A few minutes prior to the battle, Aireen's shopping streets:
-Seriously, where did that Axel spin himself to?- Zeke groaned, scratching his head, dragging himself along with Noah and Guy as the trio looked for Axel in the shop stall-filled streets.
- Amazing how we manage to lose him in an open area...- Noah remarked, munching on a meat skewer Guy had given him.
-Yeah, "love", does that to you. Completely dumb-ifies you. And Guy, could you stop ?!- Zeke shouted at the chubby young man as he returned to them from another food stall with four more skewers and a couple of bottles of various refreshments in his hands and arms.
-What's the matter? I'm starving!- he protested, before he jolted in place and gave two skewers to Zeke- Here you go, a meat and veggie combo! Sorry, I asked Noah if he was hungry, but you seemed so annoyed that I didn't ask you~!
-I am annoyed, but not because of that!- Zeke spat, but munched on one of the skewers anyways- It's because you're blowing all of our money on food on the first dang day! You guys do know that we are going to catch the daily aerial freight when we're done, right? And tickets for those are not cheap!
-What?! I thought Lucy would come pick us up on Sobek's air ship!- Guy exclaimed, bits of meat flying from his mouth.
-It's the Guild's air ship now. She probably already lent it to another squad's mission after they dropped us off here.- he groaned- I was sleeping and still caught that part of her explanation! There's an air ship that stops by the town's station at 7 am every day and we have to catch it or else we'll have to walk all the day back to Soula! If we can't buy tickets because you guys keep filling your bellies or buying carpets, we won't be able to find a place to sleep tonight, let alone return home! Saving money is Childhood 101! Didn't your parents teach you anything?
-My parents pretty much gave up on reigning me in when it comes to food. One year we managed to subsist on only the prize monies we'd get from All-You-Can-Eat contests!- Guy replied, a big smile on his face.
-I don't even know if I have parents.- Noah interjected, a blank look on his face.
-Now I feel equally dumber and awful for just asking. Let's continue looking for Axel before I have a mental breakdown.- Zeke said, massaging his brow. The trio continued roaming the streets, now all giving their food tiny little nibbles instead of just wolfing it down.
After little success, Noah pipped up.
-Maybe he's still by the tent? We never checked the back, after all...
Zeke nodded, cleaning the sweat off his forehead and splashing his face with a handful of water he conjured using Aqua.
-Good idea, Noah. Let's--
A shriek reached the trio's ears. They looked around, trying to find the source.
-It sounded like a woman..!- Guy said.
-Over there!- Noah pointed towards a nearby alleyway. The trio soon rushed inside it.
-Please...just be a nasty spider or cockroach she saw...please..!- Zeke would mutter under his breath.
Soon, they reached the end of the dark alley, finding two hooded men blocking the way of a woman, who knelt against the wall, clutching a little boy and girl tightly against herself. The kids couldn't be older than five years old and they sobbed against their mother.
-Please...not them! Take me instead!- she would say, tears running down her face.
One of the hooded men would smack the wall above her head with his fist, causing the kids to yelp in terror.
-You know the deal: you can't pay your taxes with money, you trade away something else!
-These brats will be very useful to the Order, be it in the Enchant Stone mines or weapon factories!
-Please! Stop!- she yelled.
-Mommy!- the children would exclaim against her chest as the men would shrug and lean down, trying to pry the mother's arms open in order to take the tykes.
Suddenly, the two men would be met with two water balls splashing against them, throwing them against the wall and falling motionless on the sandy ground. Zeke would stand behind them, palm pointed against them.
-Nevermind: you people are quite the disgusting cockroaches anyways.- he'd say. The mother and children would look at him in terror before he pointed to the exit of the alleyway, pouting.
-What are you waiting for, an open invitation? C'mon, miss take your brats and run away!- he'd say. The mother would nod quickly and stand up, running past him, Guy and Noah with her children in her arms out of the alleyway.
-I guess we found our soldiers.- Noah said- We should tie them up or something.
-Yeah, but my ice won't do very well in this hot town. Is there a rope store nearby, Guy?- Zeke asked.
-B-but didn't you say we couldn't spend money recklessly..?- he'd ask, making the auburn-haired boy groan loudly.
-For the love of-- - his words would be interrupted as steps could be heard out of the alleyway. Soon, three more hooded men could be seen blocking their way.
-So you're the brats who've been sniffing around! The descriptions match: three boys with brightly colored track suits and a fourth boy with big orange lens goggles! Nice job giving your position away with all this commotion! We'll find your missing friend soon enough!- one of them said.
-Oh come on! How did they find us so fast?! News Karash should hire these guys because information sure spreads fast with them!- Guy would protest.
