Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Sacrifice ❯ Wrath ( Chapter 32 )

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Sacrifice

By: Melissa Norvell

Chapter 32: Wrath

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The legend pulled the sword from himself and began to draw the symbol of a pentagram below his feet in his own blood. The Crimson had only been able to lap up a small amount. After the injured angel had done this he fell to one knee on the ground and winced in pain as a few splatters of blood littered the soil below him. The tip of the Crimson stabbed into the ground, the blow heavy but lackadaisical.

"Hiroshima…" Keiji uttered the other's name in a low tone that held sympathy to it.

Behind the two, Chichiri had managed to squirm and wriggle out of the vines. The only thing that still seemed to be in its grasp was his shoe. He uttered 'oops' innocently and stated that he lost his shoe.

"You're worrying about your stupid shoe at a time like this?" Ko scolded. The shoe was insignificant compared to their real problem at hand. You could fight without a shoe but not without your life.

"Too bad Raiki-sama isn't here," Musashi replied.

"Yeah, I can see that," the blonde said with a nervous laugh as he pictured the white, hairy dragon flame throwing everyone as their forms burnt up. He felt the sweat run down the back of his head and put a hand behind his head. "Not such a great idea."

"Such a useless cause, you destroy nature's creations so selfishly and you wonder why your atmosphere is slowly crumbling. Plants are a gift to the world."

"I can't argue with that," the Wind Cavern agreed to the goddesses' words.

"I feel like I'm in some kind of Revenge of the Killer Plants movie," Chichiri commented lowly, hoping that Flora would not hear him.

"You should leave now, or I'll be forced to kill you all," Flora intoned gravely. She had heard Chichiri's remark but did not have much of a reaction to it. After all, he was far in superior to the likes of her. She knew that crushing him would be no problem, especially since he seemed as if he was the weakest link of their little group.

"Well it was Musashi's fault; if you're going to kill anyone kill him." As dim as he was, Chichiri had a point.

"If you brought us here to die, I'm going to enjoy roasted Wind Cavern," Hiroshima glared down the bird. As he was intimidating the Wind Cavern the ends of Flora's vines began to morph into what appeared to be dragon-like heads. Chichiri and company watched in awe and horror at the sight before them.

The battle had now escaladed into something with much more potential.

"Ahh! It's going to eat me!" The blonde exclaimed.

"It's alive…" Keiji stated. He knew that the plants were alive but he didn't know to what extent. These were independently thinking creatures that possessed eyes and mouths. He could have bet anything that they had some resemblance of a brain as well. They were more advanced then the vines they had fought in the City of Chikyuhana.

"The whole forest is alive," Flora informed.

"Is it me or are those hydra heads?" Ko recognized the hydra from mythology and she had a few guesses that Flora could possibly be a hydra of sorts. Her body was made of vines and they all seemed to be alive. She could also control each one of them individually. These were hints to the girl. She also thought that since Flora was a Goddess of creation that she could possibly sprout others that looked like her.

"The whole thing seems to be one giant hydra," Hiroshima told them. Who knew how many of them hid under the ground, just waiting to attack them? He had to be on his guard at all times in case there were any surprises.

"Hydras come from the ground?" Azmy asked, confused. She didn't know much about the hydra.

"Stay on guard everyone," the legend advised.

'This isn't your stereotypical hydra. This one is more reserved and intelligent then it's famed counterpart.' Tsurugi thought to himself as he kept his eyes on Flora. If anything were to happen then she would be the one who initiated it by even a simple pulse of the brain.

"The illusions have only begun," Flora said darkly as the hydras rushed at everyone. They had caught Chichiri, Ko and Azmy by surprise and managed to wrap around them and suspend them in the air, high above everyone. The three looked down at Hiroshima, Undine, Tsurugi, Keiji and Fife with fear and worry in their eyes. Who knew what would happen now that they were in the grasp of the vine hydras.

"I'm scared you guys," Azmy looked to Ko and Chichiri with fear of the unknown in her large, expressive eyes.

