How ironic it was of the dozens of groups competing in the tournament five of them have at least one member who fought with an angel at their side. Of course the X-Laws used nothing except angels as their spirits, thanks to Marco supplying Jeanne with the angel arms thanks to a certain former alter boy giving them to her. Hao's right-hand man Luchist, being one of the two founders of X-Laws (if you don't count the Jeanne) had the fallen angel Azazel as his spirit, and unlike most of the X-Laws knew how to properly handle it. Now having arrived in Patch Village after facing the ordeals of the cave Duo Maxwell also had the archangel of death Azrael on his side.
Of course all this meant little to the individuals currently locked in combat. Locked in heated combat the Archangels Balandine and Duma clashed in an insane aerial dance of exchanged blows, blocks, and counterstrikes with the Staff of Morphius and the Key of Abbadon.
Below their wielders the twin brothers Vash and Knives looked on in concentration, although the truth is Vash was struggling far more than Knives, "What's the matter brother, is the little accessory that I gave Duma making this fight too difficult for you to handle?"
"You're sick Knives," Vash sneered, "Using Duma like this just because he can't protest, just how depraved have you become?"
"Depravity Vash, is merely in the eye of the beholder."
*****
Not far away Keitaro, Vash's teammate, was running for his life dodging the pyrokinetic barrage Legato Bluesummers was sending his way, "Great, of all the opponents I get it has to be a supercharged psychic... just how many powers does this guy have anyway?"
As if replying to Keitaro's inquiry, a massive portion of the ground ahead of him lifts free of the surrounding terra-firma and holds in position over his head while a wall of fire surrounds him.
"Okay, forget I asked."
*****
The Jiyu / Felecia fusion (henceforth to be referred to as Jubei II), was in serious trouble in her fight with Raidei. While in terms of pure skill she was equal to if not better than her opponent, somehow he just seemed to be vastly more powerful than her. No matter what she did, the strange the samurai's ebon flamed katana kept forcing her back cutting through the amethyst corona surrounding her own blade.
"What is the matter," her opponent shouted, "Where is the skill of the legendary warrior of the Shogun, or is this all the power that the greatest of Edo period has to offer."
As her opponent charged in viciously, Jubei did all she could to block and parry her opponent's furious strikes however failed to gain any advantage, 'What are we doing wrong', she thought to herself struggling for a way to regain the momentum, 'How come this opponent is giving us such a hard time when we are fighting as one.'
As she braced her katana to block a horse-cutter slash by Raidei, Jubei had discovered the problem. Set against the background of the ebon fire that surrounded her opponent's blade, she saw something she was unable to earlier. While it had long appeared that the natural auras' of Jiyu and Felicia had combined properly it was far from the truth, the amethyst glow that appeared to show that her two halves were in true harmony was merely a very finely mixed blend of cerulean and rose.
'Of course, how could we miss something so obvious, how could we be in true harmony if we still think of ourselves as two separate people while in this state.' As Jubei leap back from the fray, inside her Jubei and Felicia did their best to attain proper harmony:
Jiyu's understanding of humanity combined with Felicia's understanding of nature.
Felicia's sense of discipline combined with Jiyu's inner carefree spirit.
Jiyu's warm heart began to work in unison with Felicia's cool head.
Finally the two adopted sisters embraced in a deeper level as yin and yang achieved balance.
*****
Midoriko had problems of her own, but lets face it melee fighting in the middle of a literal army of phantasmal ghouls is something best left to a world projected on a screen. To be honest it felt like she was trying to hold back a flood, which was understandable since millions of people died in those trenches and the kill zone that laid between during the War to End All Wars.
To be perfectly honest she was getting tired, and the monotony of blocking and swordplay was starting to wear on her nerves. Unfortunately she was concentrating so heavily on the specters, Midoriko had done the one thing her father told her never to do... lose track of your opponent.
The gravity of this error was driven home when a massive purple hand with a vice's grip caught hold of her left arm at the wrist, and hoisted her off the ground while the other grabbed a hold of her ankles and pulled her parallel to the ground, "Ah, well kid, it's been real. Now it's time to make a wish." The giant bellowed as he tried to wretch her left arm out of socket, considering the one with the shield to be no threat, given the girl's shorter arms.
Knowing her current predicament to be dire, Midoriko decided that now was the time to play her ace in the hole, "Rikuo-otsuge, dragon's maw," she screamed transforming her shield into a wrist-mounted flamethrower and caught the massive Gung-ho Gun a blaze.
Monev now writhing in pain, and needing to extinguish the flames let go of his victim allowing her to leap to a momentary safety. Of course the Saotome heir barely had a moment to catch her breath when her slightly crispy opponent glared at her, this time not with sadistic glee but murderous rage, "That's it Red, no more mister nice guy," suddenly Knives's ogre began to address his spirits, and unleash a nimbus furyoku, "Okay you dregs, it's time to let Corpus out to play."
