Chapter 113: Checkmate
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"Ohh shit! I need to get some cover." cried out Gunos who in a rush of adrenaline got up, and started sprinting toward the opened entrance of the cave, only to see the light at the end of the tunnel being sealed shut.
"Descendant of Briss, you will not go anywhere." said Idril not even looking at the fat man, instead frowning a lot when the weapons of his Giants were shattered by the attack Vlad unleashed from the get-go.
Seeing how Vlad broke the first defensive line, where Anathema was covered in a jet-black Armament Haki, about to deliver the follow-up to the initial strike, but he wasn't a pushover and instead fought back with the same intensity.
Idril surrounded his small fist in a black coating of Haki, and punched in Vlad's direction without even connecting, but what ensued next was a large fist that exited from his small fist, also covered in a layer of Haki that required Vlad to think and act fast, and not seeing a way out of dogging this attack, he decided to cleave the stone fist.
Another strong shockwave blasted in the closed Temple where the only light source, the torches that lit up when the seal was opened, started flickering in and out of existence.
Gunos saw the stones flying in his direction, and to escape the backlash of those monsters' fight, he dropped to the ground and rolled toward a safer location.
Breathing heavy, with all of his body hair catching a goosebumps, he started rubbing his eyes because he couldn't believe what he was seeing.
'Charles is on par with that monster who can control the Giants? Fucking hell! No wonder, he is someone like the ones I heard live in the Grand Line … the New World.'
Watching the intense clash between Vlad's black sword, and the Giants and Idril was something he never, in his sorry life could expect or dare to dream watching, but here he was, the obese Prince hanging for dear life, trying not to get caught in this madness.
But swiftly their movements got so intense that he started failing to see them, especially with Vlad who would appear in all sorts of places, and only appearing when clashing with the small being's Giants.
Vlad was pushing Idril a lot, even managing to cleave the upper limbs of the Stone Giants, resulting in the small being to scoff, and showcase more power in his small body.
"I thought you would want to explore my powers first, before engaging in an Death Match." commented the small being whose body turned into stone, extending his arms in all directions, and with a shake of the ground itself, the Giants recovered their lost arm with the addition of their destroyed weapons.
There was no comment from Vlad who looked at the fast recovery of the Giants, but Titania couldn't help but watch this small guy which triggered a vision that had her tighten the grip on Vlad's hair so she wouldn't fall to the ground.
The Fairy saw a large dark room, where a sombre crimson light was used to light the room, keeping the ambient in a sinister and cold tone. Her eyes could see all sort of tools which looked so alien to her she couldn't match them with what she saw Vlad using.
She couldn't understand what they were for, but the fact she had a vision about this was something important.
Soon enough, she saw herself approaching deeper in this room, passing by the various tools, stopping in front of a hexagonal space where a human size recipient that was so small compared to her new view, rested, containing a humanoid that was … matching with the figure of Idril.
Seeing this vision, she wanted to extend her hand toward that pitiful creature whose fate was uncertain, and as she extended her hand, couldn't help but feel a cold presence next to her as it caught her slender arm, blocking her access.
[Sellie, my research chambers are off limits. What are you doing here?]
[I've visited your prisoner since you leave them to rot in this hell. Why? I am no longer allowed to roam freely in your palace?]
[Not in the off-limits area. I'll ask you to withdraw and let the subject continue its lineage assimilation process.]
[Why would you even bother creating such beings? Someone like you who never felt threatened by no one, not even Nika. Why risk angering Nature itself with your abominations?]
[...]
[All for a greater cause that you still can't understand. I get vilified for wanting to bring a new Golden Age to those cattle, me, someone who should predate on them, as my ancestors have done it for hundreds of thousands of years.]
[You can change the World's perception of you by communicating. Why don't you allow me to help you in that regard?]
[Silly, a cattle would always shudder in fear in the face of a predator. It's bound in their lineage factor, and because of my origin, there is an apparent incompatibility. In their eyes I am just a monster from out of space.]
[...]
[Now I will not ask again.]
Titania could see in her vision the emotionless crimson eyes akin to a devil with pupils matching cats or snakes, but his face was obscured by a heavy layer of dark mist, making the job of deciphering the appearance of the man speaking to her impossible.
Still, with the invitation of the mysterious man she snapped back to reality to see Vlad who wasn't keen on giving Idril any chance of recovering his tempo, followed by unleashing the
His slash created a dark-red sword wave targeting Idril, only to be blocked by two giants forming a meat shield.
Then with his attack being blocked, resulting in the partial destruction of the two Giants who were shattered in pieces, Idril took a chance on the opening created by the Giants.
In a daring manner, he disintegrated into small fragments of stone confusing Vlad.
"... Careful with the ground." warned Titania, trying to dismiss the vision she had not long ago.
She needed to find herself helpful at this point in time, instead of dragging Vlad down, and akin to a second pair of eyes for Vlad, she guided him.
