Martel the Hammer

—

16th of November 2018. Miura’s apartment.

Deadline day.

Pens scratching paper, and the sound of the clock ticking. Sounds that had become the method of torture on Fridays.

Yukimura was popping painkillers like candy, and Yasuhisa was complaining to his agent about his “Overlooked genius.”

And a young Arata, doing all he could to help, and learn.

Miura-sensei relaxed in his chair, letting out all the frustration as his next chapter was complete. “So, the design is done. The next enemy…” He said with a grin. “The devil’s favourite battering ram…”

—

“Martel.” Arata announced.

The battle was continuing as expected. More and more of Arata’s ink army was being obliterated. His foot soldiers splashing the canvas, his flying creatures turning to black rain. Elara was being cautious. She was in between the front lines and the archers, waiting for an opening that the Hammer would not show.

Mayumi kept her command of Arata’s archer unit and ordering volleys. Even with them making contact with the beast it didn’t seem to be having any effect at all, and she was struggling to see what the next move was.

That was before Arata had celebrated at random.

Another arrow loose, another hit with no result. “Arata!” She called. “Get your head in the game! We need more-” She stopped as she noticed the lack of fear in his eyes. This wasn’t a broken mind lost in a false sense of victory. He had been subdued since the start of the planning of this, the life in his eyes was completely lost. But now, it had returned. “Arata?” She muttered, lowering her bow.

His smile beamed in the moonlight, and as he looked at her she knew he had unlocked the door to their victory. “I remember him… Martel of the cult classic, Legends die in Iron.”

Elara took her focus from the looming danger, she knew what it meant. “The Hammer? You know his story?”

Arata nodded. “The end of the story had all five heroes against the one standing before us. Four of them never came back, but the last took his head.”

“So he can be killed.” Mayumi replied, a smirk finally forming - replacing the stress and the hopelessness.

“Their swords were coated in wisteria poison. It didn’t outright kill him but it sure as hell slowed him down.”

Martel rampaged slowly forward. His legs were drowning in his own blood, for any other, the pain would have been unfathomable but still he trudged on. Soldiers cut his skin, too shallow to fully dig in, and then were destroyed. More and more flooded the battlefield, bathing it in black. Still, none of the three were fighting him, they were further back discussing.

Arata continued. “If I can draw the same poison we can use it against him. Then we should have enough time to reach the portal and get out of here.”

“Or we could use it to make him easier to kill.” Mayumi rebuked.

Arata recoiled upon hearing it, the monster that they were still struggling against, even with an army, was supposed to be killed by them? When it took five of the world's greatest warriors to do so? “We can’t beat him, Mayumi! If we stick around here too long that portal will open, and it's not going to wait for us to finish him off!”

“Mayumi is right, Arata.” Elara interrupted. “He won’t give up, he will chase us down and kill us. Right now, we’re struggling, but slow him down… and we can end him.”

He still looked ready to run. Elara and Mayumi would not follow, if he wanted to survive he knew this was the only option. So, he slumped down to the floor - lining out his new art piece. “Promise me you can beat him.” He commanded.

Elara returned her sights on the Hammer, narrowing her eyes, ready for the final phase. “We can.”

*-*-*

More arrows hit Martel, more swords and spears dug into his skin. He just laughed and destroyed the ones close enough. More lights shined beside the trio on the hill, more soldiers summoned and rushed down to the battle. This time, their armoury was bolstered. Instead of simple thin soldiers it was armoured tank units with heavy shields and short swords. Along with the arrows that rained down on him, bullets too flew through the air and into his bulk. Still, it was like flies floating around him.

Mayumi nocked a new arrow, the same eldritch design but slick and purple at the tip. She aimed at Martel’s face and it connected with his arm. The same vicious smile met her, but the wound felt different. It was if it was searing his muscles yet as he pulled it out it was cold as ice. But the smell of it took him back to the five that challenged him. It took him back to the one that stood over him, and took his head.

