The sound of steel meeting steel echoed throughout the frozen tundra as Lucy and Hanzo had begun their battle, the Order Elite seeming worse for wear, his breathing incredibly ragged, his black clothes falling apart, still burning slightly to Merceny's flames, blood stubbornly flowing out of his nose no matter how much he tried to wipe it off and his eyes hazy and almost crazed. Meanwhile, Lucy was at her freshest (in more ways than one, with her choice of wear), easily parrying his attacks. But Hanzo stubbornly kept going, not showing any signs of slowing down.
-Hanzo...it seems my students gave you quite the wallop, didn't they?- she said, clashing Genesis against Hanzo's Niflheim. Hanzo gritted his teeth, trying to gain ground on Lucy to try and win the clash, but the Grim Reaper wasn't budging an inch.
-"Wallop"? You surely jest! I still have more than enough strength to stomp you!- he growled.
-The Hanzo I knew would never act so frustrated. I thought you were supposed to be the calm, emo type!- she snickered.
-Don't mock me!!- Hanzo shouted and managed to push Lucy back, who gracefully landed back on the snow, almost like her body was floating. -You never take anything seriously! Always throwing quips like you're some sort of stupid character in a book!
-We heroines kinda quip when we know our opponents are so weak that we can afford to run our mouth. You should be blaming yourself for making me flap my beautiful lips~ - she said, releasing Genesis and squeezing her cheeks together, puckering her lips.
-Would you stop?!- suddenly Hanzo was on top of her, the familiar ice trails having transported him forwards, allowing him to launch a midair chop, Niflheim in a normal grip. Lucy wasn't fazed, though, as she reached out for Hanzo's Blade and clapped her palms against the sword's sides, catching it like Merceny had done to Noah's Warrior's Heart back at their battle in the arena. Then, Lucy turned around and threw both Blade and BladeMaster away with incredible strength, sending both flying!
Hanzo quickly adjusted, though, and turned Niflheim into a bow again, launching an arrow towards Lucy. She grinned slightly and clenched her left fist.
Noah blinked. Was he seeing things?
Around her hand, a white aura could be seen! He had barely distinguished it from the snowy scenario, having just caught the fluttering of it, like fire. As the arrow approached her, she geared her arm towards her right side, around her neck and then let it sprung back to the left, the side of her fist colliding with the arrow and shattering it! A loud "BOOM" was let out as the shock wave of that swipe made a large chunk of snow fly up!
But the Elite wouldn't give up. Letting his body slide backwards into the air using the ice platforms that would form beneath his boots, Hanzo shot out an array of arrows at the same time, the projectiles zooming in from angles where Lucy wouldn't be able to simply dispatch them all with a swipe!
-Skating on air...what a cool move, Hanzo!- she smiled widely. She then raised up her right hand, now a black aura surrounding it. She then pointed her palm towards Hanzo and placed her index finger on her thumb, tensing her fingers up.- But mine's cooler.
And, with that said, Lucy did something...that Noah wasn't able to quite catch. Her right arm just turned into a blur and suddenly, all the arrows that were closing in on her all shattered at the side time, a small trail of black flames being left on the point of impact as the shards of ice fell onto the ground.
But as Lucy's arm reformed, an arrow appeared inches from her face, coming from gods know where! Hanzo, on his side, smirked. He had left a single arrow on his bow, launching it but a moment after he had launched all the others and pointed it straight towards between Lucy's eyes. With a lagging shot like that, she wouldn't be able to return to a neutral stance and flicker that last arrow in time!
Lucy didn't even blink as she caught the arrow, holding it between her right middle and index fingers, her palm pointed forward. The black aura still coated her hand, but this time just her fingers. But then it quickly switched back to the white, almost transparent aura, as she flicked her wrist around so that now it was the back of her hand pointed towards Hanzo, as well as the arrow's tip. Then, with a simple movement, she launched the arrow right back at its origin, Hanzo's eyes widening in shock. Luckily for him, he managed to boost downwards out of the way of the projectile, which still took a few strings of hair from him. The Elite fell back on the snow, but quickly got up, like he was desperate to keep fighting, lest his adrenaline end and his wounds catching up with him.
Lucy placed her hands on her hips and huffed.
-Hanzo, this is pathetic. You're too injured to properly fight me. That's what you get for stroking your ego and challenging the entire Angel's Crow for a fight. And then you get your ass handed to you by Merceny and Noah. You must be feeling pretty dumb right now.
Hanzo clenched his fists and glared at Lucy.
-Not at all. No matter what state I'm in...I'm still glad I get to finally fight you after I've evolved this much! My body doesn't matter, the amount of Aqua my soul can manipulate does, and let me tell you: I'm nowhere near dry enough to be done here!
-Funny because you were always super dry to everyone back when I was an Elite...-she muttered.
-And don't think I haven't noticed it! You may taunt me, but you're still taking this somewhat seriously! Why else would you be using Nexus!
Lucy tensed up. Noah noticed Merceny doing the same. They had managed to hide in the hull of the ship Noah had been watching Merceny and Hanzo's fight from and now they were observing Lucy's. But the boy didn't understand what they meant by that.
"What's a 'Nexus'?"
Hanzo shrugged.
-Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot that it's supposed to be "taboo" to talk about it. Please, Lucy. We both know full well religion isn't exactly your thing. Gods are universally accepted but you can't honestly believe that some Elements are worse than others, right? That some were not supposed to exist at all, right?
Lucy curled up her lips. Her cheery, smug aura was gone.
-Tell Salacia that. She's an orphan because of fanatic religion.
-Yet she pursued a life of battle. In the end, we all give in and seek to forget the suffering, right? And you censor me for trying to "copy" you?
Lucy looked up at him, teeth gritted, like he had just insulted her deeply.
-Don't hide behind coping mechanisms to justify your attitude! You and her are completely different! She hates fighting while you thrive on it! And I won't allow you to insult her! She's your family!- she shouted and ran towards him, Genesis in hand. Stomping on the ground, she spun and threw a slash much like Merceny had done. Hanzo tensed up and jumped to the side, avoiding a powerful blow, which lifted up a cloud of snow as soon as Genesis hit the ground.
