Chapter 20 "Volesmash Attacks"
Chapter 20
Volesmash Attacks
Tezuka gets off the space jet, narrowing his blue eyes trying to catch something that looks to be shining. At first, he thought that it was another starlight, but he realizes that the way it shines is completely different.
Night gives a light chuckle, his warm breaths fogging up his space helmet. “That Ryu! He is so sneaky! Like always!”
Tezuka reaches out one of his gloved hands and catches one of the icy flakes. He glances up to find a trail of ice flakes, but now that they know the difference between the shiny ice flakes and starlights, the path is now clear to them.
He turns to Night. “It’s still fresh. They must not be too far.”
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So that's why I couldn't hear nor reach out to Ketsu anymore. You're in space, for Cosmos’s sake! What the hell are you doing out there?
Siko and Katuo do not answer right away. They are scared of what Hikyou-sama is going to do, so they are mentally preparing for--
Is it because of Ryu?
Siko frowns worriedly. Katuo briefly glances at him.
Siko, your father is stronger than he looks. He took down more Volesmashian troops than all Earthling Generals and Colonels combined. He may look a little naive but he's tough.
Siko is biting his bottom lip, trying to hold back fresh tears that are threatening to come out of his eyes.
Before the second Earth-Volesmash War, along with Tezuka, your father fought someone much more powerful while I was stuck in the Heart of the Fifth Universe. And so, Ryu and Tezuka survived and won.
“Even so… I can't just sit around and do nothing!” Siko exclaims in both concern and worry. “There must be something we can do! We are Gods, so we can die as many times as --”
Shut up!
Katuo and Siko flinch at Hikyou’s angry voice.
You think you can't die because you're gods now? Get real! The five pairs of gods before you fucking died!
Siko’s face is completely red with so much emotion in his light green eyes. Even so, he refuses to let his tears come out of his eyes.
Katuo wraps his arm around Siko’s shoulders, trying to give him some comfort. He whispers, “Hikyou-sama, what would you do if your loved one was in danger?”
…
“You would run into dangerous situations, whether you liked it or not. I'm pretty sure you did that before,” Katuo says firmly. “One of my… No, one of the previous Dark Gods’ memories… You ran back to Earth to save the past Light and Dark Gods from getting killed, didn't you? Without knowing what you would have gotten in, right? There was a red monster about to destroy the entire Earth…”
That was Kira.
Katuo and Siko react right away by quickly looking at each other.
That was a thousand years ago. I was a burden, and the gods sacrificed their lives to save me and Earth… And to seal away Kira. That was the last mistake I had ever made. That's why I can't have you running around like stupid and arrogant teenagers.
“What are we supposed to do, then?!” Siko cries, trying so hard to hold back the tears.
Let Tezuka take care of Ryu. They had been through much worse than this.
“There’s nothing else we can do,” Katuo says softly into Siko’s ears. “We don’t even know how to pilot any kind of space vehicle anyway.”
Fresh tears start streaming down Siko’s face. It takes him a few long minutes to seriously consider before he finally nods his head in agreement.
Great! Now that you completely understand the situation… We have a company heading for the ISS. They sent another Volesmashian troop. Go to the conference room and warn the Generals.
“Why us?” Katuo raises an eyebrow in confusion.
You’re the son of President Kejinto, yes?
“No thanks. The Generals’ heads are full of air.” Katuo crosses his arms with a deep scowl on his face, making Siko giggle a little. “We can take care of the troops ourselves.”
I never thought I would say this, but for a second there, I thought you were Tezuka. I thought he returned -- Oh shit! Here the attack comes --
A room right next to the one where Katuo and Siko are in suddenly explodes. It is so huge and loud - more than enough to make their ears nearly bleed and ring so badly. They swear that they have gone deaf for a few seconds.
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“Tezuka. I'm so cold!” Night loudly complains but after saying that, his teeth begin to clatter loudly.
“You're so dramatic. You remind me of a comrade a long time ago.” Tezuka rolls his eyes.
“Sky?” Night asks but he never gets an answer from Tezuka. But he knows anyway.
They are hovering on their jets in front of a huge spaceship, which is completely frozen and covered with sparkling ice along with large sharp icicles.
“Ryu started without us.” Night pouts with a hint of envy in his tone.
Tezuka gives a light-hearted chuckle and says, “We took too long. He has been waiting for us… So, let's find him, shall we?”
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Katuo and Siko are coughing loudly with heavy smoke in the room. They can barely hear loud intruding alarms and warnings about low oxygen levels.
