บท 11: The Corruptions Greatest Weakness!

Age 1991

Kitsune reached out grabbing Hero by the back of his shirt, and yanking him back, causing the swipe of the monster to just barely miss Hero!

"Why did we agree to be the bait!" Hero yelled out.

"Why did I agree to come with you?" Kitsune also yelled out in an even louder voice.

'We'll need someone to draw it into this trap... I highly doubt we'll be able to kill it using this method, but I want to at least cut off a limb so I can see how quick it can regenerate.'

Those had been what Jackson had said. He decided on that plan, and because 'he said so' one of them would have to be bait.

Stupidly Hero said yes...

And in a moment of pure idiocy, Kitsune also said yes...

Here they were now, currently trying to outrun the scary monster.

"Run!" Hero screamed out in pure panic.

"What the hell do you think I'm doing!" Kitsune hollered out.

"Yelling at me-"

"Don't even start!"

The Creature jumped out electing a loud growl as a spinning blade flew through the air and stabbed straight into the monster's palm, throwing it back, and stabbing into the wall behind the creature, leaving it stuck.

"Now Storm!" Zero shouted out.

Jackson fired forward as he swung his greatsword out, as fast as he could towards the crystal.

The monster, however, was too quick, and in a flash, it reached up and ripped its own arm off. Now no longer bound it managed to jump away dodging the strike.

It let out a loud growl, before turning around, and running back into the darkness, now missing one arm...

"Alright!" Jackson announced smirking slightly. "That could have gone a little better I suppose..." He turned to look at the monsters severed arm and frowned when he saw it begin to shrivel up and melt... "Well... There goes studying it..."

"You mean we did that for nothing!" Hero said dropping to the floor.

"We almost died!" Kitsune announced barely holding back tears.

"Ahh, I'm sure it wasn't that bad..."

"This is no time to be sitting around..." Zero muttered out walking up and pulling his sword out of the rock. "We wanted to see how long it would take to regenerate right? Well, let's go then. If we're lucky we stop it, while it heals..."

"The Samurai is right," Anga said nodding his head slightly. "Let us continue on..."

"You just want to go deeper because of the calling pressure..." Jackson said with narrowed eyes.

"The what?" Irene asked.

"There's an incredibly intense pressure, that is calling out..." Zero said quietly. "It is further down in the cave. The closer we get to it, the louder it calls..."

"Do you have any idea what they are talking about?" Irene questioned turning over to Cloud.

"Not a clue..." The blind teen said crossing his arms as he shook his head. "I don't sense anything."

"I think I get it..." Ken said causing all of the recruits to turn to her. "I don't sense anything!" She quickly clarified. "But! My father once talked about all that Aura weird stuff? He mentioned sensing stuff..." She shrugged slightly.

"Your father sounds like an interesting fellow..." Cloud said slowly.

"He was an asshole..." Ken responded flatly.

"Okay, kids!" Anga said holding his hands up. "That is enough. We're continuing further into the cave..."

Meanwhile...

Deep within the cave, there was a massive room full of giant stone steps, and massive pillars... In the center of the room sat a giant Orange Crystal.

Yusei reached out to it placing his hand on it. He managed a slight smile as he felt the warmth. "You're close my love..." The voice of Maudite, his wife, stated quietly. "Just a little while longer..."

The Crystal hummed and vibrated softly... There was a warm glow coming off of it that managed to heat up the freezing darkness of the black cave, as well as allow light in the utter nothingness of the void...

"I just need a little more power, my love... Just a little more life... More power. Power. Power. Power. More... More... More... More... More..."

Yusei opened his mouth about to say something but was interrupted by a loud screeching sound! He turned his head stepping out of the glow of the crystal, only... It wasn't Yusei that stepped out. It was the Monster.

The sound of stone on stone echoed out loudly in the back of the massive room. The second entrance was open...

Yusei let out a loud hungry growl, but was instantly interpreted by another loud noise!

"Arking Shot!" Jackson bellowed as several blue beams of lightning fired out slamming into the monster and throwing him back, causing him to crash into the crystal.

The beast let out a growl as it stood back up...

"Kill them, my love... Do it for me."

The monster let out a howl, as it's torn off stump, of its arm, began to bubble up... Then suddenly a new arm suddenly exploded out being regrown back instantly!

