A week had passed and Aria looked at her lance. She closed her eyes and thought of Lord Astros. She smiled and also thought of Reud. She opened her eyes and walked outside.
"Alright. Are you both ready?" Aria asked.
"We've been ready." Joshua said.
"We are only awaiting your command." Uchi nodded.
"Alright..let us set out to Spectem!" Aria said then got on her horse.
Joshua and Uchi both got on their horses. Aria's horse galloped towards Spectem and Joshua and Uchi's horses followed.
"Do you have any plan against Lady Nō?" Joshua asked.
"Nō is the Master of the Dark Element, my only plan is to use Light Elemental Attacks. Other than that I know nothing about Nō." Aria said.
"Nō's battlefield is full of spirits. Those spirits inhabit inside the statues and if three connect side by side it'll create an inescapable wall of energy until one disconnects." Uchi said. "Unfortunately you can not attack the statues. It is impossible to break them."
"This just makes this battle a whole lot difficult.." Aria mumbled.
"We can win it. You have an awakening that can handle Nō and Okuni. You also have us." Joshua said.
"Yeah! And my dragon form will wipe the floor with them!" Uchi smiled.
"Just don't go berserk again." Aria smiled.
"I'll try." Uchi giggled.
After a few hours, they reached Spectem and Nō was standing in front of the gates to the kingdom, accompanied by Okuni. The horses stopped and Aria jumped off her horse. She walked to Nō.
"This is your second trial for one of the three keys needed for Lem. I want you to know, we aren't stopping you because we are helping Omu...we are battling you because we need you to grow..we need you to become stronget than Omu." Nō said.
"Is that the truth?" Aria asked.
"Yes..it is the truth..and also you are one kingdom away until the Tower of Eternity activates...Aria...I will not hold back against you...I will go 1000% percent..break my limits if I have to..if it means you grow stronger and break your final limits.." Nō said.
"Very well..then I shall not hold back either..and break every limit I have.." Aria said and heard a screech and her eyes glowed.
Nō led them to her battlefield. It looked like a graveyard, but it fit Nō's abilities. Aria grunted and felt extremely cursed energy from Nō. Her arms were oozing of dark energy and looked like demon claws.
"I am one of the most versatile Warlords known in Genten..able to use magic and fighting close combat..say hello to my weapon, Hiruko. A cursed arm that has the power to maim gods.." Nō said.
"And my weapon!" Okuni said.
"A parasol?" Joshua asked.
"It's name is Hikage. Once carried by an acolyte of the goddess Amaterasu. The flames from my parasol rival that of Jekra." Okuni said.
"Grandpa Jakra?! Your flames are that powerful?!" Aria said.
"Oh? Jakra is your grandfather?" Okuni asked.
"Yeah..unfortunately he was evil..killing millions of people with his flames..the Holy Emperor was the one to stop his rampage against those innocent lives that was left in the ruins..Jakra chose his dark road a long time ago and is now sealed..and right before Phoenix and Talamat were born.." Aria said.
"I see...your grandfather was a villain..Well you are better than your grandfather! Your motives prove it. So officially prove it to us that you are our true hero!" Okuni said.
Everyone got in their fighting stances then Aria dashed to Nō. She bellowed and slashed. Nō perfect parried then kicked her up and appeared above her. Aria was surprised and grunted. Nō punched her down and summoned a dark purple ball of energy and threw it down to Aria. Joshua dashed and slashed the ball of energy in half and his sword cracked a bit. Okuni dashed to Joshua and used her parasol as if it was a sword. The two clashed and Joshua parried Okuni then pushed her away with his light energy . Okuni grunted and slid back. Uchi twirled her staff and shot lightning bolts at Nō. Nō swiftly dashed to Uchi, dodging her bolts then shifted her body and kicked Uchi aside then a phantom version of herself punched Uchi in the gut. Uchi coughed and groaned then was blown away. Aria slowly stood up and gripped her sword then dashed to Nō again.
"Your efforts are useless!" Nō bellowed and palmed Aria's stomach then swiftly palmed her stomach more 10 times then twirled and punched her stomach.