But Hanzo did not have time to rest, as Lucy pursued him, becoming a buzzsaw-like figure much like her blonde protege had become with the Dark Dance ! It was a repeat of the previous battle, as Lucy began changing up the manner of the slashes, forcing Hanzo on the defensive immediately. But while the Elite was escaping a direct hit, it was just by a hair, the black Blade grazing him and leaving him filled with cuts in his arms, torso and face. And he wasn't dragging his feet either. Lucy was just much faster than Merceny! She was just a blur!
-Useless! I've figured out the rhythm of the Dance!- he shouted and as soon as Lucy's slash missed him, he propelled himself forward using the water jets in his boots and the ice beneath him to sharply spin upon himself and deliver a fierce slash towards Lucy's stomach!
But she wasn't there anymore.
Twirling upon herself as she sailed backwards so gracefully one would think she was flying, Lucy completely avoided the counter-attack and landed on the snow so softly that it didn't even lift not even a puff of it. But her feet still sunk into the mushy substance as she kept spinning until the stopped, her legs coiled around each other, much like Mercedes's movements during her duel with Noah.
The snow covered it but the white and black auras coated her boots, the ethereal substance rising up her legs, intertwined but not making contact. But for a split second, the edges of the auras touched, the sound of a spark released from the contact.
And Lucy disappeared.
And she materialized in front of Hanzo, sailing head-first towards the man, Genesis pointed at him, her body twisting in a corkscrew motion. She quickly corrected her positioning midair and as she floated above him, she launched her own swing down at the Elite.
Hanzo's eyes were wide. But he managed to get a grip on a reality just fast enough to begin sliding back to avoid the chop. But he wasn't fast enough. Lucy released her Blade and allowed her body to continue the forward motion, reaching close enough to sink her fingers into his shoulders, grabbing his coat and as she began to fly past him. She used the new leverage to throw her legs forward and began to land, feet-first, behind him, Elite on her grasp. As soon as her boots sunk into the ground, Lucy took all the forward momentum and channeled the white aura into her arms before swinging them forward, throwing Hanzo with an incredible force, sending him flying forward!
But most impressive of all was that, in Noah's perspective, was that one moment Lucy was landing gracefully on the snow and the very next one, she was already throwing Hanzo.
The blonde blinked, rubbing his eyes.
-W-what?! How did she...
-Nexus allows her to achieve superhuman feats...-Merceny answered, watching the battle beside him.- Once she gets serious, it gets hard to keep up with her movements.
Noah looked over at him. His face was wrinkled, showing that even he was having trouble watching all that. And those injuries didn't help at all, he thought.
-What's...Nexus, Merceny?- Noah asked.
Merceny took a deep breath and sighed.
-Lucy's Element. It's unlike anything you've ever seen.
-That aura...light and dark...-Noah's eyes widened- Does she have..?
-"...Lightus and Darkus"? No. It's impossible for anyone to possess two Elements.- the mercenary interrupted him- But you're also not that far off. Nexus is a taboo Element. Something born out of the sin of the gods. In a way it represents the duality of the humans they created. Peace and violence...chaos and order...
Meanwhile, Hanzo created platforms that allowed him to skate in odd angles, twisting his body so that it faced Lucy again, as she stood below him. He certainly wasn't expecting a feint like that! Gritting his teeth, he formed the bow and began forming another Diamond Dust Arrow, pointing it towards Lucy!
The woman simply pointed her left palm towards him, the dark aura coating it, thicker and thicker. Although while Merceny's was of a dark purple, Lucy's was more of a grey-ish black.
-It's like a mix of both Lightus and Darkus.- Merceny's words echoed on Noah's ears as he watched her- That creates a completely different beast. It's not black or white, it stands on a gray area. Not night, but...
-Twilight Blast !- Lucy shouted, flicking her palm down and Hanzo's body was shot down into the snow, a black cloud-like mass having materialized above him and crashed onto the Elite, bringing him down with a "THUD".
Lucy then rose her right hand, palm pointing upwards, like she was holding a glass. The white aura began enveloping it, being of a silver tone.
-Not day, but...
-Dawn Surge !- she exclaimed, flicking her hand upwards, the Elite's body being shot up, like a rag doll, by a wave of an ethereal substance bursting from beneath him, throwing him back onto the sky. Lucy followed up on him and thrust her hand forward, a second silver wave blasting him further forward, his body landing on the snow harshly.
Lucy curled up her hands, both auras flickering as they coated them, the white and dark lights slowly mixing together.
Just what kind of energy was that, Noah thought?!
-Hanzo, give up! You're in no shape to fight! Drop your stupid pride, it reeks of testosterone!- she shouted, summoning Genesis and stomping towards where the Elite had landed.
But Hanzo still stood up, Niflheim in hand, his whole body shaking.
-I won't...I won't stop!- he glared at her, his stare filled with rage and bloodlust- I must surpass you! My ice has surpassed the angel!- he roared and he skated towards her. Lucy also began running towards him. They both stepped in, spun to carry additional force and threw a diagonal slash.
Both their Blades clashed, the echo of their meeting reverberating through the tundra as both BladeMasters were pushed back by each others' force. They spun back and threw a slash from below, their Blades meeting each other again, but the result was the same, both BladeMasters sent recoiling back. Lucy tsked, annoyed that Hanzo still had that much strength, while the Elite seemed to be holding on to every ounce of rage he had in order to keep himself conscious.
They kept at it, the flurry of slashes and clashes continuing to echo through the battlefield. Noah did his best to keep up with their movements and slowly, but surely, their blurry forms took somewhat of a shape and he could keep up...somewhat.
Merceny nodded towards him.
-Yeah...using Astral Soul to heighten your senses will help you. Just don't push yourself. Watching her or not won't change the result: Lucy will win.
Noah hadn't even noticed he had managed to activate Astral Soul until he looked at his hands, noticing the translucent aura on them.
