"You truly are an enigma, Xenophanes. To this day, I can't comprehend you." A rough knight, whose heart was filled with conflicting emotions, entered into view.
Rem: "It's you!" She said with hostility.
Xeno: "Hehe, welcome back, jackass. I hope you've been well?" An amused smile grew on him.
Carlos Jaspmen walked into frame, looking far better for wear. His imposing stature remained steadfast.
He wasn't the only one. He, alongside other Royal Knights, had come, all battle-hardened like him. While they went to greet Crusch and Felix, Carlos was the only one who staying behind.
His interest lay more in Xeno for the time being. He couldn't put his finger on it, but... Something about this young man had changed, and it wasn't the fact that he was no longer a cripple.
His aura just felt... different. More relaxed. There was nothing but amusement in his eyes, not holding even a shred of disdain, despite his attempt on his life
That couldn't be said for his companion, though. She glared at him with pure hostility. He couldn't say anything in response. For now, all that mattered to him was getting answers.
Moving to a quieter area of the room, Carlos and Xeno could have a private discussion here.
Carlos: "Tell me, Xenophanes, why did you do it? Why save me, despite my attempts at your and your companion's lives?" He carefully studied his expression.
Xeno: "I want one thing clear, Carlos..." His pupils flashed red, returning to being purple in the blink of an eye.
Something Carlos noticed, but before he could comment on it, Xeno spoke up.
"You're a damn shallow, self-conscious hypocrite. An absolute bastard of a man, who got jealous of me, a former cripple, got beaten up by me, which is just sad. And also, your mustache is stupid looking."
Carlos: "Why you!!" His arms trembling at his side.
Xeno: "Wait, I'm not done yet. I have 50 more to go. You're a muscle-headed brute that looks ridiculous in a Royal Guard outfit. You're so shallow you had to gang up on me—"
Carlos: "Enough, boy! Be glad we're in the Duchess's Manor, or I would have struck you down." An angry huff escaped his lips.
Xeno: "And get your ass kicked again? Go right ahead, then. That should be an entertaining spectacle." A shit-eating grin marked his face.
Carlos: "You insufferable..." He gritted his teeth in frustration, taking a deep breath as he forced himself to calm down.
This brat was purposely trying to get under his skin. He couldn't fall for such provocation. The best thing to do now was walk away for his own sake.
Xeno watched as he did exactly that. He didn't stop him for now. Instead, he simply said this.
"You got no bitches either, grampa."
Carlos nearly tripped hearing that. His appearance and relationship status were a sore spot for him. It wasn't a surprise when he turned back, furious.
Carlos: "You brat, I was putting up with you out of respect for the Duchess, but if you insult me one more time, I swear by the Divine Dragon I will teach you a lesson in respect!"
Xeno: "..."
To Carlos's surprise, the young man didn't respond. Even his smile dropped. He didn't take his threat seriously, he could see that, so why the sudden silence?
Xeno: "I have to say, Carlos, I'm surprised you tolerated me that much." There was no amusement in his voice.
Carlos: "What are you—"
Xeno: "You wanted to know why I saved you, right?"
Carlos: "..."
Xeno: "Good. Well, here's your answer. I still think you're a dick, but..." His expression remained surprisingly understanding.
"I get it. Me, a cripple, suddenly being handed the position of knight to a Royal Candidate... that probably pissed you off. You couldn't accept it. You thought someone like me had no right to stand among knights. You were wrong. But being wrong doesn't mean you deserve death."
Xeno paused for a moment before looking directly into Carlos's eyes.
"So let me ask you something, Carlos. What do you think the qualifications for being a 'knight' are?"
Carlos: "..."
He remained silent for several seconds, carefully considering the question. Xeno was asking about his very identity.
Finally, Carlos answered.
Carlos: "A knight is a symbol it's someone who gives their all to serve their kingdom, safeguard its people, and inspire others." His voice was firm.
"That is what a knight should be. Someone who becomes an example for others to follow. Someone who upholds ideals that others can look toward and aspire to."
That was what Carlos believed a knight was. An ideal, a standard that one was expected to reach.
Xeno: "Really? And what did you do to uphold that standard with me? Oh right... Try to kill Rem and I just to ruin my lady's standing."
Carlos stiffened.
Xeno: "Your ideals are noble in practice, but in reality, you're so consumed by them that the moment I came along and got everything handed to me that you had to earn through hard work, you lost it."
Carlos: "..."
Xeno: "You ambushed us and got Rem, someone innocent, involved and attempted to kill her because she was a part of Emilia's camp. Is that what you call safeguarding the people?"
Carlos: "..."
