Chapter Text
Near the exit of Sokurah's lair...
"We're almost out! I see a light!" Asakusa shouted, all of them filled with hope as they neared the end of this journey.
However, Toro was there, roaring at them and tugging against his chain. "Yikes! Forgot about him!" Tomo cried out. "Still, cool!"
"Cool?! He could eat us in one gulp!" Yukari panicked, while Mayaa got in front of everybody hissing at the MUCH taller monster.
"Does that cat have a death wish or something?" Eddy asked Sakaki. "Seriously, where can I get one of those?"
"Good thing that chain his holding him back!" Kagura grinned. "Say, 'kusa, you got that flute still?"
Rather than be terrified, Ed continued to look at those chains sadly. "Wait..." Sakaki whispered. "He looks...sad. I know those kinds of eyes." She had heard of abused animals and seeing one for herself just made her heart sting. True, this creature wasn't 'cute', like she wanted, but an animal was an animal. She saw that there were also scars around where the chain was holding the neck, causing her fists to clench. A burning rage like she had never felt before was hitting her.
"Um...is she okay?" Mizusaki asked before she saw the flames erupt once more from that mouth. "I could watch that all day!"
Their wonder was cut off when Kanamori scouted ahead, managing to sneak past the group to investigate rumblings that were getting closer. Even louder than the collapsing lair behind them, even. The time for panic was only going to be further nigh, for something MUCH worse was coming towards the cave.
It was a cyclops, but this one was covered in a demonic black smoke, the face replaced with a caricature of Sokurah. "I'm coming for youuuuuuuuu~" His disjointed voice spoke, all thoughts focused on ending those that dared rid him of his prize.
She ran back to the group...right as Sakaki raised a leg up and SLAMMED it down on the chain holding back Taro, freeing him at long last. "THAT...actually might be what we need." She conceded.
"WHAT THE HECK DID YOU DO?!" Eddy yelled before the drake turned to the group, hissing before it examined the lack of restraints on it, allowing it to slam its head against the wall so hard that the cuff fell off, revealing more scars caused by it.
"She has saved us all! Look!" Ed pointed to the incoming danger entering the cave.
(The First Cyclops Battle-Dragon's Dogma)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ymAvYYgFgE
Sokurlops, as we'll call him, roared, generating blue fireballs in his claws and flinging them at the group. "Scatter!" Asakusa shouted before they leaped to avoid the blasts, the force blowing them all the way out of the cave between the monster's legs.
"Hooooome freeeeeee!" Tomo yelled as they flew into the dirt.
When they all came to, they found Sokurlops hovering over them, a mad sneer on his face. "Youuuuuu paaaaaaay!" He moaned before raising his fists up.
"Can we talk about this for a second?!" Yukari begged.
"No way! Let's teach him a whole new magic trick! How to disappear!" Kagura bravely retorted, Ed putting up his fists while Dora and Mayaa flanked them.
"Yeah, leave you guys to it." Eddy whispered into Kanamori's ear something else. Something that caused the hypothetical bell in her to 'ding'.
"Everybody!" She shouted to the others. "Distract them! I think, by now, we should have something prepared to finally end this!"
Despite the danger, Asakusa nodded, trusting the tall one. Mizusaki also began to throw rocks at Sokurlops, even hitting the eye a bit. "Wait, what do we do again?" Tomo asked as the fists came down, blowing them all away and nearly crushing Dora.
The sorcerer-turned-monster reached a claw for Sakaki, only for Ed to whack it away with a spatula he got out of his jacket. "Away with you, one-eyed fiend of black magic!"
"Youuuuu cannooooooot-"
"RAAAARGH!" Toro finally emerged from the cave, pouncing onto that back and trying to get his jaws around his former master's neck. Rage and fury were abound in the drake's eyes, the quadruped flailing its claws against the hide before it was thrown down onto its back, nearly hitting the group.
"That's it! Let's just watch from a distance and pretend we're anywhere else!" Yukari shouted. "This was supposed to be a treasure-filled vacation!"