“Shit!” Katuo curses loudly. “The medical troop has not even arrived yet! We have to go now!”
“But how are we supposed to get back to Earth?” Siko asks nervously.
The door suddenly slides open, and one of the soldiers barges in and stammers in panic, “Y-you ha-have to ge-get out o-of here! C-come with us now!”
Katuo and Siko follow him right away until they get to the docking area, only to realize that the exit has been invaded by one of the Volesmashian troops. An Earthling soldier quickly jumps in front of Katuo and Siko, getting shot directly in the chest by one of the Volesmashian laser weapons.
Upon watching the heroic soldier collapsing to the floor, Siko almost screams but quickly stops himself by covering his mouth with his own hands.
“Siko, we don’t have any choice… we have to fight!” Katuo says.
“No…” Siko shakes his head furiously, his eyes filling up with fresh tears. He is shaking out of fear.
Quick! Use your powers to protect the Earthling soldiers!
Katuo quickly unties his headband and tosses it aside. He can feel the power of Dark God rushing throughout his body, powering up every single godly cell. Two new holes are formed on the back of his black shirt when a pair of black wings appear out of nowhere.
Siko can clearly see that black energy is being emitted from Katuo, knowing so well that no other normal humans can see it.
“Is that a god?” One of the Volesmashian soldiers in the back asks in both fear and surprise, recognizing the black wings of Dark God.
“Nonsense! Let’s just kill until they surrender the spaceship to us!” another soldier shouts. The rest of the troop yells with a warrior’s cry and rushes toward the Earthling soldiers.
Just as Katuo is about to make his move, something or someone stops him for some reason. He can feel a pair of small hands gripping tightly on his pants. He quickly glances down only to find the same boy in a Chinese uniform with unusually cold eyes - one is white and another is black.
Is that --
Katuo suddenly screams and quickly grabs his left shoulder, which is now bleeding badly. “W-when did I get shot?!”
“Katuo!” Siko cries worriedly. What he does not understand at all is that no soldiers notice the boy suddenly appearing out of nowhere and grabbing onto Katuo.
The boy refuses to let go of Katuo. It is as if he has some kind of spell that disables Katuo’s ability to use his legs.
“Let me go!” Katuo yells. He tries to grab the boy, but his hands go through him. It is as if the boy is a ghost.
He cries in pain when he gets shot once again; in his leg this time. He collapses to his knees, but then he quickly shifts his attention back to the boy to make sure that he is still safe--
The boy is completely gone. As if he has vanished into thin air.
Before Katuo knows what’s happening, the tip of a shotgun is already on his forehead. His dark green eyes are already wide, as if he is in complete disbelief. He can feel his own body trembling in fear.
His jaw is clenching tightly in frustration, as fresh tears are sliding down his face. Why? I’m Dark God, right? I’m supposed to be strong! Why can’t I do anything?!
A grin on the Volesmashian’s face widens. His finger pulls the trigger, about to blow Katuo’s brain into pieces.
Katuo closes his eyes tightly, not waiting to see what’s coming at all. He refuses to watch himself get killed by some kind of alien from another planet.
But it never comes. When Katuo hears a sudden loud scream and then a dull thud, he opens his eyes again only to see the soldier from Planet Volesmash lying unconsciously on the ground.
A pair of combat boots comes into Katuo’s sight. He notices that they are emitting some kind of red energy, only to realize that it is rush energy.
“Katuo…”
Katuo glances upward until the man, who raised him for his entire life, is simply looking at him. Lightning bolts are flickering around his body. But he is completely different from what Katuo expected. An usual cheerful look never returns to Tezuka’s face. The small scowl remains on his stoic face.
Is this the same guy who fought in the wars almost 20 years ago? Katuo thinks to himself.
He lets his head drop back down, as he thumps one of his fists on the ground only to have it caught by Tezuka’s hand. Completely surprised by Tezuka’s light-speed, Katuo does not realize that he is being embraced in Tezuka’s arms for a few seconds.
He sighs lightly at how safe he feels in his father’s arms. For the first time in his life, he mumbles into Tezuka’s chest, “Father.”
“Where is Siko?”
“He is --” Katuo looks up to Tezuka in confusion only to realize that he is not speaking to him. He painfully turns his head toward Night, who rushes and begins to heal his gunshot wounds.
“He was taken,” Night answers quickly. “Ryu is going after him.”
The world has stopped for Katuo.