Shattering Humanity-Chapter 423: Dependability: "Every World Is Full Of Characters."
"So when you see standing in the holy place ’the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand— then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.
Let no one on the housetop go down to take anything out of the house.
Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak.
How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers!
Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath.
For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again."-Matthew 24:15-21
__________
*Darkness*
The cringing noise of hot metal slicing through skin and the *THUD* of something hitting the ground is heard in the emptiness.
Shelly’s quivering, unsure, and heartbroken voice stutters as if in disbelief.
Shelly’s Voice: "kah...tsu...
No...
No. No. No. No. No.
No!
KATSUUUUUU!!!!!"
...
Katsu’s Voice: "I’ll never know how you react to my deaths, Shelly, but I hope you used it as fuel to win this small war.
I’ll never place the on blame you.
I love you.
...
...
...
I know you’re there, you son of a bitch!
You, with nothing better to do but criticize and pretend as if you’re any better!
You consume the tales of different universes and can only create through immediate ecstasy.
There is nothing in this universe that proves you’ve dedicated, sacrificed, and selflessly labored towards the success of something bigger than yourself!
So go ahead, keep mocking our story, reveling in our dramatic moments, and pointing out my mistakes.
You can keep on doubting, just because you can’t put anymore doubt on yourself.
I won’t quit. Especially after so many tries, and knowing the truth about the self-sustaining universe’s life and death recycle.
As long as I can continue ’surviving death’, I have no doubt Shelly and I will be the product of her limitless hard work, combined with my infinite dedication."
...
...
...
As the other three giant Icemen are wading their way through the ocean water to get to her, Jesse James puts her head down, making the brim of her ten gallon cowboy hat covers the powerful woman’s beautiful face.
Jesse James: "Phæstis...
Can I borrow some of your power?"
Popping up to the water surface between the Sheriff’s feet is the incredibly airheaded author of the Voynich Manuscript. With her wet forest green hair and always closed eyes, the mysterious woman takes a serious moment of consideration.
Phæstis: "Hmmm....."
Each moment spent stalling to answer is another moment the group of three gets closer.
Phæstis: "Hmmmmmmmm....."
Jesse James: "Phæstis!"
Phæstis: "Oooookaaaaayyyy...."
...
[Tomodachi Town Gym Roof]
Katsu(thinking): *I can’t be too over zealous with my destruction and willingness to kill these scumbags...
But I do know the perfect amount to not blow my cover, and also make Shelly’s face light up.
Even though she’s pure and has a heart of gold, Shelly’s ancestors lived for the sights and sounds of war.
She can’t help but be unable to look away.*
He looks forward again and both watch as the Iceman closest to the shore begins its throwing motion.
Surprising Shelly, but not Katsu, in the blink of an eye, a red/orange SeiõrShot glides across the wind. The condensed energy is wide enough to evaporate the entire exposed waist of the attacking giant.
It does, and the giant falls backwards creating the dangerous tidal wave.
Shelly(thinking): *Was that...a SeiõrShot?!*
Madame Fryer leaves her golden sheath, and floats besides her comrade for protection.
Shelly sees her ally weapon has also sensed the spike in Seiõr energy.
Shelly(thinking): *Where did that amount of Seiõr come from?
That 2nd Generation woman who Katsu and I fought last night...*
A drop of sweat rolls down the Valkyrie’s temple and cheek, eventually falling on top of her sneaker.
Shelly(thinking): *... Has she had this level of Seiõr the entire time?!*
The two Takamagahara members and the flaming sword watch as a few enemies get caught by the rushing wave, then are pulled out, and away from safety.
In no time, the heads of the swimmers begin disappearing one by one.
Now 300 yards away from the and getting closer towards the shore, the three remaining giant Icemen are moving, unimpeded...until...
There is a "whistle" that gets increasingly louder, and before one of the giant Icemen can fully turn to face the sounds direction, it is hit with a direct shot to its neck from a fired ’RIM-7 Sea Sparrow’ missile.
The explosion consumes the alien’s entire head, but that’s not the only missile fired.
Suddenly multiple singing RIM-7 missiles usher in a cavalry of explosions on all three of the gigantic crystal ice beasts.
The only vessel still within range of danger, it is the Amphibious Marine Corps warship the Sheriff rode to battle on.
However, no longer with a Seiõr user available on board, the warship is pouring out all of its rain of available firepower, in order to help in any way possible.
Still watching from their rooftop hiding spot, Katsu take a deep breath.
Time seems to slow down, until it comes to a complete stop, just like how it did in Roronora City.
In his head, the dark, slithering, demonic, ominous voice that antagonizes the Yang Vessel is doing just that. It cackles, as if being tickled painfully.
Dark Ominous Voice: *Kekeke!
Hey kid, isn’t this around the time you’re shit out of luck in the majority of these failed runs.
Kekeke!
Face it, she’s not as reliable as you want everyone, including yourself, to believe.
Kekekek!*
Katsu(thinking): *Shut up!
It took me countless cycles to finally realize successfully defending myself here is where the seeds of Shelly’s suspicion are sowed.
I have complete confidence this will be a cycle where Shelly rescues me before I’m beheaded by that woman’s staff."
Dark Ominous Voice: *Kekeke!
You’ve said that every single time, but that pink bitch manages to overpower both you and your girlfriend more than anyone else.
Kekekek!
Well I mean, other than the ’Yeshua ben Yosef’ persuasion tactics over his scared followers.
