The Overlord Saga
Vol I. Past, Present, Future
Chapter 26: The Final Confrontation
(Part 4)
RUSSIA AND CO., CANNONS ON THE WALLTOP-
The interior of the wall contained approximately twenty cannons on each side. China had already begun giddily getting her weapon ready, heaving a cannonball into place. Belarus was certain to be the one in charge, confidently striding up and down the hallway.
“I’m not sure how I feel about this,” the Animal Tamer’s Pet confessed as she took the cannon’s steering wheel into her hands, “I’m not sure this is a good idea...”
“What if we accidentally... you know... kill someone?” Prussia inquired, fitting a cannonball into her cannon.
“Aim for the revenants. If someone dies, it’s their own fault,” Belarus suggested with the shrug of her shoulders. Everyone knew better than to argue.
----
THE TWIN AND THE REST OF THE ARMY, CRACKED PLAINS-
“They’ve taken the gates apart,” the Ninja-Lord observed, glancing up as the Apprentice finished off the last revenant, “And that means he’s out of zombies to discard. What now?” As she spoke the words, she noted how the air seemed to alter, the clouds swirling as they neared the Fortress. In the eye of the vortex, a single beam of light shone down, illuminating a lone figure that levitated in the air.
“The Uberlord,” the Twin gasped, “He’s summoning the Zilant!”
“Oh boy, he must be desperate,” the Captain remarked, shouldering a bazooka, “What now, Twin?”
“Wait...” the Ninja-Lord warned, “Something doesn’t feel right...” The wind picked up, tossing her red hair back. She squinted as the fields between where they were and the Fortress seemed to come alive with dark magic. Pouring out from portals, the figures of eerie, reptilian monsters emerged with fangs bared and claws at the ready. They towered at about ten feet tall apiece, their body sectioned similar to insects, but their facial features reminiscent of a lizard. Their large eyes glared almost lifelessly at the army.
“What are those?” the Lieutenant asked, striving to keep his voice calm.
“I remember...” the Advisor replied, “They’re the Uberlord’s final line of defense. And they’re not pushovers, either.”
“So... Great, now what?” the Animal Tamer asked, staff in hand, “Do we kill these guys and make a break for the gate?”
“There’s too many of them. They’ll overpower us in an instant,” the Twin placed an arrow at the end of her bow and said, “It’s not about winning. It’s about staying alive. Hold out until the Uberlord has fallen, go!” She yelled, releasing the arrow at the first monster. As it screamed when the arrow pierced its left eye, the Twin covered an ear, gritting her teeth. ‘Hurry up, Overlord... We don’t have all day!’ she thought in a panic.
----
JAMIE AND CO., INSIDE THE FORTRESS-
The Soul-Keeper struck one of the reptilian monsters in the face with his staff, mercilessly stomping on its wrist as it screamed in pain. Sexist rushed over and promptly smashed it twice with his flails, breathing heavily as the beast stilled itself. He glanced at the Soul-Keeper, then looked over at where Jamie had climbed up onto the railing of the stairs. Pulling out a throwing knife, she aimed it at the rope holding the chandelier. Sexist heard the Soul-Keeper draw in a deep breath of air, staring upward in awe. Jamie threw the knife, hitting the rope and causing the chandelier to plummet to the ground.
“DUNNNNNNNNN!” the Soul-Keeper began singing a very dramatic, eerie sounding song... although, it might’ve had more effect of it had been in the correct key, “DUN NUN NUNNNA NUNNNNNN... DUNANANANAAAAAAAAAA DUNANANA NUNNNNNN!”
“What are you doing?” the Master of Tazers shot the Soul-Keeper a bizarre glance.
“IN SLEEP, HE SANG TO MEEEEE! IN DREAMS, HE CAME... THAT VOICE WHICH CALLS TO ME... AND SPEAKS MY NAME... AND DO I DREAM AGAIN? FOR NOW I FINNNNNDDDD... THE PHAAAAAAAAAAAANTOM OF THE OPERA IS THERE.... INSIDE MY MIND...” the Soul-Keeper sang raucously.
“Good God, Colby... Cut it out!” Jamie slid down the railing, then landed nimbly on the ground, dusting herself off and glancing toward the doors, “There’s bound to be a few more of those in the courtyard. Let’s take ‘em out!”
“They better not mess up the flowers... They’re pretty...” the Master of Tazers added as the group exited the Fortress.
----
THE OVERLORD AND THE INSURGENT LEADER, ROOFTOP-
The Insurgent Leader craned his neck back as far as it’d go, looking at the Uberlord as he continued the summoning process. The Overlord drew her scythe and looked at the Insurgent Leader meaningfully, though, she mostly did this for amazing dramatic effect (like in the movies). Offering a hand, the Overlord said, “We’re in this together, Thomas.”
“Emily, this time... You better let me take all the shots,” the Insurgent Leader replied, “You’ve stolen the stage long enough.” He took her hand cautiously, feeling more than slightly awkward as he did.
