The Hell's First (WAR and TRUTH 2.4)

[Kiba Takenaka]

Kiba rolled his eyes.

"I hate it when he does that without warning me," he grumbled, then vaulted to the top of a tree, between several treetops, and back down into step with his partner.

"Warnme next time," he grumbled.

[Kato Shin]

I watched the group merge and begin to move out, accompanied by those two strange men - Captains, they said, though they sure didn't look it - and shrugged, finding Kurai and 'Guo and sticking close to them. Despite what Captain Takenaka had said, I didn't really feel at home with the Heroes; the only reason I felt at home with the Lunar Knights was how long I'd been traveling with them. I still didn't feel any sort of kinship with them.

[Zhen Anguo]

"Yoyoyo! We're moving ooooouuuuuuuuuuuut!" 'Guo cried, pointing a finger in the general direction they were headed before smirking and tightening his grip on his halberd before chasing off after the others, with his hand still pointing forwards. A smoke trail being the only remnants of even his existence... Kurai stared with a flat face.

"Man... I hate it when he does that..." He looked across at Shin and scratched the back of his head. "I guess we should make sure he doesn't do anything stupid, like kill himself, or bump into Duo..."

"Pooooooo-oooooohhhhhhhhh!" A voice cried in the distance, earning a facepalm from Kurai, before he set off after the others.

[Vash, the Angel's Moon]

I saw Kurai start to run after the rapidly-retreating 'Guo, and sighed, ditching VOlkmar's position and running to catch up with my friend and his student.

"Kurai!" I called out.

[Andy Jammer]

"Enizo!" Andy yelled out, when he took off he knew...there was bad news involved with this. When his eyes trailed the smoke in the air, his fears were confirmed.

"Lets move!" Andy yelled out, running after Enizo.

[Enizo]

Enizo was so focused at where he was going that he gave little attention to those running at his side. As they got closer the smell of smoke grew more prominent, "No, no!" Enizo repeated constantly as he came to the opening of the jungle.

He burst out into the opening, getting a perfect view of the Heaven's Last from the hill they were on. It was a horrifying sight for Enizo - the smoke was rising from parts of the mansion as well as the walls that surrounded the estate.

Inside the walling was viscous fighting, enemies seemed to be storming in through the walls in the surrounding gates. The Allorum Guardians appeared to be getting overrun by the enemies in many location, however, they appeared to be falling back to form a resistance around both the training center and the mansion

Enizo recognized the enemy, some of them were the monsters they had faced before while the others were bandits from the surrounding areas. Enizo couldn't think of any proper words to say, he couldn't believe what was happening...

He felt a rage start to build in the pit of his stomach, as he looked at Andy, "Andy... you're in charge of this group. I'm going to go do something stupid."

With that Enizo suddenly leaped away from their position. He was high into the air, giving him a great view of the intruders... he unleashed his fury on them in the form of magic, causing the entire area around them to explode in dark and light magic. With them now dazed Enizo landed right next to them and engaged them sword to sword.

...Enizo would never admit it, but it felt good to slash something that would scream.

[Kazan]

Kazan burst from the trees and onto the hill, overlooking the estate, his eyes widened. The sight before him was one of slaughter and death, monsters and bandits were swarming over the walls and engaging in combat with those within... The screams of the dying rang all around him and the large warrior dropped down on to his knees at the image of the smoke and grime rising under the glow of the flickering fires, which snaked up like dragons, burning beacons in the sky.

"Old man..."

Enzio rushed on, Kazan didn't noticed. He didn't feel the boys anger... Not yet. His mind swarmed over everything. All of his memories came at him at once.

The way that he himself had killed two Guardians...

The way that the Old man had taken him in regardless...

The intense training sessions and the fighting...

The talks and lectures on using his powers...

How he'd thrown all that back at the Old man...

That was why he's been banished, why he'd lived life away from everybody else. Because he'd been too short-minded to see the forest from the trees. Because he hasn't agreed with the rules and regulations the Mentor had set. Was the Old man dead in that estate now? Could he have been there to save him if he had control of his strength? Was it all his fault..?

If he was dead, was the Old man's killer still be in there now..?

Would Kazan let him even think about escaping?