Xeno: "You could have challenged me to a duel or something, but you didn't because of how consumed you were by your ideals of what a knight should be. Carlos... You destroyed the very ideal you try to uphold. You're a damn hypocrite."
Carlos: "..."
He had no defense against that.
Xeno: "A bastard through and through, but... That's okay."
Carlos: "...What?"
Xeno: "Everyone makes mistakes. Yours is an extreme one, but still a mistake. And I... Very, and I do mean VERY reluctantly, give you another chance."
Carlos: "You're giving me a second chance despite what I did?"
He couldn't believe what Xeno said. To be exposed for his bitter jealousy, dishonoring his own worldview, and still be given a chance by the person he wronged?
Xeno: "You're not a bad guy, Carlos. You're on thin ice, but you can still prove yourself better by helping me, right here and right now."
Carlos: "..."
Xeno: "Do you know why I called you here?"
Carlos: "..."
Xeno: "Your opinion of me isn't going to magically change because of this conversation, so here's the deal. I'll give you a practical demonstration of whether or not I deserve my position. You have front-row seats to my battle, where you can judge me. So, Carlos, do we have a deal?"
He extended his hand towards him with a smile.
Carlos: "..."
He could see it in his expression. He meant every word. Staring at his outstretched hand, he decided to accept Xeno' conditions.
...
After everyone departed, a new issue rose up. How the heck was Xeno supposed to ride an earth dragon without causing a battle royal?
The best option would be to let everyone else pick one, leaving the last one for Xeno, much to the relief of everyone. As long as he was on the other side of the mansion, the earth dragons wouldn't act up.
After waiting awkwardly in a room for a long time, Xeno and Rem descended into the stables, where a familiar earth dragon awaited him.
Xeno: "Hmmm? Isn't this the same one from when we first met Felix?" He looked at the black-scaled earth dragon in front of him.
The earth dragon in question came up to him, its proud eyes looking directly at him. Just from those alone, anyone could tell it had chosen him.
Rem: "I'm surprised. This species is known for being prideful and unfriendly."
Felix: "You got a good eye, Xeno-kyan. It's the exact one. She hasn't let anyone ride her since then. It's almost like—"
He leaned towards Rem.
"She's fallen in looove."
Xeno: "...Don't say that. You'll make Rem pout." He rubbed the bridge of his nose.
Rem could only protest at Felix teasing her with a smug smile. Soon, the maid stood in front of the earth dragon, her eyes not daring to let the creature out of sight.
Violent sparks could be seen flying, as if Rem and the creature had formed an intense rivalry. While Xeno could only sigh, silently hoping it was a one-time thing.
...
Everything went on schedule. With that hiccup, Xeno and Rem mounted their earth dragon, and soon the sun began to set as the alliance had reached its destination.
As everyone stopped in their tracks, they had torches lighting up the area as the preparations for the eventual encounter ensued.
While this was happening, Xeno, with Rem, stared at the massive tree in front of them.
Xeno: "Damn, that's one enormous tree, but why is it even here?" He strained his neck, trying to see the entire thing.
Rem: "This is the Flugel Tree, Xeno-kun. It is said that the great sage Flugel planted this tree four hundred years ago."
Xeno: "Why...? It's in the middle of nowhere? He could have done something else. It honestly looks like it's just... here for no reason."
Rem: "Sorry, Xeno-kun, but Rem doesn't know why either."
Xeno: "It's fine... Rem? Are you ready for today?" Concern with laced in his tone.
Rem: "Xeno-kun need not worry. Rem is prepared to give it her all." She answered his worries with confidence.
Xeno: "Really? Aren't you even a little bit nervous or scared?" He was pleasantly surprised.
Rem: "Not at all. With how everything is going, Rem placed her full faith in her hero." There was no hesitation at all.
She fully believed they would win because her hero was here to ensure they would.
Xeno: "...Heh, thanks, Rem."
...
A few minutes later, it was now properly nighttime. The entire alliance now stood in front of the Flugel Tree. It was almost time for the moment they had all waited for.
The area was silent, the tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Various expressions were plastered on the faces of the alliance members.
With each passing second, the alliance looked around as they tightly held onto their weapons in their hands. Sweat began to fall from their faces as the sound of their heartbeats rang in their ears.
Yet they didn't see any signs of the White Whale, and that fear was creeping into the hearts of everyone.
[Dusted Revolution Phase 2 - Amidst Countless Grievances]
Well... Almost everyone.
Crusch and the others turned their heads towards the source of the light music.
Xenophanes.
The man behind this entire event, was lounging on a beach chair, sipping a cold drink while his trusty maid, Rem, fanned him with a giant purple leaf.... Much to her embarrassment.
The image was so absurd that they temporarily forgot their trepidation. Staring wide-eyed, how could he do something like this in a time like this?
