My Hero and Me, My Greatest Adventure Ever 19: Boss Battle, part 3
#19 of My Hero and Me: My Greatest Adventure Ever
Chapter 19: Boss Battles, part 3
The statue that concealed Xanirb started to crack, bits and pieces peeling off falling to the rock floor below. An eerie red light emitted from the cracks. The statue cracked more and more, then was shattered as the dragon broke free. His wings flapping in the air keeping him afloat, a yellowish glow emits on his eyes, and a furious look is drawn on his face. Kimahri and I looked up above, holding each other close, my heart racing with fear. Honda held his machine gun steady and at the ready, like any marine would on the battlefield.
"Did you idiots seriously THINK you were rid of me?!" Asked Xanirb angrily, his voice leaving an intimidating echo. "Did you?!" Growling, I let go of Kimahri, and magically drew the Keyblade into my hand. Kimahri drew his spear and the three of us were ready for battle. Then suddenly, Xanirb dug into his pockets, and drew a small green crystal shard and held it into his hand. A blinding green light emitted from the shard, causing me to cover my eyes by holding out my hand. The light quickly faded, and I uncovered my eyes looking around. That was when I began feeling afraid, no one was around. Not Kimahri, nor Lt. Honda was beside me. The only other person that was there was Xanirb, standing in front of me in plain view in front of some lava geysers erupting in the background. His expression changed to an evil smirk, and made a light chuckle.
"What did you do to them?" I demanded from him. The dragon pointed in the direction behind me. I looked and was shocked to find what I saw. "Honda! Kimahri!!" The ronso and ex-marine were tied down; each trapped in a pillar standing next to the arena, standing high above the lava.
"Just a little something to make this a fair fight!" Xanirb exclaimed as he drew his broadsword and pointed it in my direction. "En-garde!"
I grabbed my dragon pendent, intending to change class, but the dragon held a hand out to stop me.
"Hold it!" He said. "You ARE the Keyblade master, aren't you?!" He scoffed. "If so, prove it, by fighting with your Keyblade!" He was right, in order to really be the Keyblade master, I have to fight with said weapon, but I had to ask to be sure if anything happens.
"If I refuse?" He smirked.
"Then the pathetic human, and your hornless boyfriend go down! Sinking into the volcanic abyss below!" I didn't have much power in the form I am in now, but I don't want any of my friends to die, if this was what it takes to save them. I'll have to fight with the Keyblade.
"Alright, fine." I took my stance, "If that's what it takes to save them, then I'll fight."
"I admire your bravery, kid." Xanirb said, and chuckled. "What I can't believe is that you'd be willing to risk your life for people whose lives are meaningless. Especially the hornless one's." That made me mad.
"Shut up!"
"Oooh, did I strike a nerve on the Keyblade boy?" He bursted out laughing, slapping his muscled leg with his free hand. "He is such a loser, a hornless loser!"
"Shut up!!" Xanirb smiled very brightly while at the same time evilly, finding this the perfect time to make fun of me. "What's wrong, don't like it when I insult him?! Hahaha, well then try to stop me! Hehehe, hornless, hornless!"
"STOP MAKING FUN OF HIM!" I charged at him with the Keyblade gripped firmly in my hands. I jumped and made the first swipe which he dodged greatly with a backflip.
"That's more like it!" He gripped his broadsword again. "Now, En-garde!" He glided my way, and charged at me with an attack of my own, which I barely blocked. My heart was beating hard and fast instantaneously. From within the matter of seconds, we exchanged blows with our weapons. Clash after clash of steel, sparks flying everywhere, which I could barely keep up with, for he attacked with much more force. I felt my arms and hands starting to burn from the friction, trying my best to parry his blows while trying to land a hit of my own to no avail. What chance could I have on my own against a swordsman with skills greater than my own. This wasn't like any of the sparring sessions I've had with Kimahri back at home, this was for real. I was really fighting for my life, my feet were shaking, and my heart was pounding trying to avoid any blows that could potentially kill me. To make matters worse, he was protected while I had no body armor of my own, I was clearly at a disadvantage of my own.
I jumped up to avoid a slash from below, and rolled away from him to avoid the next blow, quickly got up and got back to my pose, stumbling just a little bit before adjusting to keep up. Xanirb laughed.