No.

"Old man..." He whispered again, gritting his teeth and getting to his feet. He held his sword out horizontally and gripped the sheathe.

'I WON'T LET ANYONE HURT UNCLE TOSHIIE!'

"I WON'T LET ANYONE HURT THE OLD MAN!"[/b]

He ripped the sheathe off of the sword, sending pink bolts of lightning flying off in every direction, as all the anger, all the hatred Enzio had felt all hit Kazan as well. He wasn't like the younger boy... Whereas Enzio was a true Guardian... Kazan was the opposite. He was a destructive force. A mere wave of death and pain waiting to be unleashed.

He leaped down into the fray.

[King Roxa Hiaten]

Roxa had generally stayed quiet during the journey. Even when they were met by the two Alberisatian Captains, he kept himself to himself. His newfound armour protected his identity well and he enjoyed being ignored for the time being. The journey to Heaven's Last had given them a definitive goal, meaning that the King of Roccia could have some time to himself. After Vuoto, he'd ordered his retainers home to look after the kingdom and prepare for whatever may come. But now, as he stepped onto the hill overlooking their objective, he shook his head. He stepped forwards, standing beside Andy whom Enzio had left in charge. He spoke aloud.

"All this fighting and death... Kain had never wanted this... The Saints, myself, we never wanted this... All we wanted was an end to the chaos and a reign of peace over the land. But look at this."

He motioned to the scene before the group, making particular notes of the rash movements of Enzio and Kazan.

"I had hoped that if we could stop Duo all those years ago... That there would never be another Roxa Hiaten. That everybody would be allowed to live their lives as long as nature intended... I see now, I see that peace is an illusion. Long periods of unity lead to division, and long periods of division lead to unity. War, peace, war, peace. A cyclical chain of events in which families are torn apart and people die. I understand this now. I know that if I want to win peace for me, for Alessia, for my children... For my people... I cannot sway in drawing my sword. I cannot flinch at killing a man. I know that if I seek peace, I should bang the drums of war..." He realised he was no longer addressing anyone in particular... Merely thinking aloud. He looked across at Andy.

"Shall we let the drummer play?"

[Andy Jammer]

Andy for one thing, wanted to argue with Enizo he wasn't really the 'leader type' despite his current position but the young man was gone before he could argue. As he witnessed the destruction of the A.G what he was hearing from Roxa was not all that better, in fact...his words reminded him completely of an individual he did not like at all; a man who nearly sent Allorum into a downward spiral.

"Be careful who you're turning into Roxa." he said, "People...people like start off with thoughts like these and before we know they're starting to make actions to 'justify' their means. They say it doesn't matter but it very much does, everyone always watches, always sees. In the year alone I heard already too many people say how their goals are...the absolute peace and the perfect kingdom, I hope I don't have to hear those words from you Roxa...not from the guy who defied similar sentiments in the Tower."

Andy suddenly hissed in pain, grabbed in the hand where the mark was, a faint glow came from his palm and he looked among the destruction again...and there he saw it: the Siren.

The figure stood on top of the base, observing the fighting...he reached up and removed the bandages....and revealed it was a SHE. A girl with short blue hair, she looked at Andy...winked at him and leaped down the other parts of the building. Andy narrowed his eyes...even from the distance there was something...familiar about her...

[Kato Shin]

My old enemy. My old friend. One and the same. Fire. It was here; there was no denying its presence. I felt the flames call out from within me, and for once, I felt too angry to care whether or not they escaped.

"I think," I said quietly to Kurai, "I'm going to do something stupid with that man Enizo, Sensei." Fire started to leak out of my clenched fists as I surged forward, down to the fray below.

I don't know what it was that came over me. But I watched the fighting.... and I knew. I had to do something about it.

[Bang Shishigami]

Amidst all the commotion, my senses served to dull any need for urgent action, as my experiences with vile denizens had taught me well how they move, how they sound, how they smell, everything I needed to know that what was approaching, be it along the path, or in the trees was nothing to ready my warrior instincts for.

That said, as the young Enizo looked skywards past the obscuring greenery to spot the billowing clouds of smoke and began to run, I was already making pace with the young man, ready to dive headlong into the fray when we arrived.