Crusch: "Xenophanes... What is the meaning of this?" She wasn't mad, just very confused.
Xeno: "What? Being tense is so much work and not even worth the effort. So relax will you? It's not like it's going to come faster if you don't." He sipped his cold drink.
Crusch: "..."
Felix: "Xeno-kyun, take this seriously. We don't know when the White Whale will show up, stop messing around." He, however, was angry.
Xeno: "Geez, chill your spine." He stretched in his chair.
Felix: "Xenophanes!"
Xeno: "Alright, alright, I'll get up. You know, for a cat, you're pretty mean." Reluctantly, Xeno got off, stopped the music while removing both the fan and chair.
Xeno: "There, happy...?"
Felix: "Yes! Now can you please take this–"
Xeno: "Serious? Yeah, I guess I have to now... After all." He looked up in the sky, his eyes empty.
"It's already here."
...
Hearing his words, Crusch and Felix snapped their heads to where Xeno was looking. Clouds intercepted the moonlight that was shining down, and a large shadow enveloped the plains.
However, this wasn't due to any fog. Soon, the alliance all witnessed with their own eyes the enormous outline of a giant fish. A mabeast floating through the air. In other words...
The White Whale.
Crusch: "Do not hesitate! Steel yourself!" She shouted atop her earth dragon, a bead of sweat on her cheek, as she looked upon the mabeast.
Xeno: "Alright, Rem, let's start us off!"
They charged forward before anyone else, Xeno saw Rem summon massive, incredibly dense pillars of ice as they were launched at super high speeds. Striking the White Whale with tremendous force as they pierced its flesh.
Shortly after, the alliance turned towards Xeno as they saw his pupils burn bright, purple smoke leaking from the corners of his eyes. He snapped his fingers.
Ten large dragon skulls, twice the size of a carriage, surrounded the White Whale. Their menacing red eyes glared at it before releasing destructive red beams from their mouths. A brilliant explosion ensued, enveloping entire the White Whale followed by an agonizing cry.
As the smoke cleared, the alliance were left in shock as the Mabeast of the fog was covered in blisters and third-degree burns. Leaving it a steaming mess.
As Rem continued charging forward, Xeno stayed back and said loud enough for everyone to hear.
"Huh? Always wondered why people never used their strongest attack first. What do you think, Crusch?"
He looked back at her with a wink.
The alliance knew exactly what he was doing. He was challenging them. Crusch smirked at him for showing such a display. With her nerves now steeled, the Duchess unsheathed her blade as she commanded.
"EVERYONE! FOLLOW THAT FOOL!"
With a loud battle cry, everyone began to rush forward. They couldn't let two people carry out what they had spent years waiting for. Their fear was long gone, now replaced with determination.
As the alliance rushed towards the White Whale, Xeno walked forward, having his own plans in mind.
Having successfully motivated the others, as much as he would like to continue going with that same intensity, he knew he couldn't.
That stunt of his cost him 200 points of Envy, and currently, he had 2,000 left. He needed to conserve it carefully. This wasn't the only thing he had to battle today.
So, he'll be helping out tremendously, but he's not going all out. Not right now. There was also another thing that prevented him from doing that.
This was their battle to win not his.
...
"Cannons ready!"
Following Crusch's command, the expeditionary force was loading up the cannons with magic crystals. Once they were all set, the cannons fired the magic crystals as if they were cannonballs.
With a thunderous noise reverberating through the night, the fusillade landed. Its destructive power violated the White Whale's flesh.
The instant they hit squarely, the magic crystals embedded into it transformed into the magical power of their corresponding mana, be it fire, ice, or light, widening the wounds Rem and Xeno had created.
Soot-black blood poured down onto the highway. As this was going on, Xeno caught up with Rem, riding on their earth dragon, they circled around the White Whale's rear. Using his miasma to grab its attention.
In fact, if not for the meeting they had prior, he had almost forgotten mabeasts were attracted to it.
Rem: "The Night Banisher's next! Please close your eyes!"
Upon hearing her words, Xeno closed his eyes. In the very next moment, the once-dark battlefield became bright.
A white light exploded in the sky above as it burned away any trace of darkness. In a matter of seconds, a light as bright as midday was shining, allowing everyone to easily track the White Whale from now on.
As the situation changed, the White Whale let out a cry so powerful that the entire atmosphere trembled. Even the trained earth dragons on the alliance's side became frightened.
Even though it was bleeding from its entire body and had nasty burns all across it, the White Whale continued to float freely in the air, making it clear that the wounds on its body had barely affected it.
Xeno: "It's a real pain in the ass. Sigh, alright, Rem, you sure you're prepared for this?"