"What's wrong? Dragon caught your breath?" I was still mad with rage, my breathing got too heavy for me to respond back. He snapped his fingers. "Better hurry." Then the earth around me shook violently for a second, causing me to stumble. Then the shaking lowered down to a tremble and I saw the pillars tying Kimahri and Honda down down started to sink slowly into the lava. "Time is running out!" He laughed and I growled.
"... You bastard!" Despite my declining breath, I charged at him once again, giving him everything I got into each slash, swipe, and blow from the Keyblade. He blocked each blow with relative ease, showing no sign of slowing down. He found an opening on my left side and gave a swift kick to my left rib. I found myself shouting in pain and being knocked down. With the Keyblade still in my hand, I grab hold of my rib, breathing heavily as the pain still burned on the side. Once again, Xanirb laughed.
"This is beginning to be too much fun! Don't die on me just yet, I want you to suffer a little more." I got up slowly and growled.
"Take this! Fire!" I casted a ball of fire and launched it at him from my Keyblade, he swiftly avoided it by a hair. "Fire! Fire! Fire!" Ball after ball of fire was casted, but not a single hit would land on him. Suddenly I felt myself getting tired having that magic drain me of some energy, and grew worried every time I see Kimahri and Honda slowly descending towards the lava. 'I have to finish this quickly if I were to get them out in time!' I thought to myself, though I only had little time for thinking. 'But how, if he keeps evading like that?!'
Then all of a sudden, an idea came into my head. Instead of bringing the magic to him like I did, I should let it come to me so he'll hit it when he charges at me, so I held my stance.
"Hey, dumbass! Why don't you come after me and see how tough you really are you big horse's ass?!" This made him glare.
"What the fuck did you say?!" 'Perfect,' I thought. 'He's taking the bait.'
"You heard me! Teach me a lesson! I dare you! Unless you're too much of a pussy!" Xanirb was infuriated and began to shout.
"I'll kill you!" And he charged at me, intending to beat me up, just the way I wanted it to. I just stood there, waiting for him to approach, and I just had to time this perfectly.
"Watch out!" Kimahri shouted, Xanirb gets closer and closer.
"What are you doing kid?!" Honda shouted. "Move away!" But I did not. I continued to stand there, concentrating, starting possible death in the face, something I have had never done before. Holding the Keyblade in front of me, keeping still, he approaches me like an incoming missile. And then, right as it seems he would collide with me, Kimahri and Honda looking on with horror waiting for the impact. When it seemed that it would be my last stand, I make a big jump, then holding the Keyblade out in front of me at the instant I'm in midair.
"Blizzard!" Then the tip of the blade unleashes shards of ice shooting directly at the angry dragon's face. The ice hits before he could even reacts and makes a cry out in pain, blinding him as he hits the ground hard. Covering his face in agony, groaning in frozen anguish.
"Yes, I did it!" The plan worked, I was happy, for the moment I smiled with a warm, fuzzy feeling in my heart that I have braved the face of danger. I had a feeling that Kimahri would be so proud of me. Kimahri and Honda looked on and smiled, sighing with relief and chuckling happily. Glad to see that I'm still alive and standing. I look back at Xanirb and got back into my battle pose, this battle was far from finished. He got back up slowly, steam from the melting ice emitted from his face, and he looked on to me angrily.
"You.... little..... fucker!....." Then suddenly his expression shown a new level of anger that caught me off by surprise. "You, tricked me!" I scuffed and stood my ground. "No one does that to me, NO ONE!" His shouts sent a tremble, leaving me frozen with fear, as well as causing the pillars to sink in the lava even faster. Kimahri and Honda struggle to get out, and I got even more scared from realizing what I just done, I was too fixated in trying to free the two that I didn't pay attention to a pissed of Xanirb coming my way.
"Burn in hell!" Then I looked back at him only to find him in front of my face, pounding me with a hay maker to my left cheek. This assault was followed with a hard punch to the gut. The dragon exerted so much force onto the punch, I could literally feel air escaping my stomach and lungs like a vacuum cleaner. I feel myself launched into the air, then falling on the ground with a hard and loud thud. The pain was too much that any sound I could have made was inaudible. Eventually I slowly started to breathe again, but before I could relax, he grabbed at me by the shirt and lifted me up.