“Hey... It’s my saga after all,” the Overlord commented and sent a flare of magic down her arm. She tossed the Insurgent Leader into the air, watching as he soared upward at the Uberlord. Crouching down, the Overlord closed her eyes, forcing all of the pressure and weight into the soles of her feet. As she leapt up into the sky, she held the scythe back and down, obtaining more speed.
The Uberlord’s eyes snapped open, glaring down at the two fighters. Muttering a low string of curses, he lifted his arm, watching as a cluster of symbols appeared on his body. He gasped for air as his entire body began to shake, an odd golden light flying from his chest. As it circled around, it increased in size, gradually taking the form of the Zilant. Around the Uberlord’s unprotected body, a crystal formed, keeping it from harm.
“So... I guess this is it,” the Overlord whispered, twisting in the air and rolling over to glare down at where the Zilant had landed on the tower. She flattened herself as the Zilant shot forth, venomous fangs bared. The Insurgent Leader landed on its back suddenly, dragging Muramasa down its torso. The Overlord landed on the tip of the Zilant’s nose moments later, bouncing up and flipping in midair. She grabbed a hold of the Zilant’s spikes, her scythe in the other hand. She dug the scythe into the Zilant’s flesh, keeping a firm grip as it barrel-rolled to rid itself of the two fighters.
The Insurgent Leader made his way toward the Zilant’s wings, reaching back with Muramasa. In a flash, the blade had slit the monster’s wing, the Zilant’s flying becoming suddenly very unsteady. As the Overlord ripped a wound into the Zilant’s leg, she lost her balance and began plummeting toward the roof. The Insurgent Leader jumped after her, leaving the Zilant as it began spiraling toward the ground as well. The Overlord hit the ground with a stagger, the Insurgent Leader landing a few seconds later. The Zilant crashed into the roof, stirring but not picking itself up.
“Is it over?” the Insurgent Leader asked, then began to walk toward the Zilant. The Overlord held him back with a hand as the monster’s head lashed out at the two, missing the Insurgent Leader by inches. The Insurgent Leader nodded gratefully to the Overlord and held up his sword. The Overlord smirked and held up her scythe. As the Zilant began to pick itself up, the Overlord made a dash to the left and the Insurgent Leader, to the right. As the Overlord came in for the first blow, the Zilant turn its attention to her, neglecting the Insurgent Leader as circled around the Zilant.
Ducking under the fangs, the Overlord’s scythe embedded itself into the Zilant’s mouth, prying the jaws open. She grimaced at its foul breath, clutching onto the handle of the staff as the Zilant thrashed about. As the Insurgent Leader quickly climbed the flying serpent’s back, the Zilant tossed both the Overlord and her scythe into the air, jaws parting to catch them both and devour the Overlord. The Overlord twisted around in midair, catching the scythe and sending it flying down. The Insurgent Leader lifted his sword simultaneously, impaling the Zilant through the head. The scythe stabbed between its eyes, causing the Zilant to shriek.
As the serpent faded, the Overlord landed on the ground, scythe laying a few feet away. The Insurgent Leader picked it up and handed it to her, offering a victorious grin as the golden aura that was the Zilant shot back up to the crystallized Uberlord. As the crystal dome cracked and shattered, the Uberlord’s body plunged to the roof. With a cry, he hit the ground, moaning and temporarily, unable to pick himself back up. The Overlord quirked an eyebrow and cautiously crept forth, scythe in hand as the Uberlord rolled over, staring at the darkened clouds that drifted just above them. The Uberlord pushed himself into a sitting position, staring at the Insurgent Leader and the Overlord.
“Wait... Wait...” the Uberlord stammered, holding up his hands.
“You’re finished,” the Overlord said scathingly, eyes narrowed at her enemy, “I’ll make sure of it!”
“You couldn’t beat us before, you can’t now,” the Insurgent Leader retorted, “Time to say goodbye, Uberlord!” He lifted Muramasa, his brown eyes lavished in a wordless animosity.
“Before you kill me...” the Uberlord said slowly, “There is one last thing I would desire to tell you...”
“Say it and be quick!” the Overlord yelled, her voice reaching a rather high, irritated pitch.
The Uberlord rose to his feet, head lowered in shame. However, his eyes seemed to glower with a sly luster, “I am your father.”
“What?” the Overlord startled, staring at the Uberlord in disbelief. Was he joking around? No... This couldn’t have been real. This was an outrage. She felt the world spin as she asked again, “What did you just say?”
“Which one of us are you talking to?” the Insurgent Leader asked imploringly, glancing at the Overlord sideways. His brown eyes returned to the Uberlord, for once, noticing the similarities between the two. The dark hair... even the facial structure... Why hadn’t he noticed before?
“Both... of you,” the Uberlord said quietly, “Didn’t you know?”
“Both...?” the Overlord’s jaw dropped. A sideways glance at the Insurgent Leader and the Overlord immediately dismissed the thought. No. She and the Insurgent Leader could not be siblings. They were sworn enemies. She did not accept this fact... Not at all. “You’re lying! We don’t look a thing alike!” the Overlord protested.
