Eleo vs Jahwh

The man stepped forward, lifting one perfectly manicured hand into the air with a dramatic flair.

"I, Jahwh, shall fight this idiot myself," he declared, his voice flamboyant yet commanding. "And you all—my beautiful minions—shall watch it!"




A thunderous cheer erupted from the sandboard gang.

"YES, MASTER JAHWH!"

"SHOW HIM HOW IT'S DONE, BOSS!"

"MAKE HIM INTO DUST!"




Kenji leaned in toward Tony, arms crossed. "Don't you think we should stop this before Eleo gets turned into bunny stew?"

Tony shrugged, grinning. "Nah. Let's watch. It's funnier this way."




Kenji squinted at him. "You dumb skeleton. Aren't you supposed to be a responsible adult or something? How old even are you?"

Tony stiffened. "Uh—uh—I'm eighteen. Yep. Super youthful. Just like you younglings."




Kenji raised an eyebrow slowly. "…Uh-huh. Sure."




In Tony's mind: Crap. I can't let them find out I'm actually 130… Hopefully Eleo already forgot.




Eleo, still rubbing his trapped arm, looked up at Jahwh with big, expectant eyes. "Okay! Can you free my hand now so we can fight?"

Jahwh smacked his lips and rolled his eyes. "Ugh. Fine, fine. But only because I'm a gracious performer."




With a flick of his fingers, the sand cube melted into dust and crumbled away.

Eleo pulled his hand back and looked at it, now coated in gritty sand. "Blegh…" He shook it off, bits of grain flying. Then he looked at Jahwh with renewed determination. "Alright! Let's go, you weird-looking magic clown!"




Jahwh smirked and held his arms wide. "Before we begin… I need space to dazzle."

He turned to the crowd and barked, "Everyone! Move back. No—move super, super back. Like ten sand dunes worth of back!"




All the raiders immediately stood at attention.

"Yes sir, Master Sir!"

"Retreating fashionably, boss!"




Even Kenji and Tony found themselves backing up without realizing.

"Why are we backing up?" Kenji muttered.

Tony, still smirking, replied, "Honestly? I'm not sure if it's out of respect or fear."




Back on the field, Jahwh raised a dramatic hand and pointed at Eleo.

"Bunny kid… do you accept my challenge?"




Eleo puffed his chest proudly. "Uh—YEAH! Of course I do! I wanna beat you up so bad your sand quits!"

Jahwh put a hand on his chest in mock surprise. "Oh my, such fierce words."

Eleo nodded confidently. "Yup. I mean it."




Suddenly—

"ELEO—BEHIND YOU!!"

Both Kenji and Tony shouted in unison.




"Huh—?"




Eleo turned just in time to see a massive sand hand rising from the earth behind him, casting a long shadow.

The hand slammed down, but Eleo rolled forward at the last second, sand erupting behind him.




He scrambled to his feet, pointing furiously. "HEY! You JERK! YOU DIDN'T SAY START!"

Jahwh sighed theatrically, like a disappointed teacher. "Fine. Start. There. Happy?"




But before Eleo could react, two sand tendrils shot up and grabbed both his ankles, yanking him in place.

"Whoa—HEY!!" Eleo flailed his arms, hopping in place like a stuck toy.

Jahwh yawned and dusted off his coat.

"And now, time to… sand you up."




He turned toward his gang with a deadpan expression.

"…Now you guys laugh."

The crowd took a beat—then exploded into raucous, exaggerated laughter.

"'Sand you up!' That's gold!"

"He got the bunny by the FEET!"




Kenji pinched the bridge of his nose. "I hate how smug he is."

Tony folded his arms, amused. "I dunno. I kind of respect the theatrical commitment."




Eleo, still stuck, flailed harder. "I'M GONNA HIT YOU SO HARD THE SAND QUITS YOUR TEAM!!"




Everything fell silent.

The wind stilled. The desert held its breath.




Then—

Tony burst out laughing, clutching his ribs. "Eleo, bro—you are SO funny!"