A new found anger took ahold of him, smashing through the front lines of the ink armies as if the poison had had the exact opposite effect. Mayumi glared at Arata, but Martel’s legs started to move strangely. Every step forward was instead a step back. His blood coated hands squeezed his head, trying to come to terms with the change to his being.

“What the hell did you do to him?” Mayumi asked, unsure what she was seeing.

“The poison is a neurological targeting agent. His movements will be completely different to what he wants it to be. A left foot forward could end up being his right index finger shaking.” Arata explained.

“Any attempt to attack will end up being something else completely…” Elara had noticed, Martel’s neck turned to the left and he angrily looked at his dominant right arm - clearly wanting to learn how to regain control of his weapon. The spar in her hand felt that much more deadly now. “We can win…”

Arata nodded again, but it was subdued slightly. Five heroes attacked in unison, all with poisoned blades and yet only one left with her life. “Eventually, he figured it out… it was thanks to the damage they had dealt that the last hero could defeat him”.

“Elara.” Arata called. “Hit him with everything, and we’ll get home!” His quick glance at the time remaining, forty five minutes, was all she needed - the desperation showing clear as day on his face. And with that, she split the crowd ahead - reaching Martel in an instance and cutting far deeper than any of the ink army soldiers. She hit bone in his leg, and the beast let out a guttural groan, still, laughter persisted.

Arata’s next plan was ready. Elara lunged forward again, and Arata activated his art. Another Elara “Double the damage!”. She formed beside him, but had a sort of momentum that carried her forward, almost cutting down Arata but stopping just short as he dropped to the ground. “Wha- What happened?” Elara asked, startled by the summoning.

“That’s my line! Why’d you try and end me?! That’s it, alliance over - Mayumi, protect your papa!”

Mayumi used the next arrow she had nocked to fire between Arata’s legs, just inches from his… inches…

“Why did you bring me back here?!” Elara shouted, the first time she had done so - catching the still terrified Arata off guard.

“No no… I made another you! You’re…” He pointed to the Hammer, and to where Elara was supposed to be…

“...not there?” He was genuinely puzzled. Leona had come back just fine, so why not Elara?

Pondering it, he decided to draw another Mayumi, and the same thing happened. It was an overlapping of the archer. Next, he tried drawing Leona, Franz, even Niedlich. They would just replace Mayumi.

“What the hell are you doing?!” Mayumi screamed, now back after Arata replaced Niedlich with her, still teary eyed he had to say goodbye again.

“I- I don’t understand! I mean, I’ve drawn the ink army and none of them replaced you so… am I being nerfed?”

Neither Mayumi or Elara understood him, Elara just chose to go back to the fight and deal damage while she could. “That’s it!” Arata proclaimed, now facing the sky and holding his hands high. “God damn you, shadow man! Give me a rule book or something!”

From the bushes nearby, the distinct sound of rustling broke through the crackling embers… and the next moment, another competitor broke through the treeline beside Arata. Instinctively he ducked down, expecting an attack. Mayumi quickly changed targets, but this new adversary jumped over the cowering artist and ran past them. Mayumi managed to get a shot off but unfortunately it collided with a tree just before it hit the runner.

“That way’s…” Arata muttered.

“They’re going for the portal!” Elara shouted. “If they can find a way to move it they can hide it from us.”

“They wouldn’t do that…” Arata reasoned. “But…” The possibility was enough of a horror story for him to rely on a person he didn’t trust.

Elara jumped past Martel’s guard and sliced the arm. “Mayumi, Arata and I can handle him! You are the only one that can be trusted to stop them!” She shouted.

“Hey!” Arata yelled back, but Mayumi had already nodded and started to make her way towards the end portal.

Another cut from behind this time, and Elara was back by Arata’s side.

“Are you sure about this?” Arata asked, seeing Martel slowly regain parts of his motion.

“Give me the time, Arata…”

“We will overcome this monster… together.”