[IC] A Hero Tale {Complete}

[Jensoman]

"Got it!" Jenso replied, hopping off immediately near the top of the sphere while keeping some distance from it as he fell. Oz's suggestion for attacking from two different angles wasn't a bad idea. He launched the omega saw downwards at top speeds diagonally to the left side of the giant orb with his left hand, focusing intently on it as it moved away.

He launched a white flame whip with his right hand as well. It was aimed to wrap around one of Geode's fingers, one from his left hand, like a snake. He yanked the flame whip twice immediately if it were able to wrap around it's target, in order to pull the giant hand upwards towards Jenso with extreme force and to create a bigger opening and momentarily hold it in place for his omega saw to have an easier time to pass through. Jenso was prepared to release it if Geode decided to yank the flame whip.

With a flick of his left wrist, the Omega Saw that he'd launched earlier quickly curved around in a small downwards arc, heading back towards the sphere. He aimed to launch it into the red portal circle on the side of the golden sphere. He made sure to steer it clear of the giant hand on the left side, hoping that Oz's efforts would be enough to distract Geode for at least a moment for him to land a hit.

[tex]

Geode didn't respond to Oz's onslaught aggressively. Instead, he stood his ground, patiently waiting as his volley of force blasts concussed against the edge of his dark energies. But when Jenso's whip plowed through the cloud and wrapped around his finger, he turned to look at his hand. Unfortunately, the whip disintegrated moments afterwards, pulling his hand only slightly backwards before falling to pieces. The flame saw suffered a similar fate, shrinking until it was nearly nothing. The arcane aspect of the ability faded long before the saw came anywhere near the red portal behind him, flashing in a small explosion of light before disappearing completely. It was clear that Ki was not suffering as quickly as arcane energy, but both seemed to fall prey to the darkness the surrounded Geode and his portal. He simply stood there, waiting as patiently as ever, for his plan to come to fruition.

[Necrophage]

Their attacks barely warranted a response from Geode. It just stood there like the two heroes were nothing more than flies buzzing around. It was this time that Oz started to notice it though. The attacks did actually register a bit of a response from the giant. Jenso's whip actually managed to touch it and interact if only for a moment. Perhaps since he seemed to be protecting everything else around him it might prove better than he initially thought. "Jenso, in the case this works -- DO NOT STAND BEHIND HIM!" Oz warned.
The farmhand-made hero drifted back a little and started his work. The arcane symbols started to form in front of him as he twisted a hand through the air, forming his momentum gate. He didn't stop there though, he used his other hand as well. Together they moved rhythmically through the air and several more gates formed in front of those, each adorned with slightly differing symbols and glyphs. If stronger attacks could push through that dark field this one would do it. Oz just needed a little more time.

[Jensoman]

Jenso nodded at Oz and took note of what he was doing, as a burst of flames erupted from his feet to avoid him from falling further. It seemed like Ki had an easier time to pass through the dark energy than Arcane did. Oz needed time, and he'd managed to get most of Geode's attention for now. He began to channel Ki around his hands. 'Let's hope this'll keep him busy..!' He thought, launching a powerful Ki infused spear at Geode's left eye. He hoped it would keep Geode's attention away from Oz.

[tex]

Geode turned to face Oz as he began conjuring a mass of gates. He'd ceased standing by, and rose both of his hands towards the man, compelling his mist forwards. But the mist stopped and receded as something struck the side of his head, cracking the stone around his left eye. Jenso's spear was half-stuck in the massive proxy's head now, slowly fading as the dark energy focused around it and devoured it whole. The mist shrunk for a moment to compensate, but Geode immediately regained his composure, and thrust his hands towards Oz with great force, expanding the mist once more.

[Necrophage]

Six circles. Seven circles. That was his limit. Oz's focus was like stone as he extended a hand to his side. With his palm downward, he dragged his hand up. A set of glyphs spun in place where a floor would have been if Oz had been standing on solid ground. From it raised his rod of force. He drew it back in his hand and stared down at the coming wave of darkness. No turning back now. This would work or he would be facing some of the worst burns in history. The end of the rod phased into a speartip. He gritted his teeth as he poured more of his ki into it, wound back and threw it through the gates.
Each gate chimed as the spear glided through and each in turn sped the spear up until, "BOOM!" It broke the sound barrier. It rippled through the air and even threw Oz off balance as it sailed toward Geode.

[Jensoman]

Jenso glared at Geode as he rose the black mist towards Oz. It seemed like Ki was effective. "Oh no, you don't..!" He barked, as his left fist was coated in Ki. "Impact Punch!!" He shouted, punching at his foe. A glowing light image of a fist that was made out of pure Ki was launched from his fist at top speeds, aimed to slam into the crack of Geode's left eye. The punch had the force of Jenso's increased strength from his superform, seeming even stronger than the spear was. He hoped the strike would stop the mist from reaching Oz once more.

[tex]

Jenso's blast of ki sailed through the air and struck the side of Geode's head dead on. Geode's arms buckled, and the mist ceased slightly. That's whens the spear struck the center of his main body, embedding itself deep within. Cracks rippled out all around, towards his back, and up his neck, where Jenso's attack struck earlier. The mist faded completely, and the body began to fade to a dark grey, before slowly crumbling away into dust.

