"Cain, wake up!"
Amara violently shook Cain. No matter what she tried, he wouldn't wake and his breath was faint.
Meanwhile, Jett stood over the both of them as Daniel sat against a tree, keeping tabs as he supplied Amara with countless potions she forced down his throat.
Jett returned to his usual self and turned his head as he locked eyes with Eli.
He, too, was worried about Cain. However, he was distracted by what just happened.
'How…did we get here?'
They'd suddenly just woken miles away from where the battle ensued, deeper into the forest where it was far darker as Ashton's city lights didn't reach it.
Eli was the first person to awaken as he woke everyone else. But…
'It seems a little too convenient.'
Jett knew what everyone here was capable of, except Eli.
"Don't ponder on it."
Eli commented, seeing Jett glaring at him as he turned around.
"What did you do?" He asked, his voice carrying a hint of scepticism.
He was glad they were all saved, however, the question about why Eli waited all this time to help couldn't help but loom in his mind.
Eli paused as he slom shrugged while walking away.
"Who cares? We're alive." He replied leaving as he seemingly headed back to Ashton.
"Thank you."
After a few seconds, Eli paused as he looked back, noticing Jett smiling.
"I don't care. Just…thanks."
Eli's eyes stayed on Jett for a few seconds before he gave a nod, finally disappearing into the forest.
'But I still have one more debt to repay.'
***
'What's…going on?'
Lucy had come looking for Ava, but instead somehow found herself in the middle of this all.
The Clover son was a Soul Reaper, the other F-Ranker in the first year who seemingly possessed a Kagune and…
-BOOM
-CRACK
Countless bones could be heard breaking as Aizen hurled a river of blood so violently that some exited out of his nose, his eyes threatening to pop out of his skull.
The punch was so powerful that the outline of Isaac's fist could be seen poking out from Aizen's back.
-BANG
Aizen was sent shooting through the air, crashing through the countless plant life as Isaac bent his legs, disappearing after him.
Just as this happened, Logan snapped out of his trance and dashed after them both.
"Get out of my way!"
-CLANG
-CLANG
-CLANG
Marshall yelled, swinging his swords a few times as Lucy blocked each one.
'She's skilled.'
Marshall was able to assess, narrowing his eyes, his urgent feeling quelling a little as he focused a little more.
Everything, from her footwork to the grip on her sword and even her breathing. She was proficient.
And on the other side, Lucy furrowed her eyebrows as her hands vibrated upon the clashes.
She had countless thoughts on her mind. She didn't know who she had on her side or what she was fighting for, as she simply stumbled upon this all.
As she took a step back, her eyes followed as the two Priests snapped into action, cornering her as the Onyx members formed a triangle around her.
Despite this, Lucy breathed in, her expression remaining calm as she looked straight ahead, her sword before her.
"I can't afford to stay here long." She mumbled, loud enough for the others to hear.
Though she had a mission to save Ava, she couldn't leave knowing these powerful individuals were so close to the others she'd just left as they already had their hands full.
"10 minutes. I will defeat you all in under ten minutes."
The brunette clicked her teeth as she heard this. The headphones-wearing man showed a similar reaction.
Waving her hands, the green hue around the brunette intensified as countless stones rose, shooting at Lucy like rounds to a machine gun.
-CLANK
-CLANK
-CLANK
With a rapid show of speed and elegant footwork as if she were dancing, Lucy tapped her sword on each stone with just enough force that they went of course.
-CLICK
-BANG
Lucy snapped her head backwards, raising her sword and blocking a heavy punch from the red-haired man.
'He's fast.'
She thought as the red-haired man grunted at his attack not landing, watching as Lucy swung her sword, flinging his fist away from her and moving low, sheathing her sword.
"One sword style…"
Just as Lucy's sword clicked open, she halted in her approach despite her clear opening, instead leaping backwards as she dodged the large tree stump that WHOOSHED past her.
