I managed to get to the clearing as fast as I could only to see Shane backed into a corner unconscious. He had no more energy to support himself, and Fuse was closing in about to finish him off. Angrily, I dropped my bag and hid it behind a tree. Then I ran at Fuse with my hand on the hilt of my sword. As I got closer, I yelled, "This is the end of you!" As I jumped and slashed at him, I managed to cut the side of his arm. In response to my surprise attack, he jumped back mad.
"So, you came back, after all, boy? I'm surprised you did not just abandon this old man to his doom. However, I knew you couldn't do that, not with your morality and what not. After all, what you did to my brother cannot be forgiven. Even if you hadn't come back to aid this retch, I would have found you blowing up everything in my path. I would have finished him off and then completely destroyed this forest." Fuse said back.
As I stood there with my sword drawn and in hand, I knew he was right. Even if I didn't make it in time, Shane wouldn't be the last innocent person he would kill. As I stood firm ready to attack Fuse, Shane managed to recover enough strength to stand once more. "Do not worry, Fuse Master, you will join your brother soon enough. Xeonix, did you retrieve it?"
Shane asked me. I then turned and tossed him the stone staff. With the stone now in hand, Shane raised his battle axe to the air then shouted to the sky, "Mystic Axe of earth and stone grant me favor and return the lost which is found. Help me protect…... This Hallowed Ground!!!"
With that, he slammed the stone into the blade of the axe. Within the instant he did so, the earth started rumbling and shaking violently. His axe radiated out a bright, pure kind of light that it enveloped his entire figure.
After a few moments, the light vanished. In the old man's place, stood a mighty warrior prepped for battle. And in his hand was a mighty axe fit for a champion. He turned to me and thanked me for helping him recover his lost power, youth and weapon. Fuse Master was just as shocked at this as I was, but he stood fast and did not waiver.
"Just because you regained your lost power does not mean you are any better a fight, nor can you beat me!" shouted Fuse. Then he charged at us with such force, bombs, and other explosives in tow. It wasn't even a good couple of minutes before his soldiers showed up.
They then reported to him, that a thief that had stolen the ancient gem of the Terfarin disguised as one of the soldiers. And also, one of his head guards was found dead in his tent.
Fuse then turned and looked at me frustrated then laughed, "There is your thief over there! It seems you didn't run away as I had previously thought. Soldiers attack them and make them pay for their insolence." In that instant, we were immediately swarmed by his henchmen.
After a few minutes of fighting Fuse Masters men, we had only managed to defeat a couple hundred. The fight was starting to wear on both of us. Just then, Shane jumped in front of me saying, "I will take care of the guards, and you go after Fuse Master. I still don't have much energy left as I sustained much damage from his attacks."
I knew he was right, if anyone stood a chance of beating him, it was me. With that, I charged after Fuse Master. As my new friend plowed through the soldiers, I, in turn, was ready to fight Fuse Master himself.
He looked at me and laughed. "It is funny how you look like your old man years ago back when he was in his prime, before the accident that is!"
"He is not dead! I know he is alive somewhere and I will find him even if it takes my entire life," I shouted back. "Ah-hahaha! Only if you get past me. Now show me what you got and how you beat my brother!" He shouted back at me
Then I charged at him again, but this time Fuse Master pulled a long staff with a fuse on the end from his back. Without thinking, I charged at him recklessly and struck at his staff. In that very moment, I did; the weapon reacted to the force of my sword, and it exploded, or at least I thought it did.
The explosion was huge, knocking me back a few feet. It took a while for the smoke to finally clear. When the smoke finally started to fade, I looked up at the staff in his hand, both the staff and Fuse Master were neither batter nor bruised.
"Waa…. what just happened? It just exploded, did it not? There's no possible way you should be able to survive that." I asked with bits of my clothes scorched.
At that moment, Shane shouted to me, "It is a dynamite staff covered in gunpowder. The moment anyone strikes it, or he hits something with it. The gunpowder ignites and explodes in the direction of the target. Leaving him as the user completely unharmed. As for why the staff never broke, it's made of steel."
"That is correct forest bum. This is a dynamite staff and, by far my favorite weapon. With this weapon, I defeated many enemies and conquered many a people. However, today is the day I shall defeat you with it. It's fair that you defeated my brother because this weapon was designed by him. Regardless of how much I loathe him, even I must admit he makes great weapons."
It was at this moment I remembered my fight with crater Steve. Back then, when I struck at his gun with full force, it did little to no damage. I was backed into a corner with few options and my sword in hand. I thought to myself, "I need to do something soon, or we're both going to end up dead and deep-fried." As Fuse Master just stood there laughing at us.