Arc 2: A vigorous first month
Gray sits in the blood soaked snow, with Anibys' chain around his neck. Everyone who was inside the mansion other than Al and Ophelia walked out of the mansion. The bottom of the mansion had been lit aflame by Edward and Conroys battle on top of that, leaving the flames spreading through out.
Gray: "Are you guys okay?"
Soku: "Been better!"
Rosemary rushes to help but Gray puts his hand up, making hers stop just as Carla and Conroy stepped in. Soku was sweating with small cuts all over, while Rosemarys body was covered in bruises from over using her stages.
Carla: "You're commitment to dying is quite fun!"
Conroy: "You were probably a better fight then that joke Helsing."
However even with them holding her down into the snow she resisted and looked forward.
Rosemary: "Gray! Are you okay!?"
Gray: "Other than all the injuries, and this whip on my neck, I'm just dandy."
Anibys held the whip tighly choking him and getting his attention. Snapping the fear of this situation into him once again.
Edward: "So… do we go with you or?"
Edward stepped forward bound by chains, tide to Sokus cuffs. Leaving them to watch as their friends lives are played with so easily. But all Soku could think about was how thankful she was that Ophelia got out safe.
Anibys: "Now where's Jerimiah, inform us of the location so we can leave."
Gray: "Hold on, any moment now."
He couldn't force a false smile, shaking and sweating and utterly trembling with fear. No matter how much he could throw out fear and recklessly push forward, he was still a seventen yearold high school student that's only spent a month in this world.
Carla: "COME ON I'M TIRED!"
Carla got off of Rosemary, shrugging and groaning. But then Gray saw it, the plan coming to floriation. Gray looks at the top of the mansion. A man cloaked in darkness, standing on a balcony on the second floor. He jumps down, rushing towards the group.
Carla: "ANOTHER ONE!"
In an instant everything felt like it was falling; Edward screamed while Soku blasted wind mana around her, breaking out of their binds, Rosemary blasted the forth stage through her body just for a moment to throw Conroy off of her, and Anibys tightened her grip around Gray. She screamed in panic, pulling him toward her while sending out her bandages rappidly. Screaming, wincing, and pulling back from fear, he screamed and screamed.
Gray {AL, THIS BETTER WORK!}
And blasted mana around him and out, the pain nothing but a sign he did it right.
Gray: "SATIC!"
In an instant, Gray and all of the other's heads feel as if it's about to explode, overstimulated with feeling, sound, smell, sight, touch, and hearing, all of their senses pushed to their limit. It was the spirit mana weighing down it all. It was a testament to his affinity, not through skill, as even with a Defensive affinity he was still able to preform an offensive one through sheer effort alone. All Sect members scream in pain, while Gray tries to fight through it. His eyes felt like they were going to rupture, his senses all gone, his chest burning with pain. This spell wasn't one Gray should be using, resulting in the heavy toll it's taking on Gray for using it, but that didn't matter.
Gray: "GUG! FU… RUN!"
Anibys tried and tried but couldn't resist letting go, leaving Gray dashing forward to his friends. The shadowed man rushes towards the Sect members, revealing himself in the light to be Al. He was holding a thin small sword, prepared to fight.
Al: "Our plan worked, now you must go!"
Carla swung out her blades and pushed through the pain, clashing against Al over and over. Conroy then followed, but Edward slammed him away.
Edward: "You can't fight those guys by yourself! You need help!"
Al: "JUST GO! WE HAVE NO IDEA HOW MANY OF THEM THERE ARE, I WILL NOT LET ANY OF YOU DIE!
Edward: "NO! YOU'RE INSANE I WON'T"
Conroy dahsed forward, Anybis lashed her whip out at Gray as he helped Rosemary up, and Carla had just leapt off of Soku and was crashing down.
Al: "Please, I promised your mother I would protect you, I must do this."
Soku: "WE GOTTA GO!"
Soku sent out a wave of wind with the last of her mana that sent Carla tumbling down, Al steped forward and countered Anibys' snapping whip, and Edward once again pushed Conroy back. However they all slid around them like snakes, regrouping and standing against them. Gray and the others stood with their back to the mansion, staring forward while the sect members rush towards the group, with Al fighting them all off, barely being able to keep up with all of them. However, they listened, and all began running toward the mansion.