Rem: "Rem doesn't have any fears as long as she's with you."
Xeno: "Don't say I didn't warn you, then. Let go, Rem. Let's feel mortifying dread together."
Rem: "Yes, Xeno-kun!"
After saying that, Rem cranked the reins of the earth dragon they were riding. The moment this happened, the White Whale suddenly turned its gaze towards the pair as it started heading their way.
Xeno couldn't help but look back, his heart pounding as the beast let out a mighty roar and opened its jaw while closing in on them. Xeno slightly hoped if anyone was going to do something, now would be a great time.
"You gravely underestimate us, looking away so carelessly!"
Fortunately, his cries were answered by none other than Crusch, as the White Whale received a horizontal cut on its head from a single slash. The invisible slash drew blood from its stone-like hide.
Looking to the side, Xeno noticed Crusch riding her earth dragon, having caught up to them. Letting out a sigh of relief, he gave her a thumbs-up. She was momentarily amused before getting serious.
Crusch: "Keep attacking!"
Once the command was issued, the roar of cannons could be heard as the mabeast was bombarded with multiple blasts. Its altitude dropping as the damage on its body piled up.
Crusch noticed how the beast was the same height as the clouds. However, as long as it held up its head high, it was within reach.
Crusch: "Disperse."
The alliance and herself split apart into two groups as they moved out of the way while the White Whale descended.
Seconds flew by, and only one stood in his original position still as the enormous monster headed straight towards him, opening its maw.
But the man didn't fear it. With his blade in one hand, his blue eyes were filled with nothing but animosity for the beast he was about to face.
Wilhelm: "14 years... For 14 years, I quietly dreamed of this day."
Just as the beast crashed onto the earth, it shattered the ground like it was made of glass. It closed its maw, unable to find its prey anywhere, as it looked on in confusion. Wilhelm had already made his move.
With his blade tightly in hand, he had leaped into the air, plunging his sword into the monster's thick hide.
Fourteen years of rage and grief, countless days spent training with purpose, all accumulated for one reason. All for this day, this chance. To make each strike tear away at the monster that took his wife.
"This field will be your grave, you filthy monster!!!"
A scream of anguish escaped from the Mabeast of the Mist. It soared high into the sky, thrashing as if to shake off the creature harming it. But it was of no use. The beast's blood danced in the air.
Wilhelm, with the hilt of his blade in hand, ran across its enormous body, he continuously drew blood from his prey.
"How wonderfully cooperative of you to come here to be slain!"
Just as Wilhelm felt the beast's blood stain his face, its violent thrashing finally managed to throw off the old man. As he was falling, Wilhelm saw his earth dragon leap into the air and snatch up his body.
The earth dragon landed on its feet as it suddenly broke into a sprint. The White Whale, blinded by its rage, gave chase to the old man, leaving itself open for the next series of attacks.
The White Whale was met with attacks on both sides of its colossal body. From the left side, a single strike from a huge cleaver knocked out a few of its teeth. While from the other side, a giant, sharp rock spear did the exact same.
It was Ricardo and Carlos.
Ricardo: "Ya idiot!! We ain't anywhere near done." He roared proudly with a smirk on his face.
Carlos: "Today's the day the world will celebrate your funeral, beast!!" He matched the wolf man's intensity.
"Now, everyone!!! Let's go!" Both the leader of the Iron Fang and the knight squadron shouted. The command was executed flawlessly by both factions.
The Iron Fangs leapt into the air with their spears and swords, continuously stabbing into the beast as if they were a swarm of wasps.
The Royal Knights, not to be outdone, continued with their ferocity, using their years of swordsmanship to mark its hide with clean and precise strikes. At the forefront of it all was Carlos himself, using his mastery of earth magic to create an earth clone to double his assault on the White Whale.
The major weakness of this overwhelming behemoth was the fact that its very size made small movements difficult. This was a weakness exploited by everyone.
The knights and Iron Fang stopped their attack and gained some distance from the White Whale. Seeing this, the mabeast turned its body, assuming now would be a perfect chance for a counterattack.
Little did it know that would be a foolish mistake.
Crusch: "You shouldn't underestimate the people you viewed as prey, beast!"
Her blade glowed green with powerful wind magic. With a swing of her blade, a diagonal slash struck the White Whale's side at an angle, drawing blood as it bent, letting out a silent scream.
Crusch: "The flank is exposed! Fire!"
"Al Goa!"
Several mages around Crusch held up their hands and opened fire. In a matter of seconds, all the magic users unleashed massive fireballs, scorching away everything in their path.
The moment the attack made contact with the White Whale, a violent, chaotic wind ensued, consuming the beast in an enormous explosion. Fragments of shattered fire began to fall around like rain.
