Episode 51: No Sacrifice Is Too Great

[Vince Hardy]

"Watch your tone with me, boy!" Vince yelled back, but this time - for the first time ever - in an evil-sounding voice. He has now shown a hint of the Hex Code in him losing control too. Apparently, this wasn't easy for him either, and once Noland discovered what his father was about to unleash, he slowly stepped back.

"I conducted your test for this exact reason, trying to prepare you for everything leading up until now!" Vince asserted. "Yes, I'm well aware of what I have and haven't done since I returned! No sane father would enjoy that, okay!?"

Vince took a deep breath to calm himself down, since he didn't want his Hex Code to go haywire right now, or he'd risk getting everyone assimilated. "I think you've realized by now that your test didn't just begin in Vestroia. I've been testing you for your entire career. Your time in the community center, you meeting Allen and Alana, you becoming a Resistor, all of these things factored into what YOU would become. You using Duality by your own power was because you finally understood what it took to be a leader. Not a hero, a LEADER. A hero is a label. A leader is an attitude."

"And the way you carried yourself in that battle said it all. You pass with flying colors," Vince acknowledged. "Unfortunately, this is my test right here. There was no other way to stop this from going off in a timely manner due to the Hurranians setting this up so nicely. That's fine though. Some must live, and some must die. If I have to go so that you can prosper, then so be it."

[Noland Hardy]

"But if what Nero said is true...then..." Noland hesitated to come out and say it. He doesn't have to say it for anyone to know what the consequences of doing this are.

"Father," Drago called out.

"I know. Similar situation between us, huh? I thought I'd train you up to become even stronger, just like you wanted for centuries," Apollonir acknowledged, turning his head in Drago's direction to look at him. "I told you before, Drago. Darkness is easier to come by than light. We will never truly be free from evil, so there's beings like us who have the unfortunate task of responding to threats like this, even if it results in our deaths. If ALL beings were perfect, Vince and I would've been there at your side for every second. This is what happens to the best of us. It always has."

"Can't we help you?"

"You're too weak right now after that display. It won't make a difference, and there's not much time. Both of you can help us in another way though; in fact, everyone here can."

"Do your best to spread the word about those who think they know better than everyone else and tries to take everything over. One generation is going to stop this nonsense. Maybe it can be yours?" Clayf chimed in just to give his input.

"That, and another thing. We're all different, but we exist in the same places. Everyone here has a special place in our hearts for showing us that it's possible to cooperate with those of different worlds. Don't forget what we've done here. If you regress from this, we'll be right back where we were centuries ago. YOU worked too hard to give that up now."

"..." Speechless, Noland watched as the Legendary Soldiers and Vince were counteracting the forces from the BT System. He wanted to say something, but...he couldn't think of anything.

[Vince Hardy]

Vince gave Noland a piece sign as the deed was getting done. "You take care now, and remember everything you've learned from me," Vince told Noland. "We're gone, but don't forget about us. Our lives aren't just tied to our bodies, but in memories as well. You know I existed. I'm glad I can say that..."

Vince's body glowed even more to the point where his bodily features couldn't be seen. The Legendary Soldiers did the same. The BT System's buzzing noises got more intense until it eventually let out a loud banging sound. A silent whirring noise could then be heard as it powered down.

With Vince's job finally complete, his body dispersed into several particles that ultimately faded out of existence. The same thing happened to the Legendary Soldiers as well. Apollonir was the last to go. He gave a nod to Drago, and then a thumbs up before disappearing himself. The Legendary Soldiers were no more...

[Dasia Turano]

"So your great warriors - Vince and Apollonir - managed to isolate the fallout's effects on their own bodies so that the BT System would destroy them instead of assimilate all of you...? I'm disappointed... What foolish men...to sacrifice themselves for those who are unfit to carry on their legacy." This voice was very familiar to all of them by now. She finally spawned out in the open, in front of the entire alliance.