Kenji, stiff as a board, forced out a jagged chuckle. "Ha… haha… yeah, Eleo… so… funny. Hahaha…"

You could practically see the vein popping in his forehead from the effort.




Eleo beamed, still stuck in the sand trap. "Aww, thanks guys! I try!"




Suddenly

Jahwh teleported behind Eleo in a swirl of glittering sand.

"Wha—" Eleo started to turn—

A vicious sand-enhanced spinning kick slammed into Eleo's side, launching him like a cannonball across the battlefield.


Jahwh pointed lazily. "Sand Block."








A thick wall of compressed sand materialized in Eleo's path—


Eleo slammed into it face-first and got stuck halfway inside—his legs kicking helplessly in the air.








The entire sandboard gang exploded with laughter.


"LOOK AT HIS BUTT STICKING OUT!!"


"BRO GOT FLATTENED!!"








Jahwh waved toward the crowd like a game show host. "Behold! This kid's power is real—he's got a special ability called Being Stupid!"


The laughter doubled in volume.








Tony gave a sideways glance. "Okay… maybe now he'll fight back."


Kenji's arms were crossed, his brow furrowed deep. "Why the hell isn't Eleo doing anything…?"








Jahwh turned back toward Eleo and rolled his eyes. "Wow. This is actually pathetic."








Then—


A voice, calm and sharp, rang out from behind him.


"Yeah… for you."








Jahwh's eyes went wide. He spun around.


"What the hell—?!"








Standing right there was Eleo's upper body, completely free, arms out and hands already transformed into massive ink cannons, glowing with pressure and power.








"Huh?! But—how—?!" Jahwh stammered. "Your legs are still moving over—WHAT THE HELL?!"


He turned his head—and sure enough, Eleo's legs were still wriggling, stuck in the wall like a cartoon glitch.








"INK CANNON!!"








A colossal blast of ink shot point-blank into Jahwh's chest, launching him backward like a rag doll.


"AAAHHHHH—!! SAND BLOCK!!"








Another sand wall formed behind him, catching his body mid-air—but this time, it couldn't stop the explosion.


The ink detonated like a geyser of smoke, ink, and force—shaking the sand and blowing dust in every direction. The raiders gasped, shielding their eyes.








When it cleared, Jahwh was flat on his back, coughing, covered in dark black ink, his eyeliner running.


The crowd was dead silent.


Even the wind paused.








Then—


Tony cheered, punching the air. "ELEO!! LET'S GOOO! SHOW 'EM WHO THE BOSS IS!!"


Kawai flopped excitedly on top of Timmy's head, squeaking, "MEEP MEEP!"


Timmy blinked. "That was… actually kinda sick."








Kenji, for once, was at a loss.


He stared at the cratered sand, jaw slightly open. "Wh-… how did he…?"


He blinked again, processing. "…Did he fake being stupid to make a surprise attack?"








Tony cackled beside him. "No, no—he is stupid. That's what makes it work."








Meanwhile, Jahwh, still covered in black ink, groaned and staggered to his feet, swiping at his dripping face.


"Okay… okay," he muttered, clearly annoyed. "I didn't think you had any powers, cotton ball."








Eleo dusted off his now reformed body and grinned proudly. "Well, I do! My S-Orb power is Ink!"


Jahwh sneered. "Oh really? Cute. But S-Orb or not, magic will always be superior. No contest."


Eleo crossed his arms defiantly. "Nuh-uh! S-Orb users are cooler and better and stronger!"


"Oh, we'll see about that."








Suddenly, the upper half of Eleo's body, which had still been standing separate nearby, melted into black liquid ink and flowed like syrup across the sand, merging back with his legs.


His full form snapped into place.


"Ahhh," Eleo stretched his arms, joints cracking. "How I missed this body."








Then he cracked his knuckles, grinned wide, and launched forward.


"INK BARRAGE!!"








Eleo's fists transformed into thick, swirling ink-gloves as he let loose a rapid flurry of punches, slamming them into Jahwh's sand shield. The strikes were fast, furious—and messy.


