro thought to himself.

 

  But where and how did he get this Blue Exia Rune in the first place?

 

  

  “ Good…..” crooned the archdemon within Tenmei Akiro weakly

“ Your senses and grasp of the Rune have finally returned. Now we are unstoppable. Come, rise and lead me back to the Seed !” Archdemon Ark’arios cackled, but Tenmei Akiro refused.

 

  “ The Seed is well in Rang’s hands.” Tenmei replied calmly

“ There is no need for us to destroy anymore.”

 

  Archdemon Ark’arios flew into a great rage

 

  “ Bring me back up, Fool !!!” Ark’arios roared inside the silent Tenmei

" If you won’t, I’ll make you !!”

 

  And the Ark’arios like before, engulfed Tenmei Akiro in his armor of demonry, but No !!

 

  Ark’arios’ control over Tenmei heeds no command, and the young man still sits solemnly on the seafloor!

 

  “ WHY ?!” Ark’arios cried in defeat 

 “ Why can I not control you anymore ?!?!” 

 

  “ I don’t know.” Tenmei admitted

“ But I think it has something to do with this Rune here.”

 

  And yes, the Blue Exia rune, burst in blue flare as Ark’arios tried to take control.

  “ Foool…..!!” Ark’arios moaned in agony

“ You have no idea !!! The Seed is in danger! The Seed is about to be taken! The Seed will be destroyed! You may not care about the Seed, but of course, you care for the mortal girl that carries it !! She is in danger as well !!”

 

  “ Rang can protect her better than I.” Tenmei spake to the hollering archdemon

 “ There is no need to hustle. All I have to do is keep you down here. Never will you hurt a soul anymore.”

 

  “ I see….” the Ark’arios hissed wickedly

 “ Then what will you say if you see this ?!”

 

  And using his power as the Archdemon of old, Ark’arios expended the Strike Force that exists in all things life and lifeless, extending Tenmei’s Strike vision throughout Liao coast and far and wide all the way to Helltron, and with the senses of Strike Tenmei saw that the Axalara cornered and surrounded by seas of Tron men of Lasvet fighting their way up to get to Haru, as the crew fought back valiantly, but it was the Lord of the Red Exian rune Varche Scrirocco himself at the lead and the fight seemed to be on Lasvet’s favor !!

 

  “ This is not an illusion, boy !” Ark’arios confirmed of the vision Tenmei saw.

“ I possess no skills of trickery, and the Strike in all things never lie! That Rang you speak of is losing on all fronts, and he will surrender the Seed !! Act, I say !! Is it not what you live by, To Do The Right Thing ?!?! Do It Now !!”

 

  Tenmei Akiro, once again, was forced to a crossroads.

 

  To seal the Archdemon forever? 

 

  Or rise and save Haru, risking the world ?!?!

  Tenmei looked down at the Blue blazing Exia Rune on his chest

 

  “ You are no longer a threat as long as you stay in me, Ark’arios.” Tenmei realized, slowly rising from a seat to a kneel

 

  “ You will be sealed, while I do what I must !!”

…

…………

 

 

  Though the first minutes of the battle of Helltron favored Lasvet so, the following minutes later did the Tron armies find themselves starting to lag.

 

  “ Why are we lagging ?” Lasvet impatiently asked from afar through his U-phone to Varche’s camp.

 

  “ It seems that the enemy forces have a better brand of Mobile walkers,” Varche replied, sitting on a director’s bench under an open tent and looking over the field with a set of binoculars.

  “ Perhaps you should reconsider buying mobile walkers of Terminas brand, surely they won’t let you down.”

 

  “ I want my Seed snappy !!” Lasvet growled and hung up the phone and waited frantically on his airship far away.

 

  Varche Scrirocco chuckled to himself

  “ Tell the left arrays to move to the right and the right to the left !” Varche king gave out the order to the military officer of Tron Gelouch Dendrobium, who looked back at the Terminas king in bewilderment.

 

  “ You heard me !” Varche spoke louder and military officer Gelouch could but comply.

 

  Varche looked again at the battlefield with his binoculars.

 “ Set off the signal to Rang as soon as the Tron forces start to fall back.” Varche quietly whispered to Pablo who nodded quickly in silent answer.

 

  “ My Lord !!!” loyal Flamming Genale the knight of Varche pointed at an unexpected direction in the skies

  “ The Skies !!!!”

 

  And Lo the skies turned black at its coming, 

 

  Demon pus scattered along its wake, 

 

  Tron men faltered and fled as what came crashed down in the middle of the arrays, blasting Lasvet’s Book of mobile walkers to smithereens across the deserted city, men blew off sky high and fell down far off Helltron to the next city borders.

 

  Griffon in his Thrond mobile walker noticed it too and gasped with shock and slight joy, knowing that Reeve didn’t kill any Ark’arios.

 

  Reeve saw it too and knew his lies were about to be foiled.

  Haru and Rang both came to the edge of the terrain, to see Tenmei Akiro returned !!! 

 

  Returned with a slight change of his armor, for his face now revealing, no longer is trapped inside Ark’arios’ grasp, and blue Exia aura glowing above his Demon armor.

 

  

  Varche Scrirocco stood up from his stool, dropping his binoculars as his leisure grin now a stern frown

 

  “ To me.” Varche spoke in a firm silent order to his clansmen, who quickly suited up their crimson glowing armor upon their red robes in a flash, and with bursts of energy they are off.

  Tenmei looked around the field, examining the situation. 

 

  Haru and Rang were in higher positions, and the Tron forces flood in from three sides, Griffon and Nina…..

 

  BANG !!!!!

 

  Before Tenmei could look more, a red sky-holding pillar burst down on him, incinerating Tenmei’s armor with just one blast, and down came Varche in his royal armor of dazzling crimson, spiky armor, and red energy fields around him, red thin wings fluttering slowly and menacingly at Varche’s back.