"Hm...okay. You've destroyed my battleship...you destroyed Diablo...and you stopped the BT System from firing again... What an alliance this is," Dasia commended. "So now all there is to do is take me out, and you win, right? That's what you want?"

Dasia's skin exhibited some strange features. The main anomaly was the occasional Dextra energy lines that were moving throughout her body. Her clothes were digitized away. To a pervert's disappointment, this did not leave her naked. What it did instead was reveal a white, form-fitting suit with an attribute circle etched onto the center of her chest.

[Andrew Bullock]

"Yeah, that's exactly what we want. The only issue is you're too stubborn to admit defeat," Andrew declared. "This has gone on long enough. Look at what you've done. You've destroyed Vestal, and you've pretty much destroyed this one as well. You had Vestal wrapped around your finger. You could've stayed there and ran your own little operation instead of getting Earth and Vestroia involved in your mess. It's time to pay what you owe me, and that's your life."

Andrew didn't hesitate to immediately assault Dasia with everything he had. "Ability activate! Distortion Buster!" If Vince and the Legendary Soldiers were killed in such a way that they can't be brought back, then the same should happen to Dasia. After all, this was only revenge.

Hades locked onto Dasia from afar. All Hades would have to do is swing his arm so a dimensional slash could arrive at her location that followed the same angle as Hades' movement. Hitting her will scatter her body parts across many dimensions.

[Dasia Turano]

Dasia placed her left forward and had her palms open. This would normally mean "stop" to people who aren't blind, but apparently, Andrew was.

"Oh. Okay," Dasia dismissed. She received the cut, but strangely...it was blocked...

A slice made contact, but it was cancelled out instantly. That should be impossible to do against dimensional slicing, except if the user is capable of countering with an inter-dimensional technique themselves. What they'll soon realize is that this ability is passive...so none of them can get rid of her through means such as that...

"I bring good news and bad news," Dasia started. "The good news is, Diablo is gone for good. The bad news is, we had transferred the original Dragonoid's energy elsewhere to prevent it from being compromised from the untimely erasure of Diablo. The being that it went to is yours truly. Since I'm now a goddess from a technical standpoint, getting rid of me through methods such as dimensional slicing is not going to cut it, pun intended."

Dasia then grew in size to match that of a Bakugan. "So the big-breasted toughie wanted me to come out. Here I am. Want to go now that things have settled down? I have all day."

[Xavier Turano]

Xavier's mouth was open in shock and despair. He didn't want to believe what he just heard and was witnessing. Dasia's appearance is one thing, but what happened to Vince... What is he going to tell Kendrick? What will he tell Sandra? Can they be told of what happened during this dire situation? Xavier's mindset pointed towards no...

"I-I can't..." Xavier lamented very quietly. "What do we do? Our best lead-off against her can barely stand now...and the Legendary Soldiers...they're gone..."

Xavier couldn't see any possible way they can win now. An ability on the scale of Absolute Desolation X can work, but there's no way Drago will be able to fire that again during the time they need it, and the hit Hydra took from it leaves her unable to provide any counters to her overwhelming power.

There was Alana and Yita though...

"Alana and Yita...you're all we have now..." Xavier shuddered. "As scary as that is to say...it's the reality..."

[Alana Cortese]

Alana almost didn't hear Xavier communicate that to her. She was stunlocked by the flurry of emotions that she felt. It was so sudden... Noland didn't get the chance for the cliche of trying to stop Vince before he did it.

"...Excedra had it coming...but now...I feel...defeated...." Hydranoid (Excedra) remarked. "I never felt so bad in my life..."

"..." Alana notices that Noland and Drago haven't moved at all. Their backs are turned to Dasia. Alana knows they heard Dasia, but they're not willing to acknowledge her presence. It's like they've given up completely. Who can blame them at this point?

