Shizukesa no kokoro: hearts of serenity

Chapter 13: central spire

As they closed in on the spire, Yuki noticed the sentinel numbers have been decreasing as they get closer to Perceval. "This is suspicious. We're getting closer to the spire, but shouldn't the sentinel reinforcement numbers increase as we're getting closer?" Yuki wondered. "Does it really matter? Half our work has been done, after we move through here we'll attack Perceval. After that, it's smooth sailing from here on out" Rusty said nonchalantly. Lance looked around for any ambushes and noticed a red flash in the sky, "somehow I don't think it will be easy." All of a sudden a massive amount of red energy spears was about to rain down on them. "That's why the sentinels numbers have decreased, they wanted to get away from the blast" Yuki realized what was about to happen. "Rusty! Evasive maneuvers!" Lance shouted. Rusty grabbed a hold of the wheel, "already on it, shifting into second gear!" Rusty switched the trifecta into second gear, "buckle up guys, this is about to get dicey!" Rusty used the trifecta to swiftly dodge the blasts that are raining down on them, "come on trifecta, don't fail me now." Perceval noticed they're success at dodging the blasts, "insolent little pests. Try this why don't you?!" Perceval fired a massive orb of red energy at the trifecta. "Road hazard!" Rusty shouted. Rusty drifted the trifecta at the right time causing the orb to narrowly miss them, however it made the trifecta drift out of control. "Brace for impact!" Lance shouted. Rusty, Lance and Yuki braced themselves as the trifecta swerved out of control leaving it to a brutal stop. Yuki got off the trifecta and noticed a massive mountainous  spire, they were at the heart of the desert. "We're here get ready everyone." Yuki unsheathed Amaterasu, Lance unsheathed Kazegami, and Rusty unsheathed Yamagami. They ran towards the central spire and upon reaching the spire they find a massively blood stained area near Perceval. "You brats are persistent are you? Well I won't mind gobbling you up in due time!" Perceval said. Yuki noticed the blood stained area and gave Perceval a death stare, "where is she, where is Coco?" Perceval looked at Yuki, "so you're the REAL Yuki Shizuku? You don't how betrayed I felt when your friend took the blame for you. But as you can see i'm saving her for later." Yuki found an unconscious Coco in Perceval's grasp, "Coco!" Perceval scoffed, "she's alright, but as for the townsfolk....GAHAHAHAH! I just couldn't help myself! They're in my stomach now!" Lance and Rusty realized what the blood stained ground meant, "so the ground...Was stained by the blood of the townsfolk in sector 8?" Lance questioned. "You guys are messed up!" Rusty shouted. Yuki ran towards Perceval, "let her go now!" Perceval swung his axe downward towards Yuki, Yuki got out of the way and jumped, "holy halberd art: radiant breakthrough!" Yuki pierced Perceval with her halberd, however Perceval blocked the attack with his arm and he swatted her back, "I'm not mistress Guinevere girly! You'll have to try harder than that!" Perceval fired multiple orbs of red energy. Rusty got in the way and gripped Yamagami, "believe me, we will. Holy gungnir art: granite gatling!" Rusty used granite gatling to destroy all the red orbs at once. Lance advanced towards Perceval, "don't take me lightly, holy katana art: spiral slash!" Lance slashed Perceval's legs, toppling it in the process. "Damn it! Come here and let me rip your heads off!" Yuki jumped towards Perceval's back, "holy halberd art: radiant breakthrough!" Yuki pierced Perceval's back giving it a moderate amount of damage. Perceval got up and swatted them back, "you brats! How about this?!" Perceval charged his axe with the same red energy and he fires an energy wave horizontally. Lance took out Kazegami, "that won't work on us again! Holy katana art: cyclone edge!" Lance slashed Kazegami downwards, creating a gale that slashed the energy wave in half, narrowly missing them. "I should have participated in that battle a year ago, but I was still under construction. The carnage was perfect in that battle!" Perceval said as he kept swinging his axe. "What do you know about the battle?!" Yuki said as she continued to fight defensively against Perceval's attacks. "The everything Serenia had was weak. The