 

  “ I have waited for this to come.” Varche Scrirocco spake cooly as his loyal clansmen, Flamming, Milina, and Pablo all joined in on the fight

  “ Thought you were killed by someone else. Glad I am the one to do it.”

 

  And Varche sped forth cutting the whole world apart with his arm that shot out a crimson energy beam that reached out to infinity, which Tenmei Arkiro blocked it with the cursed blade Lifthrasir, but Milina was behind Tenmei and stabbed her frost rapier at his back!

  Tenmei shot a punch to block the blow, only to find that the Milina holding the frost rapier is also made of icy frost! And immediately ten Milinas all made of frost pierced Tenmei from ten sides, locking our man down to an excruciating kneel, which Varche seized the chance, and swung his earth-cleaving red energy blade down on Tenmei’s face.

 

   But Lo !! Tenmei Akiro quickly summoned the Ark’arios helmet upon his face and with that helm shot out a death beam from his mouth and both eyes, three death beams all at once at the same time breaking all the glacier rapiers piercing him with a standing-up blast of dark force, shattering all the fake Milinas to ice cubes.

  And elevating himself to the air, Tenmei Ark’arios with three death beams still bursting forth turned circles around the Helltron dilapidated city, burning down all that stands, severing mobile walkers of Tron in half from the waist, but the beams were abruptly ceased for a series of metal balls rolled out to his feet and shot out laser nets that grabbed Tenmei Akr’arios back to the ground as large gatling beam gun turrets erected one by one surrounding Tenmei and all began to fire upon Pablo the magic Terminas engineer’s command, and as the beam guns shoot on nonstop, Flamming Genale in light speed zigzagged among bullets while at the same time cutting Ark’arios’ armor down with his twin katanas of red, melting the demon armor with each cut.

   Milina joined in and summoned a barrage of ice staked from underneath Tenmei Ark’arios and pierced him through each and every limb and internal organs. Tenmei gave a cry of utter pain but falter not, fighting through all that is pulling him back.

 

  Griffon, inside his Thrond mobile giant, stood from afar, and was at a crossroads, for he wanted to help Tenmei, but at the same time wanted to finish the Ark’arios once and for all!

 

  “ Griffon !! Focus on the mission !!” Nina cried to our Parusefor dude aloud, pulling Griffon back to the battlefield

  “ We have to stop the Tron forces !!”

 

  “ NO !!! Varche is mine !!!” Nison Char ran off in pursuit of Varche Scrirocco, leaving Nina and Griffon behind.

 

  Milina saw Nison approaching her Lord at full speed, and quickly shot out a glacier stake to trip Nison down.

 

  Varche successfully conjured his King power as his loyal clansmen helped chain the Ark’arios in place, and Varche went, an immense long upper slash of his red energy beam sword did go, cutting Tenmei Ark’arios diagonally as the slash went right through Tenmei and burst forth to the beyond, a slash that traveled across the globe and even to this day legends has it that the energy slash that Varche so slashed Tenmei was still traveling in space. But Varche did not stop there, for he struck down his energy sword again, this time a downward slash that came slowly at Tenmei’s skull, cleaving inch by inch as Tenmei felt the heat of the sun burning his scalp as Varche’s energy blade sink inner and inner into Tenmei’s head.

 

  “ When this blade travels to your brain, YOU WILL DIE !!!!!” Varche explained generously, but Varche your first upwards slash should have already done that! Why isn’t Tenmei dead yet ?!?!

 

  “ I WILL NOT DIE !!!!!” Tenmei shouted to the heavens and Lo !!! The Blue Exia Rune burst like the sea itself swarming Varche Milina Flamming and Pablo and Nison and Griffon and Nina, and even Haru and Rang from afar, all at once, pushing everything and everyone down miles away, and it won’t stop, the blue Exia aura emitting endlessly all over Helltron, washing the abandoned city nearly clean out of existence. 

   

 

   Helltron would have been wiped out of the map a second time if HE didn’t come at the right time to save the day and rescue everyone from the devastating heat and destruction Tenmei Ark’arios brought upon the world.

 

  Like a star that was reborn in the vast darkness, shining gold and none other, shot down in star crashing speed at Tenmei Ark’arios, and Tenmei uttered a cry of a beast mauled by a burning space shuttle of gold and Tenmei’s everlasting Blue power wave was forced to a halt, and Tenmei Ark’arios, sent flying and crashing, flipping ten thousand times before slamming into a lone skyscraper framework, as the half building crumbled and crushed down upon him, burying him down under as he lay silent in the wreck, being brought to a temporary stop.

 

  All eyes turned to the one power that easily stopped the Tenmei Ark’arios from destroying the world through the full energy burst, and all were stunned.

 

  Varche King smiled, grinning at the man that came forth.

 

  Milina gasped.

 

  Flamming sighed in relief.

 

  Pablo nodded forth in quiet but respectful admiration.

  Griffon didn’t know who he was, but a word was forced out of his mouth as soon as he gazed at the newcomer's slow stride toward them.

 

  “........Awesome…..” was the word Griffon uttered.

 

  Nina gasped in sudden excitement and blocked her mouth from squeaking like a fan girl.

 

  Nison Char stepped aside and kept low, knowing that there was an alpha male more alpha than he on this battlefield now.

  Haru looked down from the terrain and she too was amazed her eyes couldn’t turn elsewhere but at the figure blazing in Awesome bright Gold.

  Rang finally smiled and sighed in relief.

  And the man blazing in sheer gold then spoke in his voice of charm and charisma to all

“  I am Toshiumi, Raphael Harute Al Seraphim, Brave of Zabanya!

   And I have come to protect the Seed.”

  

[..............to be continued]