Making no hesitation as we came to the ridge overlooking the mansion, I leapt off in a great bound, soaring through the sky like a magnificent eagle of justice as I gazed down at my pray below, brandishing my "talons" as I dove in a frightful display of speed towards them. With a acrobatic flip, I placed my Resonance Nail beneath my feet as I descended like a bolt of divine lightning against the darkness below, ready to sunder the earth in a resonating blast.

"Shishigami Special Technique: Bolt That Splits The Earth's Core!"

With a violent hum of my Nail as it plunged deep into the jungle floor, the ground around my fissured and burst in a outspread wave of earthen shrapnel, spraying rock, mineral and all other manner of jagged implement from the ground below into the hoards of vile cretins that surrounded me. I had to remember that there would be other people present, and as such needed to try and keep my power in check until I found myself a safe distance from others to unleash my full justice upon these beasts, but for now, while it was just the few of us, I would clear as many as I could in the short bit I had before things got too cluttered with other bodies.

[Katina Ernfond]

As awful as it might've sounded I was glad to be out of the sullen plodding trip through the forest and into something with a bit more action. All to eager to break away from the morose group, I leapt and slid down the hillside, hitting the bottom and arming myself with all manner of weapons that my limbs allowed. Feeling the energy course through my limbs, the blades that protruded pulsed with the undulating blue energy that brought smile to my face as I glared on at the "targets" in front of my with an impetuous excitement.

"Let's see what you boys've got!" I called as I dashed towards the first set of creatures, deflecting the lunging blade of the first one and cleaving through the thing's torso with a spinning back-elbow, giving it a good taste of my arcane blade before launching it into a cluster of them that plodded towards me with a combination right knee/arcane shot before detonating it in a violent burst that hurled them to and fro.

Content with the power output on my armaments I deferred all energy consumption to my leg cannon and threw down one of my artificing cubes to create a permeable shield, allowing me to play artillery and sling arcane bullets into the fray, but keep myself protected from any potential projectiles or direct assaults, at least for as long as the shield held out.

[Serafina Ernfinder]

I smiled slightly as my sister ran off in the same direction as this Enizo fellow. As much as I hated to admit it, I hadn't been paying much attention to the conversations that had taken place just momentarily. Mentally I was kicking myself for it, as I was sure I'd missed some important information.

Most of these people we'd met up with seemed to be allies. MOST of them.

I was going to stay back, as I knew how Katina worried, but upon hearing the commotion, I briskly walked in the direction in which the others had taken off, and my eyes widened as I witnessed the events unfolding. Our sources had been correct, and the Gardens were being destroyed before us.

I spotted my sister amidst the commotion and decided that I needed to help. I detached a pack from my equipment, and activated the humanoid machine my Sister had created for me and named "Mr. Smiles". I used my necklace to control his movements. Mr. Smiles Unfolded himself and stood a little over 6 feet tall. When unfolded, and activated, he was a hefty thing that could take a decent amount of damage.

He was a charming machine with a little smile on his face, always eager to help. Upon my command, he walked into the battlefield and began delivering harsh blows to the creatures, his robotic face always maintaining his cheerful facial expression of course.

[Enizo]

One couldn't be sure what was more frightening - two incredibly pissed of Guardians, a crusader of justice or a six foot tall smiling robot.

Enizo breathed heavily as he shook his head from the viscous daze he had fallen into. He was soaked with blood from the surrounding bodies that laid around him, even his long hair was now dripping with the red substance.

"Intrusion secured..." Enizo muttered as he raised his hand up, sealing the hole with magic. Even still, more and more of the wall was being blast away to allow more and more troops into the area.

It got even worse from there, there was movement out in the distance as something big seemed to be moving their way. Enizo's eyes narrowed in that direction, bring it...

Enizo broke out into a run, locating any large party of enemies and diving head first into them. Those large creatures would be here soon, might as well take out as much as possible.

[Volkmar Gamlxltoe]

Volkmar grinned as he ran down to the fight. "Finally, this should hold me over." Volkmar said, dashing through enemies. Volkmar ran into a group of monsters, sending arcs all around him, slicing the weak ones down, and looking for stronger opponents.