Philosopher's Stone

04

On getting on deck, the first thing Leo noticed was half of the crew he saw last night, laying on their backs unable to move a muscle. As an invisible force pulled them down, he could vividly see the pained expression on their faces, as though they couldn't breathe!

Whilst they remained like that, more light green balls firepower continued assaulting the ship, making larger holes in place that would cause the vessel to capsize!

"Let's go help them!" Leo selflessly cried, rushing over to the rest of the crew to snap them out of whatever it was that was causing this.

Forgetting these were the same people who couldn't give a ratass if he died in his sleep.

In a panic, he ran over an invisible field he couldn't see, and ultimately fell over on his back, a heavy weight pressed down on his chest.

"What is..." He couldn't even speak when almost immediately he realized why the crew had such pained expressions on their faces.

There was no air inside the field!

"Damn it!" He gritted his teeth and curled his fingers into a tight fist, tears welled up in his eyes, as the weight on his chest extended to his arms and legs, as though he was being nailed to a cross.

From the corner of his eyes, he managed to see the two who had brought him, safely watching from the sidelines, the bastards must have known this would have happened.

'Then why...why didn't they warn me?!' Leo raged in his head, biting his cheeks as his neck started to swell up.

Was he going to die...again?

When he hadn't figured out where he was? Or why he was even there, to begin with?

"You bastards!" A familiar husky voice cried out from above, using the last of his strength, Leo diverted his eyes to catch a glimpse of what might or might not save him.

Leaping at an increased speed and height, the brown-skinned man who Leo could have sworn had fangs, crossed over the sea of bodies, his fist drawn back to punch someone.

Aside from his freakishly high jump, Leo saw something else that sent his heart racing. Midair, the man's fist enlargened as blonde fur and sharp claws replaced his fingers and skin.

*Punch*

The sound of someone's jaw getting broken forced Leo to shut his eyes tight. He blinked twice, as he soon realized the weight on his body was suddenly lifted.

Rising from the feet, he ran over to see what had happened, and who got such a nasty punch to the face.

"Tch." A feminine voice hissed, then spat out blood from the side of her mouth, using her thumb to wipe off the blood leaking from out the corner of her mouth.

Leo was stunned to see such a busty woman, her fiery green eyes staring daggers at the beast-man who should have broken her jaw.

"Even with my last-minute decrease in the gravity of your punch, you still managed to land a decent hit." She stood up straight and smirked.

"What a monster."

"Get off." He gritted his teeth in response, the woman scoffed, she had a bright golden stiletto knife in her right hand, its narrow shape and rigid pointed end gave Leo the idea, one stab with that would be fatal.

She tilted her head to the side and frowned upon seeing Leo, Leo who didn't get what was happening and should have just shut up, opened his mouth.

"Um...I don't know what's going on here, or why you're doing this..." He scratched the back of his head, knowing that he had nothing to ride on.

Fortunately, he didn't have to, Warwick emerged from inside, wearing a wooden leg, limping miserably.

"Captain!" Darth cried out, using his fingers to massage his neck, a look of relief in his eyes.

"I'll tell you, they're bloody thieves seeking my treasure!" Warwick accused in a loud voice, drawing a sword from the holster that sat on his belt.

The rest of the crew took offensive stances, ready to go down with their captain.

Leo who was miserably caught in the middle of all this thought it smart to hide. "They're all monsters, I'll let them sort it out." He resolved, turning to leave and maybe hide back in the cabin.

However, it seemed like karma still wanted to stick around him for a while longer...or was it fate?

As soon as Leo turned to leave a portal, or should he say door appeared, and out of it came a large number of people, outnumbering the pirates on the ship.

"Attack!" The blonde-haired woman screamed at the top of her lungs, pointing her stiletto knife at the enemy, commanding the forces.

"Men! Defend the ship! Kill all the bastards!" Warwick cried out, raising his sword to the sky, his war cry sending strength into the heart of his men.

"Yeah!"

Without a second's warning, both sides plunged into battle on the fragile deck, each side flaunting their advantages. On the crew's side, there was Darth who had his magical circle activated, scorching the enemies that approached him.

However, he was quickly countered by a young white-haired boy, with pale skin and emotionless eyes.