-Nexus primary abilities can be seen by the white and black auras too. - Merceny kept explaining.- The whiter aura grants her incredible raw force, allowing her to be much stronger than her thin frame suggests, so it explains how she was able to create those shock waves before and how she threw Hanzo so far. The darker aura grants her speed but it's on a...much deeper level.
-"Deeper"?- Noah asked.
-It's like she can manipulate, to a very small extent...time and space themselves, to create a delayed reaction after she concludes an action. At least that's what it seems like to me. No body can normally move that fast in such a short amount of time or else she wouldn't have been able to deflect all those arrows. Maybe I'm not that experienced and people like Hanzo just see it as "really fast", but...in the heat of battle, it's like she can reach beyond her arm's length...bend the space around her...and parry anything thrown at her. Whenever I launched my Darkness Crossfire in my battles before, she destroyed every fireball...seemingly without leaving the spot she was in.
Noah's eyes widened.
-That's...impossible...
Merceny gulped.
-That's just the level the strongest stand upon. I can't match her...not yet...
Noah was amazed. Not only by Nexus' power but...also by Hanzo's resilience. Because he was keeping up with those abilities! The clash of the Dances continued, both BladeMasters zipping around the snow, sparks flying around from the clash of metal. Hanzo scurried away from the flurry of forceful attacks Lucy threw at him while the Grim Reaper nimbly dodged the attacks launched from odd angles by the Elite, as both tried to build their rhythm, Hanzo trying to get into her blind spots by using his ice platforms in midair in odd angles while Lucy tried to keep him dazed long enough to build up her momentum. But they were both evenly matched!
Until...
Lucy's Genesis got stuck! Lucy tried to raise it up but it was covered...in a layer of ice! She couldn't pick it up from the ground!
-I see...- she snarled- You were trying so hard to meet my attacks because Niflheim has been slowly freezing Genesis ! It was only a matter of time until it got stuck to the ice on the ground.
Hanzo panted but he readied his Blade and charged towards Lucy!
-But I'll just use brute force..!- she said, the silver aura coating her arm, Nexus' strength ability coming forth in full priority!
-I won't give you time!- he said, skating towards her, but jolting to his right, curving his trajectory until he was behind her. Wasting no time, he burst forward, thrusting Niflheim !
You do know why...
Suddenly, an overwhelming sense of dread overcame Hanzo...And that made him hesitate, take notice of his wounds for a split second. And that made him slow down as Lucy began to turn towards him, letting go of the frozen Genesis's shaft. She clutched something invisible in her hands, the darker aura beginning to coat them and take shape. Forming something long...a cable?
...they call me "Grim Reaper", yeah?
The same cold stare she had given Tal coated her face. The sound of something cutting through the air filled the tundra.
Niflheim flew, landing and sticking on the snow.
The shaking palm of the Diamond began bleeding through his glove.
As Lucy had finished uttering those ominous words, an object had formed on her hands. While Genesis was of a white interior and black edges, the object Lucy now held had white edges, while the inside was mostly black, although both colors did intertwine to form an ethereal pattern of sorts along the blade. It was a long, curved blade, tipping downwards, sprouting from a parallel, longer edge in the shape of two feathers. The one below tipping inwards while the one above tipped outwards, both having three gaps, almost saw-like. The black cable came down from the between the feathers, having a small horizontal handle on the middle of it. As Lucy stuck the cable down on the snow, it showed that the whole weapon was just a bit taller than her, the blade already being almost as long as Noah's arm, it seemed!
-What kind of weapon...-Noah started.
-It's a "scythe". Farmers use it to harvest food like wheat. But in time it came to be associated as a weapon of execution. The "Grim Reaper" is often said to wield one to harvest souls, much like the farmers do to the aforementioned wheat and guide them to their resting place. It is a weapon designed, not to protect, but to kill.- Merceny explained.- So, Lucy only uses it for serious battles. It wouldn't fit the image of protector paladin she's trying to go for with the people of Soula if she used a big-ass scythe like that.
-True...just by looking at it, I get the hibbie jibbies...-the boy gulped- But how can she...wait, I know! It must like with Mercedes! Her Blade is actually two weapons!- he surmised, nodding to himself. But wait...
Two weapons?! She's been using half of her Blade all along?! Now he just felt insulted...
Hanzo stepped back. Even he seemed to be taken aback, which surprised Noah. It was like he had never seen that scythe before, but hadn't Lucy trained at the Order HQ all those years back?
-So...that is the weapon that you've acquired through sorrow.- he said.
Lucy lazily spun the scythe around, its blade reflecting the sun rays that peeked through the clouds.
-Yes...Eldus Egas told me that people that have multiple weapon-based Blades usually can only summon a portion of it at first. The rest must be acquired through soul growth or after certain events trigger such strong emotions that change the soul's cognition. For me, it was the realization that struck upon me after running away from the Order. We had achieved peace, yes. Helped a lot of people. But our hands had been dirtied with blood. As child soldiers. As deterrents. Attila told us that we were his angels, but the moment we killed for the first time, we became anything but that.
"We are killers. Murderers. I can never run away from it. But for a long while I had never realized that it was something that existed in my life. Fighting was scary, yes, but I never truly realized the gravity of my actions. I only cared about my own safety and the instructions I was given. Only upon seeing my brother...being attacked by Balthazar, that night...did I realize the cruelty of death. That it strikes us all, one way or another. If not being dealt on us, it's dealt by us. I've realized that I was not the Angel of the battlefield. I was a warrior. A good one at that. A superb killer.
A 'Grim Reaper'.
4 years ago, when I received the title of 'world's strongest', it was when I awakened it for the first time. This symbol of what I hadn't accepted back then. I first took up the sword to protect my brother, to protect the Order's children, Attila's ideals for peace. That was the Genesis of my deluded visions. When I ran away, they began breaking down. And when I received this, I knew they had truly vanished. The childish innocence had ended.
It had reached its Apocalypse."
Hanzo shook his head.