But Jahwh didn't budge. His shield absorbed the hits like a wall of shifting stone.








Eleo growled and leapt into the air, clapping both hands together.


His arms snapped into cannon form once more.


"INK CANNON!!"


He fired a dense blast of compressed ink at high velocity.








Jahwh narrowed his eyes. "SAND TORNADO!!"


He spun his hands rapidly, conjuring a swirling cyclone of sand. The tornado burst forth like a living storm, crashing into the ink blast.








The two attacks collided in midair—then the sand tornado overpowered the ink, continuing forward.


"Wait—wait—WAIT!" Eleo yelped as the tornado hit him head-on, sucking him into the vortex.








Now spinning rapidly through the air, Eleo looked like a pinball trapped in a blender.








Kenji watched the cyclone twist higher into the sky, his arms folded.


"...I guess sand magic really is strong."








Tony leaned back, casually resting a skeletal hand on his hip. "Yeh, maybe. But who needs magic when you've got these bad boys?" He flexed dramatically. "Fist users get it done."


Kenji side-eyed him. "Personally, I think sword users beat fist users. Always."


Tony scowled. "Oh please. Let's not start this debate."








Meanwhile, inside the spinning storm, a few grains of sand drifted upward—and then disappeared into the storm.








Kenji noticed. "Did… did he just vanish?"


"Wait for it," Tony muttered.








Suddenly, Jahwh burst up through the tornado, his body having fused with the sand particles, now fully inside the vortex with Eleo.


He floated upside down, arms crossed, smug as ever.


"So, bunny kid…" he smirked, spinning alongside his prey. "How are you gonna escape this one?"








Eleo tried to answer, but the spinning made him drool mid-sentence.


"By—by beating your aaaaaAAAAGHHHHHH—"








Jahwh punched him upward out of the vortex like a ragdoll.


Then, in a blur, Jahwh teleported behind Eleo mid-air, his arms transforming into giant sand fists—each the size of a wagon.


"SAND BARRAGE!!"








He unleashed a brutal combo, hammering Eleo repeatedly and finally slamming him into the sand below, kicking up a thick cloud of dust.


The ground trembled from the impact.








Jahwh landed on his feet with absurd elegance, brushing ink from his shoulder.


"Well, blue-hair and bones," he called out, "looks like your fluffy friend is finished."








Kenji narrowed his eyes. "No… he's not."


Tony pointed with his pinky. "Yeah. Look again."








Through the clearing dust, Eleo stood up, swaying slightly. He spit out a glob of sand, his ears twitching.


"Blegh… tastes like mud and dead dreams…"


He paused.


"…Kinda good, actually."








Jahwh's jaw dropped. "HOW the HELL are you still up?!"








Eleo wiped his mouth, cracked his neck, and smiled with grit.


"Because I can't lose. Not until I become the strongest man—uh, I mean animal—alive!"








The raiders stared.


Then—laughter erupted.


"Strongest?! This guy?!"


"The strongest CLOWN maybe!"


"He can't even fight gravity!"








Eleo's ears drooped. "I meant to say 'animal'..."


Jahwh sneered. "Well, time to humble the hype."


He clapped his hands, the earth rumbling.


"SAND CASTLE!!"








The ground around him surged upward, sand forming walls, towers, parapets. In mere seconds, a massive, towering sand fortress appeared—complete with cannons on each side. Jahwh rose with it, standing proudly at the top.


"Behold! I am the King of Noya!"








The raiders roared in approval.








Eleo looked up at the structure, eyes sparkling.


"WOAHHHH… That's so COOL."








Kenji squinted. "Tony… shouldn't we help him now?"


Tony lazily waved him off. "Come on, Kenji. You and your blue hair should know—Eleo's got this."


Kenji groaned. "Please don't start sounding like Olorun."








Meanwhile, the sand cannons atop Jahwh's towering castle fired in rapid bursts, launching chunks of compressed sand like mini-meteors.


Eleo zig-zagged across the battlefield, narrowly dodging each blast.