"See what happens when you piss me off?" He asked rhetorically, then shook me. "Do you?!" I tried to respond, but the words wouldn't come on into intelligible speech. Xanirb's expression then changed, from anger into a very evil smile, and started to laugh. His laugh grew louder and louder, until his laughs just flat out burst. He looked at Honda, a glare emitted from the ex-marine's face demanding him to let me go. Then he looked at Kimahri, whose face was especially furious. The Ronso hated how powerless he was, every time he watched the one boy he truly loved get severely hurt like that, and not be able to help me was just torture. He just could not bare witnessing such horror of the pain that was brought to me, Eric, the one whom he promised to protect no matter what. He is my guardian after all, just as I am his mate. Kimahri felt cold feelings for other people before, but was never this furious before ever since.... his younger years long ago, when the ronso showed the same looks and feelings of anger against Biran as well as his mate, Yenke, for bullying him and picking on him for his smaller stature, for being inferior compared to the two revered 'heroes' of their time. As well as being shamed by the entire race because the one he hated so much back then had broken his horn. The feelings he had long ago until overcoming it recently when they have reconciled.
Now in his blood, his rage that he used to feel at that time have returned, and not just for the fact that someone with unethical force was hurting an innocent person, but the innocent person he was hurting was one who he would finally call his soul mate, the one person who he wanted to be with since long ago. His rage grew that a loud growl was present from the ronso's expression. Xanirb, still holding me with a tight grip could only look up at Kimahri and laugh.
"What's wrong, little ronso? Mad that I'm hurting your precious mate?" Kimahri snarled at him, but this only made him laugh even more. "Can't do anything about it because you're too hornless?" This threw Kimahri off the way he stated those questions. It was as if his rivalry with Biran started out all over again. My head tilted, and I began starting to move again. Lowering down a little I bit the dragon's thumb hard with a couple of sharp fangs on my front teeth. Xanirb yelped out in pain, obviously felt the stinging pain from my fangs digging down on his dragon scaled thumb. He swiped his arm around, flailing me about trying to let me go. Surprisingly, I held on to him, feeling myself being tossed around, my legs swinging back and forth. Then finally he gave one last final heave, a violent shove that was sure to get me off my grip on him, and he succeeded. I yelped as I felt my teeth's grip slip away, feeling myself flying in the air, then falling on the ground with a quick thud.
The angry dragon looked down on his thumb, still stinging, and even showing a little blood. He gasped out and put his thumb in his mouth, as if trying to mend the stinging pain my fangs had left behind. He looked back at me, this time even more pissed off than ever, for pulling the little trick on him when he least expected it. Unknowingly to him, I snuck usage of a potion from the back of my pocket to heal myself, so that I may last longer.
"You think you're so clever, don't you kid?" Xanirb asked in an angry tone. "Well then try this!" With that he snapped his fingers, and the arena began to rumble like an earthquake tremor. I lost my sense of balance and fell backward, landing on my back. I sat back up to figure out what was going on, initially struggling to get up from the tremor. I concentrated to keep myself in check, making sure my vision wasn't thrown off, and one of my hands still firmly gripped the Keyblade. I looked around to see some rocks from the surrounding mountains in the background crumble and fall into the volcano below; to disintegrate into the lava.
Could the arena be falling apart? I thought to myself, though that didn't seem possible since the arena that Xanirb and I are standing on showed no signs itself of falling apart. I came back to my senses quickly to concentrate on what was in front of me, to see the dragon grinning at me with a devilish smirk. I finally got back up on my feet, the Keyblade still in my hand, wondering exactly what stunt it was that he pulled. It wasn't until I heard sounds of struggling that I figured out exactly what was wrong. I looked outward beyond him to see Kimahri and Honda struggling to break free from their pillars more than ever before. The pillars that were sinking before, had now began to sink slightly faster.
"Honda! Kimahri!" I shoulted as I tensed and worried. Xanirb laughed.
