Chapter 494: Chapter 494: Red General
Conis, Zala and Honey walked through the Forest. They had gathered 3x Royal Jelly and 3x Fountain Berry along the way. They eventually made their way to the Ruin Zone.
They looked at many autumn trees standing tall. Its branches were filled with orange, red, and golden leaves. The sunlight filtered through the canopy. Some leaves swirled lazily to the earth. Its trunk was thick. "There are large trees here," Conis remarked.
"Lots of them," Honey agreed.
"This is a different zone compared to the forest," Zala said. They walked through the leaves. The crunches of leaves could be heard as they walked over in their high heels.
"I can see some buildings there," Honey spotted.
"Let's check them out," Zala said.
The ancient buildings loomed in solemn silence. The stone walls had crumbled and were covered in vines and moss. The archways had partially collapsed. The faded patterns could be seen. Some of the buildings had large gaping windows, their frames jagged and broken.
"This place is scary," Conis remarked.
"It is creepy for sure," Honey agreed.
"There are flowers there," Zala said as she turned her hand into a large blade and cut the flowers. They saw 5x Honey.
"Let's take it," Honey said. They all nodded and walked ahead.
Eventually they found a large abandoned fountain. The fountain stood abandoned and weathered. Its marble surface was streaked with grime and green patches of algae. The central statue was different. It was a humanoid and muscular figure with large arms and hands, slightly short legs, and a small head in comparison to the rest of his body. He wore a golden, cylinder-shaped helmet with four red eye shots.
There were dry leaves which had gathered in the empty basin. Cracks spider-webbed across the fountain's surface.
"This statue has something about it," Zala remarked.
"Something evil," Conis commented.
"Shushibaruba," Honey said.
At that moment, a faint light appeared behind them. They all turned. The light began to coalesce, gradually forming a distinct shape. As it grew brighter, a figure started to emerge. They could see red and gold armour. The light went away.
They saw an armoured looking character. The figure had a powerful, bulky upper body with vibrant red arms and muscular features. He wore golden armour. Its chest had blue markings that resemble magical runes. The head of the figure looked like a tall golden pyramid. It looked smooth. The lower body was disconnected and floated. It featured a golden bowl and a glowing blue crystal suspended below it. "Red General," Red General said.
There was a glowing light behind Red General. It started to form the shape of a human. The light got brighter and then disappeared in an instant. There were 10 Pirates behind him.
"That one looks bigger than the ones we have seen," Honey commented. She looked at the red robot looking at them.
"Those are Pirates and not Marines," Conis remarked.
"Interesting for sure but they don't look friendly," Zala said.
"Burn Bazooka," Red General said as he spawned a Burn Bazooka and shot it at the girls. The shell hurled through the air and went towards them.
The girls jumped out of the way narrowly avoiding the attack. Conis looked at the weapon. She thought it looked familiar. "Someone from Skypiea used that," she remarked.
Before Honey and Zala could respond, the group of pirates charged forward. The first pirate swung his sword at Honey, slicing through her midsection. However, Honey's body split into two, transforming into a purple liquid that let the blade pass harmlessly through her. She smirked as her form reassembled. "Liquid Air Blast," Honey said as a torrent of purple liquid shot forth from her palm, crashing into the pirate like a tidal wave. The force hurled him backward, and before he could cry out, his body disintegrated into light.
"Stinger Lance," Zala muttered as her hand elongated and hardened into a spike-like lance. She drove the lance into the chest of another pirate, piercing him through. He gasped, blood spurting from his mouth, before his form dissolved into light.
"Inferno Strike," Conis said. She channeled the intense heat into the tip of her javelin until it glowed red-hot. With a powerful thrust, she launched the weapon forward, unleashing a scorching wave of flames. The attack struck a pirate square in the face, engulfing him in searing fire. He was sent sprawling to the ground, his body marked with charred scars before he, too, faded into light.
Red General fired another bazooka shell at the Conis. "Shave," Conis said as she vanished in a blur of motion. She dodged the shot and reappeared to the left. She panted. She thought this took a lot more energy than she thought.
Zala rushed towards Red General. "Stinger Finger," Zala said as she turned her fingers into long spikes and slashed the Red General. She knocked the bazooka from his hand. She then slashed his armour plate. Red General swung his fist at Zala. Zala dodged the punch and slashed the Red General's helmet. There were claw marks.