-Enough quips! Blast them away, Guy!- Zeke would yell. Guy would nod and point the Dragonic Blade at them.
Soon after, the men would be blasted away from the entrance of the alleyway by a torrent of flames, landing and crashing on the nearby stall. The boys would run off from the tight space, only to find more of the Order soldiers rushing from each side of the street, seemingly popping from every window and roof of the nearby buildings.
-How did they..?- Noah would look around, but soon spotted a familiar figure on the end of the street: the carpet seller, talking with a man in a suit who was giving him a large bag, the seller's expression disgruntled as he pointed at the trio.
-I cannot believe you!- Guy shouted at the seller from the other end of the street- We bought something from you! Whatever happened to client-seller confidentiality?!
Soon, the boys would be surrounded by a group of ten soldiers, including the ones they knocked into the stall and back in the alleyway. Zeke looked around frantically, an expression of panic on his face before he began scratching his head like a madman.
-Gggrrrr..! AXEL RHODES, THIS ALL YOUR FAULT!!! I just wanted to be asleep in my cozy bed, but you had to be all Mr. Romantic to get in Lucy's good graces! I hate this place! It's dry, it's hot, everyone subsists on meat skewers and carpets, the people in the tent kept bumping at me and I'm pretty sure somebody farted next to me during the show! I want to go home!- he yelled, laying on the ground, kicking his legs and rolling around- I hate this! I hate it, I hate it, I hate it, I hate it!!!
Noah and Guy said nothing during his little show, but one of the soldiers pointed at them.
-Um...charge..!- he said before the rest of the hooded men began running at them. Zeke immediately stopped his kicking and jumped back up, glaring at the clump of men coming from one end of the street.
-We're breaking through and going back to the tent!- he said, summoning Waterwheel, the naginata getting covered in ice, water soon bursting from it- Valkyrian Jet Lance !!!
With that cry, he charged at the clump and smashed right through it, running past all of the townspeople, who seemed more afraid of him than the soldiers. Noah and Guy soon followed, reaching the town square in seconds and making their way to the back of the tent...
*
A few seconds after:
"Za--no. What am I thinking?"
Allie looked on, baffled, at the group as they left the back of the tent. Her eyes stuck on the back of Noah's blonde head until he turned the corner. She shook her head, thanking the fact that they were so focused on the soldiers that they didn't question her shocked expression.
"This is no time to waste on weird feelings. That is definitely the Alpha, Noah Eon. Balthazar's so-called 'key'. Who else in Angel's Crow would have the exact same goggles as Terri's? But even so, I never expected to catch him and the trio that defeated Sobek in this remote village. They're all...much tinier than I expected."
She sighed as she heard the fighting on the front of the tent. Soon, six other figures left the back of the tent and joined her side: the four dancers that had accompanied her, as well as the two men that stood in front of the tent for the tickets and manned the lights during the show, all dressed in the Order soldiers' uniform.
-Mistress Lotus. Balthazar's soldiers have engaged the Angel's Crow.- one of the women said. Allie simply nodded. She strutted forward, the bells and jewelry that adorned her body falling on the ground behind her. She clenched her fist, her eyes resolute
-Desert Rose squad. Move out!
*
-Allie...the Lotus...- Axel repeated slowly, his face pale as a sheet. He couldn't even muster the strength to curse his rotten luck, that an Order Elite was in the town he insisted on investigating and that she was the same person he had become so bewitched by. He instead just stood there, the energy he showed during his fight with the soldiers nearly disappeared as Raiden was only barely held on his hand.
Suddenly, his body was shaken. He looked to the side and saw Noah grabbing his shoulder, looking at him with curled lips and his face having seen more color.
-Snap out of it, Axel! We're in big trouble here!
Zeke stepped forward, standing beside the lilac-haired boy.
-Yeah, Noah's right. I'm sorry your crush turned out to be the enemy, but I think I can spot more than fifty reasons why you should stop focusing on that.- he said, pointing to the soldiers behind Allie, from where her Desert Rose squad had stepped forward from as well, standing beside her.
Jack smirked, stroking his goatee, but sweating so much that he didn't sell a confident look at all.
-You said you were Angel's Crow, right? Well, crows and owls are all from the same family, so we'll do fine, even if it's against an army!
-Just because they're birds it doesn't mean...forget it.- Guy sighed, pointing the Dragonic Blade at Allie and the rest of the Order soldiers.
Meanwhile one of the hooded soldiers stepped forward to talk to Allie.
-Captain Lotus. Our entire force is gathered. The ones that were tied up have been healed and now stand ready to fi--
-Order your men to evacuate the premises. -Allie cut him off- People, the carriage horses, goods and supplies. I want them all off of Aireen as quickly as possible.
The soldier blinked and leaned towards her.