"You truly are the worst. Happy now? I acknowledged you. I hope your satisfied," Hydranoid stated. Indeed, in his mind, she was the worst enemy...EVER. "He treated me like a younger brother. Other than Gorem, Drago, and...uh...Hydra...I never felt like I belonged here. I always acted tough just for attention. I got it...but I wanted him to see it so he could finally train me... You took him away..."

[Dasia Turano]

"Now you're getting personal over something that was a total accident," Dasia claimed. "Why do you think I've been trying to assimilate you? I want ALL OF YOU in our network. I didn't want the Legendary Soldiers to get destroyed by the BT System, but that's what they chose to do. They did it to themselves. Boo-hoo. With time, we'll be able to raise units that can replace them, so no one really lost anything."

"Besides, I have more important things to do than to cry and moan over that man and his six fabled pets. Did you know that approximately 75% of Earth's population is now under our control? All of that progress in under 10 minutes, and that's with the BT System being stopped? Amazing! It turns out that the loss I'm operating under won't be so bad in under 10 minutes if the infection rate remains the same or more. I may have never needed the BT System in its grand stature in the first place."

Dasia pointed her right index finger towards the alliance. It looked like she was prepared to attack them with something. "A pulse like the one that led those seven 'saviors' on their way caused quite the epidemic, according to news outlets right now. I imagine the same will apply to you, now that there's no one here to guard you from it?"

[Tank Stryker]

"Hey!" Tank yelled from nearby. It sounded like he had something to say about the way Dasia was bullying Hydranoid and pissing on the dead. "Is that your final form!?"

Apparently, Tank wasn't as concerned about Dasia's comments to mention them. The only problem in Tank's eyes was that she kept coming back. With Diablo out of the picture, maybe they have a chance. MAYBE...

"Uh...Tank..." Gladion was starting to get worried after hearing Dasia allude to her using the Bakugan Termination System technique herself. Her pointing towards all of them can only mean one thing.

"What? Everyone's thinking it, so I'm saying it. I'm sick of this bitch."

[Dasia Turano]

"Maybe. Maybe not. The world may never know," Dasia replied, dodging the question completely. "But let's not be unfair with the criticisms. I'm simply using the tools I have. The Hurranians were made to be this way, so there you have it."

"Now, who's first? Is it you, Tank? How about poor Excedra in the back there. Noland and Drago? No...I have the perfect idea. Maria, you're up first!" From the sounds of it, Dasia was personally targeting her first before anyone else. "You seem so important to these fools. Getting rid of you would cause total collapse from some of the more prominent members in your alliance."

A ray of light-purple energy was produced from Dasia's finger and aimed directly for Maria and Hydra. To her surprise, Yashu jumped in front of it with the Assail System.

"Oh? And why would a Spartan waste such a powerful weapon to protect her?" Dasia wondered. "How useless can you get? An Admiral of the Silver Knights having to be saved by everyone else? What a nice way to live up to your title, Admiral of Ruin. I'm almost sorry to do this to you."

Yita claimed that the Bakugan Termination System abilities had a cooldown based on how infrequent Diablo had used it. Using this logic, Dasia should not be able to repeat what she was just trying to do. "A machine like Diablo required some restraints to operate with the power it had. I am not a mechanical Bakugan. Technically, my body can overexert itself and lead to my death; however, with this energy, I'm immortal in that I can't die from such ridiculousness."

Dasia dashed forward and cleaves through the Assail System by just going through it with her body. She pointed directly at Maria and Hydra and shot at them once more; however, instead of a singular target-based ability, she made it an area-of-effect attack, including the alliance in it as well.

[Noland Hardy]

Noland and Drago were still motionless, even though they heard the threats and saw Dasia acting on them.

"Did you really have to do that, Dad...?" Noland thought. "We lost either way... She's still here... We can't stop her..."

"...You're right...you can't...neither of you can..." a man told him.

"What...? Who just..." Noland began seeing and hearing things, possibly a sign of "visitation" as psychologists put it. Before he knew it, he saw Vince appear in front of him. "You..."

