"Bountiful Tera.
Brave Pyre.
Innocent Aqua.
Wise Mistral.
Faithful Lightus.
Just Darkus.
When all six gather, hand-in-hand, the golden flame shall ignite.
When all six join together, the key to Gaia's heart shall appear.
The miraculous flame.
The key to the beginning and end of all souls.
When the key finds the core, all souls shall return to their womb.
And the world shall begin anew.
Under the rule of a new golden god."
-A chant inscribed into a stone tablet, from the outer islands south of Karash, dating back to the year 553 B.K. (Before Kingdom) of the Karashian Calendar, discovered by Gnottus Sages in 1143 A.K. (After Kingdom) of the Karashian Calendar. The tablet was written in an green chalk-like substance.
*
"The sin shall unite.
The sin shall ignite.
The Twilight and Dawn shall feed the golden flame.
So its shine blinds even the Soaring One.
So its heat scorches even *****"
-A second chant inscribed into a stone tablet, discovered within the smoldering ruins of a temple in an archipelago west of Karash. The last part was scratched beyond recognition by the explosion that took place on the island. Analysis shows that the green chalk-like substance, that was used to write the tablet, resembles crushed Enchant Stone and is similar to the one used on the tablet discovered in the 1100s, now exposed in a Karash kingdom capital museum.
Although, further analysis on the dust on the second tablet dates it to around only 4076 A.K.
*
4100 A.K.
Present.
Allie slowly stood back up on the roof she had been thrown towards by the massive shockwave. Her legs were shaking and the searing pain across her torso and shoulder felt like her wounds were opening up again. She was still engaging Soul Crash, but she felt like her limit was approaching much quicker than usual.
But even with that boost, she still felt exhausted. If the Elite released that state, she feared that her body might collapse on itself.
"Axel and his friends are being more than a handful. But now, I have a much more pressing issue to take care of..."
Like he could hear her thoughts, Noah softly landed on the roof, the sword of golden fire burning in his hands. He pointed it at her, taking his square, firm fighting stance.
-Your battle ends here, Lotus.- he said, his tone much more acidic- Nowhere to run.
Allie took her stance as well, pointing Nuria at him.
-Elemental Sword or not, it's still far from its true form. You can't expect to beat me with an incomplete power. Besides, your physical abilities don't match the power you hold in your hands. It's like giving a gun to a toddler.
A slow cackle left Noah's lips. Only now did Allie noticed his oddly familiar golden eye.
-Poor, sweet Lotus. To defeat a nearly-wilted flower like you, I only need a fragment of this power.
And with that, Allie could see the tip of the sword pointed millimeters from her throat. Her eyes widened in terror.
"So fast!" she thought, before she suddenly burst into flames, releasing a heatwave strong enough to make Noah stumble back a bit. Once she flames died down, she had reequipped her Armor and charged straight at Noah, her sabre in hand. She stepped in, Noah not having yet regained his footing and slashed Nuria at his chest.
A twisted grin splashed Noah's face.
-How bold, attacking me with a piece of wet paper.
And with that, Nuria's fragments fell on the stone floor of the roof. Noah held the golden sword parallel to his body, having casually smacked it against the sabre and immediately shattering it.
Allie jumped back, the Armor boosting her jump to allow her to land on the roof opposite of the one she was just standing. She looked at the lone handle of her Blade.
"I never actually fought against this Blade before. I only really saw Sparky summon it a couple of times during the War, but I never thought...that it would be that much more powerful than an evolved Blade!"
She gritted her teeth, glaring at Noah as he slowly paced along his roof, dragging the sword across the ground, the blade easily cutting through the stone, a faint cracking sound reaching the Elite's ears.
"And his demeanor...it's completely different! The Noah I read about in the reports acts like an idealistic kid, but from what I saw of him in this battle, he's anything but cocky. His idealism is backed up by a steadfast desire to protect his friends and end the battle as quickly as he can, with as little bloodshed as possible. But this kid I'm looking at..."
Noah jumped across the roofs, bringing the golden Blade down on her with a sadistic laugh. Allie curled up her lips, releasing Nuria and summoning it right back, the sabre reformed. Then, from her wrist, flaming sashes sprouted out, coating the Blade until it formed a double-edged sword, twice bigger and thicker than the original one.
She swung that and clashed it with the "specter". Being so close to him, she could see the unhinged glint of that golden eye.
"...is looking more like that masked freak!"
-What a bratty kid you are! Willing to break your toys at the snap of a finger!- Noah laughed, shattering Nuria again, before swinging it towards Allie's neck, with no hesitation. She quickly performed a split, dodging the attack, a few strands of purple hair being left where she stood. She pointed her palms at Noah's lower section, a blast of fire exiting them.
"Even while acting so casual, he's leaking killer intent like a water faucet!"
Before the smoke from the attack cleared, she could suddenly feel something sinking through her Armor's fire and grabbing her by the hair. With a gasp, she was raised up, only to see Noah again, not a scratch on his person.
-Nice fireworks!- he said, before bringing her face in towards his and headbutting her, his forehead crushing her helmet and pressing against hers with so much force it barely seemed like wearing armor made any difference on Allie's part.
Allie stumbled back, clutching her head, blood dripping from her forehead.
"Bastard! Is the Sword boosting his physical abilities?! No, it doesn't work like that, it's not a Blade given by a blessing! His soul power shouldn't have risen!"
