Phantasy Star Online

Inner Circle

By Ethan Hammond ©2001

 

Part 4 Full Circle

 

            “Slash, slash, nyah…” Nuku Nuku said.  “Nyah, Nuku Nuku can’t do the three hit combo, boon boon!!”

            “Keep trying, it takes time,” Asylus replied.

            “Nuku Nuku never gives up,” Nuku Nuku announced.  “Dragonslayer, slash, slash, nyah.”

            “Watch me,” Asylus demonstrated the stance.  “Slash, slash, slash!”

            “Yay!” Nuku Nuku exclaimed enthusiastically.

            Vash and his group had escaped from there captors.

            “No one can capture the human typhoon,” Vash said triumphantly. “For I cannot be kept in captivity.”

            “Your capacity for tactical analysis is certainly breathtaking,” Venus said rolling her eyes with annoyance.

            “So where does this raft go exactly?” Yuna asked with an innocent expression on her face.

            “Ahhhhh we are doomed, doomed I tell you!!” …yelled in terror.

            The water in front of the raft began to ripple as a huge serpent emerged in front of the group.

            “Vash the Stampede fears nothing,” Vash said.  “Prepare to be destroyed by my guns of blazing fury.”

            “Sigh, when we were captured they took all of our weapons,” Venus reminded Vash.

            “Then never mind,” Vash said still not discouraged or daunted.  “I will show all what my metal fists of fury can do.”

            “Yes,” Yuna said giving Vash the thumbs up.

            “This is not cool,” … stated.

            “For 1,000 years I have waited for this moment Dark Force,” Elbryan said challenging the huge beast.

            “Bwah, ha, ha, ha…” Dark Force taunted.  “Who do you think you are to speak to me that way?  Even you are just a mortal.  Never forget that I have no physical form, I am merely a consciousness.  Your vanity has already sealed your fate.”

            “Lavis wave strike!” Elbryan yelled as he attacked.

            “What was that?” Dark Force taunted with a smirk.  “Is that the extent of the legendary Elbryan’s power.  How pathetic.”

            Dark Force retaliated with a light beam burst attack that struck all the warriors.

            “Gyahh!!” Nuku Nuku yelled in pain.

            “I am stronger this time Elbryan.  Nothing will stop me this time,” Dark Force declared.

            Dark Force grabbed Elbryan by the neck with his huge claw hand.  Dark Force began to strangle Elbryan.

            “Who do you think you are?” Dark Force asked.  “You pathetic fool.”

            “Its’ too powerful we can’t win,” Raion said in terror.  “It’s the final destroyer, Dark Force.”

            “Argh, mayhaps laddy.  But fret not, for we won’t know unless we try.  And what better way to go out than swashbuckling with yer best chums, says I,” Bebop encouraged.

            “Yay,” Nuku Nuku added.

            “That’s right Raion,” Megumi said as she hit him in the face with the frying pan.

            The frying pan echoed a resounding clong as it connected with Raion.

            “Don’t count out the little @!#&* that could,” Luna said.

            Elbryan coughed up blood and passed out.

            “You are nothing.  Nothing do you hear me?” Dark Force taunted as he slammed Elbryans unconscious body to the ground.

            “How dare you lay a hand on my father,” Asylus said as she appeared floating in the air above Dark Force.  Her body glowed with an aura of shifta and deband.

            “Asylus,” Nuku Nuku said happily.

            Asylus landed on the ground and picked up her fathers Lavis Cannon.

            “Another bug has come to get squashed,” Dark Force uttered.

            “You monster, you must be stopped,” Asylus said angrily.

            “I’m not a monster, I’m a devil,” Dark Force replied laughing insanely.

            “Double wave strike,” Asylus said as she attacked with both swords.

            “Ouch I actually felt that,” Dark Force said amazed.

            Dark Force paused.

            “Grimlock is here,” Dark Force said with awe.  “Show yourself to me Grimlock Skyline.”
            Dark Force froze all of the warriors.

            “Where is he?” Dark Force asked.  “Where is Grimlock?”

            “You want him, you got him,” Elbryan said as he pressed a button on a cell phone size device that he was holding.

            There was a huge explosion under Dark Force and a hulking green Racast climbed out of the ground.  He was holding a well-formed katana.

            “My old rival,” Dark Force said.  “I’ve missed you so.”

            “Has it been 1,000 years already?” Grimlock asked.  “I guess you never learn.”

            “You took me by surprise last time.  I did not expect an android to use a technique attack,” Dark Force explained.

            “There is more to me than meets the eye,” Grimlock replied.  “Anti!”

            Grimlock cast anti, breaking the warriors from their frozen condition.

            “You never cease to impress,” Dark Force said with slight respect in his voice.  “I almost hate the destroy you.”
            “Let’s see what you got,” Grimlock replied.

            “Nooo…,” Elbryan said.  “Don’t be like Vegeta and let him reach his full power.”

            “Shut up, I’m still mad at you for deactivating me for 600 years,” Grimlock responded.

            “It was an honest mistake, you should get over it,” Elbryan replied.

            Grimlock gave Elbryan the bird.

            “Chainsawd slash,” Nuku Nuku yelled.

            The Chainsawd cut into the distracted Dark Force, slicing his head clean off.  Dark Force roared in anger and fell silent.

            “Good job Nuku Nuku,” Asylus commended her friend.

            “Argh,” Bebop said proudly.  “That’s the way to fight lass.”

            “What a lovely weapon,” Grimlock said impressed.  “Where did it come from?”

            “Argh, aye did make it meself laddy, says I,” Bebop explained.

            Suddenly Dark Force’s body shivered and he morphed into a new form with a huge pulsating organ instead of legs.

            “Catgirl, you should not have angered me,” Dark Force said  “You see I cannot be so easily defeated.”

            “I wouldn’t expect anything less,” Grimlock said floating next to Dark Force with his arms crossed.  “But I can defeat you at any time with my ultimate attack.”

            “Not this time Grimlock, not his time,” Dark Force replied.  “If you are so confident then try it now.”

            “No,” Grimlock replied.  “I want to see some more of what you can do first.”

            Vash and his team had somehow managed to defeat Del Roe, but they were all greatly wounded.  Vash’s team was now in the mines.

            “Why must I suffer so?” Vash wondered.

            Two Garnaz appeared and rolled towards Vash’s team.

            “What have I done that you would treat me so disrespectfully?” Vash asked with oily tears in his eyes.  “I’m Vash the Stampede the Human Typhoon.”  Vash whined.

            “Android Typhoon,” Venus corrected him.

“Here Vash,” Yuna said to get his attention.  “I have found a weapon for you!” She said with an excited smile.

            “Hoo ha,” Vash replied.  “What is it?”

            “A Varista +2,” Yuna responded throwing the gun to him.

            Vash caught the gun and twirled it like a cowboy.

            “As long as I have a gun no one can touch me,” Vash said triumphantly.

            The Garanz opened their guns bays and began to fire heat-seeking missiles at Vash.

            “They seem to disagree with you,” Venus observed.

            “Why does this gun suck so much?” Vash cried oily tears.  “Why does it shoot so slowly and weakly?”

            Vash passed out and then Venus and … followed soon after, leaving only Yuna standing to face the two Garanz.

            Dark Force had begun to suck the life force out of Raion with an attack his second form rarely used.

            “Helllp,” Raion cried out.

            Suddenly a cute pink haired girl appeared and smacked Dark Force with a Sting Tip causing Dark Force to release his hold on Raion.

            “Hey handsome boy,” the girl said.

            “Azumi,” Raion smiled.

            Azumi seven gave the peace sign as she smiled.

            “Darling,” Azumi said as she jumped at Raion and pounced on him and shocked him with Razonde in a tight embrace.

            “What a rip-off,” Megumi noted.  “Is nothing sacred anymore?”

            “Rappy, rappy, rap, rap, rappy,” the blue bird said.  “Al, al rappy.”

            “Hmmm,” Megumi had an idea.  “Luna I need your help,” Megumi said.

            “OK Megumi,” Luna replied.

            Luna and Megumi got on the Al Rappy’s back.

            “Here we go!” Luna said.

            “CHIBI CHIKEN CHARGE!!” Megumi yelled as the Al Rappy began to run towards Dark Force.

            “Meep, meep,” Al Rappy said.

            “What the?” Dark Force was in disbelief.

            The Al Rappy struck Dark Force in his pulsating organ and ripped clean through his body.

            “Gross,” Luna said exasperated.

            “Suck it up,” Megumi replied waving the frying pan threateningly at Luna.

            “Yes ma’m,” Luna replied with a giant sweat drop on her head.

            Dark Force collapsed in a pool of purple blood.

            “Humph,” Grimlock couldn’t believe it.

            “Bwah, ha, ha, ha, ha,” Dark Force laughed as he flew the group up into a ring of light.

            “You should be impressed.  No one has ever made me use my ultimate form before.  Yes behold the power of my perfect form.”
            “Now its my debut,” Grimlock stated.

            Grimlock’s katana powered up with an aura of energy.

            “Yes the Rubicon Katana,” Dark Force said.  “I know it well, it draws on the life force of the user for its ultimate attack, perfect for an android.”

            “Black Whole,” Grimlock said as he slashed at Dark Force.

            “Soul exchange,” Dark Force said as he cast a spell.

            Grimlock’s spirit was lifted up into Dark Force’s mouth.  Grimlock’s katana struck Dark Force dealing massive damage.

            “It can’t be,” Grimlock said as he exploded.

            “Bwah, ha, ha, ha,” Dark Force laughed evilly.  “When I have your soul in my mouth all the damage you do to me is dealt back to you.  I will miss you, my ancient rival.”

            “Grimlock I’m sorry,” Elbryan said.

            Vash, Venus, and … had all collapsed on a large red teleported at the end of the second area of the mines.  Yuna stood at the teleported wondering whether to warp or not.

            “I have you now Megumi,” Shyne said pointing her Spread Needle at Yuna’s head.

            “I’m not Megumi,” Yuna replied confused.

            “Liar, there is Nuku Nuku, Luna, and Bebop.  The three girls and a guy we are supposed to capture and bring back to Pioneer 2,” Shyne rationalized.

            “Do you even know what you are doing?” Yuna asked.  “Why don’t you know what the people you are after look like?”

            “The Principal never told us, and I was not going to look foolish by asking him,” Shyne began to explain.

            “And also we were promised rare items so we were too excited to think straight,” Sage added.

            “Indeed,” Xavier said in the mines.

            “You should always be kind and polite,” Belldandy explained in her sweet subservient voice.

            “Anyway, I want rares,” Sage continued.  “Heaven’s Punisher Raging Storm.”

            Yuna tripped and fell into the teleporter.  Vash woke up and shook his head to try and clear his vision.

            “Where am I?” Vash asked totally unaware of his surroundings.

            “Warp,” Yuna replied.

            The group warped and appeared in a chamber with huge television monitors on all the walls.  A menacing face stared at the group from one of the screens.

            “New feelings brewing inside Vash,” Vash said as he went berserk and smashed everything in the room.

            “Go Vash, he’s our man, if he can’t do it no one can,” Yuna said doing a cheerleader dance.

            “He’s not a man, he’s an android,” Venus reminded Yuna.

            The room shook and was enveloped in an explosion as a giant red robot appeared.

            “Let’s do this thing,” Vash said heroically.  “First Del Roe and now Vol Opt, ohhhh yeahhhh!!”

            “Nuku Nuku you know what to do,” Asylus said.

            “I do?” Nuku Nuku asked.

            “Just follow my lead,” Asylus explained.

            “You can do it big sister,” Luna encouraged.

            “Argh me lass,” Bebop agreed.

            Raion and Azumi were busy making out while the Al Rappy looked at them funny.

            “Get a room you two,” Megumi said smacking Raion in the back of the head with the frying pan.  “Have you no shame?”

            Asylus grabbed Nuku Nuku’s hands and began to run around in a circle.

            “Yay!” Nuku Nuku said and started running too.

            Soon they were running so fast that it was just a blur of colors.

            “Now,” Asylus said.  “ULTIMATE SPINNING ATTACK!!  VICTORY SUPER TOPSY TURVEY!!”

            “Never!!” Dark Force retaliated.  “BIG FINAL DODGEBALL FLASH!!”
            A stream of blue light energy fireball attacks hot out of Dark Force as the spinning duo flew towards him at great speed.  The spinning attack deflected the fireballs rendering them ineffectual.

            “Noooooo,” Dark Force crossed his arms over his body to try and block the attack.  The spinning attack struck Dark Force and three fourths of his body exploded upon contact.  The remaining one fourth drifted onto the ring of light in a bloody smoldering mess.

            “How can I be defeated by mere high school girls?” Dark Force asked.

            “Great job Nuku Nuku,” Asylus said.

            “We did it Asylus,” Nuku Nuku said embracing her best friend.

            Suddenly the sky turned blood red.

            “Argh, aye have a bad feeling,” Bebop said.

            The Omega Phoenix appeared in the sky spreading its huge flame wings and unleashing a fearsome bellow.

            “Chosen one, the time has come,” the Omega Phoenix said.

            “The legendary destroyer of worlds, the Omega Phoenix,” Elbryan realized what was happening.  “No, this could be dangerous.”

            The Omega Phoenix wrapped its wings around Dark Force.

            “Combine, become one.  Go to the next level,” the Omega Phoenix said.  “Evolve!”

            The Omega Phoenix and Dark Force began to glow and their bodies melted into each other.  Dark Force appeared in his perfect form with a crackling power aura surrounding his body.

            “Now I will have my revenge.  Justice will be served,” Dark Force taunted.  “Monsters of darkness, native beasts, all creatures, evolve and unleash your true power.  Genesis!”
            Jenn Rose, Seripham, Morimoto, and Exodus were in the forest when suddenly,

rock monsters began to tear there way out from underground and attack with never before seen power.  Hoards of new types of monsters tore our of the ground in the Forest, Caves, Mines, and Ruins and it seemed as if a new area of the planet had been revealed as well. 

            “The ultimate battle is yet to come,” Dark Force taunted menacingly.  “You haven’t seen anything yet.”

Dark Force power bombed Nuku Nuku and then grabbed Asylus as he vanished into thin air.

“Nyah, what happens now?” Nuku Nuku wondered.

 

The End

 

Coming 7/01  Inner Circle Battle City Part 1 Never Give Up