Series 5 Issue#13 - Belselk's Challenge

By Gemini Man (Lennon)

After researching the planet, the Quarter Knights, still hiding out in the Photosphere plot on how to change the world into a Demon Utopia.

Alhazad: After some extensive research I have come to realize that the earthlings seem to be incapable of living without the necessary resources such as plant life and water. My idea is to create a giant supercomputer that will run on these resources. Once enough energy is gathered to activate it the computer will drain the planet resources leaving nothing but a wasteland. The humans will soon wither awa y and the world is ours for the taking!

Zeikfried: The plan is perfect! These miserable life forms won't even suspect a thing.

Lady Harken: Uh, Alhazad, There's just one problem, what about us? Don't we need those same resources to live?

Alhazad: Of course we do, my pet. Once the process has been completed I will reverse it and create a beautiful land filled with all the resources just outside the Photosphere and far away from any earthling.

Zeikfried: There is still the question of where we get the energy required to activate our computer.

Alhazad: Those Mechanical Maniacs. They are robots that seem to run on an endless energy supply. Perhaps if we extract their energy from battle we can get the required amount.

Lady Harken: You're forgetting one thing. They defeated Belselk in one blow. What makes you think we'll be capable of lasting in a prolonged battle against them?

Zeikfried: That was because they caught us by surprise. Belselk is only a simple-minded warrior. He only thinks of attacking and never about defending against sudden movements.

Alhazad: Yes, according to the data taken from the fight against Boomerang our ability in battle is not much different from theirs.

Belselk: Those Mechanical Maniacs will be scrap metal once I get my hands on them! Give me another chance and I will obtain the energy needed from them!

Zeikfried: Very well. You want to fight them so badly then go ahead.

Belselk: That energy will be ours!

Belselk marches out of the Photosphere while Lady Harken confronts Zeikfried.

Lady Harken: If I may ask, but why are you sending Belselk on such an important mission when we've already pointed out that the Mechanical Maniacs have already defeated him?

Zeikfried: Even if Belselk fails he still would have gathered plenty of energy. And just to be sure we'll send out Boomerang to keep an eye on him.

Boomerang emerges from the shadows behind the Knights.

Boomerang: You wish for me to assist Belselk?

Alhazad: Just watch over him. Make sure he succeeds in defeating them. If he fails, you know what to do.

Boomerang: Of course.

With that, Boomerang fades into the fade darkness.

Meanwhile at the Ark, the Maniacs start off another day... broke as usual.

Shadowman: Damn it! We need money.

Needlegal: Well we all managed to get jobs and earn enough money to get supplies for the week.

Shadowman: And what happened to it?

Needlegal: Well let's see. Because of the damages done to the city last time we battled the Evil Eight we were forced to dish out a good half of the money to pay for damages.

Shadowman: And what about the rest of it.

Needlegal: That's an interesting question. Hardman, do you wish to enlighten us on what happened when I asked you to get us food?

Hardman: I don't recall you telling me to buy food. But I do remember you giving me money.

Needlegal: And what did you do with it?

Hardman: Spent it on booze of course!

Needlegal smacks Hardman upside the head.

Hardman: Ow! Hey that hurt! What did I do wrong?

Geminiman: I don't see why you relied on him to get our supplies.

Snakeman: That's because you'd spend it all on anime. Like the last time.

Geminiman: Oh that's right.

Topman: And Sparkman hasn't seemed to do anything these days.

Sparkman: That's because everything you do is so immoral! We shouldn't be worrying about money. As long as we're happy and healthy we should be donating our money to the less fortunate.

Magnetman: You do realize we are the less fortunate.

Shadowman: Damn those counterfeit money detectors! We'd be living a fine life if it weren't for them.

Needlegal: Well that's what you get for trying to rip people off, brother. It was bound to happen sooner or later.

Teletran One starts beeping.

Geminiman: Great, another attack on the city.

Sparkman: Hmm, it seems to be one of the Quarter Knights.

Snakeman: Ignore him. He's not a problem of ours.

Magnetman: What is he doing anyway?

Shadowman: Switch on the speakers.

Belselk: Mechanical Maniacs! I am calling you all out to face me in battle! I, the mighty Belselk challenge you all to a rematch to regain my honor! If you do not comply I will level the entire city into nothingness!

Hardman: Heh that guy actually thinks we'll accept the challenge?

Sparkman: We have to! What about those poor people?

Snakeman: Hey, it's not like he actually has the power to level the city. I mean come on!

Belselk: And to show I'm not kidding.

The sky begins to turn black and lightning starts striking random areas of the city.

Geminiman: Wow, the freak can actually manipulate the weather.