She glared at him, summoning Nuria again and coating it in more sashes. While it didn't become bigger, the Elite hoped it'd become tough and sharp enough to survive another clash.
"Or is it his natural abilities surfacing? Just how much power was this kid hiding? And why didn't he use it earlier?!" she thought, as another clash ensued, her Blade not shattering completely, but part of the front section of the sword broke off, glitters of steel and fire falling on the ground in front of her, as she was sent stumbling back after the collision.
Noah was also sent stumbling back a bit, doing little hops backwards with his right leg, as the left one was raised from the ground. But then he suddenly stomped his left foot down and stepped in quickly near her, bringing his fist in for a gut punch.
For a split second, Allie managed to react. She turned to the side to avoid the punch, but it wasn't a clean save, as the stomach section of the Armor completely broke off, the fiery fragments on Noah's gloved knuckles.
But now that she was beside the boy, she saw a chance to counter! Sinking her knee into Noah's stomach, she kicked him high into the air. She then pointed her palms at him, the armor expanding into the big flaming hands that quickly formed the miniature sun.
"I can't take any risks! It's not a matter of bringing him dead or alive back to the Tower anymore. I have to kill him NOW!"
-Colossus' Hellsphere !- she exclaimed, shooting the fireball towards the boy.
In the air, Noah's grin grew wider. He corrected himself to face the attack, clutching his face with a crazed expression.
-Such paltry fire is nothing before the golden flame, Lotus!- he shouted, before thrusting the sword in the air, pointed towards the fireball. From the blade, a powerful shockwave shot out, completely dissipating the Hellsphere upon contact and making its way towards Allie.
She had to jump back, towards yet another roof, as she witnessed the shockwave landing on where she stood a few moments ago, and completely destroying the whole house, like it was made of cards.
But as the Order Elite felt her feet landing on the next roof, she could also feel the boy's hand clutch around her neck from behind. Impossibly fast, Allie had no way to react to his movements, the Elite being dragged back and chucked away, like a rag doll.
But she wasn't about to give up just yet. She corrected herself in midair and extended her flaming hand towards the roof where Noah was standing. Grabbing herself onto the edge, she rocketed herself towards the boy.
Summoning Nuria on her foot, she quickly slashed at his neck. But it only hit air, as Noah circled around the Lotus and struck at her back again.
Allie quickly threw the re-coated saber onto her left hand, turning around and clashing it with the golden sword. Nuria was coated with ten layers of sashes, re-creating the Seventh Layer Nuria Blade, but because it was much smaller, it was also much more concentrated, boosting its durability and sharpness to the extreme.
"Literally the extreme. Nevermind me concentrating such a big Ultima Soul to this degree. If I coat Nuria in any more fire, the Blade will melt. And I can feel my soul power draining fast, so I won't be able to summon Nuria altogether again if he breaks it. I have to conserve as much power as I can..."
So, taking that risk, the pieces of the Scorched Armor that still coated her body dissipated. Directing all of her soul power to keeping her Blade whole, Allie struggled against Noah's sword. So far, though, Nuria was not breaking apart.
-Pretty risky maneuver, Lotus dear.- Noah snickered- If I so much as nick you, your guts will paint this town's sands!
-I'll make sure you don't as much take a single strand of hair off my head, from now on.- she smirked back, before leaning to the side. Noah's sword fell forward, without nothing to clash into so suddenly. Quickly switching Nuria over to her right hand, Allie slashed at the boy's back.
Noah jumped forward, avoiding the attack, but, as he turned around, he had to raise the Blade again, blocking Allie's flurry of attacks, the Elite having switched the sabre over to her foot and smacking it against the golden flames.
With a dance-like fluidity, she switched Nuria around all of her members, creating a string of attacks from all angles. But Noah soon lowered his sword, switching to lazily dodging the attacks as they came, his body moving up and down and from side to side like a snake slithering on the ground.
"And he's not even in Astral Soul...What kind of monster is this?!" Allie thought, gritting her teeth in frustration as Noah easily dodged all of her attacks.
-How's this!- she exclaimed, throwing Nuria to her right foot, lodging the tip of the handle on her heel and thrusting it, like a rapier, at Noah's face. He simply leaned in to his right, but suddenly his right cheek was grazed by the sabre, as it already had thrust again. Sinking her left foot into the ground, Allie began launching a series of high-speed kicks, her right leg becoming a blur, as she kept jabbing her Blade, trying to puncture Noah like a pincushion!
But her face soon began to lose all color. If her leg was a blur, what to say, then, of Noah? With a happy little hum leaving his lips, he kept leaning away from all of the jabs, various afterimages leaving his body in all directions. Not making a move to counter in any way, the boy that she was so easily dealing with before was making her high-speed flurry look like a snail!
And all the while, he kept giving her this fox-like smile.
Just like Balthazar's.
Allie roared.
-BASTAAAAARD!- she yelled, throwing Nuria upwards and grabbing it with both hands. The sabre immediately expanded back to the building sized sword again and came down Noah.
But, with a relaxed expression, he simply swiped the golden sword at it, completely obliterating the giant mass of fire. Another massive shock wave ensued, threatening to send Allie flying away again, but Noah reached out to clutch her face with his hand, turning around and throwing the Elite behind him again.