"We're in trouble!" Jackson said hissing slightly. "I only have enough energy to do that attack four times a day..." He said shaking his head. "That's the third... Any more and I'll be completely out of energy, and pass out... I have to save my last shot for when we can really do some serious damage..."

"Well then why the hell did you start the fight by firing it out!" Ken yelled at the Vice-Captain.

"Because it's a badass laser beam barrage!" Jackson announced charging forward. "Come Zero! Let's finish this thing!"

"Right behind you!" Zero announced charging forward.

"Alright!" Irene said nodding her head. "You guys all know the plan! Just attack it from every side while we beat it down slowly. Then when one of us gets a chance go for the crystal!"

"Let's hope this works..." Anga said nodding his head slightly. "We don't have many options left..."

And with that everybody charged in! Jackson, Zero, Anga, Yang, and Seth, all slammed their hands together as a white aura appeared around them! They all fought the creature head-on, while all of the kids stayed in the back getting in shots whenever they saw an opening...

"They can all do that!" Kitsune asked shocked.

"Focus Kitsune." Irene said holding her hands up.

"Right."

Flames would spew out hitting the creature followed by ice, and mist. Hero and Ken stayed mostly in the back, and Hero would fire off a stretching arm punch using his lengthening ability to take advantage of long-range punches, and Ken would every now and then fire of her Red Flash.

All seemed to be going well until...

Hero shot out his arms as it stretched out five feet, slamming straight into the monster's face. The creature let out. growl as its own hand shot up, and wrapped around Hero's arm.

"Uh oh. I feel like I should have learned my lesson from Dawson but for whatever reasson I-"

The monster yanked the boy forward faster then anyone could react. The monster stabbed forward with its hand intending to impale straight through Hero, but was stopped by a massive blue beam of light that slammed straight into it from behind!

Then before Hero knew it he was tackled to the ground by a twelve-year-old girl, as the monster took a swipe at him.

"What the hell?" Hero said in shock. "Maudite!? Stop jumping on me!"

'So... Sorry!"

The monster let out a hiss as it opened its mouth and fired out a beam of its own! Hero wrapped his arms around the girl's body and sucked in air inflating his body, becoming a fleshy ball, as he bounced up, and actually jumped over the beam, shield the little girl in his arms! Despite having dodged the beam though the sheer heat, and power badly injured Hero causing him to hiss out as he smashed back down into the ground.

Zero saw this as his chance and charged forward straight at the creature. Ken followed his lead, as both of them swung their swords out!

Instantly the creature's hand shot up slapping Zero away, and hitting him hard enough to make him drop his sword! Its other hand punched Ken straight over the head hard enough to knock her straight to the ground!

"Ken!" Jackson screamed out charging forward with a loud yell as he brought his blade back.

The monster also charged forward slamming its fist straight into Jackson who tanked the punch like a champ and actually stepped forward head butting the creature as hard as he possibly could! The force was actually strong enough to crack the ground, as both fighters slammed their skulls into each other.

Jackson gritted his teeth as he gave a smirk. "Alright you ugly Bastard..." Then with a battle cry, Jackson turned and sliced into the creature with his blade nearly cleaving it in two! "Die!"

However, it withstood the attack and countered slamming its leg up hard enough to send Jackson flying back as it already began to heal itself.

The creature instantly charged forward heading towards a downed Hero as it raised its hand up and brought it down! Maudite jumped up to her feet as she threw her arms out shielding Hero with her body.

The clawed hand of the creature flew forward as Maudite closed her eyes...

She waited to feel the pain.

She waited to feel the cold grip of death...

But nothing happened...

Her eyes slowly opened as she stared at the creature in front of her. Its hand had stopped mere inches away from her heart.

The creature just stood there staring at her. It didn't say a word. It didn't even movee. Its eyes just gazed at her. Slowly its arm fell back down to its side.

Maudite managed to crack a sad smile as she stared at the beast. "It's okay dad... Go join mom."

The greatsword burst straight through the creature's gut, as it stabbed into the crystal. Jackson stood behind the monster as he twisted the sword.

"You can rest easy now..." Jackson said quietly. "It's time you rest. You've had a rough few years now right? Go off now."

The monster bowed its head, and then before anyone else could react it turned to dust.

One second it was whole...

The next it completely fell apart...

They had won.