Chapter 336: The Third Garden War Part 4 (1/2)
”My Mistress, the battling has begun. Should I intervene?”
The Gardener stopped holding her chess piece, startled. Dropping it, she shook her head. ”No, no, that's quite fine…. It appears we shall never get to finish that game after all. You were always a sore loser Me. Sakuya, I want you to hold the fort down. I shall deal with these invaders myself.”
”Ye- Yes, my mistress…. What about Depression on the surface?”
”Don't worry about him. He can handle whatever is thrown his way. After all, he has the most powerful Stage of them all.” She said, standing up twirling her umbrella around. ”I sure hope you keep to that promise of ours, Alton Brantley. Let's see just how much stronger the Child of the Garden has gotten.”
****
Walking back through the open space, Alton kept avoiding each of Bargaining's attacks pushing his hand forward sending large chunks of wood towards him. Breaking each one apart, Bargaining held his hand up serval golden gates appeared surrounding the boy. Stopping in his tracks, Alton looks between them, slowly creating a sword of ice gripping it tightly. The gates opened as a countless number of weapons burst out at high speed. Matching this to almost perfect, Alton kept breaking each weapon with his own turning and avoiding others he couldn't. However, once it got too much for him, he leapt back onto the gallows, looking at his bloody arm. Freezing the wound, he turned back to Bargaining. ”You've managed to hold up a lot more compared to our last fight. But to claim that was a fight would be silly.”
Throwing the shattered blade away, Alton didn't make much of a conversation vanishing on the spot. Bargaining turned, looking for a surprise attack only to discover Alton hadn't moved and was just toying with him. ”How does it feel for the first time in your life to be one step behind?”
Bargaining smirked, leaning forward. ”Messing with me now, are you? You gain a Stage, and you start to believe you're stronger than me. I suppose I too shouldn't hold back either.” Letting out Henry's power, Bargaining was about to strike when Alton came in first, snapping his fingers as he was held on the spot struggling to move. Alton began to glow green as Bargaining was lifted into the air for a short while. Keeping his eyes on Bargaining, he only now decided to blink, allowing him to return to where he once was. The moment he landed, a portal opened up, and a set of arrows ripped through. Flinching Bargaining jumped out of the way only to land on another probed portal as more arrows bombarded him. With a blink of an eye, Bargaining teleported further only to find the same thing happen again. This time taking the brim, he decided not to move, panting with blood dripping down his head. ”What is this?”
Turning around, he noticed Alice holding her hand out, concentrating on manipulating her own portal. ”Oh, I get it now.” He muttered. ”Nice trick, you know how my power works…. So, you put up portals all around me everywhere I can be for five seconds, not too bad. They act like landmines bombarding me with arrows. In other words, I'm forced to one spot, unable to heal…. How frustrating just what are the other Stages doing?!”
****
”Lucas!” Eren yelled, running through the crowd ignoring the battling to rescue him. Sliding across the ground, he found Lucas curled up, horrified. ”Lucas, are you alright?”
”He…. He, Richard. He's dead. I couldn't save him. I'm sorry!”
Eren hugged Lucas, whispering. ”You have nothing to apologise for my son…. I promise you I'll keep you safe.”
Slowly descending behind, Eve began tutting, leaning against her scythe. ”And what do you think you're doing, Pain? You're meant to be fighting the invaders.”
”Eve?! I'm sorry, I was just making sure Lucas was alright.”
”Lucas isn't the priority here. Need I remind you it was you who pledged his allegiance to the Garden and became a Sub Stage. Your job is simply to protect the Garden and free us. My brother cannot do all the work here. So don't make me remind you again.”
Eren turned, patting Lucas on the head. ”I need to go, Lucas…. I'm sorry, I'll come back as soon as I can.” Then, standing up, he walked on, turning to Eve. ”Please look after him. He's all I've got left.”
Eve glanced at Lucas, giving it a thought before shrugging her shoulders. ”I suppose that should be easy enough.”
”Thank you,” Eren muttered, creating a dozen copies of himself as each one jumped into the fray. Alton looked up, gritting his teeth as each copy took the bait and triggered all the portals. Finally, each copy was killed as Bargaining smirked, taking a single step forward. ”Adam. I'm sorry for taking so long.”
”No, no. You're right on time.” He spoke, looking over to Chloe and Zinnia battling.
Charging a large bolt of lightning, Zinnia shot it from her sword at Chloe. Quickly swapping places, it was Zinnia who was blasted back, crashing into the gallows. Slowly pulling herself out, Alice was forced to return to Alton, avoiding as many bloody blades as possible. ”This isn't good, Alton.”
Alton gripped his broken pocket, watching, looking to his allies. ”Everyone get behind me. I'm activating it….”
”Not so fast, Child of the Garden.” Alton's eyes widened as The Gardener appeared floating in the air using her umbrella to hover. She looked down at the three invaders mocking them. ”This little show of yours ends now.”
”The Gardener has appeared! We've won!” Chloe cried with joy. ”They don't stand a chance.”
”Alton, what do we do? Alton?!” Alice yelled. ”Alton, your orders!”
Alton gripped his fist tightly, looking worried, stepping back whispering under his breath. ”I need you now, Gemini….”
The ground began shaking rapidly as the Stages all turned horrified. Then, a large explosion ripped off, sending a shockwave throughout the village. ”That's not possible…. The First Titan it's falling?!”
Bargaining stared on eyes widened. ”No one has ever been able to move such an object before…. I sense her! Damn it, why can't you just die, Gemini Fujisaki!”
Alton pushed Zinnia and Alice back, yelling. ”Get back! Before the tree crushes us all.”
The Gardener simply watched as the first Titan crashed to the ground engulfing the last village, never to be seen again.
****
Thirty Minutes earlier.
Bargaining sat at the entrance ripping grass from the ground, sighing over and over. ”How much longer must I wait here?”
”Depression, sir. We should report into Bargaining in a short moment.”
”It's that time again? Dear God does time pass so quickly here…. I really can't be asked. Can't you do it?”
”He specifically asked for you to report in.”
Depression threw the rotting grass away, nodding. ”Fine, wait, the execution should be starting now. I'll just wait till afterwards. I don't want to ruin his fun.”
”Is everything alright, sir?”
Depression leaned against the tree, yawning. ”Just peachy. I'm just concerned that's all; we've lost Anger Denial, and Acceptance all in one attack. Do I really stand much of a chance?”
Looking up, Gale, Riley and Jinx all approached, making Depression sigh. ”That's him. I can sense it that's Depression.” Gale whispered.
”I was a few minutes away from going home…. Good Grief, I can never catch a break. If you want to go through the portal, be my guest. I don't care.”
”Depression, sir!”