"At least it's still fun! Because we're getting a kaiju battle!" Mizusaki exclaimed.
"WHAT ARE YOU BASING ANY OF THIS EXCITEMENT ON?!" The teacher demanded.
"Awesomness. It's gotta be it." Kagura said as the titans clashed.
Toro and Sokurlops circled around each-other, each waiting for the opportunity to kill. Hissing, the drake fired a blast of flames against his former master, only for the sorcerer to block it with his arms. He then flung some blue fireballs against the drake, crashing against those scales before he was suddenly tail-slapped in the head. Lunging, the drake nearly got its jaws around that neck, but those clawed hands wrapped around the jaws, slamming the head into the rockface of the destroyed lair many times.
"We can't just watch!" Sakaki shouted, unable to bear this any further.
"Well, what can we do? I don't see anybody else coming up with ideas." Kagura said as Toro was dragged against the ground, left to be pounded on the underbelly by those fists.
Right as Sokurlops turned to the group, Ed grabbed a nearby boulder. "Special delivery! Hold the mustard!" He shouted before throwing it, only for Sokurlops to breath a stream of blue flame from his mouth, pushing it back into him and crashing him into the ground. "Ow!"
"I really hope Kanamori's plan works!" Asakusa said as the magically created beast continued forth.
Right as Ed moved the boulder off of him, Sokurlops noticed that something was coming forth. It was the ballista from way back then! Edd and Osaka were at the helm, waving to all. "I believe this belongs to you!" Edd was noticabely peeved, having heard the whole story from Eddy and Kanamori.
Speaking of which, the duo was holding back the giant arrow, pulling it as far as they could. "Nnnnngh...get closer..." Kanamori grunted.
"Aim...for the big...honking head..." Eddy wheezed.
Osaka waved to everybody else. "Hiiiii! What did I miss?!"
"SHOOOOOT IT!" Yukari and Tomo shouted, pointing to the giant that was heading for them.
Before Sokurlops could lunge at the weapon, Toro came from behind him, wrapping his claws around that chest and digging into the magical skin, causing steam to pour out. Those jaws also wrapped around an arm, clamping with the force of a steel trap. The giant flailed, trying to get him off while everybody else decided to mobilize.
"You know what?! Screw waiting!" Tomo rushed over to the struggling giant and began to climb on one of the legs, biting into it. Dora and Mayaa followed suit, their bites and clawing having more of an effect and nearly causing Sokurlops to buckle his legs.
Raising his other claw, he attempted to swat them off, only for Kagura to join in the climbing and jump over to that arm, wrapping her hands around a thumb and puling back on it. "Say uncle!"
Yukari just settled for helping direct where the ballista needed to be. "30 more degrees north!" She shouted. "And...there!"
Asakusa stepped back, drawing this whole scene down furiously. "Write that down, WRITE THAT DOWN!" Mizusaki must have agreed this was worth getting immortalized.
When everything was in place, Ed fully stood up before leaping onto the ballista bolt. "Sakaki-chan! The rope, for great justice and chickens!"
Despite hating violence, the schoolgirl had no intention of letting this animal abuser/sorcerer get off the hook. "You should have never hurt that dragon OR my friends." She simply said, closing her eyes as she judo-chopped the rope, releasing the bolt and allowing the others to rest.
Ed stood atop the bolt as it struck Sokurlops dead in the head, causing a burst of steam to erupt from the wound. However, Ed jumped up at the last minute and dove down, driving the bolt down through the body and effectively bisecting the beast. Sokurah himself was sent down, slammed into the ground as Ed leaped backwards back to where Sakaki was. "North to Alaska!" He saluted.
Toro watched as the beast he was fighting dematerialized, causing everybody to flee after having felled their enemy. "Nnnngh..." Sokurah tried to get up, only to see his former drake look at him with a sneering hiss. "No! NO! Don't kill me! KILL THEM! KILL! Do as your master says!"