Aria groaned and coughed a bit of blood. She got blown away and hit her back against the wall of energy and fell to her knees. Nō's dark energy surged then got kneed in her face by Uchi and her lightning energy surged and crackled powerfully. She roared and blew Nō away. Nō rebounded off the wall of energy and dashed to Uchi. They entered a fierce hand to hand combat. Uchi dodged Nō then jumped and kicked down. Nō blocked her kicked and pushed Uchi away. Uchi landed and went for a strike. Nō got a reversal on Uchi then palmed her back then blasted her away then ran after her. Joshua and Okuni halted their battle to dodge Uchi and Nō.
'This power..' Uchi thought and landed on her feet then blocked Nō's attack.
Uchi blocked more of Nō's strikes then went for a sweep kick and jumped, spinning in the air and kicked Nō away. Nō spun around and landed on her feet and her eyes emitted purple aura.
"Uchi!" Aria yelled and dashed to Nō and went for a strike.
Nō blocked Aria with her left hand and blocked Uchi with her right hand. The three struggled and Aria's flames began to appear.
"Let's show her our teamwork!" Aria said.
"Right!" Uchi said then jumped back and dashed to No at full speed.
Nō blocked her attacks then pushed her arm away and palmed her chest. Uchi grunted then went for the strike again and Nō caught her arm then swung her and chopped her back. Aria slashed down from the sky and bellowed then her flames surged. Nō blocked the slashed and kicked her up. Aria spun the sword around with her feet and kicked the sword down. Nō dodged the sword and Uchi caught the sword and slashed. Nō blocked the slash and grunted then slid back. Aria bellowed and came down with a palm. Her eyes surged with energy and palmed Nō in her chest. Her breast reduced the damage, but the impact blew her away. Uchi tossed Aria her sword.
"Heh..your teamwork is amazing..." Nō said and stood up slowly. "But..you have yet to see me at full power!"
"Lady Nō is getting serious now!" Okuni smiled.
"Aria..!" Joshua yelled.
Nō bellowed and her dark energy surged powerfully. Hiruko's energy surged also. Aria and Uchi guarded their faces from the amount of energy being released. Nō vanished then struck Aria and Aria felt a rib crack from the impact then was blown away through an energy wall.
"That impact...broke the energy wall..?" Uchi said.
Nō let out a soft giggle then stood up straight. She had a serpent slithering around her arm and it fused with her weapon.
"I think this will be fun..Warrior Skill Activate! Sadist Serpent!" Nō said and her weapons glowed.
"A warrior skill that affects the weapon..?" Uchi said.
"This warrior skill boosts the power and elemental power of my weapon by a multiple of two for every male on the battlefield." Nō said. "My weapon is boosted by a multiple of six."
"Six..? There are two more males on the field..?" Uchi looked around then gasped.
"Mhm..there are two male spirits on this battlefield..I don't want to defeat you now..so I'll take my time and watch you kneel before me!" Nō said.
Aria laid on the ground and looked at the sky. Her rib was preventing her from making any excess movements. She winced then took out her last Talamat feather and opened her mouth. She placed the feather in her mouth and it dissolved, letting the energy flow inside her body and healing her insides. Aria stood up and her flames grew wild. She looked at Nō and her eyes flashed blue. She bellowed and her flames surrounded her. She was going into her awakened state.
"Such beautiful flames.." Okuni said.
A wing appeared from Aria's back and her energy vanished then she dashed to Nō. She slashed and blocked her attacks and dodged her strike then slashed through her orbs. Uchi dashed to Nō and went on the offensive. Nō gripped her face and slammed her against an energy wall and threw her into another energy wall. Uchi grunted and landed on her knees. She growled and her eyes turned dragon like. Her horns grew and she stood up. Her dragon wings appeared then she let out a roar then dashed to Nō. Nō blocked her strike and jumped back and ran around Uchi. Uchi charged a laser blast with her mouth and released the blast. Nō kept running then dashed straight towards Uchi and blocked her slash and kicked her aside. Uchi hit her shoulder on an energy wall. She grunted then stumbled off the wall. Aria dashed to Nō and went for the slash then Nō went for a reversal and pushed her into Uchi.