KEKEKEK!*
No longer able to see his set of controlled giants, due to the paused explosions and smoke clouds now surrounding them, Katsu’s green human eye darts left to right.
Slowing his breathing down, he swallows his spit in nervousness, then
Dark Ominous Voice: *Kekeke!
You really are pathetic, ain’t ya ’Ka’?
The only reason you’re technically allowed to defeat the recycling of death is because of me.
If you want the truth, that pink bitch is probably more worthy of being the ’Yeshua ben David’ than you.
None of those ethereal miscreant humans would be of any threat..
She could evaporate half of this celestial trashcan with no effort at all, at any moment."
Katsu(thinking): *I don’t give a fuck what I’m referred to as...*
He looks at the frozen in time, lightly sweating Shelly as she is staring at outrageous storm of missiles aimed at the controlled aliens.
Katsu(thinking): *...All I care about is making it to the end of this story with her.*
Dark Ominous Voice: *Kekeke!
At any moment those pink eyes could appear and theb risappear before your head even hits the ground.
Yet you sit and wait there, scared, and hoping for salvation. Like a weak, sheltered animal.
Kekekek!*
Time slowly starts flowing back to normal and before Katsu can focus on the ocean water in the distance, Shelly activates her SanguineSoulSeiõrShield.
She moves in front of her purpose and the human blue eyes of Takamagahara’s Ace are shifting all over the place, knowing something is wrong.
The defensive move surprises the future knowing Yang Vessel. Especially after the conversation he just had in frozen time with the unknown evil.
Katsu: "Shelly?"
Shelly: "Katsu, stay close to me!
I don’t know if you felt it with your SeiõrSense, but something is up.
It definitely has something to do with that 2nd Generation DæMon."
Katsu has a moment of disbelief, but he quickly accepts the current situation with a smile.
Katsu: "I’m never worried, as long as you are my sword, Shell."
He is unable to see her blushing face, but Shelly’s instincts tell her to react and in an instant.
She pushes Katsu out of the way, making him fall to the ground. In one motion, Shelly reveals the sheathed Seax from from her hoodie’s front pocket, and manages to deflect something dangerous that disappears off the contact.
Madame Fryer circles around Shelly, trying to assist her ally as much as possible.
Shelly quickly unsheathes her all black blade and puts the empty sheath back in her sweatshirt pocket.
Shelly: "Katsu, listen..."
The young man stays low to the ground, and on one knee while he listens to his purpose.
Shelly: "...This phase of the plan has to end early.
If we get split up, get back to the Firehouse.
Please don’t try fighting that army on your own, and don’t try to keep up with me."
Katsu chuckles and holds up his tattooed thumb.
Katsu: "You got it!
Hopefully Saku can come and pick me up, haha!"
The bombardment of missiles on the giant Icemen stops.
The area over the water where the threats were last seen, is covered in thick smoke.
On his warship, the Captain who gave Jesse James a ride to battle, and the one who made the order to use his vessel’s complete cashe of defense missiles, stands on the bow.
Captain: "I hope 57 Sea Sparrows were enough to help ya, Ms. Sheriff.
Because even though I can’t understand your ’arithmetic magic’..."
A small amphibious landing craft carrying the military Captain’s crew, lands ashore and his Vice-Captain is the last to step off as he and the remaining soldiers standing off the beach, look out at the target area as the black/grey smoke clears.
Captain: "...I do understand dependability."
On top of the city gym, Shelly grips her Seax in her clenched teeth. Preparing herself for a fight.
Captain: "Every world is full of characters.
Each with their own content, quirks, specialties, and personality...’
As the explosive smoke fades, the spectators on the beach are speechless.
The vice-captain stares at the never before seen view.
Barely standing, with its giant biceps held up in a protective stance, but both forearms gone, as well as the giant’s head. There are holes and craters on the rest of the single giant Iceman who sacrificed itself for the other two.
Serious Katsu, his Anjell Eye still in 2nd Stage, looks at the successful sacrificial shield, then at Shelly’s name on the back of her Squad 40 sweatshirt.
Captain: "But dependability can create courage in others."
The giant red cloud leaves the remains of the crystal vessel, and the defeated alien falls to its water grave.
Back on the beach, the young man who was just recently mutually acknowledged by Seiõr
sees the cloud of energy leave the alien remains float into the sky.
Crew Member: "Captain!
We have to get away from the water and join others with proper weaponry!"
The young man who was too focused on the scene didn’t hear the growling or see the smaller Icemen rise from the shallow beach water.
Without a SunSword, the man quickly retreats with his crew.
The vision of the Yang Vessel’s Anjell Eye of Wisdom moves from the pair of giant aliens to the single ship responsible for the attack.
The two remaining monstrous Icemen sprint through the water towards the single warship.
Having already accepted his fate, and he smiles at the horrific sight of an inescapable death while he completes his final soliloquy.
Captain: "It takes courage to not only stand up to intimidating evil, but to trust others."
The waves get rougher because of the two giants, making the warship start rocking more and more. The shaking ground from each step felt from the ocean floor can be felt.
On top of the gym, Shelly’s attention and fast twitch reaction blocks just in time before she vanishes after contact.
Katsu: "Shelly!?"
Now all alone on the roof top, angered Katsu faces to watch the pair of giants run through the water towards the sitting duck of a military ship.
Captain: "Creating trust in one another...
That is the work of a Messiah."
Off the sand and on the sidewalk, the newly Seiõr acknowledging soldier watches with somberness as the two beasts leave their feet and bellyflop on top of the ship he had been ordered to leave.