-Genesis and Apocalypse. Those names are not originally Gaianese. They are from the books Attila kept in his study. Those fantasy books that spoke of other religions, if I'm correct.
-"Beginning" and "End", yes. Alongside Nexus, what fitting Blade, yes?- Lucy laughed, but it had no happiness in it. -Always two-faced, huh..?
-Funny how your quipping nowadays falls apart so quickly...- Hanzo pointed out- You really are a shell of your former self, Lucy. The BladeMaster I looked up to seems to have disappeared.
-Hanzo...why? Why do you insist on this? On copying others' styles? You already have such powerful mastery of Aqua on your side, and factors like the skating, the bow... if you could just focus on them---
-Shut it! I do it for my own reasons! You, who has such talent and can do anything alone, couldn't possibly understand!- he shouted.
-Hanzo, you're wrong...-Lucy shook her head- And I'll make you understand. My words will carry better if they're served alongside Apocalypse !- and with that, she readied Apocalypse behind her back and charged towards Hanzo.
Lucy clutched the small handle with one hand and placed the other further down the main shaft. The hand on the handle then pushed that up. Supported to the main cable by a ring, the handle slid up until it was much closer to the blade. Hanzo flipped Niflheim on a reverse grip and charged towards her, both BladeMasters nimbly spinning, Lucy raising Apocalypse from behind for a vertical slice while Hanzo decided to meet it with an upwards slice. As Lucy readied herself for the motion, she deftly took the handle and rotated it so that it was on the outer side of the scythe, allowing her to grasp it much better as she launched her attack.
Steel met steel, sending schock waves across the battlefield as both Blades clashed and here subsequently sent back by each others' force. But Lucy kept her footing and spun forward in the same manner, Hanzo jumping back and dodging the attack the blade sinking in the snow.
-Too slow!- Hanzo said- A weapon like that won't do you any good in close quarters!
Lucy smirked, though.
-The moment you dodged assured the first step!- she said as she clutched the handle, rotating it so that it was on the inner section of the scythe again, quickly placing the whole thing behind her again and spun towards Hanzo. -Let's see your Dance react to this!
With that, she launched an horizontal slash, aimed right towards Hanzo's stomach. The Elite simply dodged back but he didn't have time to even begin to lean in for a counter-attack before he had to boost himself back again, the scythe's blade already on him again. He kept trying to dodge, but soon a long rip right along the middle of his jacket was made. Too close!
Lucy kept spinning and spinning, her figure turning into a blur, a dark ring around it. It really was like a buzzsaw! It fit the Dance like a glove!
And Hanzo knew it. The Angel's Dance was a technique that made attacking repeatedly with the same motions a viable strategy due to fast and forceful step-ins close to opponent. And that was when she used a sword! A scythe was a much deadlier weapon for that kind of movement, once it got going, turning its user into a whirlwind of steel!
"Then I'll have to dodge further! Make use of the fact that its a longer weapon, with longer recovery, to make a counterattack!" he thought. The boosts on his boots propelled him a few more centimeters back than before. It was all about understanding the pace of the Dance and use the moment Lucy spun and had her back to him to launch a counter!
-Not so fast!- his thoughts were interrupted by Lucy's voice. Her hand on the handle began sliding it down the main cable, her arms getting closer together. Rotating the handle so that it was on the outwards edge yet again, Lucy resumed her spinning, but now her body was further away from the scythe's blade as she grabbed it closer to the edge of the cable, doubling her reach!
"No! I should have seen this coming!" he gritted his teeth. Dodging to the side wouldn't work against that wide of a swing arc. All he could do was to dodge further and further back or else he'd be seeing his lower body from an all-new perspective! But try as he might, every time he stepped further back, the more Lucy slid the handle down, upping the scythe's range and making it harder for Hanzo to dodge!
"A scythe can't as easily make different angled slashes once the user begins spinning. But the unpredictability associated with the Dance comes forth as soon as Lucy begins to increase or decrease the amount of cable she's holding, making her rule the mid-range battlefield! I don't have many options there. I'll have to discard a close-range counter and go full long-range!"
With that, the ice platforms sprouted from underneath him and launched him to the air, away from the scythe's length. He quickly formed the bow and prepared another arrow for Lucy.
"What is she..?!"
To Hanzo's surprise, Lucy simply kept her spinning motion, but now she sunk her feet in the snow, reeling the scythe from behind her with extra force, the white aura of Nexus coating her hands.
-My reach doesn't stop here, Hanzo!- she shouted and threw yet another slash. But how would she hit him?! He was meters away from her and in the air no less!
"CLINK"
The sound of clinging metal reached Hanzo's ears before he saw a shape approach him from the side and striking him on his midriff, sending him zooming to the snow.
For a split second, the world went black around him, but the adrenaline and Burst Soul Crash that were fueling him throughout the whole battle hadn't run out yet. He could feel his body breaking apart, not being able to stop to flow of soul energy flowing through his body due to him not using the Attilan Method as a trigger, but he didn't care. Lucy was showing him all her cards now and if he could get one good strike, he knew he'd finally beat her!
So his body erupted from the snow, carried by the ice platforms sprouting from his feet and also hands allowing him to travel more stably. through the air.
The sound of metal reached him again and he saw something's shape approach him from above. Gritting his teeth, he boosted himself back, a few of his crimson hairs leaving his head. But he had dodged it. And now he could see it.
It was Apocalypse's blade. But it wasn't connected by the main cable anymore. Instead, a long black chain could be seen coming down from the feathered edge all the way down to Lucy, who clutched cable with one hand and the beginning of the chain with the other. It seemed to have come out from inside the cable! So it was hollow, after all!
"What a terrifying Blade, having a hidden mechanism like that! But how---"
Lucy answered his question as she gripped the chain with Nexus's power and spun again. The rest of the chain and the Blade flew from the ground, made their trajectory around her without delay and zipped towards from above Hanzo again!
-No!- he shouted and quickly clashed Niflheim with him, deflecting the scythe's blade away.
