After Valtherm left, Leiso began making preparations to launch a nuclear assault on The Dark Army.
Although, I still referred to the substance that warped the landscape as the Black Ooze, everyone agreed to call the invading force 'The Dark Army'.
Apparently they thought the phrase 'Black Ooze' was bit too literal...and didn't sound very menacing, either...
In response, I told them I was only 14 when I came up with the name and to get off of me.
There were nine of us in the group right now. Carlos, Michael, Gavin, Jallah, Rune, Leiso, Johann, Isabella, and myself.
Currently, we were en route to our destination. About the same place we were when I blew up Port Davis ten years ago.
The plan was to launch an all-out assault against The Dark Army.
I would begin by using ether strike on the port and Leiso would use the codes she had to remotely detonate the nuclear weapons stashed all around the region of Nexus.
She had to run several diagnostics and found all of them to still be operational. Additionally, all of ours were primed and ready to launch at a moment's notice.
Leiso only had to push one button on her wrist watch to end the continent of Nexus.
I was in love with this crazy woman in another timeline. Huh.
"Leiso, are you sure this is a good idea? What about the radioactive fallout?" I asked.
"Fallout is something we can deal with easily. Even if it's a self-imposed nuclear winter. With Iris' help, we can get through it if we survive this. This will, however, render Nexus completely uninhabitable forever. But it's a small price to pay..." She said.
She was still seething with rage at the comments made by Valtheim.
Leiso took her job as a military leader VERY seriously. To her, the troops, weapons, and tactics used by her and her subordinates were everything. They were her pride and joy.
And you didn't just spit on someone's pride. Especially not the Alpha General of the Ignitian military who happened to be an Enforcer.
"Right then... Whatever the effects may be, I'll be willing to help you restore this world for Iris," Johann said.
We rode the rest of the way in silence until we reached The Revenant.
Then we got off of the transport and waited on the main deck in the same spot as last time.
It was the middle of the day, but there was a dark haze over the region. Additionally, several massive tentacles were protruding out of the water alongside many gigantic black serpents.
I couldn't see the area of Port Leiso very clearly, but I felt its presence.
The shadow dragon.
"Start preparing to fire, Mizik, I'll-"
Leiso stopped as a tendril of the ooze wiggled its way on deck and formed into a humanoid figure.
It opened its mouth as its eyes fixed on Leiso.
"I thought something was off here... Shouldn't you be dead by now?" A mocking voice said from its mouth.
"What the...are you the Source!?" Leiso asked.
"I'm asking the questions here, sweetie. You're that General with the stupid name, right? Lasso or whatever? I don't think I've ever fought you before. This should be fun!" The voice said.
"Oh...it'll be fun, alright..." Leiso said with a snicker.
"Her name is Leiso!" I said angrily.
I felt a a slight indignant rage at seeing her name butchered so badly...due to personal experience.
"Whatever then, who cares! Make the first move, 'Leiso'! It should be pretty hilarious. My army is invincible, 'Leiso'. And I have my sweet little horrifying monster Valtheim as insurance."
"Hey, Source of the Black Ooze, guy... Get ready, because this is gonna hurt," I growled.
"Good to see you too, Mizzy, and...Source of the what, now? Black...Ooze...? GAHAHAHAHAHA!!! IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE CALLING IT!? BY THE ABYSS, THAT SOUNDS RIDICULOUS!"
"WELL, WHAT THE HELL ELSE AM I SUPPOSED TO CALL IT, YOU ASS!" I shouted.
"It's called-... Ah, almost had me there. No spoilers for you, yet. All will be revealed in time... I do so love watching you squirm in confusion... ALMOST AS MUCH AS I WANT TO RIP OUT YOUR SPINE AND BEAT YOU TO DEATH WITH IT!!!" The voice yelled.
I was somewhat taken back by this. I really didn't expect to be yelled at by the Source of all people...but still.
Now I was even angrier at him.
Yeah, fine... Let's do this.
"Everyone get ready!" I said.
Isabella silently placed her hands on my back as she glared daggers at the humanoid monster that the Source spoke to us from.
I began the process of clearing my mind and materializing ether particles.
Once that was done, I manifested the magic circles and started charging the spell.
"Oh? What do we have here? A bit of magic? Will that be enough to kill me or just strong enough to help me wipe my ass?" He mocked.
"Laugh it up while you still can, you bastard..." I growled.
Moments later, Isabella had to let go of me because the ether particles became too intense.
Finally, the spell was ready to fire. I made sure to charge it even more than last time with the increase in power from The Archmage as well as the divine energy I had from my passive.
"TAKE THIS, YOU PIECE OF SHIT!!! ETHER STRIKE!!!!" I roared.
"What the hell...?" The voice said.
I unleashed the beam of energy from above Port Leiso and...
Nothing happened.
I fell to the ground and Isabella began rapidly transferring power to me.
"Umm...did you miss...?" Michael said.
"HOW COULD I HAVE MISSED, MICHAEL!? HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE!?!? IT SHOT STRAIGHT DOWN AND MY TARGET WAS THE SIZE OF A PLANET!!!" I yelled angrily.
This is bad... I just used all of my power for nothing!!!
Just then...the voice spoke again.
"GAHAHAHAHAHA!!! DO YOU SERIOUSLY THINK I HAVEN'T SEEN THAT ONE BEFORE? THAT ATTACK ACTUALLY STINGS A BIT, YOU KNOW!? I LEARNED MY LESSON THE FIRST TIME!!!" The voice shouted.