Soaring towards a nearby market street, Allie's vision was hazy. She felt her body breaking down to exhaustion, her Soul Crash subsiding in order to prevent her body from Overloading. She couldn't move a muscle, in order to correct her posture in the air.
All she could do was watch as that boy who looked like Noah materialized in front of her, a vile grin on his face, blood dripping from his mouth in spades. He raised the golden blade, that "Elemental Sword" above his head and it began shining, its flames flaring up and expanding, brighter and bigger with each moment.
-Die!- "Noah" yelled as he brought the blade down on the woman.
And then...
It dissipated.
A look of shock was splashed on both of the BladeMasters's faces, as the flaming sword turned into just a couple of golden sparks in Noah's hands, saving Allie from certain doom.
A wave of adrenaline shot through Allie's entire body. That was a golden opportunity! Grunting, she forced her beaten body to move, moving her legs and wrapping and locking Noah's head around them. She then moved forward to take hold of his legs, holding them tight, as both fighters began diving towards the ground, Noah trapped in a deadly piledriver!
Suddenly, torrents of water sprouted from the nearby alleyways, gathering on the ground below them, forming a giant water sphere that both fighters feel inside of. The water retarded the fall, keeping both floating inside, so Noah was saved from a crushed skull, but not from the newfound danger of drowning!
-I'll be taking this!- a familiar voice said, as a figure zipped inside the sphere, forcibly snatched Noah from a stunned Allie's grasp and exited the bubble, holding the blonde in his hands.
Noah blinked, looking at his savior.
-Zeke!-he called out, his regular tone returning, but his eye not changing.
Zeke smirked as they soared through the air, soon landing softly on the dusty ground.
-I like your new contact lens, Noah, but you do know they come in pairs, right?- he asked.
-I...what happened?- Noah said, clutching his hand before breaking into a coughing fit. Zeke placed him down on the ground.
-Easy there. I guess summoning that giant sword pushed you over the Backlash limit, huh? You stay here and rest. Jack and the others are coming to help. Me, Axel and Guy will finish that bitch off.- he said, standing up.
-Zeke...I want to help too. That sword...I didn't mean to...-Noah reached out towards his friend., before a particularly harsh cough had him vomiting blood again.
Zeke waved at him.
-No worries. What matters is that you're safe. Stay here and rest.- he said, before running off towards the water sphere, which had collapsed, Allie nowhere to be seen.
Noah was left sitting there, breathing heavily, trying to calm his coughing down. Meanwhile, an intense feeling of frustration and dread filled his entire body, as he clutched his right eye.
"I felt myself moving...I heard myself talking...But it was like a distant dream. I know I was fighting, but I also didn't feel like I was doing anything. Whoever summoned and used that golden sword...
...wasn't me."
*
Allie stumbled across the streets, clutching her stomach, shaking like a leaf.
"Thank the gods that sword ran out when it did. I want to retreat and regroup with the rest of the Desert Roses, but if I can get to the gold bags now, when everyone is distracted by the confusion...I can make my getaway and reunite with the others later."
But as she was exiting a random alleyway, in order to get to the town square, where the wrecked carriages with the bags inside them were, she was stopped by the gleam of a familiar katana. Axel stepped forward, pointing his Blade at her.
-Please, Allie. This ends here. Surrender quietly. We don't have to spill more blood over something so stupid.
Allie spat blood on the ground, glaring at the boy.
-What do you know, boy? I already told you. I have someone I want to protect, and that's what I'm fighting for. If I told you to give up, you wouldn't do either, right? So, just suck it up and strike me down. That is, if you can bring yourself to do it.- she snarled, before her arm coated itself in fire, the armored member smacking Raiden away, as she tried to run past Axel.
But then, as she returned to the square, her path was barred by a torrent of flames shooting out in front of her. She tried to circle around them, but a wall of icicles erected before her, blocking her path. With no other choice, she turned back, to face Axel, Guy and Zeke walking towards her.
-This is the final round, Miss Lotus.- Zeke said, readying Waterwheel and pointing its edge at her. The other followed his lead, taking their stances.
Panting, Allie looked at them and then at herself. Body covered in sweat, dirt and blood, dancing outfit in shambles.
"Honestly, I hadn't seen myself like this in years. I guess I really am in another war, huh?"
She shot a look of determination at the group.
"And, like always, I'll claw my way to survive!"
Allie took a deep breath.
-This is the last one. Please, body...just endure it.
With those words, a familiar pressure reached the boys. She had activated a Burst Soul Crash.
-Here she comes, boys. There's no real plan this time, to be honest.- Axel said- If her Soul Crash lasts five seconds, then we have to fight with all we got for six more! Let's go!
With that shout, the trio ran up to her, before they were stopped by a circle of flames surrounding her. A wall of blaze rose up around the Elite, a pair of familiar eyes showing up from within it. Soon, the Nuria Colossus formed again, roaring at them.
Allie winced, but took another deep breath.
-Fifth Layer Nuria Colossus. And...Extend.
With that, the giant pressed both palms into the ground.
And jumped.
Axel's eyes widened.
-It has...legs now?!
Indeed, when the giant landed, it now sported a pair of slender legs. The Colossus towered above even the two story buildings, seeming like something that could wield Terri's Titan's Sword !
From within its chest, Allie floated, staring at the trio from high above. She moved her hand to the side, summoning Nuria and, as she did, the giant mimicked her movements, summoning itself the giant fiery blade that the Elite had used moments before!