Seeing this, Xenophanes smiled, with Rem beside him.
Xeno: "With how things are going, we'll win in no time."
Rem: "No, in truth, we had hoped that attack would ground it. It's not losing altitude at all."
As Rem finished, both of them looked at the White Whale. It was still calmly swimming in the sky. It wasn't high enough to make it impossible for the cavalry to leap towards it, but it was high enough to make fighting it on the ground impossible.
More importantly, without the beast falling to the ground, they couldn't move on to the next phase of the plan.
Amidst their gawking, Ricardo and Carlos pulled up on either side of them. Their weapons, as well as their bodies, were bloodied.
Ricardo: "We used our best attacks from the get-go. It didn't fall down. You weren't kidding about its durability."
Carlos: "Its skin was far more troublesome than we expected."
The White Whale had a special property to its skin. It could shatter and disperse magic, making magical attacks less effective against it.
Xeno: "Sigh... Looks like it's time for Plan B, then?"
Carlos: "Did you come up with a solution, brat?"
He and everyone else eyed him curiously.
Xeno: "Sure did. You tell the others to prepare themselves. I'll bring the White Whale down."
He got off his dragon carriage, straightening his joints.
He cracked his neck as he walked forward, the group's eyes still on him. He got into a sprint pose, and from his back, two dark purple vortexes erupted.
Rem, Ricardo, and Carlos's eyes widened in surprise as those vortexes morphed into two big undead wings. They were almost entirely bone, with some flesh here and there.
Rem: "Xeno-kun, what are you—"
Her words couldn't finish as Xeno leaped into the air. With a powerful flap of his wings, he rocketed into the air. Something that shouldn't be possible due to their damaged state, yet it happened anyways.
Before they knew it, Xeno had soared high into the air, rapidly approaching the White Whale's position. Down below, Ricardo looked on in wonder.
"That kid can fly!" He whistled, surprised.
Carlos: "At this point, I'm no longer surprised. That brat has way too many tricks up his sleeves." He shook his head.
...
Xeno's recent actions didn't go unnoticed. The alliance watched in the same awe and shock as he reached the same altitude as the White Whale.
As for the beast itself, sensing the vicious scent of the Witch approaching it, it sharply turned its massive body towards him.
Having no time to waste, Xeno, with a sharp spin, summoned a Gaster Blaster. By then, he had reached the mabeast face-to-face, at a fair distance away, with the blaster looming above him. Its jaw opened instead of firing outright. He yanked his arm forwards.
The blaster launched itself forward, opening its maw fully and biting hard on the White Whale's eye. From there, destructive energy built up inside the blaster's body, so much so that cracks began forming on its skeletal frame until...
It couldn't handle it and violently exploded, tearing apart the White Whale's eye alongside it. Heavy chunks of eye matter fell from the sky while the beast let out a yell of pain.
But Xeno wasn't done. With his hand coated in purple energy, he threw a punch. The coating turned into a purple energy fist that travelled through the air and struck directly on its forehead, causing yet another explosion.
Xeno: "Catch me if you can, you overgrown fish!" With that, he bolted as fast as his wings could go, knowing full well how angry he had made it.
Predictably, it was furious. It let out a shriek of rage and turned its massive body to pursue Xeno, opening its jaw to swallow him whole.
Xeno gulped nervously, the fear fueling him to fly faster and faster with the angry mabeast behind him. Fortunately for him, the alliance reacted quickly. The moment they came within range, Crusch ordered them to open fire once again.
Cannons roared, and mages cast devastating fire magic from all angles, taking full advantage of its rage. But the most devastating attack came from Xeno again.
Taking advantage of its distraction, Xeno turned around. Raising his hands, a dense ball of energy formed in his palms, growing to nearly the size of his entire body.
Aiming it at the White Whale's side, he unleashed a beam of purple light that devastated everything in its path. The White Whale's side was burned away, exposing it's raw muscles beneath.
But that wasn't the main goal. It was the White Whale's fins. The bloody hole he carved into its side also tore through its fins, making it lose balance and crash into the ground. The very earth beneath it broke apart as a mighty gust of wind followed suit.
Seeing the results of his efforts, Xeno smirked. He learned from his mistake the last time he fought this overgrown fish. He had been overwhelming it with hundreds of cheap attacks.
What he should have been doing was the opposite: attacking with overwhelmingly powerful attacks. Like that beam, he used 60 points of Envy. Combined with his previous stunts, he had spent 90 points of Envy.
10 on the wings and 20 on the blaster.
With it on the ground, the ground forces moved to take advantage of this opportunity. The knights, Iron Fang, and Wilhelm charged at its sides to continue their assault while it struggled to adapt to its lost fins.