"You better hurry, keyblade kid." He said with a sneer, "If you want to save them that badly, you'll have to defeat me quickly." I grabbed the blade handle with both hands and held my stance. According to the situation he was right. This is it, I thought to myself, it's now or never. I got to give him everything I got! With that in mind, putting all fear aside, I charged head on towards him.
I made a leap towards him to land the next blow which he avoided easily. He swooped around to the side of me to land a quick blow, but I blocked it with the Keyblade. I made another matching blow with the dragon's broadsword and leaped back to avoid another swing. I tried my best to avoid his deadly slashes while trying to finish the battle quickly as I can with the time the pillars have left before Kimahri and Honda end up sinking to the volcanic abyss. However, Xanirb showed no signs of wavering, and continued to assault me even harder than before. Every blow I blocked with the Keyblade slowly grew more difficult. I could feel the friction push against my hands and arms, beginning to hurt. After having expended some energy in magic didn't help much either, as I started to show some fatigue. At that point I began to push back with my own assault; I wasn't taking any chances with Kimahri and Honda still in danger. In rhythm to each blow I dealt, my breathing became heavier, and my heart was beating faster, pounding like a drum.
I knew I wouldn't last much longer, but I also knew letting myself go would cost me my life. I made another strong blow against him, but felt a harsh kick at my side, pushing me back. I grasped the right side of my abdomen, grunting and coughing in pain. Before I knew it, I felt another punch to my face which was followed with another blow that knocked me down. At that point, I began to cough up blood. I knew it wasn't good, and looking up at the dragon, I could clearly see anger in his face.
Kimahri's anger against Xanirb now turned into worry for me. For the first time in a while his entire life, he was afraid, truly afraid. Afraid that he would lose me, afraid to lose his loving mate. The Ronso had never felt this way with anyone, not even Yuna back in Spira. This was the first for him, and it felt unbearable. He looked to his left and saw Honda struggling too, and also showing worry for me, though not as much as the Ronso. But he did hear the ex-marine utter some words, a machine gun in grasp of one of his hands.
"Don't you dare die on me, kid!" Honda said, gripping his machine gun. "... I promise you this."
I got up slowly, but quickly dodged a stabbing attempt from Xanirb. I looked at his face to realize the cause of his sudden rage. There was a cut on the side of his face. My guess was that came from the Keyblade when I assaulted him.
"Collateral damage was not part of the job!" He growled. "Now you pissed me off!" Then he vanished at an instant, and in a flash appeared before me and I felt another punch to the face and was down at an instant. Then I felt a strong dragonic foot in my stomach keeping me pinned down on the ground. I held the Keyblade up in order to resist, but a quick slash of his broadsword knocked it away to a far corner of the arena. I reached out my hand towards it, realizing quickly this could be it. I was finished. I looked up in horror to see Xanirb gripping both his hands on his sword, the blade aimed straight for my heart. He lifted the blade up slowly, a toothy grin hidden behind his expression knowing well this was the final blow. Following this, he shouted.
"DIE!!!" At this pint, the only thing I could hear was Kimahri's voice shouting "NOOOOO!!!" I shut my eyes tightly, fearfully waiting for the deathblow to strike me as my life flashed before my eyes. But then all of a sudden, I heard the sound of a machine gun firing. My eyes widened to see Xanirb's finishing move interrupted by Honda intervening. The ex-marine was able to fire near him with a free hand on his machine gun.
"Why you?!" Xanirb exclaimed.
"Honda!" I shouted. "What are you-?"
"It's my duty as a marine to serve and protect! Don't worry about me!" The pillar's levels had Kimahri and Honda near level to the arena. He then unloaded against the dragon and drove him away from me. As soon as I felt him let go of me, I quickly got up and ran towards the Keyblade. Xanirb flew away from the gun fire, and looked straight at Honda with a deathly stare.
"So you're willing to die for him?" He asked. "Then die!"
The dragon lunged forward to Honda's direction as he continued to fire. In one fell swoop, he grabbed his sword and successfully stabbed Honda in the chest. Honda shouted out in pain as I finally grabbed the Keyblade, and I looked out in horror, and disbelief.