"...But we know someone who can..." The Legendary Soldiers - in their robed forms - appeared alongside Vince. "Vestroia's last line of defense...we're going to call her here."

"Her...?"

"You will see, son... You will see..." Vince lunged at Noland. The Legendary Soldiers also charged for Drago. They pushed the boys towards Dasia as she was about to assimilate them all. To everyone else, it looked like Noland and Drago moved on their own, not knowing of the forces at work here. They placed themselves in front of Dasia and were subjected to the Bakugan Termination System ability.

Using Duality, Noland and Drago directed all of the energy to themselves, so they were taking ALL of what Dasia was dishing out. Both of them were screaming in agony, because what they were going through was complete and utter destruction.

[Maria Zenovia]

As they were all about to be hit by that disaster of a weapon the leading duo of Resistors jumped in to take a hit resulting in them feeling immense pain. To some that might have looked like a noble move to save all of their friends and allies, but to Maria it was an act of foolishness since they were not going to accomplish anything and just prolong the inevitable. "What the hell do you think you're doing, boy!?" Maria shouted at Noland as he was experiencing the full effect of what it felt like to be exposed to that kind of hell. To Maria it was painful to admit how much Dasia was right about her power- though she carried the title of Admiral of Ruin it was merely a title delivered for holding a certain key necessary for certain 'weapons of ruin' hidden away by Silver Knights and it had no connection with actual power of a person. She became an Admiral out of a political role mixed up with power her Bakugan had. Maria was never a fighter, never capable of enjoying a brawl or becoming a fighter and all she could do was rely on Hydra's strength- she could not protect the Andersens back when they needed it the most and now, again, she is in that position where no matter of her reputation and rank she is not able to do anything- she cannot save one kid and his Bakugan in front of such disaster as if it was not enough that both of them lost their parents again. Truly, a Maria was miserable in every way possible.

"I sense something..." Hydra suddenly spoke as she looked at the duo. "They did not even walk into that- it is as if they were pushed... There is a strange sensation coming from there, but I cannot put my finger on it... it does feel familiar somehow." Hydra explained.

[Noland Hardy]

"I...can't...watch...you...die...!" Noland struggled to get out. "Neither...can...they...!" Noland gave everyone a hint as to what was going on without directly saying that - for some unknown reason - the deceased was in control.

The Legendary Soldiers circled Drago. To everyone's surprise, an attribute circle appeared underneath Noland and Drago. All of the Soldiers were standing on top of their attribute symbols.

"There is one more Legendary Soldier..." Vince revealed. "She will do...what we could not..." All of the Soldiers raised their arms as if they were praising the sunlight. Each of the attribute symbols would start to light up as each member said their respective line in a chant. "Angel of Creation, we did as you asked and followed your directive,"

"Try as we did to succeed, we were not effective,"

"That is why we turn to you as our light of hope,"

"When, even for us, the enemy is too grand in scope,"

"For we know how vital our survival is as of yet, even when our inherent darkness still presents a threat,"

"This is the ONLY option that will force a turn,"

"And that is by believing in you, Wavern."

A surge of energy left Noland and Drago's bodies that shone like a pillar in the sky. Light left Drago's mouth and eyes as something was changing within him.

"Your wish...is granted," a female voice said from Drago's body. Without Drago moving to attack at all, Dasia was struck by an unseen force, causing her to use the ground as a slide for about 400 meters.

[Dasia Turano]

Dasia had her face planted in the ground from that unexpected blow. Despite how clear her victory was, Noland and Drago were able to survive somehow.

"Impossible..." Dasia claimed. She looked at Noland and Drago from afar, unsure of what was causing this change in them. "Did I just hear a woman's voice...?"

Rather than immediately go back to attack, Dasia chose to hang back to see what she was dealing with. Whatever was happening was concerning, because... "I can't feel their power anymore... And I have the original Dragonoid's energy... What is this...?"