Another pirate came running towards Zala. Zala thought he was close. She was about to strike him. The pirate swung his sword at her. Honey saw this. "Double Air Blast," Honey said as she raised her two hands and fired a torrent of purple liquid towards the charging pirate at Zala. She struck the charging pirate and another pirate next to him. They both went flying back and hit a tree. They heard a bone crack and the two pirates turned to light.
Zala smiled. She jumped back as she dodged another punch. Red General pressed on, trying to swing at Zala left and right. Zala dodged each attack.
Conis looked at the two pirates charging at them. "Thermal Impale," Conis said as she thrusted the Heat Javelin into the ground. A pillar of intense heat directly beneath the two pirates engulfing them in flames. The two pirates screamed as they turned into light.
"Fireball Pearl Surprise," the Red General said. His hands glowed as he created a shield of pearls. With a swift clash of the shields, he unleashed a barrage of fireballs, each one streaking through the air at Zala.
"Paper Art," Zala said. Her body shifted fluidly, as if she were no longer bound by the rigidity of muscle and bone.
The first fireball blazed past her, missing by mere inches as she twisted her torso with the grace of a dancer. The second and third streaked toward her in rapid succession, but Zala's movements were like a breeze. She bent backward like a sheet of paper caught in the wind, letting the orbs pass harmlessly overhead.
The ground around her erupted in bursts of fire where the projectiles landed. She returned to normal panting. She thought that was tiresome but she was getting there. She smiled.
"Liquid Bullet Barrage," Honey said as she raised her hand and transformed her fingers into the shape of a gun barrel. Streams of purple liquid formed at her fingertips before shooting out in rapid succession like a hailstorm of bullets. Each liquid projectile flew through the air and struck the three pirates in their chests and shoulders. The force of the bullets sent them staggering backward.
"Scorching Cyclone Slash," Conis cried, gripping the Heat Javelin tightly as she began spinning at high speed. Flames erupted from the javelin's tip, expanding outward to form a cyclone around her. The whirlwind of flames roared with ferocious intensity, engulfing the pirates in a blaze. The pirates screamed as the flames licked their bodies, leaving trails of smoke and ash in its wake. In moments, they disintegrated into light.
The flames struck the Red General, scorching the right side of his body. Burn marks spread across his armor, crackling and smoking as he stumbled back.
"Liquid Net," Honey said. Her fingertips began to glow a deep, purple as a viscous liquid oozed out. Slowly, she pulled her hands apart, the substance stretching and forming into a dense lattice. With a sharp flick of her wrists, Honey hurled the glowing net toward the Red General.
The net expanded mid-air, weaving itself into a mesh. It enveloped the Red General in seconds, binding his movements tightly. He struggled against its grip, his limbs jerking as he tried to break free. "You're not going anywhere," Honey added.
"Heat Nova Blast," Conis said as she planted the Heat Javelin firmly into the ground, closing her eyes as she concentrated. The ground beneath her javelin began to glow red-hot. The heat built rapidly, pulsating outward. Suddenly, an eruption of fire burst from the javelin, forming a massive dome of flames that engulfed the Red General. The liquid net dissolved in the inferno as the Red General's body was blackened and charred. He staggered, smoke rising from his battered form.
Zala smiled. She knew they were strong and tactical. "Stinger Falcon Strike," Zala said as she leapt high into the air with her feet pressed tightly together. Her lower legs morphed into a sleek, spike as she began to spin like a drill. Zala dove toward the Red General, her spinning form slicing through the air.
The impact was devastating. Zala's spike-like legs impaled the Red General with a piercing strike, shattering his already weakened form. His body crumbled into light and scattered like dust in the wind.
Zala landed gracefully, standing tall as her legs returned to their normal shape. "That's the end of him," she said, brushing off her hands.
Honey smirked. "It was, he seemed different," she remarked.
Conis nodded. "I saw Viper using a similar weapon," Conis said.
"Maybe they copy abilities," Zala said.
"I think so too," Honey agreed. "We should pick up what they have left behind," she added. They all nodded. They picked up 6x Healing Powder, 3 x Stamina Powder, 2x Clay, 2x Blue Berry.
"Let's keep moving," Zala remarked. They all nodded.