"Honda!" I shouted. "NOOOOOOO!!!!" The dragon only smirked evilly and pulled out his sword. Honda grunted in agony as blood started to seep through his chest, staining his jacket. The chains that binded him to the pillar disappeared, and he fell to the arena. I ran towards him, swiping Xanirb away with the Keyblade, only for him to avoid and ascend to the sky laughing hardily and loudly, as if he was happy to watch one of his prey dying. I laid the severely wounded marine on his back, and held the back of his head for support.
"Honda! Speak to me!" His injuries looked severe, and worse, he was coughing up blood.
"I... c-couldn't let... a swell kid l-" he kept coughing. "Like you to-... die like that..." And he coughed again, unable to enunciate with his mouth full of blood. "I'd lose any honor and respect I hadn't lost already..." But I pleaded.
"But, you can't go. Not like this!" But he put his hand on my cheek.
"I have no regrets sacrificing myself... I wouldn't let this happen to you..." He said softly. "For your sake, and Kimahri's..." I shook my head, shedding a tear. Kimahri looked at us too, easilly saddened. "Remember." Honda said. "Never lose sight... of your love." He then made another agonizing cough, and said some last words. "Stay gold, Eric Lewis. Stay gold...." He slowly grunted, loosening his grip and closed his eyes. Joseph Honda, a former lieutenant of the United States Marines, has now died an honorable, innocent man.
My hands shook, my throat tensed up as I looked at Honda's now lifeless body. Tears were now overflowing my face, stricken with grief. I was ready to cry having witnessed in front of me, for the first time, the death of a friend. But that moment of grieving was short lived as we heard Xanirb cackling in the distance, my tears of grief for the deceased soldier had now become tears of rage against the heartless dragon But he only continued his sadistic chuckling.
"You are so pathetic!" He proclaimed. "I mean really, come on! Are you that much of a crybaby?" How dare he. "I mean people die, it's just part of life, so just grow up!" It was quite clear he didn't understand human emotion or compassion, nor did he seem to care, but now he had gone too far.
"Shut up! JUST SHUT UUUUP!!" I then charged at him with my Keyblade in hand, intending to give him hell for what he did. I attacked him once again, but he smoothly avoided. I'd officially gone berserk at that point, blindly slashed at everywhere he went. However, in my blinding rage, I failed to notice him behind me.
"Playtime is over!" Xanirb said angrilly. Then in that instant, he sladhed my back, and I found myself screaming in pain. I feel on my hands and knees, crying out in extreme anguish. I found blood spilling from my back to the ground. Kimahri looked out in horror, but Xanirb was prancing around at a mix of cheer and sadism, and laughed. "Now you see, hornless Ronso!" He shouted at the enraged Ronso. "Your love for anyone is worth dirt!"
I grunted and got back up and held the Keyblade again. I was fatigued, my body not able to stand much longer, but I didn't care anymore. I held the blade up and made anoutstanding war cry, and hastily charged at him. Kimahri followed this war cry with a loud might roar, bellowing a breath of flames from his muzzle. The flames made contact with my blade, and the fiery red hue of the flames bacame crystal blue. Xanirb looked at the blue fire in disvelief.
"H-How can this be?!" Then I shouded once more, finally landing a blow, and stabbed him in the chest, directly at his cold heart. There was pause, and finally silence for at least a few seconds as we say the blue aura disappear from my weapon that had dug deep into the dragon. I grunted and pulled it out, and in response cried out in the very pain and agony he put us through. Although his cries continued, echoing around the landscape as it began to crumble. The pillar began to break apart, and the arena rapidly cracked. He then started to glow a whitish aura as he continued to bellow his own serenade of death. As his cries started to fade, his body exploded, taking the arena with it.
Everything crumbled and broke down, and I could feel myself falling down towards the lava below, and Kimahri was falling too. Before we hit the lava though, a white magic ball hit the volcano, and expanded. We hit what seemed to be an icy ground. Kimahri got up and looked around, and saw the volcanic lands now transformed to a frozen wasteland. What could;ve had the power to do such a thing? Kimahri wondered this for a bit, but shrugged it off. What was most important to him was the well being of his mate, and he ran up towards me, lying on the ground, taking deep breaths. He kneeled down and held me tightly in a loving embrace, keeping me warm.
"Eric." Kimahri whispered to me, giving me a few loving kisses.