Topman: I guess we got to give him at least some credit.

Needlegal: Hmm, a message just arrived from city hall. It says to accept the challenge and save the city.

Shadowman: What have they done for us besides make us poor? Why should we bother?

Needlegal: Because they are offering a huge reward if we defeat him.

Shadowman: A huge reward!

Geminiman: We'd be rich!

Topman: No more working boring part time jobs!

Shadowman: Let's go!

The Mechanical Maniacs teleport to the scene to find Belselk rampaging through the city throwing his mace at buildings and basically being an annoyance.

Belselk: Ha! You actually came! Now I can crush all of you for making a fool of me, but first.

Belselk activates a teleporter and sends all of them into a dark cavern filled with lava and spikes.

Belselk: I analyzed your weaknesses and learnt that you are destroyed upon contact with spikes and lava so now the advantage is mine!

Shadowman: Well I'll be, they actually pulled off a plan.

Belselk: Do not mock me! You are on the verge of death! You should be begging for mercy!

Snakeman: That's not really our style.

Hardman: I'm bored! Can't I just smack him again?

Magnetman: Go ahead. He's beginning to annoy me.

Hardman fires a Hard Knuckle at Belselk but it Belselk shatters it into pieces with a swing of his mace.

Hardman: Hey! That was my hand! I needed that for drinking!

Belselk: Mwahahahaha! That may have worked last time but I am prepared this time!

Belselk throws his mace at the Maniacs who dodge it with ease.

Topman: Nice aim. All that talk and you couldn't even hit any of us.

Belselk: I'm not done yet.

Belselk swings his mace around the room in an attempt to hit the Maniacs but still misses and Shadowman throws a Shadow Blade at the chain and breaks the mace off.

Belselk: No! You broke the chain! You've ruined my weapon!

Sparkman: Was that all we had to do?

Belselk: I'm not done yet! You will all feel the flames of my wrath!

Belselk charges at the Maniacs and tries to pummel them but he's so slow that even Hardman was able to dodge him.

Belselk: Argh! I will get all of you!

Belselk stomps angrily and soon all the spikes around the cave fall down and the ground breaks forming a spiked cage surrounded by lava, trapping the Maniacs.

Geminiman: Hmm, well this seems to have changed the situation.

Magnetman: I have to say that was an impressive fluke.

Snakeman: So what exactly do we do now? We're trapped and pretty much doomed.

Belselk: Huh? Did I just trap them? I did! I did it! I've defeated the Mechanical Maniacs! How does it feel? How does it feel to be beaten? Hahahahahahahahahaha!

Needlegal: Just one fluke and he's already shoving the victory down our throats.

Suddenly Zed jumps out of nowhere.

Zed: Now's my chance! Die Mechanical Maniacs!

Zed pulls out his sword and slashes at the Mechanical Maniacs but to no effect.

Zed: Ha! You're not so tough now are you?

Topman: This gives me an idea.

Topman picks up Zed and throws him at the spikes, which breaks the cage wall.

Zed: Pain.

Belselk: Damn that Zed! He has foiled my plans! But no matter I can still win this!

Belselk pulls out another ball and chain and throws it at Topman knocking him into Hardman knocking them out.

Belselk: Now how's that for a cheap shot?

Sparkman: Hey that was unfair!

Belselk: Well too bad!

Belselk stomps on the ground again and causes the land everyone is standing on to crumble more.

Geminiman: Seems that he's intending to make us fall into the lava.

Snakeman: Tell me something we don't know.

Needlegal: Maybe we should start taking him seriously. I mean there is that huge reward that we get for defeating him.

Shadowman: You have a good point.

Hardman: But taunting him was fun.

Geminiman: Yeah well look at the predicament we're in now because of it.

Needlegal: Maybe we should be focusing on shooting him instead of casually watching him try to melt us all down to size.

Shadowman: Fine. I'll take care of it.

Shadowman begins to throw a Shadow Blade of the ground collapses and the Maniacs are forced to jump off and hold on to the walls of the cavern to avoid the lava.

Sparkman: Good thing those spikes are gone or we'd been done for.

Magnetman: Well there is no way Belselk could have survived that.

Sparkman: Unless he can withstand that kind of environment.

A ball and chain smashes into the cavern wall and the Maniacs look down to see Belselk standing in the lava.

Magnetman: Now you just had to say that.

Geminiman: Why is it that I'm the one who has to hold on to Topman and Hardman?

Snakeman: Forget about that! We have to get ourselves to safety.

Belselk: Mwahahahaha! Look who's laughing now! You should think twice before fighting me!

Needlegal: He's right. We're easy targets hanging here.