Rosemary: " THANK YOU! FOR EVERYTHING YOU HAVE GIVEN US!"
Anibys: "NO WE WILL NOT BE FOOLED, GET OUT OF OUR WAY OLD MAN!"
Conroy: "NO WAY YAH IDIT! THIS IS ALON, PREVIOUS LEADER OF THE LEVIATHON ARMY! HE PRACTICLY RAISED MUSASHI AND GOTSU! THIS GUYS AWSOME!"
Al: "Thank you for the compliment!"
Al sliped forward, clashing blades to parry Conroy right as Carla lunged toward his stomach. His leg flung up while his other flung forward, countering her and slaming her away just in time to duck Anibys cracking attack.
Soku: "Where are we going!"
Rosemary: "Could we have not left through the gate?"
Gray: "Yeah that's a good point!"
As they spoke they curved around the halls. Rosemary was struggling to keep up with her wavering body, Soku was breathing heavily and almost out of juice, Edward pushed forward like nothing was happening, and Gray tried his best to do the same. However the fire was a growing issue, moving further throughout the mansion with every breath they took.
Edward: "No, there might be more Anarchists' outside the gate waiting for us. In Musashi's study, behind a wall there is a secret staircase leading to holding cells, there is an exit down there!"
Gray: "Oh and Ophelia should be down there! But Jeremiah's down there."
They charged through the halls, running and running, having to take different turns or staircases with the fire building up and blocking each turn.
Soku: "We gotta go! If Jeremiah is down there with her then Ophelia's in danger! Why the hell did you send you away alone in the first place!"
Out of breath and struggling, she grabbed hold of Gray as he took a moment to collect himself. Screaming and sweating with rage, Rosemary tried to intervene, but Edward stopped her.
Gray: "It was Als idea not mind so you don't you dare try and blaim this on me! And we don't know if there are any more anarchists, we don't know anything! So unleash you got some see the future power none of us know about or some sudden power boost then shut up and keep running!"
His hands turned red from how hard he squezed him, the fires roar settled under his stomping foot, and his heavy breaths over took her breaking voice. But she didn't scream back in rage, run away, or cry, she just sighed and kept going. Gray then looked toward Rosemary and Edward for just a moment, having to run forward and get away from it all
Rosemary: "It still doesn't feel right, leaving Al to fight like that."
Edward: "I agree, I could help, at least on my own."
Gray: "None of us are in any shape to fight so stop trying to kill yourselves!"
Gray falls to the ground, unable to stand, overwelled with the stress on his body, the pain, the anger.
Rosemary: "Are you alright!?"
Edward lifts Gray, helping him stand, but Gray quickly shoves off and continues running through the burning halls as they followed behind/
Gray: "Sorry, I… just need to regain my strength."
They finally get to the study, opening the wall. However it didn't budge, the collapsing roof making it a bit hard to get around. But Rosemary steped forward and flung out a fist with the Golden Aura, pushing the flames back enough for Edward to leap in and smash everything in there way. Then running before everything fell behind them, they began quickly walking down the long staircase making it to the basement.
Soku: "Come on almost there!"
As Soku and Edward moved toward the end of the small narrow hall Gray and Rosemary stopped to jeck on Jeremiahs cell. They get to the door where Jeremiah is supposed to be held, kicking it open and putting their fists up for a fight.
Gray: "No way…"
Looking in Jeremiah's cell. The only thing in Ophelia is sitting beside the chains that were supposed to be holding Jeremiah.
Gray: "Ophelia! WHERE IS JEREMIAH!"
Soku used the last of her wind to pushed toward them, holding Ophelia tightly in her arms. Right as she began to break down and cry.
Ophelia: "YOU'RE HERE! And, and you're hurt."
Edward: "It's okay. We got hurt but we are fine now. Now when you got down here was there somebody in this cell? It's okay take your time. You're safe."
Ophelia: "Nobody was here when me and Al got here, WHERE'S AL!?"
They all looked toward each other, waiting on Soku's answer.
Soku: "Calm down, Al is… helping us escape."