The red circle behind him disappeared, and the golden orb spun slowly again. Although Geode's massive proxy was dispatched, there still seemed to be no entrance.

Within his room, Geode's eyelids lowered. "Bah. I can't concentrate while piloting that clumsy replica," He mumbled, still tapping the sphere on his hand, "But I'm just about done. I suppose I could just..."

Suddenly, the golden sphere lowered multiple plates, until the triple helix from above was revealed to be connected directly to a small rectangular building within. The gold sphere had opened, much like a lily, allowing access to the domain within.

"...Let them in"

---

~ End Of Chapter 126 ~

[tex]

~ Chapter 127 ~

_{The World}

[Jensoman]

Jenso smiled as he and Oz managed to destroy Geode's false body. He noticed that the golden sphere opened up. 'He's letting us in?' He thought, confused about the whole matter. Was Geode surrendering, or was he simply confident enough to believe that he could beat both him and Oz? He landed on the plates, and stared at the rectangular building. He began to walk over towards the building, prepared for anything. He turned to Oz briefly. "Oz...Let's go." He stated, turning his focus back towards the building as he moved forwards. It was clear that this was a trap, but they had no choice but to proceed at this point.

[tex]

As Jenso and Oz made their way into the large structure, their path was lit methodically. The floor, roof, and walls of the small hallway they'd entered glowed a dim green with each stop they took. It wasn't long before they reached the main room, where Geode stood alone, in the center. His body glowed with the same dark energies it had always sustained, and he turned slowly to greet the two, slamming their escape route shut.

"Ah! How pleasant of you two to drop by!" He goaded, taking his attention away from the orb in his hand and bowing courteously.

[Jensoman]

Jenso glared at Geode and got in a combat stance. "Let's finish this!" Jenso shouted, keeping a close eye on Geode's movements. He noticed that the escape route was slammed shut, but he didn't care. He and Oz were exactly where they wanted to be. "...Unless you're willing to talk. If so, I want you to stop your golems from attacking places all over the world, and actually prove that you did it. If you do that, I'll be willing to speak. Because I'll admit, I do have some questions about you. But if you don't do that, then I don't plan to waste any more time."

[tex]

"Oh, shut up already," Geode begged, clasping his forehead irritably, "I'm not going to exterminate all of humanity. Just... Most of it." Geode looked down at his palm and and then back to Jenso and Oz. "I would recommend against stopping me, for the good of everyone on this planet. There is no room for negotiation or force. The moment you show any aggression, I will detonate the elemental meteors, and end life as you know it."

[Jensoman]

Jenso shrugged casually as Geode spoke, and smirked. "Oh, the meteors the elementals made?" Jenso muttered. "You're a little late for that, buddy!" He taunted cheerfully.

[tex]

"Actually," Geode said quietly, tapping his orb, "I'm not."

A loud rumbling sounded from the north, barely audible from within the building.

"I made them, after all."

[Jensoman]

Jenso eyes widened and he glared at Geode. Were there even more meteors that he didn't know about, and did he just detonate one? And did he really make the elementals? "I'm not even showing any type of agression, and you're already blowing them up?!" He questioned. "I killed the elementals and their meteors were destroyed as well." Jenso stated coldly. "Which means that you either detonated a meteor that I'm not aware of somewhere up north, or you did something else." He added.

"Get behind him, Oz. Try to take that orb from him. I'm not sure what that rumbling was, but if he just detonated a meteor there's no point to drag this out. He's focused on me right now. If I try to make a move at him, he will detonate them all." He whispered to his ally.

[tex]

"Just goes to show how ignorant you are. Fortunately for you, I couldn't detect any Ki near the Pharie meteor. Seems the northeners had cleared out already. A shame really." Geode tapped the orb embedded in his palm again. "And I'll have you know, my hearing is very good. You won't be taking my orb any time soon." Geode looked back at the heroes and the room lit up, revealing 12 immobile humanoid golems, their cores cracked and darkened. Amoung them were gol Ira, with his core sliced in two, and Gol-ino.

"I would advise you cease your idiotic transgressions at once. Otherwise I'll detonate Kefaros' meteor next. Now, where was that one?.. Ah! Yes, I remember," Geode taunted Jenso and rose his left hand, projecting a picture of the caverns in Diver's paradise.

"Calombo."

[Jensoman]

Jenso's eyes widened. It seemed that the meteors that he stopped from detonating in the Temple of the elementals hadn't crumbled to dust after all, despite what the global board there had shown him. He sighed in relief as only Pharie was destroyed and Paulie didn't seem to be there anymore, but he soon tensed back up as Geode showed the image of the caverns in Diver's paradise. "Alright...what do you want us to do?" He asked. 'I'll play his game along for now...making him angrier isn't going to help the situation. We need to wait for the right time to strike.' He thought. He took a calm pose, showing no agression in his stance.

[tex]

Geode's eyes rested. "You there," he said quietly, "Oz, was it? Are you related to Jenso, by any chance?"

[Necrophage]

Oz looked at Geode with some skepticism but replied nonetheless. "Related? No, not at all. Just a friend of circumstance." He narrowed his eyes at him. The golem should know why he was brought here to begin with. "You are the one that had me brought here are you not?"