militia, the artillery, especially the Air Force!" Perceval exclaimed. Rusty heard what Perceval said about the Air Force, "I'm sorry. Repeat what you just said to my face." Perceval grinned and went towards Rusty, "I said. The Air Force in the battle was complete crap! I could have devoured them all if i could!" Rusty gripped his first at his response. Perceval continuously mocked them, "aww what's wrong spear-boy, are you sad about what happened to your mom or dad in the war? Well too bad! The war should have belonged to Arcania. and your daddy, leader of the Air Force in the war, AIN'T COMING BACK! He's dead! Get that through you're thick skull! Not to mention you're friend is gonna die at my hand soon as well. THE AGE OF SERENITY IS OVER! ANARCHY SHALL REIGN SUPREME! GAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Perceval grabbed Coco and prepared to decapitate her. Yuki's halberd started to glow vibrantly, "you piece of...." Yuki and Lance prepared to attack Perceval with all their might but they were stopped by Rusty. "Rusty what's the meaning of this?" Lance questioned. Rusty remained silent as he slowly approached Perceval. While he approached Perceval, his spear started to glow vibrantly and he was surrounded by a bronze aura. "holy gungnir art....." Rusty said silently as he slowly approached Perceval. "What are you staring at?" Perceval said. Rusty remained silent as he got closer to Perceval. "Magnus...." Rusty said silently. Perceval took his axe upward, "you're starting to piss me off!" Perceval swung his axe directly at Rusty. Rusty noticed the attack and shielded himself with his arm. The axe struck Rusty. Lance looked at what happened, "Rusty!" "Gahahaha! Guess little boy bronze couldn't stand my axe!" Perceval said as his finished his attack. At that moment the dust cleared from where Rusty was struck. Perceval looked in utter shock, Rusty emanated a bronze aura all around his body and he stopped the axe entirely with his arm, sustaining a massive cut on his wrist. Yuki and Lance looked in amazement at Rusty's strength. "That's....impossible...how did Rusty become unscathed by that giant axe? A normal person would have died the second that axe hit him" Yuki said as she witnessed Rusty's action. Rusty gave a death stare to Perceval, "holy gungnir art: Magnus charge!" Rusty used his new strength to knock the axe entirely out of Perceval's hand. "What?! This brat has a new art?!" Perceval said. Rusty ran towards Perceval and took out Yamagami. Lance looked at Rusty, "Magnus charge....I see, so that art gives Rusty superhuman strength for a short time." Rusty went towards Perceval and he pierced him with Yamagami, giving him a massive amount of damage. "Damn it...how can a brat like him do this?" Rusty pierced his spear upwards with all his might and struck Perceval. Upon impact, Perceval was sent flying toward the top of the spire, Perceval dropped Coco while being sent flying and rusty managed to catch her in time. Coco slowly opened her eyes to find herself in Rusty's arms, "Rusty....did you save me?" Rusty remained silent and helped Coco stand up. Yuki ran towards Coco and hugged her, "Coco, you're okay." Coco started to cry for a moment, "I'm sorry I put you through all this. I didn't know what I was thinking at that time. You got hurt from my foolishness." "It's okay Coco, you're okay that's all that matters" Yuki said. Coco wiped her tears, "thank you...everyone." Lance headed back to the trifecta, "we've done everything here, Rusty start up the trifecta." "Alright..." Rusty headed back to the trifecta with a somber tone. "Hey Rusty, thank you for saving me" coco said gratefully. However, she noticed Rusty's bloody wrist, "Rusty, what happened to you? Rusty hid his bloody wrist, "it's nothing, it'll heal soon enough." They all boarded the trifecta and they left the central spire. While he was driving out of the sector, Coco stared at Rusty's wrist, "Rusty...what are you hiding, you're hurt by something are you?" As they left the sector, a dismantled jet black figure staggered towards the trifecta...it was Perceval, it's armor was shattered, it's red markings were dim and the blade of its battle axe had a crack, "those brats.....I'm not gonna let them get away!....." Perceval slowly got up, "Yuki Shizuku....you're not gonna make a fool out of me!"