"Too late." called out a cold voice of a young man who appeared from the ground while attacking with an uppercut that landed on Vlad's hard chin, sending him flying in the air.
However, when he connected with his face, Idril felt a stinging pain around his punching hand covered in Armament Haki. Only after his well-executed attack finished he stared with his red eyes at a smooth cut on his arm that split open his flesh.
"..."
"Beginner's luck." commented Idril watching the blood drip on the ground, not letting the pain affect the fight, and the same could be said for Vlad who appeared from a smokescreen created by his collision with the walls of the Cave.
*Crack*
The sound of the cracking bones while the figure of the tall human wielding his black curved sword stained on its blade tip with crimson blood.
He was touching his chin coated in haki with his left arm and Idril could see an evil smile on his emotionless face.
Without talking any trash to his adversary, he kicked hard on the ground utilizing his 'Phantom Steps' to appear right in front of Idril, swinging his Kilij with such speed and force that it would for sure cleave the young being in halves.
Idril didn't panic and instead disintegrated again into small stone fragments that later on disappeared on the Cave's ground.
Vlad didn't stop his slash and cut open the ground but failed to wound the enemy whose attacks resumed while he was hiding, having the five Stone Giants charge at him with the weapons of two of the Giants getting enforced by the Armament Haki.
Careful not to get caught by the size advantage those Giants had on their attacks, he morphed Anathema into a German Halberd attacking in a wide motion as he deflected the Giant's attacks with clear mastery over his weapon.
Having the large enemies step back from the shockwave of the attacks, he lunged at the sizable enemies, jumping in the air as he did a piercing attack targeting one's chest, removing a large chunk of the Stone Giant's chest.
"Vlad, don't spend your energy on the Giants. Those are bound to be repaired by the enemy." mentioned Titania while holding herself on his hair so she wouldn't fall from such intense agility, thinking it would be better if he would conserve his energy for the unknown.
Nonetheless, her wish was denied by Vlad who kicked in the air to send himself flying at a second Stone Giant where he attacked with
It was a fight akin to David and Goliath, only that it was taken to the extremes as Vlad had to face five Giants simultaneously, while also worrying about the lurking presence of Idril, whose body reappeared at a safe distance from Vlad.
"Not the smartest decision." commented the small boy, his whole body had the texture of a statue, later on, extending his hand to attack the free-falling fighter, summoning a rain of sharp impaling javelins made out of stone, that were fired from his small stone hand.
Faced with this attack, Vlad remained in an icy cold state, lucid and aware of everything that might go wrong if he messed up his sequence, and not to give Idril such satisfaction, he morphed Anathema into a large Black Shield held by one hand, akin to a Roman Legionnaire.
The sound of the stones hitting the shield was reminiscent of heavy rain hitting on a metal sheet, and the recoil of blocking this attack resulted in Vlad being sent flying toward a cave wall.
Making excellent use of this free momentum, he used his
A scary display of power that made Idril frown even when he was in his statue form, but he didn't have time to get emotionally invested in this fight because Vlad from the moment he landed on the ground stormed in his direction with ghostly speed.
"Hmph, futile. The same attacks don't work on me." mentioned Idril who disintegrated again in stone, mixing with the cave's ground, and when Vlad stopped in place, listening to his surroundings with his Keen Hearing and Observation Haki.
Without any sound, a large stone hand sprouted from the ground all covered in Armament, withholding a lot of force that could shatter the body of most combatants.
Vlad, who felt the first triggers of this attack from Idril thanks to his enhanced senses, was readying his
"Learn modesty, kid. We are not on the same level."
"You got a lot of nonsense in you."
As their short comments spread around the Cave for the only spectator in Gunos to heard them, the fat Prince who was left aghast by the display of power and the fight in general, saw another sick moment when Vlad's hand and the Large Stone Hand collided, creating another shockwave that blasted in his face.
"FUCK ME! My hands are hurting from all the holding I've been doing."
Faced with a large screen of dust and dirt that was lifted by the shockwave, his vision was restrained, but it didn't take long for the first impact to subside, revealing to the morbidly obese Prince, who was victorious in the collision of hands.
He could see Vlad's large hand which was shaped akin to a ferocious beast, stopped by a large stone first that began cracking and later on shattering.
'Ohh! Damn! Charles destroyed that stone punch! This is beyond crazy. Is he even human like me?'
On the other hand, Vlad, who outpowered Idril, saw a shocked expression that appeared on the Cave's floor belonging to the opponent who failed to win this clash.
Not accepting this outcome, the five Stone Giants lunged at Vlad from all directions, while he cried out his dismay.
"Key Scavenger, I can understand that you have Anathema with you, but I still can't quite grasp how you managed to escape alive against Nihiloor. That arrogant bastard isn't the type to let go of his toys, and there's clearly his smell on you."
