As the morning's warmth gave way to eerie creeping darkness that enveloped the sky and dusted the land, Javier and his Vassals stood atop the castle's roof casting glum gazes at the masses below them.
The Shadowfall Invasion descended like a shroud on the outskirts of the city, just behind the castle. Javier stood at the forefront with a frown across his face, his eyes sparkling with a mix of annoyance and excitement. His lips curved into a menacing smile as he raised up an arm. "Noñ gets past the frontlines" he brought his arm down almost immediately and roared. "Charge!"
"Alright!!!" In a flash of frenzy, they rushed to the warzone smiling like battle maniacs.
Ethan attempted jumping down the roof upon which sat a whole seven floors. Javier pulled him back by the collar.
"Do you want to die" He asks
"If they can do it, why can't I?" Ethan asks back
"You don't know for how long they've spent training. Take this". Javier opened a portal and dipped his arm inside pulling out a purple laced sword, Spectra. "Think of it as your evaluation test" he handed over the sword to Ethan. "Your only goal is surviving."
Javier opened another portal in front of Ethan and kicked him inside. "My advice to you is… try not to die?"
"That's cruel". Ethan entered the portal only to come out of the other end at the front of the battlefield. "Too cruel"
Javier scanned the area and sure enough, not only fears were materializing. Normal fantasies were too. "That one looks dangerous" he enters his portal and arrives in front of the one he had deemed dangerous.
As he stepped foot in front of the Specter, the Specter stopped also, both of them locking gazes, unmoving.
"And who might you be" Javier opened another small portal and pulled out a pointy sword with green curvy handle.
"Grim reaper" The Specter revealed the large scythe behind his back and took one step back.
Something like this would be strong. Javier thought. Many people are scared of death, and the reapers who take souls so of course. Of course it's...
He blocked a violent clash that almost had his neck. "It's strong as hell!"
Clang, boom!
Javier was at the receiving end as all he did was defend himself from the Grim reaper's deadly scythe. It wasn't human, so there was nothing like break or catch a breath for the reaper.
The last clash had Javier almost falling on his buttocks but he quickly pulled himself up. Once again, the reaper dashed for him and swung it's scythe. Due to it's curved edge, even after Javier thinks he's blocked the weapon, it still comes back to give him long slices and cuts on his body.
"Damn" Javier curses, he turned to his side and ran for a bit with the reaper chasing after him. Only when he had gotten a good distance from the reaper did Javier throw his sword at it, opened a portal in front of the sword and at the other end, opened directly at the face of the grim reaper. He reached into another portal, threw another sword which the reaper had to dodge twice and for the last time, Javier took back the swords which he kept one back into his portal, and held the other firmly and aimed for the reaper's neck.
The reaper counters it, and in turn grabs Javier's arm, took up his scythe and slashed at his arm in a deadly arc but swiftly, Javier parries it! blades clashing in a shower of sparks with his sword he had thrown to his right hand. It was now a battle of endurance. Whoever could stay in that position the longest wins. The Grim reaper pressuring his scythe against Javier's shoulder, or Javier holding his ground against the scythe almost slicing off his arm.
It was a no brainer who was on the losing side. Javier knew if he moves even for a second to his side, he's going to get the whole of his arm cut off, but if he also doesn't do anything anytime soon, he would still get his arm cut off. What should i-?
"What else would I do!?" Javier opens a portal the size of his head, the inside swirling in a vortex of shimmering black and dark purple.
In a swift gesture, he thrusts his head into the portal, his head revealing itself at the other end right in front of the reaper and bashing against the reaper's face all the while making sure he doesn't move more than an inch. The collision sent shockwaves throughout Javier's body with his head audibly creating a sickening crunch and blood trickling down his forehead.
Javier smiles in fright. Sure enough, the reaper only slightly budge as the impact was not enough to move him. One of Javier's arm was being held, while his other holding the sword was the only defense he had in keeping his shoulder intact. If he doesn't act fast, the consequences could be fatal.