-W-what?! But we can easily overwhelm them with our combined might!
Allie glared at him, the sandy floor around her feet beginning to kick up dust. The soldier's eyes widened and he began sweating, all color draining from his face as he felt the air around him seemingly begin to shake, causing him to fall on his butt, panting.
-You think I'm so weak that I need an army to help me take out a couple of kids and a bunch of beer-bellied men? Should I report your insubordination to Balthazar?
-B-but..!- he still tried to protest, but gritted his teeth and stood up. He barked the orders at the army and they all scattered, untying the horses that were stationed near the tent's carriages and pushing the people that had gathered near the plaza away from the site. Now all was left were the Desert Rose squad, and the Angel's Crow/Night Owls front.
-Awfully nice of you to evacuate the people, missy!- Jack shouted, pointing dramatically at Allie.
-The Order doesn't deal in unnecessary bloodshed. We're not barbarians.- Allie simply replied.
-Yet you bleed them dry in taxes! You separate families and make people live in fear!- Axel suddenly shouted, gritting his teeth and glaring at Allie- I might be mad at that carpet seller for ratting us out, but he must have a family! More mouths than his to feed! And because your soldiers are always around, he must have felt like he had no choice!
Allie simply stood there, arms crossed, her eyes looking dismissively at Axel, her sword casually dangling from her fingers.
-And how would you know that, Axel Rhodes? What makes you such an extraordinary judge of character?
-He wouldn't have helped us out otherwise! Once he saw the armbands, he could have just feigned ignorance, but he pointed us to the tent, where you where!- Axel replied, his whole body shaking.
-And, while in there, yet another amazing dive in trust from you.- she shook her head.
That caused Axel to roar and run at her, pointing Raiden at her. One of the dancers stepped forward, but Allie placed her arm in front of her.
-I'll deal with him. I want to ascertain the power of the one who defeated Sobek.- she said, properly holding her sword again, glaring at Axel. She then leaned forward and blasted off towards him, kicking up a huge cloud of dust behind her as the purple-head suddenly disappeared!
The two fighters clashed between the two groups, their swords pressed against one another. Axel gripped Raiden's handle with both his hands, the Blade shaking against Allie's, the woman barely moving an inch.
-Was it fun ? Leading me on like that?- Axel spat.
-I wasn't leading on anyone. You're the one who assumed I was being harassed. Those two soldiers were just discussing the show ticket prices with me when you showed up. And remind me who was the one who so readily showed me his Angel's Crow bandana?
Axel gritted his teeth and jumped back, immediately charging again at Allie, who nimbly, almost lazily, met his sword strikes. Axel would see his every attempt at striking completely foiled and ending up with him tumbling back. After yet another failed charge, his body began glowing with Astral Soul's aura. He leaned towards her and vanished, quickly re-appearing behind the Elite and thrusting his katana at her back.
-How naiive!- Allie exclaimed.
Axel's eyes widened. A red band of some kind suddenly found itself wrapped around the upper side of katana's blade. Before Axel could react, Raiden suddenly rose and the back of the blade hit him square on the forehead, making him stumble back and fall butt-first on the ground. He looked up to see his Blade rising up behind Allie, a kind of sash tied around it, sprouting from Allie's wrists. The Elite turned around and grabbed the katana, freeing it from its biding.
-Were it a double-edged sword, you'd be dead right now.- she said, wielding it along her saber. She then charged down towards Axel- But I can finish the job!
Axel shot her a defiant look and slapped the ground, a ball of winds in his palm, so the result of the slap kicked up a cloud of dust around the Elite. The boy quickly stood up and reached out. After a few seconds, Raiden re-appeared in his hand! But soon, Allie burst from the dust cloud, charging at him with her own Blade. The Mistral-born engaged Astral Soul again and slashed the air three times.
-Astral Split!- he shouted, three ghostly figures of him sprouting and charging at the Lotus, each repeating one of the three motions he made.
Allie didn't stop her advance, though. Nimbly and gracefully, she slashed through the phantoms with absolute ease, before coming up on Axel himself. The boy rose his Blade to block her attack, but that didn't stop him from being sent flying a few good meters after the clash of their swords.
The boy tumbled on the ground, rolling on himself, before standing back up, charging at Allie. She simply dodged his charges again and again, making Axel have to turn around and charge at her again. It was like child's play to her. Axel again slashed the air and charged alongside his Astral Split holograms, but was met with a swift kick to the gut, sending him tumbling near his group.
-Axel, stop!- Zeke exclaimed as the lilac-haired boy ignored him and stood back up, wobbly.
-She's not even taking me seriously...- he growled.