Turning her head to the brunette, Lucy glared at her smirk for a second, preparing to draw her sword.
"One sword style…"
-CLICK
Once again, Lucy leapt back while barely dodging another quick punch from the red-haired man.
"Hmm, it seems I overestimated you. You're nothing but a one-trick pony." Marshall snorted as he watched from the back.
But Lucy paid no mind to this as she regained her footing.
'This isn't working.'
She thought.
And so, much to the surprise of the others, Lucy lowered her sword, sheathing it.
Instead, a slight hum could be heard, a green cloth being summoned into Lucy's hand as she wrapped it around her forehead.
'At least no one I know will be here to see it.'
Lucy thought.
Whether she liked it or not, her one sword wouldn't be enough to deal with this.
Though Lucy was adamant on improving her Proficiency with one sword, it seemed like she had no choice but to use…more.
No choice but to express the full extent of her swordsmanship.
One which she hasn't needed to use while attending Aurelius.
But there was just one problem…
'...so embarrassing.'
Bringing her white sword to her teeth, she chomped down as two more summoned into her hand.
'No way…it can't be…'
Marshall widened his eyes as he stared at the girl, green bandana around her head, white sword in her mouth as she held two more I'm each hand.
"You think more swords is going to help you?"
-SNAP
The red-haired Priest mocked, snapping his fingers as he disappeared.
"No, wait!" Marshall yelled, but it was too late.
The red-haired man appeared before Lucy as the brunette prepared her ability, however…
[Art: Three Sword Style ☆☆☆☆☆]
-SHING
Lucy, both swords in her hand to her side, appeared behind the red-haired man faster than he approached her as time itself seemed to come to a halt, silence prevailing as both remaining Priests stared.
'The legendary Three Sword Style, one of the many hidden treasures of the Vanhearts. So that means she's…'
"Onigiri."
-SLICE
The sound of flesh being sliced rang out, breaking the silence as blood gushed out from the three deep gashes on the red-haired man's chest, forming a cross with a third line running down the middle.
With a THUD, he, dropped to the ground, his eyes rolling back into his skull as his jaw was left gaping, as if his subconscious was still trying to figure out what happened.
'...Lucy Vanheart, the Queen Asura.'
Just as Marshall thought this, Lucy turned her head, glaring at who was left as she mumbled.
"8 Minutes left."
***
-BANG
-CLANK
-BANG
-CLANK
Two blurs zoomed and darted across the forest, clashing as sparks flew and ear-piercing BANGS rang out.
"Gate of Life, Open."
Mumbling this, Isaac's skin turned red as if his insides were on fire as his veins bulged.
-BANG
-CLANK
Aizen, blood dripping from the corner of his lips, a difficult expression painted on his face, grunted upon his sword being flung upwards as they clashed once more.
'Impossible…never has someone seen through my Kyoka Suigetsu.'
Aizen thought, seeing Isaac continue attacking unrelentlessly, the boy's speed increasing as it no matched Aizen's shunpo, if not faster.
The boy's mask and burning red eyes, paired with his sudden boost in power and the silence, made Isaac seem as though he was a completely different person from who he was an hour ago.
-BANG
-CLANK
Aizen's hand vibrated as he failed to control the backlash of the clash.
And it seemed as though Isaac noticed this as he moved in closer, prepared to launch an attack.
"Fool."
Aizen grinned as he raised his arm, chanting.
"Hado #12. Ambush Flare!"
Aizen waved his hand, releasing orange root-like chains seemingly from thin air as they wrapped around Isaac, soon combusting and enveloping Isaac in a coat of flames.
-SHUUU
The flames roared as Aizen watched Isaac…show no reaction.
'What…'
Before he could ask, Logan leapt from behind Isaac, flipping his body forward and using this momentum to slam all four tails onto the boy.
-BOOM
However, his tail struck the ground below as Isaac had seemingly disappeared, vanishing.
[Avatar Projection: Partial Solidification]
'Where did he go?'