-Purgatory Performance.- she slowly said- This is my last trump card, boys. Better grit your teeth and face it head-on. Lest you die a fiery death right at this moment!
With that, the giant moved its sword across the ground, swiftly raising it up and taking with it a mountain of dirt and rubble, sending the trio flying away!
Axel raised his arms to shield himself from the rain of rocks that threatened to pelt him.
-What are we supposed to do against something like that?!
Guy looked at him, with a scandalized look on his face.
-YOU'RE telling me?! Aren't you the tactician here?!
The trio landed with a "thud" on the ground, looking on towards the giant that slowly paced towards them, its steps not even rumbling the ground, still light as air, but even deadlier than an iron giant.
Zeke grunted.
-Yeah, against something like that, I don't think your Soul Crashes are going to last long enough to make a dent. So, as always...-he smirked- I'm going to be the hero here. I can still engage mine for about...five minutes.
-Oh goodie...-Axel smirked back- Because I have some legs I want you to soak.
-Ooooh, is this a massage treatment? Oh, I love those little machines.- with that, he took the stance and activated Soul Crash- One trip to Relaxation n' Bliss Town, coming right up!
With that, dozens of spheres of water formed around him. The Aqua-born charged towards the giant, Axel and Guy following him. Once he got in close enough, Zeke launched the water spheres towards the giant, but once they got close they evaporated!
Zeke blinked, stunned, before he and the others got too close and were pushed back by a heatwave!
They tumbled back across the ground, looking up at the giant, as it readied its sword, slowly raising it up towards the skies.
-It can release a heatwave at will?! Against something that big, my attacks do nothing!- Zeke groaned.
-None of us have techniques of that scale. Unless you can summon tsunamis, Zeke.- Axel bit his lower lip.
-Even if I could, I don't have enough soul power for it, and this oven of a town doesn't have enough elemental particles I can ignite in order to form something that big.- he replied.
-We're doomed, then!- Guy shrieked.
-Easy there, Guy.- Axel sighed, patting his shoulder- If we can't strike it with something as big...we just have to launch a pinpoint attack! But right now... dodge!- he shouted, the trio having to jump away as the sword landed where they were standing, raising up a cloud of rubble and dust as it demolished the town.
Axel and Guy ran towards an alleyway to the left and Zeke had to make do with going to the right, the group separated for now.
Allie decided to turn her focus on Zeke, moving her sword parallel to the ground and cutting through the square stone houses in order to catch the running Zeke, who scuttled away through the tight alleyways like a mouse.
-WHY ARE YOU COMING AFTER ME?! DIDN'T YOU DO ENOUGH TO ME ALREADY?!- he yelled as he boosted himself up, the sword passing below him. Then, with a couple of more well-timed bursts of water, his body soared towards a nearby two-story building, landing on the roof. From where he stood, he could face Allie floating inside the giant's chest.
Below him, on a one-story building to the right, Axel and Guy climbed up to its roof, soon spotting Zeke. Grabbing Guy by the hand, Axel floated up to the higher ground, meeting up with his friend.
Now they stood about 20 meters away from the giant, which was already turning to face them.
-It's now or never, Zeke. Use the last of your Soul Crash to use Valkyrian Jet Lance to pierce through the giant's chest! Then, once you're inside it, grab Allie! She said it was her last card, so she shouldn't be able to create another one!- he said.
Zeke nodded and readied himself. Axel and Guy activated their Astral Souls, placing their hands on Zeke's shoulders in order to share the energy with him. The Aqua-born began shining with the auras and readied his Blade, before he climbed onto Axel and Guy's hands.
Just like Masters Gee and Rye had done to Axel against Sobek's tornado, Guy and Axel threw Zeke, like a rocket, towards the giant! Water and ice coated the Waterwheel, creating the lance, which Zeke pointed at Allie inside the giant!
Noticing his plan, the Colossus released a massive heatwave, making Axel and Guy fall back off the roof (although Axel quickly saved himself and Guy with a gust of wind from below them), but the nature of Zeke's attack made it so that his body and Blade pierced right through the wave!
-You're done now! Valkyrian Jet Lance !!!- Zeke shouted as he approached the giant.
But before he could reach it...
It disappeared.
Right in front of his eyes, the giant dissipated into a bunch of fluttering sparks, leaving Allie floating in midair.
Zeke smirked, thanking his lucky stars, and continued his approach, uninterrupted by bothersome heatwaves!
"So naiive..."
Allie's words rung inside his head, as the Elite raised her arms. Countless sashes wrapped around the Jet Lance, an intense cloud of steam erupting from it. Soon, only Waterwheel remained, the bands wrapped around it and Zeke's arm.
He screamed in pain, as the fire seared into his arm. But that was the least of his worries, as Allie brought him in towards her and sunk her elbow on the back of his head, making him crash right towards the ground below!
Her body started to fall, following his trajectory, but Allie smirked, a torrent of fire surrounding her. And now, what was approaching to finish Zeke off was not Allie herself, but the heel of the newly-formed Colossus !
-I thought...that was your last card!- Zeke slowly said as he raised his head from the crater he landed inside of.
-And you seriously believed that?- Allie coldly remarked- Heh, I guess spreading misinformation does have its uses in direct battle, and not only war strategies. You boys were so focused on those words I said, in such an exaggerated tone, that you centered your whole strategies on that statement, with no plans to back it up. I'd say that you still have a long way to go, in terms of becoming real BladeMasters, but your battles end here!