-Yeah, that's because you keep charging at her like a madman! During the Sobek fight, you had us memorize a strategy! Why aren't we coming up with any plan?- the Aqua-born asked, grabbing him the shoulder
-To hell with plans! What good were they against Sobek, anyways?!- he said, shoving Zeke away- I was only able to beat him by challenging the odds! I just have to do the same here!
With that, he pointed Raiden at Allie, electricity beginning to coat the katana. Yet again, the boy charged at her, clashing his Blade with hers, this time managing to drag her along the ground a bit.
-And here I thought you were the smart one.- she simply said.
-You Elites always have to act high and mighty, huh?!- he asked.
-We may look like we're acting like that because you're just a dumb kid who doesn't know who he's messing with. You think you can beat me without a plan, just charging recklessly?
-I don't want to hear that from you! I don't want to fall into that hole of odds again! I believe in romance and guts, like Mistral taught me!- he replied, trying his best to try and win the clash.
-"Romance and guts"? Ha!- she said before suddenly ducking, sweeping his legs, causing the boy to tumble to the side. Before he could even hit the ground, through, his face was met with the sole of her foot, causing him to fly towards a nearby carriage, crashing into it.
She glared at the boy.
-What you're doing isn't romantic nor gutsy. It's simply idiotic. Seems to me like your win against Sobek was just a fluke or work of a one-time boost from a blessing. And by the way, boy, you're not the only one who's won the favor of the gods, so get off your high horse.- she said.
Axel slowly climbed off the wreckage. He was about to head towards her when he was grabbed by Guy and Noah. Blood was dripping from his nose.
-What do you know?! Scum like you, who only knows how to hurt people...why would the gods recognize any worth in you?!- he shouted.
Suddenly the top half of the carriage above him exploded in a blaze. Axel, Noah and Guy looked up, horrified, at the burning wreck. A few strands of hair on the top of Axel's head were smoking. Allie pointed her saber at them.
-Nuria. That is the name of my Blade. Sound familiar?
-"Nuria"..? Isn't that the dancer's name?- Axel asked, curling up his lips, his face pale at her demonstration of power.
-Yes. You might not like to hear this, but everything I told you back there was true: my love for dancing and the legends of Nuria. Her will was passed down in the form of a Blade. And the god Pyre bestowed it upon me.
-Pyre?!- Guy was the one pipping up now- I talked to him too, ya know? And he doesn't seem the type to bestow power of someone so evil!
-Blessings are neutral, Guy Vermillion. Or else everyone would try to get the gods to side with whichever side they wanted. By not taking sides, the gods give power to whoever is worthy enough. War and violence is then perpetuated eternally.
-Don't you dare talk like that when you make people live in fear. Violence is what you people disseminate, not the gods!- Axel roared, freeing himself from his friends' grasp and running towards Allie when his way was suddenly barred by Zeke, who smacked him on the head with Waterwheel's handle, making the Mistral-born topple to the ground.
-Simmer down, won't you?! Hearing you shout like that is so tiring! Allie, and especially us, don't care if she tricked you or broke your heart or whatever! What you're doing is suicide, not gutsy!
-Exactly!- Jack was now stepping beside Zeke, hands on hips and a minty-fresh smile on his face- I understand how heartbreak is, young boy, but you have to put that aside! There are people in need of protection! In need of heroes! And heroes don't act so bitterly! Their Blades are guided by JUSTICE!
Allie sighed.
-Ugh, I'm going to hurl if I keep listening to this.- she shook her head and looked towards her squad- Charge at will. I'm done.
The squad members nodded and ran towards the Crow/Owl Front. Jack and Zeke readied themselves, joined by Noah, Guy and the rest of the knights.
A loud sound echoed throughout Aireen as the battle began.
And Axel lied motionless on the ground.
*
The loud sound of steel meeting steel, bodies crashing through stone and wood and Elements exploding echoed throughout Aireen. The populace had been escorted out of the city, being forced to leave their stalls as they were. Guy tried to not feel guilty about all the lost food his fight was causing, but inside his head, a mental tab was already forming.
Two of the Desert Rose squad were chasing him through the now empty commerce streets, one wielding a golden scimitar and the other two big metal rings with spikes coming out of them. Guy had begun the fight alongside one of the Night Owl knights ("I think his name was Jimmy" he thought) but had lost sight of him soon after they had ran out of the central square.
Needless to say, without a buddy to back him up, Guy's courage quickly depleted. He was running frantically through the maze-like alleyways, trying to lose the two squad members, but they were quite nimble! Soon, he found himself trapped in a no-end alleyway, the two enemies smirking and rushing towards him.