"Get out of my way!" Darth cursed, trying to get to where the captain stood.

"I don't have time to play around!" He said, walking past the kid, a year or two younger, brushing his shoulder past him.

"Don't worry..." The blue-eyed boy said, dusting off Darth's touch from his brown cloak. "You're going to die here." He spat out, spreading his fingers to reveal ice shaped to look like needles.

The kid looked over his shoulder, an all-knowing look etched on his face, as his listless blue eyes darted to Darth, who fell backward. Standing in the middle of his chest was a needle, the shape of a snowflake burned through his clothes, and onto his skin, sealing his demise.

"What did you..." Darth raised his hand with what little fight he had left, his fingers desperately trying to latch onto the kid's boot.

"You're still alive?" He asked, crouching down, his fingertips transforming into transparent ice.

"I acknowledge your strength, as a parting gift I'll grant you this... eternal slumber." He chanted the last part as an incantation, as he used his index and middle finger to shut Darth's eyelids, sealing them with ice.

A raging Darth tried to resist, but as the name implied, his body stilled as his blood froze up, killing him from the inside.

Content, the kid walked forward, to see which crew mate would be foolish enough to launch an attack on him next.

The battle lasted for only five minutes and was completely one-sided, with the invaders having both the strength, numbers, and abilities to combat Warwick's crew.

Almost as though they were meant to counter him.

"Captain!"

"Captain help me!"

The cries from his crew from losing in battle at every corner of the ship, never even reached Warwick's ears. The longer he watched the battle, the easier it was to connect the dots.

He reflexively reached for his eyepatch, "they're after the Stone." He muttered under his breath in sudden realization.

Ridden with fear, Warwick hastily attempted to make a retreat, "if I can just get to the boat." He chanted repeatedly, exerting his one good leg, abandoning his heavy sword to make his escape quicker.

"He's running away." The white-haired boy listlessly announced, alerting the blonde-haired gravity user, not that she wasn't already aware of that.

"Leave it to me!" Immediately, she bent her knees and leaped, altering the gravity under her feet, increasing her jump distance significantly. Allowing her to land directly in front of Warwick, before he could reach his getaway vessel.

"Bitch move!" He roared, charging towards her with his palm raised in the air, a small black magic circle encircled his palm.

Almost immediately, dagger-shaped projectiles shot out from inside the circle, aiming at his opponent.

"Shit! No one said he was a double wielder!" She cursed, showcasing her dexterity, effortlessly dogging the sharp tips, which missed her nearly by a hair.

"Don't get in my way!" Cried the captain, focusing his rain of daggers on her arms, aiming to knock out the stiletto knife in her hand, all while discreetly retreating to where the small boats were.

Unfortunately, as he was about to jump off, he felt his feet planted firmly on deck. "What the..." His eyes darted to the ice surrounding his ankles, courtesy of the white-haired boy.

"It's over Warwick." Said the blonde-haired woman, raising her weapon over her head, gathering enough mana to finish him off in one go.

Warwick who couldn't break out in time to dodge the attack quickly ripped off his eyepatch and yanked out the red stone. He looked over his shoulder, Darth was dead, and the beast-man was busy clawing at the enemies.

But then...

"Oi! Catch!" He cried out, tossing the stone with all his might at Leo, who was finally able to make it past the mayhem, stealthily about to retreat.

"What me?" On instincts, he coupled his palms, cushioning the item's fall.

All eyes on board suddenly turned to him, "kill him and get the stone!" Charged the blonde woman, pointing at Leo, who was so frickin close.

"Shit!" He cursed, attempting to run away, only to be surrounded at all sides by the dangerous invaders, brandishing daggers and claws, ready to tear into his flesh.

In such a situation, Leo's mind reverted to manual setting, going as far as the basic level of thinking.

Whereby in a scenario where everyone wanted the same candy but there was only one, Leo did what any other child would have done.

He pushed the stone to his lips and swallowed it whole down his throat, even daring to belch afterward!

"Is this guy serious?" Asked the listless white-haired kid, tossing his head over at the fool who dared to actually swallow the stone.

Perplexed, Leatrix huffed, "did he just fucking swallow the Philosopher's Stone?!"