"Please don't eat me," Chichiri pleaded. "I taste bad. I really do."

"You should get eaten first," Ko shot sarcastically.

"AHH! NOOO!"

"That big, deformed vine is still there," Azmy stated.

"Deformed am I?" Flora's sights turned to the three who all screamed as they saw her turn her massive head slowly to glare them down with her soul piercing red eyes.

"I didn't mean it!" The short-haired girl apologized.

The vine-hydra caught glimpse of something black flying beside of her head and turned back to see Tsurugi buzzing around her head like an annoying fly to a stockyard animal. "Can't we talk about this?" He asked.

"Yes, tell us the weather and reasons. I'm sure the winds will speak to you as well," Musashi agreed.

"As I have said before, its humanity's fault that we are not on good terms. No one appreciates nature's beauty anymore."

"I don't see how anyone could destroy something so beautiful," Azmy said.

"I hear you have an alternate agenda issued to you by Vespa."

"How did you know?" Chichiri asked.

"A goddess knows through others of her type. I'll lend no assistance in your petty problems, however. I don't care about your-" Flora's words were cut short as she screamed in sheer agony as blood forced its way through her vines with great pressure, injuring her and spraying into the air. It had managed to seep into the cracks between the individual vines that made up her being.

"Got you," Hiroshima smirked satisfied with his blood attack. It had managed to get a substantial hit in on her. Everyone had bought the time he needed to attack.

"I'm so going to be eaten…" Chichiri watched in horror as the blood bath finished up, leaving Flora very pissed off and injured. No doubt she was going to take her rage out on them.

"Great! Now what?" Ko was annoyed that Hiroshima had done that when it seemed like they were going to talk things through with her.

"Humans…" The vine-hydra uttered with a voice that seethed in hatred and malice as her hunched over form trembled at the last bit of blood that leaked from her form.

"Plants are easily affected by foreign liquids being absorbed through their roots…Angel blood is no exception."

"Angel blood also has special properties," Tsurugi agreed with Hiroshima.

"I will not be defeated by here humans and simple messengers," Flora threw back her head and released more hydras. "Go my hydras! Kill! Kill them!" She commanded as they shot forward, thirsty for blood.

"She's pissed," Chichiri whined.

"I have a feeling that we can't stop them with any weapons," Azmy said in defeat.

"Not weapons that fire bullets but you're right," Tsurugi said, flying beside of her and managed to get her free from that hydra. Another hydra lunged downward at the angel, who managed to fly out of the way leaving Azmy who jumped to clear it. Hiroshima created a Crimson Slash attack and sliced through it, the juices flew in every direction.

"Damn…I really hate plants," Ko dodged a few of them.

Chichiri jumped up to avoid one and managed to do the splits in the process. "And hydras!" He agreed.

The wingless angel ran through the vines as they each tried to kill him. He had cut three or four of them but stopped as he saw one coming from the other side of him. It seemed like they were all closing in to corner and kill him. The hydra swooped down on him and he held the Crimson Blade out to block it. The plant chomped down on the blade. It tried to force itself towards him and he tensed up, fighting its force with his own. This was one of the stronger ones that he had to use a fair amount of power to keep it at bay. "These things are pretty strong."

Keiji dodged as they came towards him. One of them shot with great speed over his shoulder and literally manage to rip his shirt half way off. He let out a small, short scream and closed one eye as he felt the burning sensation from the quick movement of the plant's rough exterior. Ko called out his name as Chichiri looked around for something to use as a weapon but couldn't find anything.

"This sucks! There aren't even any weapons here to grab," the blonde said in frustration.

"What happened to yours?" Ko asked.

The blonde pointed to his hammer, which had been pinned down by the massive vines as twin rivers poured down his face.

"Mine too, I'm afraid," the white-haired woman agreed.

"My weapons are useless," Azmy sheathed her guns. Even if she tried, it wouldn't do anything but cause her to waste ammo. It was useless at this point in time. The three of them were powerless to do anything about their situation and if it weren't for people like Hiroshima, then they would have lost by now.