In order to break away as soon as possible, Javier tried twisting his arm away from the reaper's grip but that only made the reaper tighten it's hold on him. A vein bulged in Javier's temple as he saw the reaper raise it's leg. He had no way of evading that.
The reaper slowly lifted its feet and in the blink of an eye dashed a kick at Javier's stomach.
With no time to waste, Javier hastily puts his leg up to counter it and boy did it hurt so bad! He nearly heard his bone break but he couldn't waste any more time.
"Stop, you bastard" Javier said,
The reaper pauses slightly in shock.
Due to the impact or for some other reasons, the reaper slightly loses hold of Javier's arm so he uses that opportunity to forcefully slide his arm out and support his other hand. He clasps his sword with both hands and knocks the reaper's scythe out of its hand.
Javier had a longing sense of relief but it was soon short lived as the reaper also knocked Javier's sword out of his hand. Seeing that the reaper's scythe was not back with him yet, Javier decided to go for it.
"That weapon of yours is quite dangerous, why don't you let your teacher handle it" Javier snickers. He had a head start but his aching leg got the better of him. He managed to get to the scythe first, but the reaper was just behind him. After getting a hold of it, he clashed it against the reaper who was now holding his own sword. Javier tried keeping the scythe into his portal so he could see to it later only for it to come out at the other end.
"Such is not yours, until I die" The reaper in a flash closed in on Javier and clashed swords with him.
"Lord Javier seems to disregard the fact that we're fighting thousands of Spectres" Ethan said through ragged breathing
"He takes care of the strong ones most of the time, so they don't give us trouble". Nathan probably learned acrobatics in his past life as he slid and jumped past many specters at once, igniting them on fire. No stress
"Let me get to mine then" Ethan took hold of his sword and sneaks around the low level Spectres that didn't seem to want anything other than to get to the mass of living souls living just beyond the large castle in front of them.
"I could have sworn I just saw Cinderella" he scratched his head
Javier and the reaper were locked in an intense showdown, exchanging blows with each other's swords. Javier wielded the Grim reaper's scythe, while the reaper would in turn counter with Javier's own blade. In a complete twist of events, the reaper hurled Javier's sword directly at him, momentarily blocking his view.
As Javier attempted to to parry the sword now zeroing in on his face, he inadvertently lost control of the scythe he had little to no experience using and ultimately letting it slip from his grasp. The sudden loss of weapon made Javier momentarily defenceless, his eyes darted towards the reaper with ensuing trepidation. He broke a sweat
Simultaneously, Javier and the Grim reaper sprinted towards their respective swords in order to get at least even a one second head start in their next confrontation.
This was how the battle went on for a few times until Javier was riddled with bad injuries.
"Ah geez" He sighs, "I should have gone for the weaker ones first". He looks up at the reaper standing still, waiting for him. "I want to do something first, do you mind if I come back later?" Javier scratches his head
"I believe I'm of the few sensible ones of my kind (specter) Yet, I do find this striking urge to get to humans and kill them". The Grim reaper confessed
"I mean, well that's cuz you're a reaper?". Javier raised an eyebrow and pockets his sword into his portal.
"Very well human, you may go. But do not think that you have won a victory or even more so try to escape, that is merely delaying the inevitable as I shall return to finish this." The Grim reaper said in such a chilling tone Javier felt goosebumps.
"I'll be back". Javier turns around and with his air ability lifts himself above the battlefield. "All of you, fall back" he said calmly, but loud enough for his Vassals to hear.
"Fall back? Why? Where? When? Now?" Ethan asks
"Just do as you're told, idiot". Nathan grabs his collar and drags Ethan out of the battlefield.
When Javier had made sure his Vassals had retreated, he gave a slight nod and raises his arms above in the air. "I don't think I'll be able to fight again after this" he glances at the Grim reaper below looking at him. How frightening!
The temperature above dropped as Javier begun freezing the moisture in the air, creating thousands of small sized pointy and deadly ice crystals. He looks down at the Spectres below him.
"Down you go" Javier says as he lowers his arm, the ice crystals dropped at the same time plundering through anything in its path.
