Chapter 27: The Power of One... ------------------------------- The Monster's speed was uncanny, quickly moving in for the attack while the three heroes sat dazed in their newly acquired Magitek armor. Cecil, still groggy and exhausted from his expenditure of power to gain entrance into the robot, was the Vampire beast's first victim. Before Cecil could move the armor out of the way of attack, the Beast drew a wicked-looking sword, much too big for any human, and quickly brought the weapon down in an arc that separated Cecil's Magitek Armor's torso from its legs. Cecil crashed to the floor with the armor's top half, the legs still standing. Within the next instant, the monster turned to face Sabin. The Vampire Cyborg brought its cannon arm around, aiming it at the Magitek Armor's chest. Sabin barely jumped out and clear before a rocket crashed into the armor, blowing it to smithereens. Next, the beast turned to face Ciara. Having had a few seconds to orient herself, she was able to use the Armor's flame beam to hit the monster full in the chest. The result was an acrid smell of burning flesh, followed by a ear-piercing scream from the creature. It was stunned, though, for but a second, and brought his sword to the ready. It seemed to glow in anticipation of new blood. But as it tried to attack, Sabin let loose an Aurabolt, knocking the fifteen-foot monstrosity to the ground. Sabin yelled, "Cecil! You okay?" "Yeah, just even more dazed..." Cecil stammered as he crawled out the bottom of the armor...through the hole left by the monster's sword. "What is that thing?" Ciara yelled as she opened the hatch to her Magitek Armor...not leaving it, but preparing to escape if need be. The monster responded to Ciara's voice. "INTRUDER ALERT! INTRUDER ALERT! INTRUDER ALERT! CYBORG V.A.M.P., CODE 5, REQUEST ASSISTANCE!" "Uh oh, that doesn't sound good." Cecil's voice wasn't the usual one of confidence. By now, the Cyborg was on one knee, almost standing, and it turned its head toward Cecil, and Lasers emitted from its eyes. Cecil barely brough his shield Salvatar up in time to block the one beam, and the other beam missed him barely, melting a hole two feet wide in the wall behind him. "Holy Scheist! Did you see what that laser did to the wall behind you, Cecil?" "Do I want to know, Sabin?" "Not really..." Ciara fired the Magitek armor's Ice Beam at the same time that the Cyborg fired flame from it's cannon arm at her. The two beams hit, but it was obvious that the Vampire's beam was stronger. "CIARA, GET OUT!" both Cecil and Sabin screamed. What they saw next was an explosion that would seem worthy of a airship crashing. "NO! YOU BASTARD!" Cecil was now fueled with fury, for the monster had just blown apart one of his friends. Sabin, likewise, channeled his anger. "F*** YOU, BEAST! CIARA! CIARA!" Holding back the tears that welled up behind his eyes, Sabin let loose an Aura Bolt as he Bum Rushed the Creature. Simultaneously, Cecil drew his sword, leaping forward with the agility of a jaguar, slashing straight at the creature's neck. The combined result was devastating. As Cecil severed the Vampire's head from its body, Sabin knocked the body across the room--but not before its flailng arms grabbed Sabin and knocked Cecil against the wall. Hard. As the head hit the floor and rolled to a stop, it seemed to still be alive. In fact, from its vantage, the decapitated head could see its body. The body moved, pulled itself to its feet, and started to walk towards the head...Sabin still within the grasp of its giant hand. "Cecil!" Sabin yelled, but there was nothing Cecil could do. He was once again out cold. "Cecil..." as Sabin's breath came faint due to asphyxiation, the world started to go black... "Let him go, you monster from Hades!" That voice was familiar to Sabin, and as he slipped into unconsciouness, he whispered "Ciara.." The creature did as it was told, but not because Ciara had told it to. It needed its hand free to draw its sword...its cannon arm had been damaged. "Now it's just me and you, you vile beastie!" Adrenaline pumping through her body like fire, Ciara shot flame from a flame thrower at full force, not in bursts, but in one continuous stream. The monster recoiled at first, and finally fell to the floor, burnt to a crisp. She then did the same to its head.