Suddenly the shambling army gave up on their target and charged each other turning into a giant mound of spectral cadavers, which caused Midoriko a moment of bewilderment. That confused expression was rapidly replaced by the look akin to a deer caught in the proverbial headlights, as the mound transformed into a giant demonic cadaverous golem, "Shimatta!"
*****
Elsewhere Izayoi was doing her best to fend off Zazi's own onslaught, 'Great just great, of all the opponents I get, it has to be the one with who wears a haunted Noah's Ark for a trench coat.'
Observing his pets with great amusement, Zazi decided now was the time for the finale, "Now my pets, stampede, plow this pretender into the ground."
"Eep." Losing her nerve as the beasts assembled for a phalanx of hooves, horns, claws, and fangs, the youngest of the Higurashi family ran like her proverbial tail was on fire.
So intent was Izayoi on her escape from certain doom that she failed to notice as the massive Tetsaiga, which she was carrying over her shoulder, began to pulse as it took on an odd sheen.
'strike'
'strike'
'strike'
'strike'
'STRIKE'
Startled by the strange voice from nowhere, Izayoi turned and swung her sword in a sweeping arc as once again strange words came to her mind and used her voice to cry aloud, "Kongousou-ha!" Suddenly without warning a spray of diamond shards flew from the blade shredding the spectral beasts and forcing Zazi to take cover.
As the dust began to settle, Zazi looked up just in time to see his Glytodont (the last of his menagerie on the field) collapse into a fragment of shell. The youngest of the Gung-ho Guns seethed in rage at the white-haired demonic swordsgirl he had been fighting. "You hurt my friends," he said half in shock as his features twisted into rage, "DIE!" And without warning every scatted fragment of bone was sucked up in a twister of furyoku from which two carmine eyes began to glow.
*****
As he faced constant bombardment Naota had come to a decision, 'There's no way I can win this fight with range attacks,' he thought amidst dodging the Hornfreak's Elegy of Blues, 'I can't stay still long enough to get off a clean shot. I know that I swore that I wouldn't do this until we reached Patch Village, but I have no choice.'
Focusing on the abstract artillery piece underneath him, Naota issued his command, "Adamisk, wake up."
Suddenly the big gun underneath him transformed back into a red robot, and a glowing crimson symbol of unknown origin appeared on its monitor. Not a word was said as it reached up to pull out what appeared to be a red 1961 Gibson EB-0 from its screen and charged Midvalley's ethereal jazzman.
As they were traveling to the next town, Lina relayed an abbreviated account of the letter (although she left out many details, such as the gem and the Temple to the Lord of Nighmares). "And that was basically it; my folks found me on their doorstep, and adopted me into the Inverse family of Zephilia."
Brimming with tears for a new reason, "Oh Miss Lina, you're so brave for taking all of this in stride like you have," Amelia gushed.
"I can't believe that Amelia thought someone had died, I mean when you think about it the parchment wasn't tied with a black ribbon or anything." The normally clueless swordsman replied.
"I still have trouble believing that Lina's sister is the Knight of Cephied," Zelgadis said with his usual tone, "But I suppose with her being adopted it makes a whole lot more sense. So tell me Lina, any idea where you're going to look for information on your real parents."
"Actually Zel, I was hoping that you could help me in that regard, I mean we certainly can't ask Rezo or even Eris for that information, and Spot gave my sister all that he could find. Oh and by the way Zelgadis, there are good reasons why I'm afraid of my sister, and the fact that she's the Knight of Cephied isn't one of them."
"Oh, I know Miss Lina," exclaimed a certain justice obsessed princess, "We could stop by the Sorcerer's Guild in Atlas City and see if they have any information on just who Rezo's apprentices were at the time."
"Sorry Amelia," the bandit killer sighed, "A Sorcerer usually keeps their apprentice register at the guild library nearest to either where they live, or where they have their main lab. Of course since this is Rezo we are talking about, that means it was probably at the Sorcerer's Guild in Sairag, and well let's just say that after the incidents with Copy Rezo and Phibrizo that any chances of finding that register intact are about the same as getting a straight answer out of Xellos."
With a smirk, the Chimeric mercenary cut in, "I don't know, do you think that our odds are even that goo... Wait is it just me, or did anyone else hear screaming?"
After dashing a short distance down the road the Slayers discovered the source of the disturbance, as they arrived on the scene of a vicious battle raged before them. As it had turned out an old acquaintance of Lina's had run afoul of a rather nasty group of local bandits, or rather a nasty group of local bandits had run afoul of...
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(Posted Sat, 22 Oct 2005 19:28)
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