"Now's my chance!" he thought, boosting himself down and roughly changing his trajectory forward so that he begun zooming towards Lucy, who was still clutching the drooping chain.
A soft sound reached him from behind, though. A zipping sound, similar to his arrows. Something was approaching him!
Supported by arc shaped platforms, Hanzo performed a back flip, the object breaking through said platforms and returning to Lucy. Hanzo could see it: the chain was moving back inside the cable and a moment later, the scythe's blade connected itself to it again! She had returned the weapon to its original shape without having to manually retrieve the blade!
Twisting the handle, like she was revving a motorcycle, Lucy smirked at Hanzo as he landed wobbly on the snow.
-Feels spooky fighting the unknown, right? Nobody in the Order ever fought me with Apocalypse. So nobody knows all of its features.
-Height change that compliments the Dance...and a hidden chain that dramatically ups its range. Coupled with Nexus's strength, which allows you to move the blade and chain like they're nothing, it's truly a fearsome weapon...But!- Hanzo held Niflheim and it began changing. But not to a bow, this time. The ice added to its length and girth until it formed a double handed sword, much like Terri's!- You are not the only one who can change modes!
-More like "changing copies"...- Lucy sighed and charged towards Hanzo.
-Be quiet! - he shouted, holding his Blade with both hands and clashing it with Lucy's, both Dances meeting again and shaking the battlefield. But now it was Lucy that was sent aback. Apocalypse didn't carry the same weight as Genesis did so it couldn't win a head-on clash against such a heavy Blade! Hanzo pursued, swinging the two handed sword with rage, clumps of snow being sent flying, his strength having increased dramatically out of nowhere! Lucy could do nothing but to keep stepping away from it. Every time she tried to circle around, Hanzo quickly corrected his trajectory and kept smashing away!
-How did you...-Lucy then saw it. Hanzo's arms were coated with extra thick layer of ice armor, forming a pair of gauntlets of sorts. And along the arms and gauntlets, you could see tubes for the same water jet boost he used with his boots. That way, he could swing the heavy blade with the same strength of Terri!
Suddenly, Lucy hit something. She looked back and saw that she was up against a rock, the hull of a ship having been destroyed by it. Not too far to the side of that boat, she could see the ship were Noah and Merceny were holed up! They were already close to the sea!
-I've got you!- Hanzo shouted and thrust the sword towards Lucy. She curled up her lips and clutched Apocalypse, the darker aura of Nexus beginning to coat her hands. She leaned forward and swung the scythe!
Noah blinked. What had just happened? Lucy was...gone! It was like...it had happened with Tal!
The boy then realized it: when Lucy fought Tal, the array of slashes soon followed after she had materialized behind the masked boy! Could she have used some kind of attack using Apocalypse and Nexus at that time?
Hanzo stood there, the edge of his ice broadsword stuck to the rock where Lucy had been against a moment ago. He wasn't moving but suddenly the ice coating Niflheim began to break away, leaving only the short sword behind.
What happened next, Noah couldn't really explain: Hanzo's body became...blurry. The mass of black jolted straight and began moving around wildly, flashes of silver that Noah could only guess were Nifleheim erupted from it in seemingly random directions around him. He was swinging his Blade around like a madman. Noah turned towards Merceny to ask the mercenary what had happened to Hanzo but the young man's face was pale, his face splashed in incredulity. Soon, the sound of metal meeting metal over and over again reached Noah's ears and he looked right back at Hanzo. But now he could see it. Grey-ish black crescent stripes could be seen around Hanzo and as the Elite's hazy figure either quickly dodged or swung his Blade towards them, in a frenzy, the sound of clashing blades could be heard! Noah wasn't sure where they had come from, but those ghostly slashes were parried or dodged by the red-headed Elite!
But then Lucy, who had vanished from the blonde's sight, suddenly appeared behind Hanzo, swinging her scythe back at him. The Elite was fast enough to look back and notice that, though, as he turned back himself and clashed Niflheim with Apocalypse, both BladeMasters struggling to win the clash. The blurry slashes weren't there anymore. It was like...they has been fighting all that time and Noah could only clearly see the end result, all the rest before it having been...bizarrely fast-forwarded!
-You used that same technique against Tal...-Hanzo said, panting -Some kind of technique that bends time to allow you to reach inhuman speeds..!
-I have to hand it to you, though: you managed to react to them.- Lucy smirked.
-I was lucky. The breaking of the ice coating Niflheim gave me time to notice and begin dodging. No wonder Tal wasn't able to avoid it. But I know you could have finished me off, but you decided to disable Niflheim's armor first!
-So what, I hurt your pride, Hanzo? I'm not...going to kill you!- she said, making an effort to win the struggle but Hanzo wasn't giving her an inch!
-Then I just might! I won't join someone that doesn't fight seriously!
-You want me beat you to a pulp and capture you, then? Hanzo, you're being irrational! Please stop!
-The only person I follow is the Angel that has inspired me! That is the only thing I have to hold on to in my life!- he said, jumping back and charging towards her. But before he could get in range, he jumped, using one of his ice springs. Lucy followed him as he flew above her and twisted his body so that it faced her in midair. Then, an ice platform formed beneath him and he used that as leverage to zoom towards her, Niflheim in a reverse grip in his hand. Lucy blocked the attack with Apocalypse's cable, sending Hanzo flying to the side, but he simply used another platform to attack her from another angle. The flurry of slashes kept going at incredible speeds, Lucy having to spin the scythe around herself to keep blocking the attacks, but couldn't quite catch Hanzo recovering himself long enough to deliver a counter.
-That's...Sobek's technique! What happened to the Dance, Hanzo! Wore out its welcome?!- she taunted as she blocked another attack but instead of letting Hanzo escape, she pushed him forward. But the Elite quickly recovered, holding onto another wall and staying there. His eyes were glazed and he was panting his lungs out.
-Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP! DIE ALREADY!- he said, lunging towards her, changing directions, creating more and more platforms to keep zipping around, faster and faster. Eventually, even Lucy wasn't fast enough to keep up with that array of unpredictable jumping and soon Hanzo was behind her! He zoomed towards her, thrusting Niflheim towards Lucy!
