Creek!
"You slippery bastard I've got you now!"
The moment the door swung open, a blur of blue light flashed before Colgate's eyes. He discovered Lanor, her face flushed with trepidation. Colgate's menacing appearance had clearly unnerved her. He towered over her, his eyes narrowing in suspicion. "Where is he?" he growled.
"Eek!" Lanor did nothing but screamed.
Meanwhile, Hao was outside in the corridor, doing his best to blend into the crowd and avoid suspicion. He had secretly escaped the booth using Night Tamer, his body momentarily disappearing into a ripple of dark noise. He had then reappeared in the corridor, his hoodie drawn over his head, concealing his features from prying eyes.
However, while Hao attempted to slip through the crowd, Diana spotted him among the group passing by. The long sword on his back gave him away. "Hey, you there stop!"
"Huh!" Noticing her gaze on him, Hao knew he had been discovered. Thus he fled, leaping over the railing and into the open air. The ground far below seemed to rise up to meet him, and the fall was intense. His adrenaline pumped as he plummeted. He had only seconds to react before he would crash into the ground below.
"Not a chance. Vibe Edge release!"
Just before impact, Hao used Night Tamer again to break his fall. He disappeared into a flash of darkness then reappeared below, startling a few people in the archive. Wasting no time, he immediately bolted toward the exit, thinking that escape was at hand, but he was heavily mistaken.
Whoosh!
Hao froze in his tracks, startled by an unexpected blade swinging at his head. To avoid a head loss, he quickly ducked. Diana was there, her eyes locked on him. He was shocked by her sudden appearance. 'How did she get here so fast?'
"This time I brought my darling sword with me, so don't even think about escaping like last time."
Diana revealed her Rare-Level-3 sword, which she called Flash Point. The name of her sword was intimidating, and being in the Rare category only added to its prestige. She smirked at Hao, clearly thinking she had him cornered. She gestured to Judgment Day, "Hand over that weapon or suffer the consequences. This is your last warning, Vee. Do you hear me?" she threatened.
Hao didn't respond audibly, for he was still wondering how she had managed to get down to his level so quickly. Using Vibe Sense, he scanned her sword. Its intricate design and shimmering surface bespoke its quality and power. But what caught Hao's attention the most was the essence of speed that seemed to emanate from the blade. 'So that's it...' Hao realized the main ability of Diana's weapon was to boost her speed, allowing her to appear before him so suddenly.
Thud!
While Diana had him cornered, Colgate joined the scene. His landing from above created a rumble that startled the onlookers. He clamped his knuckles together as he glared at Hao fiercely. His weapon of choice wasn't a sword but a gauntlet he called Bone Crusher. The gauntlet was made of an alloy that seemed to radiate with a sinister energy. Hao remembered hearing stories of how Colgate had used Bone Crusher to shatter his opponents' bones in a single strike. In the hands of someone like Colgate, Bone Crusher was a fearsome weapon.
As Colgate approached, Hao expressed his dislike for the Imperial Hound not utilizing a sword. "A real warrior would use a sword," he spat with disgust.
"To hell with your preferences, Vee!" Colgate hollered, "It's time I repay you for all the trouble you've caused."
"Don't forget about me," Diana chimed in. Both Imperial Hounds surrounded Hao, Colgate at the back and Diana up front. People were looking on, wondering what was going on in the archive, a place of knowledge and study. Even Lanor was observing from atop the glass balcony, curiosity was written all over her freckled face.
The surrounding became denser as the onlookers whispered and murmured. The question on everyone's mind was clear: Was a fight about to begin?
"Let's get this punk."
Colgate and Diana ganged up on Hao, their anger emanating from them like heat from a blazing furnace. Their gazes were sharp and unyielding, piercing Hao with relentless intensity. Though the Chief Curator had instructed them to carry out the retrieval of Judgment Day discreetly, they were doing quite the opposite. Many curious eyes were trained on the escalating confrontation in the archives.
An onlooker whispered to his friend, "What's going on? Are those Imperial Hounds here to arrest someone?"
"Looks like it," his friend replied, his face animated with excitement. "This is going to be epic! I wonder what brought on their beef with each other."
Lanor and several others had their personal S-Catalogue devices out, ready to record everything that was transpiring below on the ground floor. The atmosphere in the archive was charged with anticipation as the confrontation began to unfold.
Hao muttered to himself, 'It looks like I can't avoid fighting these two Imperial Hounds.'
"Damn right you can't!" Colgate knew exactly what he was thinking.
Boom!
The battle commenced with ferocity as Colgate and Diana charged at Hao. Colgate's gauntlet glowed with destructive energy, while Diana's sword shimmered with speed and resilience, ready to strike. Hao grasped Vibe Edge tightly, relying on its vibrations to guide his movements through the vast surroundings.
Bam!
Colgate initiated a powerful attack with his gauntlet crashing down towards Hao, who narrowly evaded the blow by sidestepping. The impact shattered the ground, sending dust and debris flying. Onlookers gasped, some retreating to a safer distance while others continued to record the clash.
Diana, with Flash Essence boosting her speed, darted around Hao like a whirlwind, her blade a blur of motion. Hao used Night Tamer, unleashing a spherical dark noise that allowed him to teleport a short distance away, just in time to avoid a slashing strike from Diana.
At the same time, Colgate lunged at Hao, aiming to crush him with a devastating blow. Hao parried, using Quick Draw to deflect the attack and counter with a swift strike of his own.
Clang! Clang!
The sounds of metal on metal echoed throughout the archive as their weapons clashed, each fighter seeking an opening to exploit.
In the heat of battle, Hao skilfully manoeuvred around his opponents, he was weaving through the bookshelves and dodging their relentless onslaught. The audience were captivated by the intensity of the fight as the combatants twisted, spun, ducked, dodged, lunged, and parried with incredible skill.
"Get severed!"
Undeterred, Diana unleashed a barrage of sword strikes, her blade was a symphony of motion. Colgate, not to be outdone, continued to swing his gauntlet with devastating force, each blow causing further destruction to the environment.
Boom!
The battle took a wild turn, the combatants were locked in a deadly dance, while the air became increasingly populated with the sound of clashing weapons and laboured breaths. Hao, relying on his Vibe Edge for sight and manoeuvrability, did his best to hold his ground, but the relentless assault from Colgate and Diana began to wear him down.
"You're going down Vee!" Hollered Diana as she soared above.
"Dammit!" Hao braced himself for impact.
In a pivotal moment, Diana managed to land a glancing blow on Hao, causing him to lose his grip on Vibe Edge. After his sword slipped from his hand, the world around him became a blur of darkness, now he was in grave danger. The archive held its breath, waiting for the outcome of this epic confrontation.