"Now this is the end!" Nō bellowed and the final statue connected and formed a box around them. Nō wall jumped into the air and sealed the top of the box. "Ultimate Skill: Quantum Force!"
The box lit up and released huge amounts of energy. Aria and Uchi looked around. Aria's eyes glowed brighter. She bellowed before the walls of the energy box exploded and caused a huge shockwave. Nō landed on the ground and felt a rush of heat. She guarded her face and as the smoke cleared she saw a barrier shatter slowly.
"What..?" Nō said in disbelief.
Aria fell on one knee and panted. Uchi looked at her, worried. Aria stood up slowly and held onto Uchi for support. She heard a screech again that sounded like Phoenix in her head.
"I...can not...give up..nor fall now..!" Aria said and her eyes flashed blue again.
"Your devotion is admirable..but it will get you killed..! The tower won't activate until you've gotten all 17 Kingdoms..I will give you-"
"No...I am defeating you right here...right now! In this battle! I will surpass you no matter the cost!" Aria bellowed and stood up straight and the ground started to crack a little.
Nō noticed the amount of energy she was trying to produce and release. She took a step back from the cracks on the ground. Aria bellowed more and her flames grew bigger and bigger.
"Release all of that energy Aria...Release those Sacred Flames gifted to you from my father.." Phoenix said in Aria's head.
Aria's flames started to slowly turn a deeper shade of red fused with blue. Aria panted and tried to break her final limits. She had a desire to defeat Nō. She didn't want to lose. Aria let out a yell and her flames fully appeared and her eyes fully turned blue. It wasn't a complete transformation, it was called False Evolution. She gripped the handle of her sword with both hands.
"Fury Arts!" Aria bellowed loudly. "Primordial Flame!"
Aria slashed down, releasing energy as powerful as Phoenix. Aria bellowed and Nō got in guarding position and blocked the attack. Her weapons started to crack a little. Nō bellowed and her dark aura surged powerfully.
"Fury Arts! Malevolent Spirit!" Nō bellowed and a phantom version of herself dashed to Aria.
"Think again! Fury Arts!" Uchi bellowed and created a circle motion with her arm in front of her. "Divine Eclipse!"
The three Fury Arts being used caused a massive explosion, blowing all three of them away. Aria slid on her side on the ground. Uchi hit her back on a statue then turned normal and fell on the ground. Nō's weapons shattered and she hit her back against an energy wall and fell on her knees then face first. All three women were defeated. Joshua and Okuni were surprised then jumped back and continued their battle.
"Lady Nō may be out, but I am not! The battle still goes on!" Okuni said.
"With this final attack..you will be defeated!" Joshua bellowed.
Okuni's parasol released a large amount of flames and Joshua's sword released a large amount of light energy. They both powered up and the ground cracked a lot from the force of their energies.
"Warrior Skill Activate!" They both bellowed.
"Kabuki's Deterrence!" Okuni bellowed.
"Supreme Ruler's Exorcism!" Joshua bellowed.
Black and white aura surged to their weapons. Joshua's sword was about to break and he got in a stance. Okuni glared and used the remaining energy she had into this attack.
"Fury Arts! Amaterasu!" Okuni dashed to Joshua.
"Fury Arts! Lost Lumina!" Joshua bellowed and his sword glowed a bright silver and dashed to Okuni.
Blood was coming from Joshua's eyes and mouth as he used 100% of his Warrior Skill. Veins were coming from Okuni's arms and head. They both slashed and a extremely bright light lit up the kingdom. The people from other kingdoms could see the light even from the south of Genten. The light slowly vanished and Okuni fell on the ground and Joshua's blade shattered. He dropped his sword then fell on his knees and on his side.
"What was that..?" Gracia asked, looking out her window.
"I have no idea.." Mitsuhide said. He was in awe of what he saw. That light was aa bright as the moon in the night sky. He shook his head and finished polishing his sword for the next battle he had to face.