He pointed the Dragonic Blade towards them and shot out a torrent of flames, but they weren't as easy to get as the regular soldiers. The ring-wielder, one of the dancers at the show, conjured a wall of water around her and the scimitar warrior, the one that had sold him the tickets. Once the fire hit her barrier, it harmlessly evaporated. Once she brought it down, her companion performed a rising slash, stone spikes emerged from the ground and making their way towards Guy!
"Incoming!"
An unfamiliar voice suddenly sounded above them as a blur crashed between guy and the stone spikes, kicking up a cloud of dust. Once it settled down, Guy's knight companion smirked at him, his pointy nose his most striking quality. In his hands, he wielded a giant black square hammer, which was lodged in a small crater in the ground.
-Sorry to keep you waiting, Mister Guy! I had to find a nice roof to get the drop on them from!- he grinned.
-Jimmy, how awful, using me as bait!- Guy protested- And that pun was a 5 out of 10, at best!
-You were not bait! You were a valuable decoy!- Jimmy huffed, turning towards the squad members- Now how about you and me thank these two chaps for giving you so much trouble?
Guy nodded and pointed the Dragonic Blade at them, standing beside Jimmy, his face beaming at the compliment.
-Karash's best decoy is ready!
*
-Astral...Wave !
The translucent wave cut through the ground, only to be met with the solid iron of the white and blue shield the light operator from the show wielded. The big lump of metal was big enough to cover his entire body and of his two companion dancers as well. Once the Wave's energy dissipated, the two dancers emerged from each side of the shield, each wielding a long-barrel riffle, one white with red highlights and the other one matching it style but its highlights were blue. Noah guessed that those two dancers were twins or something, for them to have such similar Blades.
Each one took a stance and the red-riffle dancer shot a fireball from her weapon; meanwhile, her companion followed suit, shooting a water ball from her appropriately colored riffle. Each bullet closed in on Noah, but both were blocked by two stone pillars emerging in front of the blonde boy.
-Roderick! Felix!- Noah smiled as the two Owl Knights joined him on the roof he had jumped on. After Allie ordered the Desert Rose squad to move out, Felix (who had quite the thick mutton chops coming down from his short black hair) and Roderick (who had a very thin twirly auburn mustache) were attacked by the shield and riffles squad members. Noah had driven them off with an Astral Wave, but he and the knights were forced to run away from the square. Soon, their battle took to the roofs, knights, squad members and Noah jumping around the square houses. Now the Roses and Owls plus Noah stood each on a roof, facing each other.
-Sorry about having you pair up with me. We're all Tera users, but because of my Backlash, all I can really do is use Astral Soul to augment myself a bit and launch a couple of subpar Waves.
-Hmm...and not much more, I assume?- Roderick pipped up- How about Soul Crash if you're in a pinch?
-Forget about using Soul Crash. My Sage friend told me that, if I used it, it'd destroy the fragile limits I've been building on my soul power reserve and seriously cripple my body. Because of the Backlash, I'm at a constant risk of overload, since I still am wobbling between using zero and one hundred percent of usage of my power. If I use Soul Crash, it'd jack it up to beyond one hundred...and I'd maybe die...- Noah explained, looking at the ground with a pout.
-Not to worry, young Noah. We'll back you up nicely, so you won't have to worry about your Backlash.- Felix gave him a thumbs-up.
Suddenly the rock pillars they were hiding behind began shaking, a portion of one of them crumbling as another bullet passed through it.
-Yeah, but they put us in quite the pickle. Their shield is much sturdier than ours and those rifle women will snipe us right away if we try to attack. It's a classic shield and spear maneuver. While all we have is a crappy shield and no way to counter them back.- Roderick said as their rock barrier kept crumbling in front of them.
-Maybe if we split up? Two people make a pincer attack from both sides and the remaining charges at the shield guy!- Noah suggested.
-Well, that might be enough to deal with the dancers, but what of the shield guy? We don't know his Element, so he might launch a powerful attack on whoever attacks him. That or assist any of the dancers. Either way, if we attack them that way, the chances of losing at least one member is quite high...- Felix explained.
-If only we had a way to attack them from behind...their rears are quite obviously their weak spot, just by looking at how well they have us pinned down from the front and sides...- Roderick mused.
Suddenly, an idea popped inside Noah's head. He smacked his palm with his fist and whispered something to the knights. They exchanged a look of worry once Noah relayed his plan, but eventually nodded.
Meanwhile, the dancers stopped their volley of bullets. Behind his shield, the lights operator looked at them.
-They must be considering a pincer attack. Before they can start, we'll blow their only cover, leaving them defenseless. Destroy those rocks!- he said. The dancers nodded and reached for the bottom of their rifles, taking out a tripod mechanism from them. They placed themselves beside each side of the shield, each muzzle beginning to shine as they charged up for a powerful shot.