But the tip of his Blade did not hit the woman's flesh. Instead, it bounced off...Genesis' blade! Lucy turned back and clashed her sword with Hanzo's, pushing him away, the Elite landing on the snow, his legs buckling and forcing him to kneel down.
Lucy spun Apocalypse on her fingers before placing it behind her back, blade tilted to the ground. Holding Genesis in her right hand, she pointed it at Hanzo, placing her legs against each other, her feet at a near right angle. Much like Mercedes' stance, it much resembled a ballerina's pose.
-Hanzo, if you keep copying others' styles, you will discard everything you are! Nevermind "upgrading" them, that's just an excuse, you're just deluding yourself into not accepting how wrong this is!
Hanzo gritted his teeth, standing up slowly, his legs shaking. His body was visibly breaking down, but he still stood against the woman she admired so much, delirious.
-Shut up...if I don't...take their styles and make them my own, I don't have any individuality...I'll keep being clear, like a diamond. With no color to it! Just like you, I want to get rid of this moniker and change! I thought you would understand, that you'd praise me for replicating your style like this! Just like you do to your disciples!
-Mercedes and Merceny have used the Dance for their styles, yes. But they were never told to take the Dance and just stick to it throughout their whole lives! It was just the beginning step, to allow them to evolve further and depart from the Dance to their own styles!
-That's what Black Feather said...that he'd discard the Dance one day...how stupid..! How does that even work?! How can you abandon the strongest style?!
-I've never said that it was a perfect, flawless style, Hanzo! I may be the "strongest" but I never said I was invincible!
-Pretty hard to believe! The Lucy I looked up to never faltered! She was an angel of the battlefield, flawless and graceful! And that's what I aim to become!
Lucy released her Blades, fuming at how stubborn he was being.
-Then you got another thing coming, Hanzo! I may talk alot of trash and be damn good at it, but even I have suffered not so good moments! And my body is proof enough!- with that, she held the the edge of her top and pushed it up slightly, revealing a toned torso, the faint hint of abs being able to be seen even from where Hanzo stood.
And it was littered with scars. Big, small, some clearly more recent than others. And then one that stuck out the most was a nasty red one that went from around her left kidney to her belly button.
-The scar Tal left me showed how stupid it is to lose my cool in a battle. Emotions can give you power but they should never blind you, Dance or not. You saw how erratic I acted during that battle with your doves, I'm sure. And you saw how I payed the price. This lesson was literally etched onto my skin.- she said, eventually pulling her top back down- Hanzo...copying other people won't help you at all...it won't give you any color. But you can take inspiration from them. My Dance wasn't created out of the blue. It was after seeing stuff like Allie's gracefulness, Salacia and Terri's raw power, Sobek's speed, Sera's technique...among many other factors from the other Elites...that I could come up with this. The Angel's Dance was born from the Order. I'm no...no stinking genius or a perfect angel, Hanzo. I just kill good. I'm flawed. And that's nothing you should aspire to be. If you want to keep fighting like that, at least be honest with yourself and admit that my Dance and the others' styles inspire you to seek your own, unique way of expressing yourself and follow your own path. But just carbon copying them...won't give you the words necessary. You won't be a diamond, you will just be coal.
Hanzo heard her, his hands shakily clutching his face. Not only was his body breaking down, his spirit was too, it seemed. He couldn't believe what he was hearing!
-I'm sorry if it seems like I'm betraying you. I should have told you this years ago but...I've never found the words until now. Please...I know you disapprove of Balthazar's actions. That the Order should not be something that subjugates others. Please...if not for me, for Attila's ideals..!
-Shut up...
-Hanzo---
-SHUT UP! You know nothing!- he shouted clutching his head- You're just like them, saying I'm useless! And I am! I couldn't save anyone back then and I ended up like this! I have no talent, like you! I can only take others' words! AND MAKE THEM BETTER!- he roared and charged towards her. Lucy summoned her Blades and charged too, spinning and clashing with Hanzo's Niflheim, using Genesis.
But now, the flow of battle had changed. Lucy was not sent back anymore. The coldness of her stare had been replaced with stoic conviction. She was determined to defeat Hanzo for his own sake, before he self-destroyed himself! She spun and clashed Apocalypse with Niflheim, the sheer force, sending Hanzo back, the Elite not being to block the two weapons. Lucy pursued, launching an attack with Genesis. Hanzo was forced to back away.
But Lucy kept spinning. Holding Apocalypse's handle so that the weapon struck at her closer range, she threw an horizontal slash, forcing Hanzo to hold up his Blade vertically to block the best she could. But Lucy wasn't merciful, throwing Genesis in a similar way. And then Apocalypse yet again. She kept alternating between weapons and now Hanzo couldn't react at all, just block and slowly stumble back with the force Lucy threw at him.
Hanzo, Merceny, even Noah could see it now: Lucy had completely trapped the Elite. By using two weapons, Lucy's spinning had no periods were her back was exposed to the opponent with no weapon to defend it. No openings. It was a relentless and forceful barrage of attacks that forced the opponent to take the defensive and not leave it.
Hanzo tried to back away to put some distance, but Apocalypse's range change pursued him, the scythe's blade grazing his stomach. The Elite was forced to employ the ice armor, even if that made him cough up more blood due to the effort. But then Genesis came, backed up by the silver aura and launched Hanzo and his block flying back. Then Lucy resumed her spinning, deploying Apocalypse's blade-and-chain to get Hanzo in midair, hitting him right in stomach, a spray of blood erupting from it, even with the armor!
No...if it wasn't for the armor, his guts would surely have come spilling out! The snow that had covered their footing completely vanished with the spin of the chained scythe, creating a large circle around many meters around them, weakening Hanzo's resources for his skating.