"Kimahri." I kissed him back, and we then kissed more passionately; a wonderful feeling I haven't felt in a long time. We eventually broke the kiss as I laid back, and blacked out. Kimahri quickly held me close, listening to my heart for any beats, and put his fingers on my neck to check vitals. He hummed in relief to find my vital signs were normal, showing that I was didn't die, but was rather unconcious. But just in case, he went to try and heal me. He checked my back to see the bloody cut across my back. Shock, he wanted to heal it quickly. He loved my without any scars and bumbs, and there was no way he was going to let this scar happen. He gently laid me down and put his hands in front of me.
"White Wind!" Then a gentle breeze came, followed by a white aura of light below us. The Ronso felt my energy healing to match his unscathed state. Then the aura dissipated, and he looked at my back once again. The slash wound and it's blood stain were no longer present. My body with now forever remain unscarred, much to his relief.
Kimahri got up, carrying me in his arms. He looked around the icy tundra around him, trying to figure out a sense of direction, for any signs of civalization weren't anywhere in sight. Honda's body was also nowhere to be found, assumed to have disappeared in a volcanic grave. The Ronso felt ashamed to be unable to properly mourn for our loss, and looked at my unconscious face, knowing that I'd feel the same way.
He walked around slowly, keeping me cradled in his arms. He had to find me some warmth, and fast. He knew too well that humans like me wouldn't last as long in the cold as Ronsos would. But he just has to wonder where he could possibly go.
"Feeling stranded?" Spoke a mysterious voice. Kimahri was alerted and turned around. A dark portal appeared before him, and out came a mysterious figure. His appearance was human, but his face was hidden in shadow; covered with the hood of a black jacket that was fully zipped. The Ronso recognized the man's jacket as the same one worn by Organization XIII, and held me back away from him, perceiving him as another threat.
"Do not be alarmed." He said. "I only came to deliver you a message, and nothing more." Kimahri was skeptical, but held me up normally but securely and stood, listening to what the man had to say.
"Kimahri, you do not know me, but I do know you, and your meeting with the young boy you hold in your arms was more than just chance. You had been summoned to this world from yours, for I sense great destiny amongst you two." Kimahri wasn't sure what all this means, but he kept on listening. "I have witnessed your battle against your assailant, and I can say it will not be your last... Your troubles are behind for now, but your adventure has only just begun." Kimahri just looked at him stermly and silently. He felt the man was right about the supposed challenges that were coming, but he still questioned himself on whether or now he should trust his words, for it could easily be just another trap.
"You do not trust me, do you? You doubt my intentions, and you wonder just who, or what I am. Am I right?" How did he know this? Kimahri grew even more suspicious of him. "I'm afraid I cannot answer that to you now, but my identity my be revealed to you in due time. For now..." The man looked around the frozen landscape. "There's nothing left for you here." He held out his hand, and a portal appeared behind the Ronso. The portal was not dark like the one the man came from, but it was rather a portal of light.
"Beyond this light is your next destination. Go forth, guard the boy with your life, and fulfill your destiny." Kimahri looked at the portal, holding me securely in his arms. He was hesitant at first, but he knew he didn't want me to be around this world with such awful, cruel, and above all corrupted people, and so he stepped forward. He kept walking towards the light, and eventually entered the portal. The two of us had soon faded, and vanished with the light.
The mysterious figure looked on as he watched us disappear with the portal, silently standing there. After waiting a few seconds, he turned around and opened the dark portal he came fron.
"In the near future, all of this will come into place. Or my name is not....." He fell silent before he can finish his sentence, and walked into the portal, and vanished.
Phew, finally after a long hiatus I'm back in the swing of writing. I hope you enjoy reading this as I did writing it, though I did feel I rushed it a bit, but oh well. More should be on the way after my trip to the Grand Canyon. I hope you enjoyed it. And I apologize in advance for the sudden stat changes, I might fix this in previous chapters sometime in the future.
End of Chapter Results
Eric Lewis Human Class: Freelancer Lv. 12 Exp: 3225 Next Lv: 97 HP: 1301/1301 SP: 1080/1080 G: 800
Kimahri Ronso Class: Ronso Warrior Lv. 48 EXP: 226,580 Next Lv: 16,715 HP: 3441/3441 SP: 2385/2385