Zeke looked up in terror as the giant foot came down on him. His Soul Crash had ran out. He raised his arms and closed his eyes, accepting his destiny...
And then...
-No...
"It can't be..!"
As Allie's words left her lips.
The giant's entire leg...
Was gone.
*
A few minutes earlier:
Noah was still on the alleyway, where Zeke had left him, sitting down and letting Jack, who reunited with him, along with the rest of the Owl Knights, try and perform one last healing. But, like he said, Sage healing with that little stamina left in Noah was almost impossible. Noah's soul power was almost completely drained, so the cyan Enchant Stone was having little to no effect.
-Well, Noah, looks like I'll have to get a bit rough.- Jack said, reaching for his pouch.
-Wha...how?- Noah asked, before he was given a bunch of small, orange-colored rocks.
-Eat it.- Jack simply said.
-Are these...Tera Enchant Stones? Are you expecting me to eat rocks?!- Noah asked, scandalized.
-It's the only way to start boosting your soul power. Come now, no complaining.- Jack said, his expression serious.
Noah looked at the clump of rocks and shoved them in his mouth, a distraught expression on his face.
"Ugh, this is awful. It's so...
...sweet?"
The Knights broke out laughing.
-Pfftt! Those are candy! Special Tera Enchant Stone candies, in fact!- Jack said, wiping a tear from his eye- Using a special recipe I learned from Wolttus Sages, I mixed sugar with bit-sized Tera Stones and mixed them all together to create this hard-candy medicine! Comes in various flavors and helps recover soul power in the most comfortable way!
-Wow, tell me about it! Tastes like orange, and it's delicious! What other flavors do you have?- Noah asked, eyes shining. Although it looked a bit creepy, with the heterochromia and all...
-I wouldn't recommend eating candy from Elements that aren't yours. Your stomach doesn't agree with that. I learned that the hard way...- Roderick sighed.
Their banter was interrupted by the sound of a massive explosion a few streets away. And then the Knights and Noah were greeted by the sight of Allie's giant towering above the buildings and wrecking havoc.
An expression of terror crept on Noah's face.
-I have to help them out...- he slowly said.
-Noah, relax. Roderick, Felix and Jimmy can go help out the boys--
-Then I'll just go with them!- Noah yelled, reaching for Jack's pouch and taking out more orange candy, eating it by the fistful.
-Noah, no!- Jack said, trying to push him away- Someone with Backlash like you, suddenly getting such a burst of soul power, after having close to zero, will--
Noah doubled over on the ground. The headaches returned, and in full force. A loud groan of pain left his mouth as he clutched his head. He felt it thumbing quickly, his vision getting blurry and everything in his body hurting like he had been ran over by hundred horses at once.
Then, from his back, a massive orange aura flared up, covering the immediate area around Noah and the Knights, rising above the roofs of the single-story buildings. And, all the while, Noah kept screaming in pain, his right eye felling like it was being pulled out.
-So little candy and already he's flaring up this much Element?!- Jack exclaimed- I know the candy recovers the soul power of the one who takes it by a percentage, and not an exact number, but still! How much soul power does this kid have, to ignite so many particles with that little percentage?!
-This is bad, Jack!- Felix yelled, pointing at Noah, who kept vomiting blood- This isn't like that Astral Soul business, which seems to be more physical-related. Noah can't control the amount of particles he can make his soul ignite, so it's going berserk! If he keeps flaring up that much out-of-control soul power and Element, he's going to Overload and die!
-We have to knock him out. For his own sake!- Jimmy said, holding up his hammer.
-No!- Noah suddenly said, getting up to his knees, clutching his face- Don't you dare, Mister Jimmy! I can control this!
-Noah! You can't! You'll die! You've barely recovered your soul power and it's already killing you!- Jack shook him by the shoulders.
Noah glared at him.
-Don't say tha--
"Yeah, Noah. It wouldn't do me much good for you to die on me."
Noah's forehead pressed against the floor again.
-Shut up! SHUT UP! DON'T YOU DARE CONTROL ME, TAL!
The Knights blinked.
-Tal...-Jimmy started- Does he mean...
-I've been meaning to say this, but his eye...its quite the rare color in all of Gaia.- Roderick said- The only other person I've heard about that had such an eye color...
-It's Tal, the Guardian.- Jack said- The new first Order Echelon. The one that has been recently causing havoc in villages on the western border of the continent, all while sporting a mask, a wicked grin...and a pair of unsettling golden eyes. But, according to the descriptions we've got from our informants, he doesn't look anything like Noah. And what does he have to do with what's happening to the boy now?
-Maybe it's...brrr, possession?- Jimmy asked.
-There's no time to argue about whether Tal is involved or not! We have to stop Noah from emitting soul power!- Felix exclaimed.
-NO!- Noah protested, banging his head against the ground before rising up again, teeth gritted so hard you'd swear they would have shattered by now- I'll beat him...myself!
"Oh please, Noah. You know very well that, from the battle against Black Feather, that you need me." the voice would cackle
"That was before you showed up and hurt Lucy! You deserved the beating she gave you and I'll make sure you get a piece of my mind as well, when I find you!" Noah thought.
"Mmm, Lucy? Oh yes, I remember that battle! And when you...find me, huh? You'll find it hard to accomplish such a task~" he said.