-Fire!- they shouted, a bright red fire ball and giant waterball shooting from their weapons, exploding in contact with the pillar barrier, blowing off, half of the roof and creating a wall of steam.
But before it could even settle down, a blur emerged from it. Noah peered at the squad members through his goggles from up above as he soared through the skies. Thankfully, Roderick and Felix and launched him up with a rock spring platform just in time before they got hit with the combined riffle shots. Noah didn't expect the Roses to attack them so fiercely, but thankfully, that gave him the window he was looking for!
Thanks to some quick distance calculations from the Owls, the spring launched Noah perfectly over the iron shield and the boy landed on the farther half of the roof the Roses were standing on. Before they could turn around and point their weapon at him, Noah reeled Warrior's Heart back and launched an Astral Wave with everything he had at them, hitting all three and launching them across the space between both roofs!
But it wasn't over yet! From the steam cloud, their outfits all ripped off, Roderick and Felix emerged. They raised their fists to the sky, a large stone hand emerging from the roof's stone floor beside each one of them and spiked the Roses down onto the streets!
Noah and the knights jumped for joy.
-You're not the only ones with combination tactics!- Noah grinned, reveling in his victory.
But his smile soon died down as an explosion could be heard coming from the square.
*
-Huff...puff...- Zeke gritted his teeth as he dragged Waterwheel's blade on the ground, stopping himself from being sent flying any farther. Before him stood the remaining dancer from the Desert Roses, the woman wielding a curved dagger. She had charged towards him and Jack at Allie's command and Zeke thought that he and Jack could make short work of her in order to face Allie without much trouble.
But...
-Jack, you call yourself the Night Owls' leader?! You're a joke!- Zeke yelled as the goatee knight lied on the ground, butt sticking in the air. He had charged at the dagger-wielding Rose, but with just a light poke from her elbow, he had fallen on the ground, wailing in pain.
-I-I just got a sudden stomachache! And she didn't have any mercy, giving me that haymaker! She's a cheater! You'll never find someone, being so evil!- he protested, both Zeke and the Rose cringing.
-Fine, just lay there alongside Mr. Gutsy! You two can take a nap for all I care!- he growled, charging at the dagger Rose. Unfortunately, his long Waterwheel wasn't the most compatible weapon, against her small dagger. He tried to keep his distance to capitalize on his only advantage, but the woman was quite nimble, as her speedy footwork would always close the distance pretty quickly! As a result, Zeke now sported a couple of cuts on his arms and legs.
-Tch...and if Miss Butt Shaker joins the party, I might as well present my neck to be cut. Axel, you idiot...we could have had this in the bag if you just...- he would mutter, but soon shook his head.
"I have to exert myself a bit, if I hope to finish this quickly. Ugh, what a pain!" he though. He spun the naginata around himself, orbs of water forming near him, floating in formation, waiting for his command. He then pointed his Blade at the Rose and sprung himself with a water blast from beneath his feet. She was momentarily surprised by his speed, but jumped back to avoid his spike attack, quickly charging back at him.
Zeke pointed his hand at her, a water ball flying in her direction. Much like her Mistress did with Axel's phantoms, she nimbly cut the water orb in half. Zeke kept launching them, but she easily split them like watermelons! Until...
-Ugh!- she'd let out as her face would come in contact with an orb of ice. She had just cut one of the regular water balls coming towards her, but before she could retrieve her dagger to a neutral position, she was met with ice to the teeth, courtesy of a second water ball traveling close to the first one, which had been Flash Frozen in a split second in order to catch the Rose by surprise. She was sent tumbling back, but before she could stand back up, her body was pelted by more ice orbs. One of them hit her nicely on the head, sending her to take a dirt nap.
Zeke took a deep breath, but his exhale stayed on his throat as a wave of fire passed by his face. He looked towards the source and Allie ran towards him, Nuria at the ready!
-You don't waste any time, huh?!- he gritted his teeth as he blocked the saber with Waterwheel 's handle. But he was easily pushed back by his opponent's incredibly force, sending him crashing down towards the nearby small streets. Luckily, before he could land, he formed a water bubble to cushion his fall. He slid right off of it, landing on his feet. Allie continued the pursuit, slashing the bubble in half and unleashing an array of slashes down on the Aqua-born, which he barely blocked with his weapon. The two kept exchanging attacks as Zeke was forced to back off into a narrow alleyway.
-You're quite good, I'll admit. Not many Aqua users would do so well in a warm town like this!- she said, sweeping at his feet. Zeke, though, noticed and jumped, brandishing Waterwheel down at her, which she dodged, by cartwheeling back.
-Well, thank you very much! But I'd still rather not use it for much longer. My schedule afternoon nap is coming up and I'm not the type of guy to skip important appointments.- he said as he launched more water balls at her, which she simply dodged past.