"LEFT! RIGHT! LEFT AGAIN!" he shouted, barely keeping his footing. "Okay, THIS ISN'T FUN ANYMORE!"








He stopped, planting his feet in the sand, cheeks puffed with frustration.


"HEY, COWARD!" Eleo screamed, pointing up at the castle. "Come out and fight me like a regular-sized villain!"








From the top of the sand fortress, Jahwh called down dramatically, "NEVERRRRR! Kings don't dirty their robes!"


Eleo's eye twitched.


"…Alright. You asked for it."








Suddenly, Eleo's long bunny ears twitched—then began to grow.


Longer. Thicker. Stronger.


They coiled upward, stretching like ropes, then curled inward like fists made of fur and muscle.








Jahwh's smug grin faltered. "Wait—hold on—WAIT A SECOND! You haven't even seen my other abili—"


"GIANT. EAR. FIST!!!" Eleo roared.








The ears swung down like twin wrecking balls, crashing into the sand castle with unbelievable force.








The fortress exploded into a geyser of dust, sand, and rubble—blasting debris in every direction. The shockwave hit the crowd like a tidal wave, forcing everyone to shield their faces.








Silence.








Then, from the rubble…


A single arm rose from the wreckage, wobbling in the air.


"MASTER!!"


"HE'S ALIVE!"


"TO THE KING!!"








Jahwh's people rushed forward, surrounding him, coughing and brushing off sand.


Jahwh sat up, hair messed up, makeup smeared, covered in blackened sand.


"I… am fine…" he muttered, weakly. "I… have lost."








The crowd gasped.


Jahwh stood slowly, back straight despite the bruises. He turned to Eleo, voice calm.


"You… Eleo… have beaten me. Fair and square."








Eleo blinked. "Oh. Cool. Thanks! …Actually, now I kinda feel bad."


Jahwh chuckled, brushing sand from his shoulder. "Don't be. You've taught me something. Strength without purpose is empty… and robbing people is kind of a jerk move."








He looked over his shoulder at his confused gang.


"Sand-Board Squad… no more robbing. We're changing. From this day forward—we're the good guys now!"








The gang stared for a moment—then broke into cheers.


"YEAH!!"


"NEW ERA!!"


"WE GOT MORALS NOW!!"








Jahwh snapped his fingers, summoning his sleek, floating sandboard from beneath the rubble. He jumped on it, standing tall.


"If we meet again," he said, pointing to Eleo, "I'll be on your side."








He turned to his crew. "Let's ride, boys!!"


The Sand-Board Squad hopped onto their boards and zoomed away, leaving trails across the golden dunes.








Eleo stood blinking, eyes wide. "…Wait, what just happened?"


He waved. "BYE!! I'LL MISS YOU GUYS!!"








A small sand gust blew into his face. He coughed.








Just then, Tony and Kenji walked up beside him.


Tony tossed an arm around Eleo's shoulder. "Well, would you look at that. The bunny squad's picked up allies now."


Kenji raised a skeptical eyebrow. "More allies?"


Tony shrugged smugly. "You'll see."








Eleo scratched his head. "Aw man… I forgot to ask if I could borrow one of their sandboards…"


Tony snorted. "Eh, ask next time. If we even see them again."








He turned, stretching dramatically. "Right now, we've got missing teammates to track. Olorun, Chiyo, Timmy, and…"


Kenji's voice turned flat. "...Kawai."


Eleo's ears drooped. "Ahhhhhh… maaaaaan."








Kenji turned toward the horizon, arms crossed. "When I find them, I've got words for leaving us in the desert."


Eleo raised a hand weakly. "Can one of you carry me? I think I left my stamina back in that sand tornado…"


Kenji sighed and crouched. "Fine. Hop on."


Eleo climbed onto his back like a sleepy child. "Thanks, Kenji. You're the best blue-haired sword guy I know."


Tony laughed as they walked. "You only know one, dumbass."








The trio began walking across the blazing dunes, dust swirling at their heels, the sun hanging high and heavy overhead.