"What are you, a comedian, Tal?! Just go away and let me control my Element! I can do it without you boosting me!"
"Mmmm...interesting. Yes, I did boost you back then, Noah, but that was when I was controlling your soul power usage."
"W-what..? How?!"
"Well, there's this neat little trick I can do, Noah, which is applying ceilings to your power.
See the amount of soul power you can use as water rising inside a tube. Usually, a BladeMaster can control up to where the water rises, but my abilities allow me to put little lids across the inner length of the tube to prevent the water from rising past a certain point.
For a while now, I have been managing said lids, being able to lock and unlock whichever many I want at any time. Back at the Arena, against Black Feather, I just unlocked the first one of them and created higher ceiling for your power, allowing your soul to inflate for just a short while.
But then you got all bratty and said you didn't need my help, that you didn't 'trust' meeee..! I figured I should teach you a lesson. So, I slowly unlocked the lids I so lovingly placed on your soul. So the water raised up the tube without limitations. Past a certain point, your body cannot take that much soul power and you experienced the full wrath of the power that dwells inside you via a Backlash."
"You bastard...so it was you after all!"
"But, alas, I'm merciful, Noah. You think of me like I'm some kind of violence-seeking sadist, but I'm actually quite nice when I want to. You really offer me no advantages while dead, so here's what I'll do: currently, with all your physical and mental training, you've been able to implement your own limiters and control 5% of your soul power in your default state, creating a satisfactory level of Astral Soul and even igniting enough elemental particles to allow you to create a few blossoms.
Currently, you're exuding around 70% of your power and it's steadily rising. Once it reaches one hundred, you'll bite the bullet. But what I can do is enforce my own limiters, that are nothing like your flimsy ones, and allow you to control , for a longer time, the upper limit of what your body is capable of, but your mind cannot control at present: 30%"
Noah's eyes widened.
"My body...can take 30% already?" he asked.
"Yes, yes! And if you must know, that is the level of Element you used against both Terri T. and Merceny after my generous boosts. I raised you from 10% to 30% in a flash! Of course, even those 10% I was managing myself."
"So you're telling me that I'm not even close to what I could, supposedly, control with my mind, before the Backlash, but my body can take triple of that if I let you take care of the mind business?"
"My, you're quick learner! 30% was a temporary boost back then, or else your body would Backlash, but now that you can take control of the upper limit of that percentage for much longer. Then, we can start working on controlling even greater amounts, together! Let me help you get used to 30 and in the next battle, I can let you tap into 50% or 60%! What a deal, right?"
Noah grinned.
"Heh...that's---"
From the recesses of his mind, even beyond Tal's voice...
She sounded. A familiar voice, as well.
"...ah...you can't...on't...let...self be....olled...he's not..!"
-Very valuable information, Tal.- Noah said, standing up slowly, a bit wobbly, his out of control aura shattering the walls around the area. The Knights stood, stunned, looking at Noah muttering to himself.
"Yes! Then you'll--"
-Now that I know that 30% is what my body can take, then I'll just push my mind to meet the limits of my physical boundaries! I'll picture it...I'll picture my body getting to the absolute limit, thanks to Terri's training regimen. A sensation that I've gotten quite used to, might I add!
"What?! You--"
-Thanks to you, I got an important clue. If I can reach 30% and get used to that, I'll just picture double that soul power, train myself to be able to take it and then reach it! And when I do, I'll picture 30% more and reach 90%. By then...I'm sure I'll be able to walk the rest of the road pretty easily, no? You've actually given me a roadmap to surpassing the Backlash!
"No! You can't! Our fates are intertwined you fool! You cannot escape what you are, Alpha!"
-Even if that's so, I have friends to protect. Me. Not you, Tal. Who I once was and who I am now both agree: I must fight with my own body and mind! I won't let you interfere anymore!!!
With that, he let out a roar, his aura flaring up even more. His head felt like it was about to explode, but his mind was becoming clearer by the second. And, as he did, the orange aura began calming down, still remaining in quite the sizable amount, but flaring up more slowly. Then, the translucent aura of Astral Soul began rising up from his body as well, mixing with the Tera one!
Tal's voice began getting farther away as Noah's roar muffled all else.
"You...bas...stop...lling...me..al!" he roared, before the mocking voice vanished.
-WHOOOAAAAA!!!- Noah shouted. In his mind, his training with Jackson returned to the forefront. He pictured Astral Soul. And the blossom.
The translucent aura began mixing with the orange one, creating a massive faint pink light surrounding his body.
His eyes stared at the giant. His right eye slowly shifted back to red.
He raised his right hand at the enemy.
And then, like a whisper...a sweet voice, close to his ear.
"Show him, dearest Noah. Let him hear the cry of YOUR soul!"
-LET'S GO!- he shouted. He brought his hand back before thrusting it forward!
The aura directed itself to coat his arm, and then shot out of his palm! It shone in a bright pink light before materializing in countless pink petals, that all flowed from around him, flying and swirling in a cylindrical shape across the streets, towards the giant! It passed the streets, it crept up from the alleyways, shot past Axel and Guy and collided with the Colossus' leg, disintegrating it!
No headaches.
He felt like he was at the pinnacle of his powers. Pushing himself any more would only hurt him.
That was his limit. But he felt in complete control.
He felt...
Himself.