"This is a pretty useless fight," Ko admitted as she realized their position.

"We won't be able to win," the blonde said ruefully. He barely got the last word out as a giant spike shot through the ground and nearly split him in two. Ko had to jump out of the way swiftly in order to avoid it. She uttered a curse word in irritation and fright as she landed on her feet.

"If the plants don't kill me, the heart attacks will," the blonde held a hand to his chest.

"Leaf Dance!" Flora's voice could be heard as it called out for another attack. Leaves blew in high speed winds that soon clashed with the bodies of the humans and angels. They all screamed except for Tsurugi and Hiroshima who merely anticipated the attack. The leaves ripped through them with edges as sharp as blades. Hiroshima had put his hand over the wound on his chest to avoid any leaves being wedged into his skin as the leaves made cuts in his clothes, ripping the material off of his form. Tsurugi was being blown around in the current because he was airborne at the time. They could hear Flora's voice say 'sprout' as large trees sprung up from the ground to create even more leaves. One of them had managed to cut Hiroshima on the cheek as he dodged.

'I don't know what to do…Is my secret really worth keeping so something like this could happen? I disguised my magic as one of Hiroshima's attacks last time but this time everyone will know for sure that it was me.' Fife thought to himself as he braced himself against the leaves. He looked over to see Keiji, a few feet away who was blocking his face from getting hit. "Keiji-kun…"

"I can barely see," Ko commented as she was being pelted with leaves and high winds.

"If we fire any magic them who knows where it will go," Tsurugi advised them against using magic. The winds could catch it and then they would have more than Flora's plants on their hands.

"Flower Shower," another attack was about to come as vines, hydras, leaves and flowers assaulted them. "Solar Beams," she added to the mass confusion that had already been put into place.

'It's over. She's won. This whole forest is at her beckon call. We can't escape her no matter how hard we try.' Undine's thoughts caused her spirit to fall. She knew her presumption was right. There was no way that they could take on all of this damage. They would all die here. She could hear Ko let out a blood curdling scream, as if to agree with her thoughts. She could hear Chichiri call out her name and Musashi called her 'Miss Ko'. Then she saw his body fly by hers in a whirl of cloth and black feathers. His form then slammed against one of the tree trunks. After that, it seemed that her team mates were dropping like flies. Azmy fell next, her form cut up and bleeding.

'What now Do we all die here?' Tsurugi thought as he had just witnessed the fall of his team mates.

Hiroshima winced at the sharp pain from his multiple cuts and large chest wound. "I've lost a lot of blood," he commented as he gazed upon his hand. It was bathed in his essence and looked as if he was wearing a skin-tight red glove. "That attack won't happen again…and Flora will be expecting something like that if I try it again. Damn…"

'My strength is down considerably. If I keep taking hits like this, I'll be on the ground too…I've got to do something.' The wingless angel held his sword in front of him, as if to plan his next attack. "I just can't let them die," he took off running. Tired slate blue eyes looked at him full of pain and wonder as Azmy wondered what he was doing. The angel could soon hear footsteps beside of him as he looked over to see Fife, running along side of him. "You…"

"I want to help you," the long-haired man smiled.

"If you die, don't blame it on me."

"Of course not, besides, you already know my secret, don't you?"

"I know a lot of things. Not by choice."

"I'll take care of the hydras to the right and you get the ones to the left," Fife advised.

"Right," the angel darted off to the left and began cutting through the vines. One of them decided to rush at Fife and he quickly decapitated it, landing on the ground with its severed head following suit. Hiroshima continued to fight them along the ground but couldn't help admitting that that flying would really help his situation about now.

Musashi flew up beside of Tsurugi, who said his name in question.

"Tsurugi, we need to get out of here," The Wind Cavern told him gravely.

"I agree, but how?" The dark angel asked as he looked down to see Keiji, who was barely standing. It appeared as if he had tired himself out and was panting heavily. Chichiri ran over to Ko but before he could get there a vine slapped his form and flung him against a tree, where he was knocked out cold.