'A perfect clone?! I wasn't able to…'
As Logan was left clueless, Aizen snapped his head to the side.
"Fourth Gate: Gate of Pain, Open!"
-BANG
Aizen and Logan widened their eyes as they witnessed Isaac's skin becoming a darker shade of red as his veins looked like they were seconds away from bursting.
His hair rose into the air as a green Aura painted with dark hues gushed out from him.
But most notably, Isaac gushed out blood from his mouth and nose as the white in his eyes reddened.
'H-He's…pushing himself…'
Logan noted as he watched
"Shunpo, full capacity…"
"Ryu!"
-BOOM
Before Aizen had time to react, Isaac appeared before him, smashing his fist into the former's face as Aizen spat blood.
Like a rocket, Aizen shot away as the shockwaves and intense wind made Logan cover his eyes with his forearm.
'S-So fast!'
But Isaac wasn't done.
That single punch had caused the muscles in his forearm to tear. Forcibly opening the gates and this level of exertion would have caused anyone to be on the ground by now.
But not Isaac.
-ZOOM
Before Aizen could land, Isaac had already upon him.
-BOOM
A heavy knee landed in Aizen's gut, causing him to nearly hurl out his lungs as he was sent soaring into the air.
-ZOOM
In the air, Isaac had once again appeared before Aizen could have a chance to recover.
-BOOM
With both hands clamped together, Isaac smashed them into Aizen's spine.
-ZOOM
-BOOM
-ZOOM
-BOOM
-ZOOM
-BOOM
To Logan, it simply looked like Aizen was being hit by an invisible figure through the air as the force sent ripples through the air.
"What do you think!"
A voice Logan couldn't locate echoed through the air between the BOOMS. But he didn't need to think twice about it before recognising the voice.
Isaac, his voice filled with countless emotions. Rage, pain and…bloodlust, yelled with his chest.
"How's this for someone who's weak?"
-ZOOM
Aizen's eyes rolled back into his skull.
-BOOM
"How's this for someone who's inferior!"
-ZOOM
Aizen had been hurling blood so much that his clothes had become drenched in it.
-BOOM
"You're right. I'm not strong. I'm not the best. Everything I do blows up in my face and it was my weakness that made me lose everything."
"So, how does it feel?! To be at the mercy of someone weak?!"
-ZOOM
Isaac's figure could finally be seen as he appeared above Aizen, one of his shadowy tails wrapped around Aizen's waist.
"This is for Zachery Bloom and Oliver Clover…"
'Isaac…'
Logan watched, frozen as his mind halted, watching this final moment.
The tail yanked, pulling Aizen closer.
"Fifth Gate: Gate of Limit, Open!"
-BOOM
The air exploded with a sonic BOOM as Logan could feel his eardrums almost explode upon Isaac, blasting his fist into Aizen's gut and seeing the latter vomit blood.
However…
-GRAB
As Aizen shot back, he abruptly halted mid-air as Isaac's Tail, still wrapped around Aizen's waist, yanked him back.
And as Aizen drew closer, Isaac pulled back his fist.
This was it.
From the previous punch, his muscles had become weaker than tissue as the bones in his arm shattered into a million pieces.
His body was crumbling faster than his current healing could keep up with and the pain was so great that Isaac was starting to feel it despite his Tolerance.
But he didn't care.
Despite blood seeping from every one of his orifices, despite the pain and despite everything happening…
The constant memory of that single tear repeated through his mind like a broken record.
"For Merlin!"
"Ko!"
-BOOM!!!!!!!!!!
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Next chapter title: Nothing Happened
NNext chapter title: The World!
NNNext chapter title: Take control, Thing!
Next chapter is when we find out Lucy's character. This is your last chance. IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH HER SWORD ART!!!
So many people think it's related XD
If you don't wanna wait 24 hours, just head over to the Patreon!
patreon.com/JustMYSTERY
Also...POWERSTONESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS