(Previous chapter - Aero and Ceraphilla manage to defeat Karla and retrieve their weapons)
Aero and Ceraphilla dragged a large bag full of weapons toward the city.
"My fellow Lucians!!! Our weapons have been retrieved! Fight for the freedom of our city..."
The people looked back at Aero. Although they could not recognize his face, they were reminded of a familiar sense of leadership. Soon, everyone grabbed what they could from the bag. A woman cried out amidst the crowd, "To the stars!!!"
Aero suddenly lost his balance. Ceraphilla caught him as his legs gave up on him. His voice trembled, "Now, it's all in his hands."
His head tilted up toward the top of the tower.
The top of the fortress.
(Intense metal clashing sounds.) Vendrick delivers multiple strikes from above. Gauge anticipates the blows───── and deflects them off.
Vendrick tries to finish Gauge off with an overhead smash. TANGGG! Gauge blocks it, his knees hitting the ground from the impact, shattering the stone floor beneath them. Gauge grabs hold of the Executor with his left arm, which seems to have evolved. He cracks the blade, imbuing it with his flames, and then shatters the sword with one powerful crush. Vendrick jumps back to create distance.
Who are these people? My heart feels significantly weaker. I can feel it... all my offspring are dead. And this one just shattered my Executor. I cannot fail, for HE does not excuse failure, Vendrick thought to himself.
"You do not know how good that felt! YEAHHHH!!!!" Feryx exclaimed. Gauge notices Vendrick is distracted by his thoughts. He takes his stance and launches forward with all his might to finish it.
FWOOOOZZZZ!
Hellish orange-red flames appear before his eyes out of nowhere. It was Vendrick's claws. Gauge notices the villain's shadow-clouded eyes, but it is too late. His own forward momentum carries him straight into the attack.
Suddenly, he notices the flames moving further away. He bends down and spots a belt of blood wrapped around his waist, pulling him back.
"If I received a piece of information for every time I saved you, I would be the god of knowledge."
Gauge turns around and notices a weak, lean, and drowsy Var'zek pulling him back. Despite his sorry state, Var'zek is smiling.
"Welp, you are on your own from here."
As Var'zek is about to fall, he is caught mid-air by Aero. Aero looks at Gauge.
"Great work, guys. Now leave and take everyone to safety. This lamb is mine."
Aero, too weak to even reply, simply nods his head and takes off with Var'zek.
Now with Var'zek safe, Gauge locks back onto Vendrick.
Battle at the fortress (Evolved) - White flames vs Hellflames.
The tyrant comes rushing at him. Gauge leans right, catches Vendrick's limb, swirls him around, and hurls him off the building.
Vendrick uses his wings to break his momentum, the feathers lighting on fire. He snarls, "Time to end this!"
Gauge responds, "Couldn't agree more."
He runs toward Vendrick and leaps off the ledge of the fortress, lunging at him. SWOOSH! A claw swipes to his right. Gauge desperately blocks the attack, falling along the fortress wall. He quickly drives Feryx into the stone to anchor himself. Above him, Vendrick raises his hands. His Executor reforms—only this time, it is forged of molten magma.
Vendrick flies higher into the sky to gain momentum. Gauge runs along the vertical walls, perching momentarily with Feryx before launching himself off the edge of the fortress once more.
Hellish orange fires and pure white flames clash. The atmosphere grows scorching hot. The resulting shockwave shakes the entire city.
The impact pushes Gauge straight down. Thudd! He lands hard, cracking the ground beneath him. Meanwhile, Vendrick is launched backward into the skies. He dives again, closing in on the ground, flying straight toward Gauge like a streaking orange light across the city.
Krgggg!
Gauge delivers a lightning-fast blow to Vendrick's right chin, sending him flying into the nearby buildings. Vendrick wastes no time; he bursts out of the rubble and takes a wild swing. Gauge responds with a calm, composed block.
"Who are you people? Why are you ruining my plans? Do you know what HE would do if I fail? DIIEEEEE!!!!"
Vendrick launches a series of relentless slashes. Gauge deflects them but seems to be entirely on the defensive, driven back a few steps with every parry. Vendrick notices there are only a few steps left until Gauge is cornered against the edge.
"None of it matters! If I could just kill you, I can deal with your half-dead comrades. DIE! DIE! DIE!"
Slowly, Gauge's movements begin to fluidly smoothen out. Gradually, he starts moving forward. Now, Vendrick is the one being pushed back. The tyrant starts to realize what is happening. Both of Gauge's eyes have started to glow; his observation skills have been significantly boosted. His face looks deadlocked with focus.
NO! This guy... how is he evolving at a faster rate than me? What is this creature that I am fighting?! Vendrick starts panicking. He stops swinging wildly, jumps back, and lunges toward Gauge, sword-first.
Gauge calmly deflects the thrust as if he were grinding the blade. Using Vendrick's own momentum against him, Gauge cuts through his arm lengthwise. Spinning on his heel, Gauge finishes the motion and cleanly severs the tyrant's entire arm.
Vendrick starts tumbling, completely off-balance. He desperately swings at Gauge again with his remaining limb. Gauge punches his fist, disarming him completely, and then delivers a decisive, crushing blow to his chest.
Ribs crack. His mouth spatters blood and saliva. Vendrick crashes straight through the battle walls, tumbling backward until he lands heavily on his own throne.
From the throne, Vendrick lifts his head. His vision is blurry, but he can see Gauge walking toward him. Fear engulfs him, and his body refuses to move. Gauge throws Feryx onto the ground, impaling the weapon into the floorboards. He leaps up onto the dais of the throne, eyes glowing with anger, his fist pulsing with power. He grabs Vendrick tightly by his throat.
As the tyrant chokes, Gauge growls,
"The very throne you used to abuse these people will become your grave!"
He pulls his arm back, powering up.
SLAM! The entire fortress vibrates from the impact. Vendrick's jaw drops, utterly broken.
"This is for Fizrella!!"
SLAM! The doorways tremble.
"For Cain!!" He yells as tint of sorrow fills his eyes.
SLAM! Birds around the fortress fly away from the shockwave.
"For the people of Lucia!!!"
He pulls back for his final punch.
Battle at the fortress, Victor - Mordan Gauge.
(Next chapter - The Master Mind.)