"Why even bother "Key Holder"? Did you get in the mood for a chat at this moment, just so you distract me?"
Vlad wasn't wrong in his assumption since the five Stone Giant's didn't stop from their attacks, each striking with their weapons of choice, only to miss by a long margin since Vlad dodged using his 'Phantom Steps' appearing in the middle of the Temple while looking at the marble statue that was Idril who frowned sensing the mocking tone.
His black suit remained impeccable without any bruising on it, while his long ink-black hair remained elegant, flowing past his shoulders.
Moving slowly toward Idril, Gunos and even Titania could feel the Regal Aura and presence given off by this quiet man who didn't even lower to the level of taunting his enemy.
He was confident in his abilities and already gauged the extent of power this small humanoid could muster based on their Haki Clash.
Continuing on his stride toward the marble statue, the large shield in his arm morphed into a Kilij, where he started doing various swings with his one-handed sword akin to a warm-up of his wrist.
Yet in him doing so, it showed Idril the extent of his mastery over his weapon, because the speed was so swift that Gunos who watched Vlad could only notice the effect of the fast swing in his large hand.
"Are you looking down on me, human?"
"On the contrary, I want you to push me harder. Fight me with everything you got, or you'll die. Wouldn't it be a shame for Atlas to have another of his creations being killed by me?" remarked Vlad with his face remaining expressionless, stopping his hand warm-up and his advance.
Idril looked at the Stone Giants some were missing their body parts, some their heads, and upper bodies.
All in all, it was a dire situation for the Guardian of the Key who noticed how Vlad was in such a great synchrony with Anathema, as if it was his Master standing in front of him.
Still, he adhered to his purpose of protecting the Mausoleum Key against anyone who tried to steal it or take it forcefully. Nonetheless, he understood that with Vlad being in the possession of Anathema and also having the scent of Nihiloor imbued in him could also mean he was in the possession of one additional key.
How did he do it? It wasn't his business, what he needed to do is to test this Key Scavenger if he was worthy to open the Mausoleum.
"If you want a fight, I will give one to you." said the marble statue who started growing larger and larger, while all the Stone Giants dropped to the ground, disintegrating into smaller stones that got direct at him.
Vlad watched the marble statue shifting color, beginning to take on the same color as the dark-brown door that managed to block his powerful strike which could kill a significant percentage of this world's people.
And, before he knew, the stones flying toward Idril who was gigantifying himself, started to morph into swords that gathered around Vlad, giving a menacing look to Gunos who watched with dread as Idril transformed into a stone creature that had a far more advanced type of armor, akin to an Alien Technology.
"You are foolish to allow me to complete my Mech Armor. Foolishness will always be punished!"
The swords that surrounded Vlad all moved at the same time to impale him, but the black-haired man had a calm appearance as if everything was under his control.
To counter this attack, he did a small jump and started spinning his legs in a peculiar manner, where not long after the first leg swing a dark-red aura wave was blasted in a direction.
Akin to a torrent of aura, the chaotic attacks finally morphed into the shape of a sinister cyclone that engulfed all of the stone swords, rendering Idril's attack to sand.
"What else do you got, boy?" asked Vlad, dropping to the ground seconds later after destroying all of the stone swords.
The way he spoke was collected and frigid, akin to a great general who had everything in his control, but his black eyes gazed into the strange construct Idril morphed into, brewing interest in them.
"Hmph, taking care of the swords is nothing. Now, I will fight myself, even if I hate to dirty my hands."
Saying that, Idril lunged at Vlad, showcasing an agility that wasn't even supposed to be supported by such a large body, reaching 20 meters, and his punch in this Dark-Brown Mech Suit created a strong shockwave as he punched the black-haired swordsman who looked up at the armored hand with some amazement in his eyes.
"You froze in fear under my true might? This will send you on your way, thinking you can look down at me Idril!"
Only a click of a tongue that echoed in the Temple reverberated in Idril's ears as he was inside the centre of the Mech with all of his limbs bound to a stone link, and from all of the smoke his punch created after landing with the ground, he heard a sigh and a chilling remark.
"Ahhh, I wonder why you are so focused on size? Being a Giant is not helping you at all to win this fight, because with this new size, you will face new challenges, such as the inability of hitting a smaller target who is far agiler than you."
"Titania, stop worrying about me, this brat can't win against me regardless of how much he tries. His limits have been tested."
The humanoid inside the mech turned his head toward the voice, and even with his Observation Haki awakened he failed to notice Vlad get in his vulnerable side.
'Fuck, he is faster than I expected. Prepare the counter.'
Thinking in his mind about forming a spike shield at his back, just when the stone spikes sprouted around, Idril felt an agonizing pain rush into his mind, while he felt some chill on his small body.
"Checkmate." called out a cold voice, where Vlad watched Idril right in his red eyes from the large cut he made in his mech suit.
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