*
Allie's eyes were wide in terror as she saw her giant's leg disappear, being taken away by a wave of pink. As the petals flew upwards and passed near her, she could recognize them.
-C-cherry blossoms?! Those are plants, how could they bypass fire?!
Then, the petals dissipated into a pink light, countless sparks of fire falling harmlessly towards the ground before being snuffed out.
Noah ran out of the alley, joining Axel and Guy on the square, along with the Knights.
-Noah, how did you..?!- Axel asked.
-I'm not completely sure myself. But what I do know is that Backlash just became a slightly smaller problem. Those petals are proof of that.- he said- And sorry if I sound rude, but I really have to concentrate now. I can't lose my groove and all...
With that, he exuded the pink aura again, before shooting out more petals towards the giant's remaining foot, while Axel stared at it all, dumbfounded.
"He could only summon one petal before...Noah, what kind of mental trigger did you have to be able to summon that much power?!"
-It's amazing...it didn't snuff out Allie's fire, but carried it away...- Guy said, Axel noticing the amazed expression on his face.
Axel turned back to the battle, as Allie turned the Colossus around to clash the sword with the wave of petals. Slowly, the sword began shattering, shards of it falling towards the ground. The Mistral-born then went back to focus on the foreign aura around Noah.
"Every time I think I got the Elemental color wheel down, I get surprised, be it by mysterious Enchant Stones and now this...
Such a big aura can't be all Element, though. I was giving it all I had before, for the Triumvirate and my Element wasn't flaring up that much..."
Then, a light popped inside his mind.
"Could it be..? Noah's raw physical abilities are comparable to mine, so his Astral Soul is, as well. Maybe this is...Element being inflated by Astral Soul ! That's why it's so powerful, but with a smaller amount of Element! It's a physical-based ability, thanks to the nature of Astral Soul, so Noah can control the bulk of it easily! And the remaining power, the Element half, becomes much easier for him to manage! It's an uneven mix of both, but because of Astral Soul's interaction with Elements, not being strong or weak against any of them..."
He smirked as the blossoms shot down from the clash and consumed the remaining leg, making the Colossus fall to the ground, only its torso remaining. Again, the petals disappeared and let a bunch of flaming sparks go.
-It's redirection.-Axel began explaining- Those petals are like a mix of the Astral Wave technique, mixed with Tera Element. They act more like miniature blades than actual petals, so when they clash with Allie's Solid Fire, they don't burn, but act like a sword would. So Noah is scraping off the armor, therefore the fire, from the giant. Little by little he carries a small amount of the armor in each petal, and when they dissipate, the fire is harmlessly dropped.
-That's...a mindful, to be honest.-Guy said.
-But either way...it's the perfect counter to Allie's giant, seeing as none of us can match her in raw power, so we have to abuse more technical abilities like this.- Axel explained, before pointing towards the giant- After Noah breaks the sword, eat the rest, Guy.
Guy nodded and kept observing, as Noah would launch yet another wave towards Allie, who clashed it with her sword, but found it being demolished as well. She then pointed the giant's empty hands towards Noah and launched two Hellspheres towards him!
Noah quickly brought his hand towards him, directing the blossom wave he had already summoned, to place itself in front of him, clashing with the giant fireballs! He grunted, though, as finally his petals began to burn away under the intensity of Allie's flames. They might act more like an Astral Soul technique would, but they were still made of Element as well, so part of them were still horribly compatible with Allie's flames!
But before the fire could seep through his petals, the Colossus's torso would receive an attack from behind! Trying to sink its back, was Zeke's Waterwheel, the boy standing behind Allie, giving her a panting and bloody smirk. The naginata kept pushing against the giant, coated in high-pressure waters and it soon burst through the Colossus, forcing Allie to jump the side, landing outside of her giant!
-Astral Wave!- the rainbow wave clashed with the Hellspheres, destroying them. Axel stood beside Noah, smiling at him as he dispelled his petals.
The Mistral-born then turned towards Guy.
-Now!- he shouted. Guy pointed the Dragonic towards the unprotected Colossus and, soon enough, the giant's flames were all sucked up inside the Blade, the damage Noah gave it weakening them enough to be eaten by Guy's ability!
Allie found herself completely defenseless, surrounded by the four Academics. With labored breathing and dripping in sweat, she gritted her teeth and charged towards Noah.
He pointed his palm at her, the blossoms soon following. Allie responded in kind, pointing her palm as well and shooting out a torrent of concentrated fire towards the petals. A wall of fire erected in front of her as a result, obscuring her view, but she knew she had hit them dead-on.
But suddenly...she saw pink seeping through the flames. Thin waves of blossoms shot through her fire and caught her arm, enveloping themselves around it.
Intense pain shot right through the Lotus' body and she quickly jumped to the side, moving her arm away from the petals. She looked to the side, only to notice that her member was completely bloody, covered in countless small cuts. She could barely move it as it dangled lifelessly beside her.
"This is bad...while not as overwhelming as the Elemental Sword, if those petals catch me in my weakened state, I'm dead..!"
She took a deep breath and stopped, before she forced herself to jump up high. Once in the air, Allie turned back and pointed her remaining hand at the four boys in her sights.
-You think this is the end?! You snotty-nosed brats, I won't give up--
She then stopped herself as she felt it...
The spike in killing intent coming from two sides.