Now of course despite their amount, the crystals couldn't just kill all the spectres, some merely drove into the barren soil, while others were dodged and deflected by stronger Spectres. Nevertheless, the wave took down several of what remained of the Specters and the Vassals got back to work.
Javier, due to low stamina couldn't keep himself floating so he dropped to the ground and barely managed to land on his feet. "Now, how do I hide from that". He sat on the ground to rest for a bit.
The Grim reaper was coming for him
"I am certain you tried to kill me during that wave of yours. Most of those crystals were coming my way" The reaper fiddled with it's scythe
"What nonsense!" Javier laughed it off, "I promised to be back didn't I? Haha!" From the corner of his eyes, Javier caught something running and a chill ran down his spine. "I could have sworn I just saw Cinderella"
"Very well. Let us continue" As soon as those words dropped, the reaper crashed down it's scythe at where Javier was sitting a second ago
Javier without wasting any time turned on his heels and ran.
"It's at times like these I wished I had Marl's ability!." Javier whined,
Suddenly, his eyes flashed through a kaleidoscope of colors ranging from his obsidian black to crimson red to golden yellow, midnight blue, radiant white, emerald green and rich purple.
Javier had no control over his actions or words, he was running ahead with the reaper mere steps behind him and in a mechanical tone he spoke,
"My command, pierce a hole in his chest".
Javier slammed to the ground and a gaping hole appeared in the chest of the Grim reaper. It slowly lowered his scythe
Both of them remained in their position for what seemed like forever.
When Javier came back to his senses, he quickly turned around to find the reaper standing still, it's scythe barely clutched in its hands. He stands up and wonders
"What happened to me?" He placed his palm on his forehead, "And him?"
Just to be safe, he created ice crystals and launches them at the reaper. From where it stood, it flips it's scythe and deflects Javier's attack.
"Like I expected anything else" Javier laughs awkwardly, "If something like this couldn't harm him" he looks at the hole in the Grim reaper's chest. "...What did?"
"What is your name?" The reaper asks
"Javier" He replied skeptically
"You are a worthy opponent, Javier" The reaper spoke in low whispers, bringing the scythe up he hands hands it to Javier. "You don't seem like the type to use such a weapon, but as a trophy of your victory, Please... Keep" his voice cracked and was no longer audible.
Javier reaches forward and was about to take the scythe when the reaper did a surprise attack and slices at Javier's abdominal section.
"The hell!?" Javier narrowly escapes the blade a hair's breath away from cutting open his abdomen.
"Sorry, I'm not down yet" The reaper apologized, "Come again"
" Like hell I will! ". He frowns
The reaper cackled. "I was born from nothing but fear for how long I know not of. Only to be taken back without expressing my desire to reap souls"
"It's because of your kind, we're the last defense of what remains of humanity. We were trained for this" Javier lowers his gaze and brooded in quietude. "And now, I would like you to dissipate in peace"
The reaper remained silent,
"Earlier, I don't know what that power of yours is, but it gave me chills". He rams the rear of his scythe Into the soil, "I grant you the reaper's blade"
The reaper fell backwards. Slowly, it started dissipate. "I shall remember your name, Javier"
It was Javier's turn to remain silent.
"It's an honor" Javier took the blade and went to work. Sure enough, he could now keep the scythe in his portal. "I'm giving this to Julius"
"Lord Javier, where have you been?". Ethan was laying flat on floor.
"I was a bit busy with something, how are things going here"
"Kelvin is inside, she needs your help"
" What's wrong with her" Javier sweeps his eyes around the now clear field riddled with burnt and overturned soils and melting ice. "And the others"
"They're back in the castle. You were fighting against some crazy shit so they tended to their injuries themselves". Ethan sighed
"Kelvin" Javier took Ethan by the collar and entered a portal, transitioning back to the castle's throne room. He sets Ethan aside,
"Where is Kelvin!"
His eyes landed on the little girl that was coughing up blood and struggling to breathe as Sebastian tended to her.