-Oh my, then I guess I'll just have to put you to sleep, Mr. Truesdale. Permanently. - she said.
-Like you would do something so horrid. Miss Oh I Hate Balthazar So Much. Why murder lil' ol' foolish Academic?- he smirked.
Allie simply smirked back as she kept slashing at him. She came down with a chop at the boy and he spun Waterwheel around, repelling the strike. He then thrust the spear at her, making her dodge to the side. Quick to counter as she was, Zeke was forced to lean his head back, Nuria taking a few strands of hair with it in a sideways slice.
Before he could lean back in to attack, though, he was forced to step back in order to avoid her left foot, which came in an sideways arc from below, the Elite squatting on the ground.
-Martial arts? Aren't you a box--- - his quip was cut short as he had to raise Waterwheel to the side on pure instinct. Nuria's blade hit the handle, but it was what was grabbing the Blade that surprised Zeke.
It was lodged...between the heel and sole of her right shoe!
"So quick! I didn't even see her place the Blade there! It was so smooth, too. Slash-kick-kick. No pauses, no recovery...it's like a...dance?!"
His expression of worry must have been obvious as Allie smirked.
-Seems you've just figured out something~
But she didn't say any more as her flurry of roundhouse kicks continued, Nuria smacking again and again against Waterwheel as the Elite would keep exchanging it between feet, always hitting Zeke's left side, where he was putting the naginata up to block. It was so graceful, so rhythmic...just like Lucy's fighting style he had seen Noah go up against during his sparring with her.
"Damn her..! She's putting pressure on my left, so I'm forced to go right..! But I can't take her assault much longer...I have to take the bait!"
He gritted his teeth and ducked, avoiding the next quick. He dove to his right and thrust the spear diagonally from below, aiming right at her face. Allie's eyes landed on his, her expression serene.
Waterwheel bounced off.
Zeke's eyes widened.
She had raised her arms in front of her face. Her left arm then shot down and her right arm rose up. Between them, sprouting from her wrists, spawned a red, fiery sash. The band was tensed up, being what Zeke's attack had hit...and what had blocked it.
-How..?! It's solid...but it's fire..!
-So naiive...confined in the walls of Soula...your world has become so small...- she said, before Nuria was kicked to her hand. She quickly sliced down at Zeke. She boy bit his lower lip and sprung himself back at the last second with a blast of water, sending him bumping into a nearby wall. He then had to roll himself to the side along the wall in order to avoid a thrust from her, Nuria's blade lodging itself on the stone wall like a hot knife into a square of butter.
"This street is too small..! She's dragged me out here on purpose!"
Zeke kept backing away as Allie pursued, exchanging Nuria across her hands and feet with frightening dexterity, her attacks flowing like water as each of her members attacked with the same power behind them. And every time Zeke would try to strike back, the sash between her wrists would extend, blocking his attack!
The boy grunted. He already knew he'd have to pull out all the stops in order to stop her, but he'd have to do it somewhere more spacey!
"The roofs!" he suddenly remembered. After barely dodging another one of her attacks, he blasted himself above, landing softly on one of the roofs. Allie soon followed, her hand grabbing onto the edge of the roof, but the Elite launched herself from there, her body soaring in a arc towards the Aqua-born, Nuria held in both hands. He gritted his teeth and spun Waterwheel around himself, deftly blocking the saber.
-Gotcha now!- he said. Water burst from the side and the sole of his feet, allowing him quickly slide around the Elite while she was still in the air. Stopping behind her as she began falling forward, he thrust Waterwheel, pointing it between her legs!
"THONK!"
"No...no..!"
Again, Waterwheel bounced right off.
From her ankles, another sturdy sash formed, catching the naginata's blade and making it bounce off, the whole handle wobbling in Zeke's hands.
Allie quickly threw Nuria to her feet and came down at Zeke with a downwards chop. Zeke bravely faced it by boosting himself towards her, shoving Waterwheel 's handle against the saber and pushing her away. She cartwheeled back to her feet, Nuria landing on her hand. Zeke charged at her, spinning his Blade, launching an upwards slash, a large splash of water rising up along the blade of the spear.
The boy didn't stop there. He had worked too hard to get that much space. He kept spinning his Blade around himself, the water he had created, gathering around the blade portion of Waterwheel, enhancing his attacks with it.
-Smart. You know my sash is made of fire, so you coat your Blade with water in order to bypass it.- she smiled as she dodged his attacks, her footwork delicate as she circled around on the roof, making Zeke chase her around and preventing herself from coming between him and the edge of the floor.