She looked around herself, only to see two smaller waves of petals coming towards her from both sides. Up in the air, her mobility was much more limited, so she was easily caught in that pincer attack. And those two waves were big enough to consumed her entire body once they collided!
She looked down at Noah, the blonde's stare focused and committed to the attack, as he clapped both hands together.
Allie's face was one of absolute terror.
The same one she had when she heard the bombs drop outside of her house.
Her face became drained of color and her arms flopped down beside her, as she lost all hope.
"I'm dead...
I'm sorry I couldn't protect you, Brother...
I'm so sorry!"
-GIBS-- -her scream was muffled by the two waves crashing together. The sky itself rumbled at the shock, the area being filled by a faint pink light. Once the waves continued on their path, they dissipated, stray blossoms remaining, fluttering harmlessly in the sky.
One landing right on Allie's nose.
Her eyes slowly moved to look at it before she felt herself falling down.
Her body fell on the ground. Once the dust settled, her outfit would be in shreds and her exposed skin would be littered in small cuts.
But not as many as it should be...
-I'm...alive..?- she weakly let out.
Noah fell to his knees.
-Talk about good timing for her...My soul power just ran out, so it must have put a damp on the blossoms' power.- he explained to Axel and Guy before another coughing fit followed.
-You did good, Noah. Rest now.- Axel said, before he stepped towards the fallen Elite.
But then Zeke quickly walked past him.
-Yeah, really good, Noah. You give me the satisfaction of personally cutting her head off.- the Aqua-born said, brandishing his naginata. Axel reached out and grabbed him by the shoulders. Zeke turned back, glaring at him.
-Don't you dare...- he snarled.
-We don't kill if we can help it.- Axel firmly said.
-She definitely wouldn't have this much mercy for us. She didn't for me, at least.- he shot back.
-Guys...- Guy tried to step between them but Zeke pushed him away before grabbing Axel by the collar of his tank top.
-That bitch stabbed me! If Jack didn't heal me, I'd be dead ! This is war, so we have to reduce the enemies' numbers! And the bigger the enemy, the bigger the need to get rid of them! Are you seriously going to allow her to run away, heal and then come back stronger?! We only won because of sheer luck on Noah's part! Your plans only helped us survive! Not win! So don't go showing mercy like you completely steamrolled her! Because you didn't! And now that we have this chance, we have to take it!
-If you kill her, you're no better than her, Zeke.- Axel calmly said- I understand--
-You understand? YOU UNDERSTAND?!- Zeke yelled- You don't, you idiot! Ever since Sobek, you haven't understood a damn thing! Always following your emotions on whim, like a child...that's what got us in this mess! And then you had to show off to this girl because you got all excited! You're the one who's at fault here! The blood we spilled is in your hands, and now you expect us to not seek justice?! Are you some saint or just plain stupid?! I'll tell you what you are, Axel Rhodes: you're insane!
-Now, now, we don't need to be fighting among ourselves...-Jack had arrived on the scene and stepped in to stop the altercation, before Axel shook his head.
-No, Jack. He's right. Completely right. I was a damn fool, Zeke. I thought that...if I escaped everything my parents represented, that cold scientific logic, I would be free. But what's freedom if I'm dead? During this whole mission, I could acted way smarter! Maybe we could have infiltrated this city more smoothly or devised a plan to fight Allie more efficiently! I know I should be smarter if I wish to survive this conflict...but I can't just close off my heart! Allie...Allie hurt us. Made us suffer, yes! But she's just as human as the rest of us! She's fighting because she was forced to! I know that sounds like an excuse and I have no right to defend her, after all she did...so if you want to blame someone...blame me, Zeke! Please!
Zeke gritted his teeth, reeling his fist back and bringing it towards Axel...before he lightly tapped it on the Mistral-born's chest. Tears began rolling down the always dopey boy's cheeks.
-I was scared, man...really scared. I thought I had died and that you would all follow me soon afterwards. That's why I threw caution to the wind and came to help you all, despite my injuries and the odds stacked against us. Because I wanted to help you get through that stump you were having in your mind, by helping you defeat her! Do you know how much you make me worry, Axel?!- he said, wiping his tears.
Axel nodded slowly, bringing him in for a tight hug.
-I won't do it any more, Zeke, I promise.- he said- For now, let's restrain Allie. We can make her pay for her crimes. That's a form of revenge too...right?
Zeke nodded back, stepped away and turned around, pointing his palm at the fallen Lotus. He was planning to encase her in ice, but his actions were interrupted as five figures erupted from the alleyways. Bloody and exhausted, the Desert Roses placed themselves between the Academics/Knights and Allie.
-You won't lay a hand on her!- the shield Rose said.
-We'll die before you can!- the dagger dancer said, the squad taking out their Blades, ready to fight.
-Enough...
Allie's meek voice reached everyone. The Desert Roses turned around, only to see her awash in tears, her eyes wide in terror and her whole body shaking like a leaf.
-Please...no more...I've had enough fighting. Screw the money...they won. Please...just don't spill any more blood for me..! I've had enough of other people sacrificing themselves for me!- she said, her voice shaking.
She turned her head to face Axel and the group.
-So please...put down your weapons, friends. I don't want you all to have to face...h-him.- she slowly and shakily pointed...
At Noah.
A stunned look coated the blonde's face.
She then turned back to face the blue sky.
-This lotus has wilted. I...
"...give up."