"Chichiri!" Undine called out and attempted to run to him, but a vine charged at her as well. She called fourth her water to deflect it but she ended up causing the vine to grow into something that resembled a mini-Flora. It fired a small beam at her and she managed to get out of its way. She called out the word 'blaze' and set it on fire. It let out a high-pitched scream and thrashed around. A barren tree shot up from the ground and the small girl jumped out of the way. When she landed a giant flower burst through the ground. It was opened and she found herself standing in the middle of long, pointed pale pink petals that closed in on her so fast that she had no time to think.

"You reap what you sow, magician," Flora commented to the entrapped girl.

"Now I'm completely useless," Undine commented as she sat in the middle of the flower. A fog of yellow pollen floated around her form. "Oh no…" She gasped as she covered her nose and mouth. 'This pollen puts you to sleep If I struggle my breathing will accelerate and I'll fall asleep quicker. It's best to just stay still and think.' The half-lidded girl thought as she leaned against the side of the flower.

On the outside of the flower, Fife managed to kill several more hydras. He managed to land but one of them swung around and managed to get underneath of him. He spun in mid-air to the right and managed to avoid it. 'Better be careful.'

Hiroshima dodged to one side and then the other as two hydras assaulted him. One shot up in front of him and thinking quickly, he ran up the length of it in order to slice it in the face but it had seen him coming and moved, coming around to bite him in the arm. The sharp, leaf-like teeth pierced his flesh. He stabbed it through the head but by the time it had fallen, three more were already on top of his movements and he had no time to react before they had already bitten him. Their vice-like grip weighed down on his shoulders and it felt as if his arms would be dislodged. He let out a barely inaudible pained noise as they slammed his form into the ground. Debris and dust flew up from his impact and Musashi and Tsurugi watched in horror, calling out his name in vain.

Fife jumped into the air with his sword drawn. The two winged creatures knew that they had to do something quickly or they would both die. Tsurugi asked Musashi if he was ready and the Wind Cavern agreed. The angel began to pray and the Wind Cavern created a holy pentagram behind him with green energy as a larger version appeared on the ground below Hiroshima's form. The wingless angel was bathed in a warm, blue glow. His body was on one of the lines for the star of the shape.

"What the hell is this?" He asked, his voice was exhausted. He could faintly hear Tsurugi and Musashi call out 'teleportation' in unison. Fife's form phased out as the hydras only hit barren ground.

"What?" Flora exclaimed. 'They're using transport magic.'

Everyone began to disappear one by one. First Azmy, then Keiji, then Chichiri and Ko followed by Hiroshima, who still held a hydra away from his face with the Crimson. No matter how severed his arms were, he was going to fight it off until he could no longer. The wingless angel never went down without a fight. Everyone ended up in a field a small distance away from the forest.

"I take it you've recovered," Musashi told Tsurugi.

"Yes, I did a while ago which is why I can fly now."

"Winds of Healing!" The Wind Cavern called out as he flapped his wings once, creating a wind of green glittery winds that washed over everyone's forms. It was a gentle and sparkling wind that healed everyone's wounds. It reached Hiroshima's form but that pentagram blocked its magic from working.

The spiky-haired man sat up and looked at Tsurugi and Musashi with a confused and exhausted expression.

"We're safe now," the Wind Cavern told him gently.

"Where are we?" Chichiri sat a few feet away from everyone. Ko was a distance from him and Keiji was cross-legged a few feet from her. Fife stood with his sword in hand, the tip pointed down. He looked around to see the Forest of Illusion a few feet away.

'Seems someone used a teleportation spell.' He then spoke. "I wonder where we go from here."

As if by queue, the jewel in Hiroshima's pants pocket began to glow and produced a hologram of Vespa that stood a few feet away from everyone.

"Perhaps I can be of assistance?"

"Vespa?" Everyone's attention snapped to the witch. She had only appeared when something grave was about to happen, so what did her appearance mean? What was going to be their next plan of action?

To Be Continued…