New wounds kept appearing on the White Whale's body, most of them focused on the area Xeno had destroyed, deepening them.
It was perhaps the first time in its life that the White Whale had suffered this level of pain. Being harassed by beings it once considered prey, its singular eye glared at the man responsible for its current suffering. Seeing the smug look in his eyes infuriated it to no end.
It felt hatred like no other for the being in front of it, so much so that its eye began to change. If it didn't do something now, this would be the end of its existence. For that reason, its usually yellow eye slowly became blood red.
Xeno, watching this, immediately went on alert. He immediately shouted at the top of his lungs.
"EVERYONE, DISPERSE NOW!!!!"
The warning came just in time, as shrill cry escaped from the White Whale. A large quantity of smoke escaped from the functioning mouth cavities across its body. The mist mostly came from the right side, as the ones on the left were basically all gone.
Nonetheless, the fog spread far and wide, becoming so thick that it even affected the effectiveness of the Night Banisher. The alliance struggled to maintain tight cohesion across the fog-covered plains due to their worsening vision.
Sensing a dense group of Envy, Xeno regrouped with the others. Meeting up with Rem and Crusch, he was immediately checked on by the maid to see if he was okay, while she displayed her worries about his stunt once again.
On Crusch's side, things were very different. She was speaking to her subordinates from each of the assembled squads.
Crusch: "How many troops did we lose?"
"Our squad had twelve people. We're three short!"
"We had fourteen and have lost one!"
"Two from my squad."
"Six men... I am very sorry! Our position was deep, and we were unable to avoid the fog!"
Similar reports built up. No one was able to remember the names of their vanquished comrades. That was the tragedy of the Mist of Elimination. Even though they were prepared for this, casualties were bound to happen.
It was precisely because of them, Crusch made each group have a fixed number of units, so in case something happened they could at least identify they lost someone.
Crusch didn't like what she was hearing but couldn't dwell on it. Turing her attention towards Xenophanes.
The man was currently shuddering in bliss, his cheeks red as Rem petted his undead wings. Unlike before, they weren't merely things he controlled.
He could make them living now, meaning they were actually connected to his nervous system to an extent, allowing him to feel Rem's heavenly touch. And oh boy... Did it feel good.
Crusch: "..."
"Ahem!"
Xeno: "H-Huh!? W-What!?"
Snapping out of their moment, an embarrassed Rem and Xeno turned to Crusch, both pretending the last few seconds hadn't happened.
Crusch: "... Give me a report of the White Whale's position." Choosing to ignore that, she went straight to the point.
Xeno: "R-Right, let me check." He whipped backwards for a few seconds and faced forward again with a serious expression.
Xeno: "I have good and bad news."
Crusch: "What's the good news?" She decided on hearing their advantage first.
Xeno: "Good news is that the oversized fish's main body is still in the same position as before. I think it's too injured to move right now."
Crusch: "Main body! Does that mean!?" Just from that, she could decipher the bad news.
Xeno: "Yep, we're officially in Phase 2."
...
Before the battle, they had a very important strategy meeting where Xeno laid down everything the White Whale could do. Everyone listening was beyond horrified by what they learned.
It had the Mist of Elimination and Contamination. One erased someone from the world, leaving no trace or memory of them, while the other caused something akin to mana poisoning or madness.
Trying to minimize casualties and planning around the Mist of Contamination became essential, a job that was left to Felix. He did come up with a solution to resist it to an extent.
If he had known earlier, he could have prepared for it better, but he did his best with the limited time he had.
But the real horror was learning about the Mist Clones, its ability to make two replicas of itself, and how killing them wouldn't matter either. That alone made it obvious to Crusch how much she had underestimated her opponent and overestimated herself.
That alone was enough to kill the motivation of most, if not for Xeno revealing that their only saving grace was to target the main body.
Naturally, the plan became to either kill it before that happened, which they were very close to doing, but they missed by a margin. So now, their focus was on killing the main body while a select few distracted the clones.
A job that fell to the Iron Fang and Carlos's squadron. They were confident they could distract the clones long enough to give the main group a chance to slay the beast.
When they offered that Xeno was sceptical. Not wanting to doubt their abilities, he asked how they would even find their squad in the thick fog. To which they answered that they had their own ways, apparently.
Which brings us to right now.
Crusch: "Xeno, tell me the exact position of the clones. How close are they to the main one?"
Xeno: "Huh? Let me check." He was taken aback by the question but followed it anyway. Once he did, he noticed something important.
"They're nearby, likely protecting the main one."
Crusch: "Thought so. Xeno, you said you had some way to contact them just in case?" She looked at him.