Shadowman: Unfortunately we can't do much about that?

Xelloss: My, my what a predicament you lot have gotten yourselves into.

Shadowman: Xelloss! What are you doing here?

Xelloss: Well now, is that anyway to treat a long time friend Mister Shadowman?

Shadowman: Just answer the question Xelloss. We're kinda in the middle of a problem here.

Xelloss: Oh you're no fun. Perhaps I might as well just leave you all here to die.

Belselk: Hey! Who are you? How did you get here?

Xelloss: You don't know who I am? Well I think I should be quite offended.

Belselk: It doesn't matter anyway! I'll crush you once I'm done with those robots!

Xelloss: Really, you'd think everyone would know you after you were responsible for killing hundreds of dragons with the wave of your hand but some people are just so ignorant.

Shadowman: Xelloss! We could use a little help here if you don't mind?

Xelloss: Oh so now you want my help? Just a while a go you couldn't care less about me. I think it might do you some good to stay here.

Geminiman: Damn it Xelloss! Would you please help us! Hardman and Topman are really heavy!

Topman: *regains consciousness* Hey! I'm not that heavy.

Geminiman: Yeah well combined with Hardman it's kinda hard to tell.

Xelloss: Well now you see. Mister Geminiman has manners. Now that changes everything.

Xelloss teleports the team and Belselk out of the cavern and into the streets of Megalopolis.

Belselk: What's happening? Why are we here again?

Shadowman: You teleported Belselk as well?

Xelloss: Well I certainly couldn't just leave him down here. That'd be unfair.

Needlegal: Damn it Xelloss. Why must you always do this?

Xelloss: Now that is... A secret!

Shadowman: I've had enough of him!

Shadowman throws a shadow blade at Xelloss but he disappears and the blade hits Belselk, wounding him.

Belselk: Argh! How could I have been beaten?

Belselk collapses to the ground.

Topman: Well what do you know. We got him.

Belselk: Wait! No! I'm still alive!

Belselk springs back to his feet but all of a sudden stops and gives out a scream of pain. Then Boomerang appears next to Belselk with the Saber Fang in hand.

Boomerang: The Quarter Knights have no need for weaklings like you.

Belselk: This can't be! I'm supposed to be the strongest!

Belselk falls in half as Boomerang puts away the Saber Fang.

Shadowman: Boomerang?

Boomerang: This battle has proven that Belselk is indeed no match for the likes of you. Therefore his existence in this world is redundant. I am now to take his place.

Sparkman: But that wasn't necessary!

Boomerang: I care not for your reasoning. My orders were clear, watch Belselk and if he fails dispose of him and carry out the mission. However since Belselk managed to gather some energy in this battle I've decided to spare you for a moment and deliver the gathered energy. But I will be back to destroy you next time.

Boomerang fades away leaving the Maniacs somewhat clueless.

Geminiman: What did he mean by energy?

Snakeman: Who cares, let's just go and get our reward.

At the mayor's office the team arrive to get their reward.

Mayor: Thank you for saving the city once again Mechanical Maniacs, here is your reward for your trouble.

Xelloss: Actually, that reward belongs to me.

Shadowman: Xelloss!

Needlegal: What do you mean by that?

Xelloss: Well you see, when Mister Shadowman here threw his Shadow Blade at Belselk, the attack was directed at me. Had I not teleported out of the way Belselk would still be around. So in theory I'm responsible for Belselk's defeat, as it was I who provoked Shadowman into throwing his blade at me in which I directed at Belselk.

Topman: What?

Magnetman: Who'd buy that story?

Mayor: I would. The reward money goes to Xelloss.

Xelloss: I see that my work is done, So long.

Xelloss disappears with the money.

Sparkman: But that's not fair!

Hardman: We did all the work and Xelloss took our money.

Shadowman: Damn you Xelloss!

Snakeman: Hmm.... I guess everything turned out all right.

Magnetman: But we lost our reward money.

Needlegal: And we learnt something too.

Shadowman: I think we already know that Xelloss is a bastard.

Needlegal: No, we learnt that we should take things more seriously. Look, if we actually fought Belselk instead of mocking him we would be rolling in a pile of cash right now but we didn't so there's no use crying over spilt milk.

Topman: Well until actually get some reward money we are.... The Mechanical Maniacs!

Cast:
Musashiden Razz as .....	Sparkman	Raijin as .....	Snakeman	Psycho Magnet as .....	Needlegal
Hadrian Howell as .....	Hardman			Nightmare as .....	Topman
Lennon as .....	Geminiman	Jonathan S. as .....	Magnetman	Gauntlet as .....	Shadowman