The Elite stumbled back, trying to not fall and boldly charged at Lucy, reaching out and grabbing the scythe's chain before it could retreat inside the scythe's cable, wrapping it around his hand and yanking it towards him! The water jets were employed on the arm of his armor yet again and that allowed him to exert enough for to pull Lucy forward! Hanzo pointed Niflheim towards her approaching body and thrust forward, towards her chest!
-Oh no, you don't!- Lucy shouted and suddenly her body shot forward even faster, faster than Hanzo could predict! She then twisted her body so that it was her legs that faced Hanzo, not her torso and then her feet sunk into his face, delivering a devastating dropkick, sending the Diamond flying back while Lucy twisted back and landed softly on the snow-less ground.
That kind of midair maneuvering, boosting and everything...Noah could recognize it! It was the same as Merceny's!
-It's over, Hanzo!- Lucy exclaimed and retracted the chain into Apocalypse's shaft and pursued Hanzo's flying body. The Elite managed to recompose himself, though, using the ice platforms that erupted from his feet to regain his footing back on the ground and zoom back towards Lucy. But she was ready, stepping in, the ground beneath her foot cracking slight and she threw another attack.
But this time, it was different: she wasn't using Genesis OR Apocalypse, but instead both at the same time, Apocalypse's blade being adjusted to be on the same level as Genesis'. Both Blades clashed, but Niflheim quickly broke into pieces, the power of the two of Lucy's weapons being simply too much for the weakened BladeMaster. Then Lucy spun again and sunk her weapon's blades into Hanzo's side, delivering a gruesome slash through his ice armor and sending him spinning back, his body finally falling to the ground.
Lucy let out a breath and released her Blade, allowing her body to relax somewhat.
-It's over...Hanzo. You're in no condition to fight anymore...I just hoped you could have understood so that I wouldn't have to do this to you...- she said before stepping away and going towards the boat where the boys where, her feet dragging slightly as they entered the snow again.- Hey hey! Normally, I charge for people to see my beautiful figure fight at full force but you boys did such a good job that---
"ZIIIP"
From Noah's perspective, a white object quickly approached them from gods know where. Wether it'd hit him or Merceny it was anybody's guess, but Noah knew he couldn't react with his level of tiredness, even if he had been using Astral Soul to keep up with the battle. It zipped right past Lucy and approached the hole in the ship's hull...The boy closed his eyes shut, bracing for impact.
A crushing sound of something hard hitting something soft and the crackling sound of something freezing reached Noah's ears. He figured it had hit him and froze him over. It was probably Hanzo's arrow that he managed to launch after Lucy dropped her guard. The Elite was still determined to capture him, it seemed. Now how would he get out from that...ice?
Wait, he wasn't feeling any colder. If anything, he could feel something warm and squishy pressed against his face. He slowly opened his eyes to see the platinum hairs over black fabric that he knew so well. He then recognized the feeling of an arm around him. He remembered that feeling from Lucy's hug at the Academy. He looked up. Lucy's face was twisted as her lips were curled up in pain. Noah looked to the side and saw Merceny beside him, Lucy's arm wrapped around him too.
But the strangest was the...veil that was beyond her arms and wrapped around the boys. White...with black edges. Wait, those were feathers! That was no veil. They were...
-Wings...
Lucy stood in front of the boys, embracing them against her chest, a big pair of white wings, its edges black coiled up around the duo. The spot on her back where they sprouted was had a big chunk of ice sticking it it, the color red splashed on it, denoting that the arrow had hit its target.
-Are you two...okay?- Lucy asked, smiling at them.
-Nevermind us!- Merceny exclaimed- Lucy, are you okay?!
-Getting shot in the back is nothing unusual for me. That Hanzo...if only he used his resilience for better uses...- she sighed but gave them a reassuring grin before her wings clapped open, releasing a cold breeze that made Noah shiver. She stood up, the ice sticking to her back falling apart and she turned towards Hanzo, who stood with the ice bow, teetering towards unconsciousness.
-And so...will my ice...become...- he muttered.
-Hanzo...-Lucy gave him a gentle smile- Direct all that rage towards me. I'll take it all. Those feelings all of you have been harboring towards me after I left the Order...I'll take them all.
But then her smile turned into a glare.
-But not towards my students.- she simply said. With that she summoned Genesis and Apocalypse and charged towards Merceny, her wings boosting them forward with great speed. Shakily, the Elite began skating towards her, Niflheim appearing, but cracks covering its blade.
-As graceful...as the...angel...- he said.
-I'll set you free of that curse!- Lucy said, approaching Hanzo and gearing him to slash him...
But suddenly, Lucy stopped, sinking her boots into the ground. She then loosened her grip on her weapons and...just threw them upwards, the metal spinning as they flew above the duo.
Hanzo couldn't resist: his gaze followed the weapons as they soared, the sun reflecting off of them and blinding him momentarily. He stopped and covered his eyes with his arm.
But then he realized his mistake. He quickly looked forward to see no Lucy in front of him. Just her weapons falling harmlessly into the ground with innocent clinks.
-Where...
But Lucy was already behind him, her wings having disappeared, no longer necessary after giving her the necessary boost to circle around him. Wasting no time, she reached forward and wrapped her arms around Hanzo's torso, her hands clasping together with one another. She then jolted upwards and bent her upper body backwards with incredible force, taking Hanzo with her until he was upside down, unable to do anything! And then she smashed his upper body into the snow, kicking up a huge cloud of snow, the ground shaking!
Noah's jaw almost fell as he saw Lucy doing that. The shaking was so much that a piece of the rotten wood of the boat fell off from the ceiling and bonked him straight on the top of the head but he was so stunned that he almost didn't care.
-A godsdamned suplex..? Geez, even I think that's a bit too much. I think she buried him on the ground...- Merceny groaned, clutching his face in disbelief.
Lucy stayed in that bending position for a few seconds before she let go of Hanzo's body, the Elite's legs remaining straight up as Lucy stood up.
-Phew! Nothing like getting up close and personal to finish a battle~!- she grinned, clapping her hands together a few times before she placed them on her hips. She turned back towards Noah and Merceny, a huge grin on her face.- Looks and brawn? I should get arrested for being so multi-faceted~!