Turning to the group, the drake examined them, only to see the one that had smashed his chains. Sakaki merely nodded, while the beast seemed to acknowledge that. So, without any prompting, he raised a claw over the terrified sorcerer. With one last shriek of terror, he was crushed by the claw, ending his reign of terror forever.
"Whoa! Brutal!" Tomo laughed nervously.
"You know, we've seen a lot of people die thus far. You think we need therapy?" Asakusa asked.
"Probably." Mizusaki shrugged. "But on the other hand...happy ending?"
"It's an ending. And now...I think I'll have a drink." Yukari collapsed onto her back, having had enough of this madness. "Tell them I'm keeping the boat as repayment."
Ed walked over to the group, dusting off his hands, before Toro's head suddenly lunged in front of him, snarling as he prepared to attack. However, he stayed silent, merely staring into the eye of the beast. Everybody could just stare, while Sakaki looked into those eyes as well. They both stood side-by-side before the drake...before it decided to head back into the land, finally free.
"...can we go home now?" Eddy spoke up.
"What even happened?!" Edd shouted.
"Loooong story." Kagura sighed.
Later on the ship...
And so, the S.S Gravyboat sailed into the sunset, everybody prepared to go through the other portals within the Cul-De-Sac. Naturally, they were all tuckered and happy to just have this trip over with. Dora was presiding over the sleeping Yukari, Mizusaki steering the ship. "A shame nobody will believe this when we get back home."
"But if we tell anybody about the island, they may come here and get eaten too. Maybe establish a corporatocracy if we're not careful!" Asakusa warned.
"And there goes the meal ticket." Kanamori sighed before sitting next to Eddy. "So...satisfied."
"Rrrgh." Eddy grumbled. "I mean, I'm glad lumpy's okay and we're still alive, but we didn't any treasure! After all that, what do we have to show for this?!"
"That we're heroes! Duh!" Tomo shouted. "Yomi's gonna be SOOOOO jealous when she hears how I fought against cyclops and rocs and all kinds of junk!"
"No, you...whatever." Eddy didn't press the issue. He just looked to Kanamori, sighing. "Remember that proposal you had? You and I? Partners or something?"
"Depends. I'm just curious as to what might happen if we combined your less-than-savory means with my legit practices?" She asked, cracking her knuckle.
Rubbing his chin, Eddy snapped his fingers. "I could think of a few ideas." He smirked.
As this was going on, Ed was swaying with Sakaki on the ship, Edd playing the pedal steel guitar like nobody's business. Mayaa stood atop Kagura's shoulder, watching this happen. "Damn. Who knew that sockhead had it in him?" She wondered as the nerd kept playing, even with just his feet and a content expression.
"Just proof that there's more to people than it seems." Asakusa said before turning to Mizusaki. "How's the steering experience?"
"I feel so alive! Maybe we could sail to some other island sometime!" She said.
As the duo danced, Sakaki had something to confess. "Ed...I'm so happy we were all able to make it out okay...but I still wonder about the genie. Is he truly free?"
"Only the magic masters from another dimension know." Ed said sagely. "But I don't think we have to wait for long." He pointed to the skies, a blue gas traveling through it to the very skies. The glimmer of what the genie once looked like took form, seeming to wave at them before fully departing.
That was enough for Sakaki to smile, burying her face into Ed's neck as they danced the night away, a portal opening up before the ship. The return home would be short and everything would settle back to normal...at least, until Yukari had to inevitably pay for the overdue rental galleon.
Mizusaki was almost near the portal home when she swore she saw another portal open up, a pair of wicked spines emerging from the sunkissed waters before surging forth towards it. A large tail that ended in a strange tri-mawed formation curved out of it, splashing water all across. "Isn't life grand?" She beamed, loving that things wouldn't be normal in her life anymore.
Especially since she had a feeling she got a cameo of the mightiest monster of them all, wishing everybody else got to see that.
THE END...FOR NOW...
Up Next: Godzilla Vs. The Terror Creatures from the Grave!
(Maybe. Depends on how the author feels. See you soon~)