-You're just a fountain of compliments, aren't you?- he said, mildly annoyed that his regular attack were still being dodged like child's play.- For a moment, you actually seem like someone who doesn't order soldiers to take away children from their mothers.
Allie's expression darkened a little as she glared at him.
-Got you there, huh? Bet it's pretty hard to sleep at night knowing you cause so much pain. I kinda understand where Axel comes from. Dancing away so happily one second and wrecking homes the next. You're so devilish~- Zeke would keep chastising.
With that, their Blades clashed.
-Let's stop playing this pretend-fighting game.- the Aqua-born finally said- Let's cut to the chase, OK? Terri, Sobek and Hanzo have joined us. So you should too, I guess.
Allie held back a laugh.
-Pppffttt..! Me? Join Lucy? You've got to me kidding me.
-Oh, the prideful one, huh? Gosh, that is so tiring. We don't need to do this lengthy song and dance. Whatever is keeping you, just forget it. We all know you Elites hate Balthazar. So instead of trying to crack away at your inner walls and getting to know your sad backstory, just join us and save us (me) a lot of pain.
Allie's smile completely vanished.
-You know nothing, Truesdale. I have my reasons to be with Balthazar. Something to fight for. And that is something someone like you wouldn't understand.
-Someone like me? And what am I?- he snickered.
Their clash ended as both fighters tried to set their own paces, Allie switching Nuria around between her members and Zeke spinning Waterwheel around.
-I can see so much through your fighting. You're a genius. A well of natural talent.- she said- But I see so little effort from you. No fire. No expression. Nothing at all. You move your Blade in such a lazy way, and it's oh so dull. Your talent goes to waste if your will is so lacking.
-Oh, we've got a psychiatrist here!- he said, the mention of talent striking a nerve- Then tell me: what makes your will so much stronger than mine?!
With that he jumped back and readied Waterwheel. Water began coating and shooting out with great force from its back end. He pointed it at her head.
-Jet Javelin !!!
The spear zipped across the air, towards Allie. She just stood there staring, not at it, but at Zeke.
A powerful stare. Filled with determination.
She raised her forearm, placing it in front of the incoming projectile.
"THOOONK!"
Waterwheel spun. Its water shooting aimlessly in the air.
And then it harmlessly fell at her feet.
Zeke's face was as white as a sheet.
Coating Allie's arm wasn't just fire. It was...another arm! Made of fire! It was much bigger than any regular arm and it seemed draped in some sort of...iron-like plate, like a knight's armor!
Allie then extended her hand towards Zeke. From it extended out a much bigger hand, that wrapped around the boy's body. Zeke screamed in pain as the hand's flames seared at his flesh.
"Solid...fire?! It's not like lava or magma..! It's so malleable and light! But solid as steel!"
Zeke didn't waste any time as a torrent of water erupted from around the boy, forcing the giant hand to let go of him. The boy landed on the ground, his track suit jacket on fire. He quickly threw it away and charged at Allie. He had to recover his Blade and couldn't do it like Merceny or Axel could, by summoning it back to his hand while already materialized!
"Damn these fancy BladeMaster techniques!" he cursed as he tried to blast Allie with continuous water blasts, a torrent of steam filling up the roof. Zeke eventually lost track of her as he kept moving. He knew that, if he stopped, he'd get grabbed again.
"I can still feel your energy! That fire arm is gathering up so much elemental energy that it's acting like a beacon!"
And, as he expected, from the fog erupted a giant fire fist in his direction. He sprung himself to the side, avoiding the attack. As soon as he landed, he sprung himself towards where her back should be. In his hands, a water ball materialized, taking a rough shape of a sword. He then used Flash Freeze to create a make-shift blade out of the clump of ice.
-I got you!- he said as he dove towards her.
His ice blade quickly shattered as it clashed with another fist. Before it could reach him, he managed to point his left palm outwards, creating a water blast that propelled him to the side, the fire fist hitting nothing but air.
His right hand began gathering up water as the fog began dispersing. He could then see Allie looking at him.
Her stare was cold.
Merciless.
He had seen it before.
In Lucy's eyes.
Against Tal.
-Absolutely ludicrous...
He could see her right fist retreating, but something was coming at him from the left, still covered by the dispersing fog.
-You asked me what makes my will stronger than yours, didn't you?
He could then see an horrifically familiar shine emerging from the steam.
Waterwheel.
In her left hand.
-You also said that I'd never stoop so low as to commit something as "horrid" as murder.
The blade erupted from Zeke's back, covered in blood.
Zeke looked down at Allie as she held him up with Waterwheel, his own Blade having gone through his stomach.
His eyes soon began losing light. And all he could see before his vision was consumed by darkness...
...was her cold stare.
-You assumed wrong. Now this...
":..is a strong will, Zeke Truesdale."