"Hang in there, Kelvin" They all gathered around her
"I just started her treatment" Sebastian noticed Javier coming
"Being her to my operation room". He fast walks to the room.
Carefully, Sebastian carries her in his arms and follows after Javier.
"Drop her here"
Sebastian gently lays Kelvin on the bed, "Her rib is broken and its poking her left lung".
"Thank you Sebas" Javier quickly puts on his white gloves. "I'll take it from here"
Sebastian shrugs and leaves.
Javier laughs as he wore his face mask and sanitizes a scalpel.
After giving her anesthesia, he gently uses the scalpel to open the part of her flesh that was visibly bleeding from the inside.
"Damn". He frowns as he looks at her lung.
Using the medical equipment that was present at that age, he cleaned up the loosed blood and with his healing ability repairs the broken blood vessels. This alone took almost an hour.
"The anesthesia should be wearing off". He made sure to be swift and precise as he fixed back the broken bones like a puzzle. When they were in their normal position, he began to heal them together, and then her broken skin. It took an hour and thirty minutes to completely heal her bones.
"How come she hasn't woken up yet?" Javier was amazed. The anesthesia should have weared off by now.
"I'm awake, Javier" Kelvin pried her eyes open. "Just not feeling the pain"
Javier smacks his forehead. "I forgot"
"Are you better now?" He asks sitting on his rolling chair as he removes his gloves
"Yeah!" She grinned as if she hadn't been on death's door a while ago.
Javier passes his shirt to her. "Take better care of yourself"
"Of course!" She took the shirt from him and wore it. Standing up, she made to leave
"You should be resting".
"I'm all better now. I have to go tell the others" Kelvin rolls around to show she's all okay
"Alright then". Javier, although skeptical let's her leave
Smilingly, she heads for the door
'I've been meaning to ask her this.' Javier thought in his head and took his coffee Reo had brought him earlier, although it was already evening. That purple head can be real funny sometimes
The Invasion had taken a whole day from them.
"Do you like Reo? Is it him you're going to meet?" He asks
"Ptuhh!!" Kelvin who had been jolly suddenly fell down and crashes her head on the door. "What!?"
She tried to hide it but she was slightly blushing.
"Nah, it's nothing" Javier turns around and clutches his stomach in an attempt to hide his laughter. Eventually, he quells it and sighs
Kelvin pouted and leaves,
"Heh. Cute kid" he sips on his coffee
Kelvin came back and asked, "Do you like Isla? Is that why you blush when you see her?"
"Ptuhh". It was Javier's turn to cough. He choked on his coffee
"Hehe" After getting her revenge, she happily skips away
"Hmm?" Javier smiles as he hears the loud commotion coming from the throne room
"Would you look at that, Kelvin? It appears, a Specter was just too hungry; he came to eat your cooking!" Mathias exclaimed
"Really!?" Kelvin joyfully exclaimed
"He's lying you idiot, who would want to eat that terrible shit". Nathan said bluntly
"I saw Cinderella during the Invasion today" Ethan dryly said
"Really?". The crowd was surprised
And so was Javier. "So I wasn't seeing things"
"She chased me so hard it was terrifying! So I ran to Sebastian and he took care of her". Ethan lays his head on the table
"Probably because you look like that feet loving prince from the fairytale". Nathan snickers
"Is that true, Sebas?"
Sebas, who was playing checkers with Reo looks up in 'Hm?'. "Oh yeah, she fought me with her shoe"
They busted out laughing
It was all well and good, until...
The next morning,
"You have got to be kidding me" Javier couldn't wipe that crazy grin off his face
"It's probably a wave two from yesterday" Nathan said in disbelief
"Judging from your expression, I'm guessing this doesn't happen very often". Ethan had bags under his eyes. "I'm sitting this one out" he goes back to his room
"We haven't regained our stamina completely from yesterday's battle" Reo had a hint of tiredness in his tone.
Javier, with his mad smile intact, turns around and says to the others.
"This might be the first time, that we've asked the Agents for backup"