-Shut up...- Merceny groaned- Let's just tie him up and wait for the others...
-Merceny!- a familiar voice was heard from outside the ship. The trio looked towards where it had came from and spotted the familiar golden hair of Mercedes and Guy, the duo running towards them!
-Mercedes! Guy!- Lucy ran towards them- You finally made--- -her words interrupted as Mercedes punched her in the shoulder.
-Lucy, what do you think you're doing?! Go put your jacket on! You'll catch a cold, walking around in a sleeveless top and mini-skirt in the freaking tundra!
-Pffttt...Like the Grim Reaper can catch something as measly as a...a...a...ATCHOO!- she sneezed violently, nearly jumping.- Ok...I'll take your advice...But you can't kill my fashion sense forever...- she conceded.
-Noah! Merceny!- two other voices joined the fray. Noah looked towards where they were: Axel and Zeke quickly approached them.
-Aw, missed all the action? Here I was hoping I'd get to see the Diamond 's fighting style...- the lilac-haired boy commented.
-You'd get annoyed fast.- Merceny snarled as he let Mercedes bust out the first-aid kit from her backpack and begin treating his wounds- Ow, ow! Easy!- he shouted.
-If you stop being a big baby, it won't hurt as much!- Mercedes shouted back - How the heck did you get these wounds?!
-Fighting and giving Hanzo a good wallop!- Lucy proudly said- Noah helped too!- she added, making the boy blush a bit.
Huh...that was new...He had never really felt so weirdly embarrassed but proud before, the goggled boy wondered.
-Well, less work for us, then.- Zeke yawned- I want to go back to bed...a warm one, at that.
-Yeah and I want some warm food!- Guy grinned- Since Mercedes ate all my gummy bears.
-Lemme guess...orange gummies.- Merceny sighed, making Mercedes press the cotton coated with alcohol against the wound on his torso with extra force, giving the group a nice sample of Merceny letting out a high pitch scream for posterity.
Noah smiled widely. His head still hurt a little but at least he had given a big step towards overcoming the Backlash and another Elite had been defeated! But most importantly, Hanzo seemed to know a bit more about Noah's past so that was a big win!
-Alright, we should check up on Hanzo, though.- he suggested.
-Why is he sticking to the ground like an ostrich?- Zeke asked.
-'Cause Lucy had to be extra tryhard and suplexed him to the ground.- Merceny said.
-Oh wow, I never figured Lucy, of all people, knew grapples!- Guy said, making Lucy pump up her chest with pride.
-Sure opens a lot of doors...-Axel mused.
-Guys..?
Mercedes' voice reached them and when they turned towards her, they noticed that she was looking at something with a apprehensive look on her face. They looked towards where she was looking and Noah nearly collapsed in shock.
Hanzo's bloody figure...was standing up, facing them!
-For the love of...just stay down!- Merceny shouted, before Lucy got in front of him, her expression grave.
-Hanzo...please...this is madness.- she plead. But Hanzo did not answer her.
She gulped and clenched her fists.
-Please..!
But again he didn't answer.
Her auras began to flow through her arms as her expression was overcome with sorrow.
-Guess that...you'll only cooperate if I up your "Out of Commission" from a few days to a few months. I'm sorry...
Then...a deep chilling sensation filled Noah's core. His face got pale. And so did the faces of everyone else. An incredible pressure exuded from Lucy. Noah couldn't describe what he was feeling. He didn't know why, but...he felt...scared. Like he was going to die right there.
-Soul...Crash..?- Axel muttered.
-Lucy...no..!- Mercedes plead, reaching out to her. But Lucy ignored her. The auras in her arms began to move to her hands as they slowly began approaching one another. And as they did, the auras began to flicker. Reaching out to one another, creating sparks.
And the sensation of dread only grew inside Noah.
More pieces of wood from inside the ship began falling.
The snow around Lucy began to disperse.
The sky began to darken, the sun disappearing.
Noah wanted to run. Far, far away.
Just what was she about to...
-Lucy!- Mercedes got in front of her- He's...he's already...
Lucy blinked and peered towards Hanzo with more attention. Noah followed and so he he noticed. The light in Hanzo's eyes, before so filled with hateful determination...had vanished. He breathed...but his mind was no longer there.
-He's...unconscious. How did he...-Noah began.
Lucy dispelled whatever she was cooking up, the pressure disappearing from the air and allowed two clear tears to run down her cheeks as she stared at Hanzo.
A few days later, Noah would hear from Terri, in secret from Lucy:
-Hanzo was always someone who dedicated mind and soul towards whatever goal he pursued. Although he didn't like to admit it, he worked the hardest out of all of us. Because he was desperate to find his way. To find a meaning to his life. When he was young, his village was bombed by a militia group and he and his parents were trapped inside the rubble of his house. Hanzo managed to escape through a small hole but his parents could not. Hanzo was little, he barely had an Element. He couldn't save them as his house was blown to dust. The villagers, in their despair, began blaming poor Hanzo, telling him that if he had some power, he could have saved his parents.
"From there, Hanzo always tried his best to have some unique, amazing power. He looked towards the other Elites, towards Attila and figured that, if he didn't have any unique traits, he could just...copy theirs. I always thought that it was to someday figure out his own path but soon I realized that he simply sought...the comfort of being someone else. The Diamond reflected whoever it copied. And for a bit, Hanzo became that person. Let go of the boy that had 'killed his parents'. He was no longer useless, in his own eyes.
But Hanzo never realized that his efforts...his passion towards observing and learning others' styles already made him unique. He had an eye for observation that detected even the most minute details. A memory that allowed him to remember each step. And an incredible talent for Aqua that allowed him to reach the Freezes very soon. But his inability to see his own gifts and focus on others' made him fall into this abyss.
But even so, he kept at it. And I'll always give him that. Some villains are sleazy, but Hanzo is hard-working, deluded ideals or not. I'm sure someday he'll be able to direct that force of will towards his own path...with our help. Because he is...
A true Diamond in the rough."