Edward: "All right You guys can leave through that door at the end of the hall, it'll lead to a stable. It has a few ground lizards and horses you can ride to get to safety."
Rosemary: "What are you gonna do?"
Edward: "I'm gonna go help Al."
Gray: "No, NO, YOU'RE NOT! OH MY GOODNESS! WE AREN'T LEAVING WITHOUT YOU, WE AREN'T RUNNING TO DIE, WE ARE GOING!"
Edward: "I will not let him get killed! I've known him far longer than you all, lived here far longer! I'm not, I'M NOT GONNA LET HIM DIE! I SWEAR TO THAT DAMMIT!"
For the first time, Edward spoke out with real anger. His towering figure made Gray feel a bit scared for the first time. What made it worse was that it wasn't the Helsings spirit within him, no, this was him.
Gray: "He's risking his life to save us, so going back will be against his wishes, and if you do go you might just get in his way!"
Edward: "I have lost too much to let him die. He's family, no matter how much it hurts, I will save him."
Gray: "If you wanna get yourself killed… then go ahead, I won't stop you."
Gray shoved past Edwards shoulder while Rosemary stayed to comfort Ophelia. Edward walked out, looking down the hall at Gray.
Edward: "I wish you luck."
Gray: "Yeah."
Edward leaves, walking back up the staircase while the others leave through the exit.
Rosemary: "You're just gonna let him leave?"
Gray: "It's his choice, so I let him be."
Soku: "Letting him be might have been the best thing to do as well, I was not gonna go back, I like Al and all but Ophelia being safe is all that matters."
Ophelia slowly stepped out of the cell, with everyone turning all their attention to her.
Ophelia: "Is Edward gonna be okay?"
Gray: "Keep hope."
They run and run just a bit more and get out of the tunnel, climb up a slim unstable latter, enter the stable, and the look at the animals around them. It was smelly, filled with hay, and had all of the animals Edward said. They all looked around for a second, trying to think of what to do next.
Gray: "Wooh, Horses, Big wolves, and some velociraptor-looking things."
Soku: "What's that in the back?"
Rosemary: "Is that A -
Their eyes rose, the perfect choice some how gone unmentioned by Edward.
Gray: "No way…"
Edward made it out of the study, smashing through everything and running as fast as he could to get back to Al.
Edward {COME ON, COME ON! MAKE IT!}
Al struggles to keep fighting, with cuts and wounds all over his body, his clothes torn to shreds, and his stamina running out. He accepts his approaching death.
Conroy: "You were a good fight old man! I'll remember it forever!"
Caral: "OH SHUT UP WITH THIS HONOR SHIT, KILL EM ALREADY!"
Anibys: "For once you're the one talking some sense!"
Edward makes it back outside. Watching from the front door, about to enter the fight. And he watches the repulsive sight in front of him.
Edward: "_____"
Al braces for his last stand. Covered in lashes, cuts, and bruises. Then it all went wrong; Anibys wrappings had been flown beneath the snow, gripping onto his ankles. Carla then lunged at his side, taking his attention and forcing him to counter. With Carla holding him down, Conroy's sword plunged through his chest.
Al: "HK!"
Wincing with pain, tears flowing down his wrinkled face, he collapsed in the snow.
Al {Ah… the sun's rising… I have to… make breakfast… soon…}
Conroy: "Rest now. You fought well Alon, of Walgonia."
Carla: "So lame. He wasn't fun at all."
Anibys: "SHUT UP YOU TWO WE NEED TO GO AND FIND THE OTHERS!"
Conroy wipes the blood off his blade as Anibys crashes into his shoulder and runs toward the house. Carla grabbed Als sword and tossed it to Conroy, placing the sword beside Al's corpse. Al had held them off, his skills were high and his mind was sharp. But as an old man, with low over all strengh compared to the inhuman fighters all around the world, and facing three fighting skilled fighters, he was marked for death at the start. Staring forward, he smiled, with the thought that they were safe, and his life ended with a mission completed. His soul leaving his body as the sun rises over him.
Back inside of the mansion, watching from afar, was the lone Helsing. Edward looks on, emotionless. Pondering to himself about what had just happened.
Edward {When did it all go wrong?}
And yet all he could feel was a seething rage, his Helsing blood flowing through him.