Xeno: "Right here!" He pulled a dark purple walkie-talkie from his pocket. Opening the channel, he handed it to Crusch.
This was where most of his Envy points went. They were expensive, probably to compensate for the lack of... However, they usually worked.
Crusch: "Carlos, Ricardo, come in? Do you hear me? Over." She grabbed the device and immediately went to contact them.
Carlos: "Carlos here. I can hear you, Crusch-sama. Over." His voice came through first.
Ricardo: "Hey, stop that! Ahem, I can also hear ya nice and well. Over."
Xeno silently laughed at them using over at the end but continued listening. They basically discussed their status, then the positions and actions of the clones, asking them if they were ready.
Ricardo: "Leave them to us, Crusch-sama. The Iron Fang will deal with 'em. Over."
Carlos: "Same here. We're moving position. Over."
Crusch: "Good luck out here. Over!" With that, she handed the device back to Xeno, with the plan in action.
With their group already organised, Xeno took to the skies as the rest followed behind him, coordinating with the other two groups for the final all-out assault.
It was do or die now, and they were going to make sure they lived to see another day.
...
Crusch's plan was simple: Ricardo and Carlos would distract the clones while Crusch and Xeno killed the main body. And how were they going to do that, you ask?
Simply drop the entire damn Flugel Tree on its body. The White Whale was in the perfect position. With that massive load falling on its injured body, it would likely kill it or, at the very least, make it barely cling to life.
So the group split once again, with Crusch's side targeting the Flugel Tree while Xeno made sure the White Whale remained in position.
Meanwhile, on the other side of things, from the left flank, the White Clone was picking off the scattered soldiers one by one, toying with its prey but making sure not to stray too far from the original.
The clone was about to descend on one of its helpless victims when it suddenly felt its side being cut open by a huge cleaver, as Ricardo was seen running across its body.
Suddenly, two cat demi-humans were running beside the mabeast as both Mimi and Hetaro leaped off and joined hands. The moment they neared the wound Ricardo had made, they shouted, their voices overlapping. The sound waves became highly destructive, causing the clone to bleed even more.
"Trump card compleeeeeete!"
"Captain!"
Ricardo: "Leave it to me, you runts! Over here, you hideous bastard!"
The White Whale's clone aggressively turned to look at its attacker. The entire Iron Fang had gathered in front of it.
The clone let out a menacing shriek and gave chase to the group. Ricardo smirked as the beast fell for the bait.
Ricardo: "Alright, everyone! You know what to do! Scatter!" He roared.
The Iron Fang pulled out in formation under Ricardo command.
They did their part as the clone followed them.
...
On the right flank, a familiar scenario played out. The other clone was also picking off the scattered soldiers one by one.
Amidst them, the clone was about to close in on a poor group of soldiers, only to be suddenly hit by dense pillars of stone, changing its trajectory away from them. The earth rumbled the moment the clone crashed onto the ground.
Carlos: "Are you men doing alright?" He walked into view with evident concern in his voice.
"Sir Carlos! Y-Yes, sir! We're good, sir!" One of the men shouted out.
Carlos: "Good, prepare yourselves. We have a task of the utmost importance to do." He said seriously, knowing they were in good condition.
"With what, sir?"
Their conversation was interrupted by the painful wailing of the mist clone. The group looked over to see what was happening and were shocked.
Because on top of the White Whale was Carlos, running across its surface and tearing away at its hide. Helping him were several other knights and mages, both from Crusch's side whom they had found along the way and from Carlos's squadron.
The men realized the Carlos they were talking to was an Earth clone. Regardless, the earth clone spoke up.
Carlos: "Pick up your weapons! We have the mission of luring that beast away from here, giving the main group the opportunity to finish off the beast." He ordered.
"Is everyone alright over here?"
Their attention was drawn by the voice of Felix, who was panting slightly and out of breath. Behind him were reinforcements, those being the soldiers lost in the fog, found because of Carlos's advanced Earth Magic.
Carlos: "Just in time, Felix-sama. I found another group. I'll leave them in your care."
Felix: "Wait!" He tried to warn the clone.
But his advice went unheard as the Earth clone ran into the fog, using its limited magic to search for survivors.
Felix: "Sigh... Alright, everyone, move in." He ordered. The reason he was here was that he couldn't really help the main group in any way, so he decided to help Carlos and the others.
"Yes! Felix-sama!"
...
With Xeno, it didn't take him long to reach where the main body was. It was still where it had originally been, on the ground and bleeding extensively from all the wounds Xeno and the others had inflicted on it, to the point that a literal pool of blood had formed beneath it.
Despite this, it still looked strong, but it wasn't able to fly with one side of its fins gone. Once it recovered enough strength, however, it could simply use its mist to fly out of here.