"What...? Frst time...?" Isabella said.
"Yeah, the first time. This is probably the 249th time he's used that tactic. I just had Valtheim eat the attack before it impacted. Works every time. So is this really the might of the great General Leiso I've heard so much about!? SERIOUSLY!? YOU JUST HAD MIZIK USE ETHER STRIKE AGAIN!? THAT'S REALLY PATHETIC!!!" The voice mocked.
I knew that there were other timelines, but...the 249th time...?
Had I really been so predictable? How many times had I done this!?
Leiso stomped her foot so hard that the deck cracked under the force. I could see her eye twitch in rage.
"FINE, YOU ASSHOLE!!! LET ME SHOW YOU WHAT ALPHA GENERAL LEISO AKALI CAN DO!!!" Leiso screamed as she pressed her watch.
"Ooooh you pushed a button! I'm so sca-...wait, what the..."
At once, the sky lit up in the distance as every nuclear weapon in Nexus went off at the same time.
Just then, the missile silos for the entire fleet of ships opened and nuclear warhead carrying ballistic missiles began launching in a barrage.
Several came from underwater, and many more flew overhead in the sky from Arcadia.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! TAKE THAT, YOU BASTARD!!!" Leiso laughed.
"WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU, YOU PSYCHO WOMAN!?!? NUKES!? REALLY!? AAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"
"ISABELLA! SHIELD US!!!" Leiso shouted.
At the same time Johann, who had been laughing his ass off, placed a hand on Isabella's shoulder to help her strengthen the barriers the put up around the entire fleet.
Leiso made the efforts to calm the ocean's waves as the entire continent of Nexus was turned into a second star.
When the shockwaves hit the barriers, they ceased completely at the strengthened walls. From what I could tell, Nexus had been reduced to a gigantic molten crater.
After about fifteen minutes had passed, the humanoid monster was still there.
"Alright. So that's how it is, then? You really shot yourselves in the foot there, you know? If you're not going to fight fair, then neither will I!"
"Fair? WHAT PART OF YOUR ARMY IS FAIR!?" I yelled.
"Good point. But still, you've really pissed me off now. I mean genuinely. I'm actually really fucking angry. So I'll have you meet my little friend..."
"Little...friend...?" Jallah said nervously.
Then we heard it.
"GRRRRAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!"
The horrifying roar that sounded like a mix between a monster and a violent scream echoed loudly.
"What was that...?" Michael said.
"The...shadow dragon..." I said.
"Here we go," Johann said as he flared out his wings.
Through the smoke in the distance... I saw it again.
I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand up as it drew near.
It was smiling at us again.
"ALL SHIPS, FIRE ON THAT MONSTER, NOW!!!" Leiso shouted.
Every ship in the fleet began unleashing a barrage of bullets, lasers, rockets, and plasma blasts.
But it just kept coming.
Nothing even left a scratch on it.
"How tough is this damn thing!?" Michael said.
The dragon stopped in mid air and flapped its massive wings.
Massive waves flared up out of the water and Leiso stepped forward.
She stopped the water and caused hundreds of divinely charged jets to slam into it.
At the same time, the other Enforcers joined in.
I had just barely enough energy to stand up straight, and I had changed Vengeance into a heavy machine gun.
The dragon backed off and flew higher into the air.
"YOU WILL ALL KNOW TERROR! SEE THE FEAR THEY FELT." The dragon said.
The dragon flew higher into the air and opened her mouth.
After she did, a sinister black energy erupted from her and instantly destroyed several ships.
"BY IRIS!!! ISABELLA, JALLAH, GAVIN!! HIT THAT THING WITH EVERYTHING YOU HAVE!!!" Leiso shouted.
Isabella hesitantly manifested several streams of light that shot towards the dragon while lightning and explosions danced around it as it flew directly above us.
"SHATTER!!!!" Isabella roared.
A powerful force exploded at the shadow dragon's location.
Moments later, the dragon shot straight down at The Revenant and crashed through the center of the ship.
The impact knocked all of us over and split The Revenant down the center.
Leiso spoke into her communicator as the ship began to sink rapidly.
At the same time, several more ships began exploding from below and gigantic water spouts exploded from the ocean.
I...can't believe I forgot about that... SHE'S A DAMN WATER DRAGON!!!
"THIS IS LEISO REQUESTING EVAC, RIGHT NOW!!! PLEASE RESPOND!!!" She shouted.
Several aircraft tried to approach at this point, but they were shot out of the sky by the chaotic water spouts.
And while all this was happening, the darkness spread out over our heads. The water began to turn dark and no longer obeyed Leiso's commands.
"BEHOLD THE POWER OF THE DARK ARMY!!!" The Source shouted. After he spoke, the humanoid monster his voice came from melted and disappeared.
"EVERYONE, STAY CLOSE!!! WE'RE GETTING OUT OF HERE!!!" Johann said.
He was then surrounded by flames as his form changed.
We watched in awe as Johann grew in size. His shape changed and he became a gigantic, crimson dragon.
We all immediately grabbed onto him and he helped us get on his back.
His eyes blazed with golden flames and I could see veins of lava moving in his wings. On the tip of his tail were flaming Phoenix feathers and there was a golden crest on his head.
He was around the same size as the shadow dragon.
"HOLD ON, EVERYONE!!!" Johann roared.