“This is false,” the Insurgent Leader said flatly, though was unable to help the fact that he was trembling. So this was his father? The one he had never known. The reason he had inherited the black magic capabilities? This was the reason for even being a ninja? He had been dumped, he presumed alongside his seemingly older sister (though, he realized that this would be impossible to explain to his army), and had trained to be a ninja. He figured his parents had been some idiot teenagers that had gotten themselves in over their heads. He figured they had been unable to care for him... He hadn’t thought that they could have been potentially the most tyrannic lords of all time.
“I left you both... At Tamashii Ninja Academy so that one day, you could be strong. My successors...” the Uberlord chuckled, looking at the two flabbergasted fighters, “It’s funny how things work...”
“You’re lying!” the Insurgent Leader bellowed, gnashing his teeth together. Grabbing Muramasa, he began to swing it down upon the Uberlord when the Overlord grabbed his arm suddenly.
“No... No, Thomas... He’s not lying,” the Overlord said quietly, “I know... He’s not.” She made eye contact with the Insurgent Leader, allowing him to lower his sword, “Think about it. We ended up at Tamashii on the same night. We were both little so we wouldn’t remember if we were ever living with the Uberlord. It makes sense... Unfortunately.”
“This will be impossible to explain,” the Insurgent Leader complained.
“So we don’t tell anyone,” the Overlord replied, looking away from the Insurgent Leader, “We keep things... As normal as possible. We keep what happened her a secret entirely. For our sake and for theirs.” The Overlord sheathed her scythe, then rubbed her forehead. “I just... Can’t believe I didn’t think of this sooner.”
“How were we supposed to know?” the Insurgent Leader asked, walking over to her slowly. He folded his arms and glanced up at the clouds as they began to clear, revealing the night sky, “We had no clue. And it’s not like we were raised like siblings.”
“I wonder if Sensei knew. I wonder if Elwell and Obstruckshun knew this entire time,” the Overlord cast her gaze at the sky. As she turned to look at the Insurgent Leader, she noticed that the Uberlord had vanished. A wry smile crawled its way onto her features and she allowed a chuckle. Yes... She would let him go. After all of the stress and all of the fighting, she just didn’t feel like dealing with locking the Uberlord away. And, perhaps a part of her felt grateful... Or maybe she was just really tired.
“We let him go...?” the Insurgent Leader asked, raising an eyebrow.
“If anyone asks, he escaped. But the Fortress is ours... Er... Mine,” the Overlord shrugged, “So... What are you doing here?”
“Huh?” the Insurgent Leader asked.
“What are you doing in my Fortress?” the Overlord smirked at the Insurgent Leader, grabbing him by the shoulder. As they warped back into the courtyard, she tossed him away quite disdainfully, “I have no need for the Insurgents any longer. I’ll give you five minutes to clear your butts out of the sight of my Fortress or I’ll send my Underlings on you.”
“Wha...?” the Insurgent Leader stammered, but nodded, “Right... I understand.” He gave the Overlord a knowing look, then called, “Insurgents! We’re going back to camp. All is done here...” As the Insurgents began to shuffle out of the Fortress’ courtyard, the Insurgent Leader glanced back at the Overlord, uncertainty in his eyes. The Overlord merely curled her lip discreetly in a small smile, then looked away.
‘Goodbye... baby brother’, she thought, a flicker of sadness in her eyes. She cleared it away as soon as Jamie and the Twin rushed over to greet her. She tried to resist the tackle hugs that ensued, but found herself on her back, staring at the sky. The Apprentice and the Animal Tamer squeezed the Overlord tightly, not bothering to ask if she could breathe. The Overlord brushed them away after a few painful moments of no oxygen, forcing a smile and rising to her feet.
“Well, ladies and gents... The Fortress is ours again,” she announced, a feeling of closure immersing itself in the moment. The Overlord closed her eyes, feeling the regret in the Uberlord’s words as she recalled them.
“Overlord?” the Soul-Keeper asked, tilting his head to the side, “Are you okay?”
“I’m great, Soul-Keeper,” the Overlord opened her eyes, looking at him and smiling, “I’m just... Glad to be home.” She glanced back as the Ninja-Lord pulled forth Sexist and Tinkerbell, both looking extremely dismayed.
“Caught these two about to sneak off,” the Ninja-Lord remarked with a malicious smirk, “Thought you’d like to deal with them.”
“Eh, who could blame ‘em?” the Overlord shrugged, patting Sexist and Tinkerbell on their heads gently. She walked past the Ninja-Lord, calling over her shoulder, “Do what you think is best, Ninja-Lord. I just fought for my power and my Fortress... First thing I’m doing is rubbing it in Lex Luthor’s face. The second thing I’m doing is hitting a bar. The third thing I’m doing is getting some sleep.”
“Overlord...? Did Gabriel ever stop by?” the Advisor piped up from the crowd.
Halting in her tracks, the Overlord found herself facing the doorway into the Fortress, feeling a stab of guilt in her chest. The guilt lasted for a grand total of a second, and faded away, replaced with a smug grin. She shrugged and answered very casually, “Can’t say I’ve seen him.”
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