It was perhaps the first time it felt like its life was in serious danger. It was all because of that man.
"Ah, good, you're still here."
The beast glanced in the direction of the voice, rage boiling inside it, as the horrible man who had put it in this state appeared right in front of it.
The White Whale thrashed about, trying to lift its massive body using its mist manipulation. As for why it hadn't done this before, Xeno guessed that either it was confident its clones could take them down or that it was resting. Maybe both.
Either way, he couldn't let this thing move, meaning... He had to expend even more Envy.
Xeno: "Well, it can't be avoided... Actually, I think I could have avoided this if I'd just remained at a distance." He rubbed his chin, but didn't think too hard about it. Instead, he snapped his fingers.
His pupils flared up as a massive amount of Envy was spent from his total. He didn't want to risk it escaping so he spent over 600 points of Envy, leaving him with around 1,300 now.
The earth trembled as something ruptured from below, splitting the ground as a fissure opened. Emerging from it was a colossal purple chain that looked more pink, with a cross at the end. At the centre of the cross was a purple eye.
The Doom Cross.
Yet another Undertale reference that literally no one will get, even if it was shown. Anyway, the Doom Cross, as if it had a mind of its own, attacked the White Whale's body, coiling itself around its massive body with ease and dragging it back down to the ground.
The White Whale struggled, trying to break free from its snare, yet it was completely hopeless, as its efforts only served to make the Doom Cross wrap itself even tighter around the mabeast's body.
The White Whale was temporarily locked in place, and all he had to do was wait. And he wouldn't have to wait long, as over at Crusch's side, everything was well prepared.
Everyone was in position, and Crusch contacted Xeno one last time to confirm that the White Whale was in position. Hearing his confirmation, she didn't hesitate for a second and shouted.
"FIRE!"
Boom!!!
Suddenly, a loud roar reverberated through the plains as a series of sounds were heard, as if something had been ripped apart. Crusch gathered every bit of firepower she could muster, and it showed.
Magic crystal cannons, invisible blades, and countless other magical or physical attacks launched and gouged out the roots of a tree that had grown for over four centuries and was planted by a sage.
The great weight of Flugel's Tree came crashing down. The sheer weight of its descent split the air around it to a dangerous degree. The moment it crashed onto the White Whale would be dangerous.
Something that Xeno understood all too well. In fact, the moment he heard the explosion, he immediately bolted while thinking to himself.
'I really should have kept my distance.'
He couldn't have been more right, as the shock wave that followed was catastrophic. The wind produced by it was strong enough to disperse all the fog the White Whale had created in an instant.
Speaking of the White Whale, the target of this attack was crushed under Flugel's Tree. The immobilised White Whale let out a weak shriek. It no longer had the strength to move, let alone escape. It was utterly powerless.
So powerless, in fact, that even its mist clones had entirely vanished. Unable to sustain them any longer.
The battle was over. The alliance had won.
Yet that wasn't enough for one man. This ungodly beast that had terrified the world for 400 years was still alive, albeit barely, but that wasn't good enough for him.
With its fading vision, the White Whale saw a single man approach, one who would ultimately put its terror to a halt.
That man was none other than Wilhelm Van Astrea.
"...I dedicate this to my wife, Theresia Van Astrea."
Raising the treasured sword of his master that he had borrowed above his head, the lone Sword Demon stepped forward to put an end to this cycle.
He didn't bother with words. He silently leapt into the air, delivered a powerful, clean final strike, and sliced the head off the White Whale. Landing back on the ground to stare at the dead beast, Wilhelm finally fulfilled his vow.
"It is finished, Theresia. At last... Theresia... I..."
"I love you!!!"
After fourteen years of hatred towards the beast that had robbed him of the one he loved, Wilhelm finally dropped the blade within his hands.
Right here, right at this moment, the Sword Demon cried out his love for his departed wife as he wept.
No one interrupted him. After years of endurance, no one dared interrupt him out of respect for the man. They allowed Wilhelm Van Astrea, the feared Sword Demon, to finally cry out as a human being.
"The White Whale has fallen! The mabeast that terrorized the world for four centuries has been defeated by Wilhelm Van Astrea!"
A thunderous cheer emerged from the alliance after Crusch spoke those words. This was a victory for the alliance after overcoming a long, arduous battle.
Xeno was currently on the ground, rubbing his head. He had just barely avoided the worst of the shock wave. He was still hurt, but not too badly, though. He looked up in surprise as a hand was offered to help him up.
That hand belonged to Rem.
Rem: "Xeno-kun, it's finally over. We won!" Immense pride filled her voice.
Xeno stared at the hand for a moment before chuckling to himself.
"It sure is, Rem."
Before he accepted her hand.