Takamachi Nanoha looked down past her feet, and found herself shocked and awed by the vast magical machinery, despite herself.
"This is...!?"
Standing at the very summit of the rotating sphere and orbiting screens, Aaroniero Arleri turned and looked up at the mage with his tall white mask.
"Indeed. Forged by man to kill gods and devils. Our stairway to Outer Heaven."
"This... this is Outrage?" Nanoha whispered. For some reason, she was trying to fight back a shiver.
Aaroniero paced leisurely across the top of the weapon, his Device sealed as a rosary slowly sliding from his sleeve into his long fingers.
"We see you have an eye for strength... not surprising. You seem to be able to appreciate a powerful object, when one is sighted. Is it enthralling? Exciting? We are in the presence of something that can change the face of the universe in a matter of minutes. No years of effort needed. No decisive wars needed. No pleas to the masses needed. Just a thought."
Nanoha shook her head, vehemently declining, "This isn't right! Aaroniero! Why do you have to start a war? What is it that you don't have? Why won't you talk to us?"
The Espada audibly scoffed at the words, "Still on that, Bureau dog...? No, Takamachi Nanoha. Still on that? Still talking with a weapon in hand, to an enemy that will not listen?"
"We don't have to be enemies... it doesn't have to be this way!"
"It is the only way. We have chosen Our path with no hesitation, with steadfast belief, that We are about to do a great and noble thing, in changing the universe. You, too, believe you are about to do a great and noble thing, in protecting it. We are both heroes, and one of us is about to become a martyr."
Nanoha frowned, "Do you really believe that? That we're so blinded by our beliefs...?"
"The greatest of warrior are those who are steadfast in their loyalties and beliefs, and you, Nanoha, are a great fighter. Would you lay down your weapon for Us, and abandon your comrades?"
"No, but that doesn't mean-"
"That is all there is, and so would We. No, Takamachi Nanoha, fighting is the only thing we are good at. So let us at least fight for what we believe in."
Nanoha gritted her teeth, unable to think of what next to say. Aaroniero continued on.
"And... 'starting a war' would be an understatement for the Espada's intention with this weapon. Let Us explain with demonstration. The translation of the operating software is enough for at least this."
Aaroniero turned his attention to the machinery at his feet.
"Outrage. Provisional emergency access. Voice confirmation, P-3-8-L-T-X-23."
Various floating screens and glowing circuit lines shuddered and flickered with renewed activity.
"القيادة تتلقى الاستفسارات."
"Visualize targeting planes. Full cavity."
"توسيع نطاق رؤية الكون."
From the rotating central sphere of the super weapon, light exploded, rushing outwards, flooding the entire room with such encroaching brightness that Nanoha was forced to shield her eyes with one raised arm.
The mage grunted in frustration, unable to actually bring herself to swear.
Is he attacking? I can't see! I won't be able to predict his movements till too late-
The shining abruptly stopped. Nanoha blinked away the dark spots in her eyes as fast as she could, Raising Heart pointed ahead. When her vision cleared enough, all she could do was gasp and be amazed again, even when she didn't want to.
All about her, the darkness of space loomed. Floating in near perfect recreation, small stars and galaxies floated about her, model planets orbited, comets slid across the black. Tentatively reaching for one planetoid, Nanoha found her hand passing through, confirming it was indeed nothing more than an impossibly (or perhaps, only Al Hazredianly) complex hologram, as was the entire simulated universe around her.
Alongside Nanoha in silent witness to all existence passing them by, was still Aaroniero standing atop the massive Outrage.
"Outrage, calculate and visualize long distance attack. Target is major landmass, identification, Midchilda."
Nanoha choked, "W-wait-!"
"حساب السلطة ونسبة المسافة. تصور."
The universe flew into a blur around the two. Before long, one of two blue planets familiar to Nanoha, with its two moons, slowly enlarged to the size of a small basketball at one side of the room, the universe frozen in place around Midchilda and Outrage. Bright green targeting reticles encircled the model planet, and digital lines traced themselves across the fictional universe, joining Outrage with the headquarters planet of the TSAB, numbers and read outs floating about, determining distances, charging times, traversing times...
"Feast and be Hungry, Glotonería."
"VIVO, REY."
Nanoha's head snapped back to Aaroniero Arleri, and the spear that materialized in his hand.
"This is not a bluff. We are not misguided. Outer Heaven is not just a war. It is a way of living, in which the death of millions on a whim is only a footnote, in the lesson of what is truly valuable in life. Takamachi Nanoha, where in your heart could someone of your era possibly find the will to even attempt trying to understand me?"
For time, there were no words able to be said.
Then, "Raising Heart. Load Cartridge."
Aaroniero seemed smug at the sound of compressed magic exploding into the rest of Nanoha's Device.
"The survivor of this battle will be the one who determines the fate of this universe. If We win, Outrage will fire. If you win..."
"This isn't about winning," Nanoha retorted aiming her staff with both hands, "I won't let you hurt anybody with this weapon... but I still want to listen to you... but if I have to reach you through Raising Heart, then so be it!"
Aaroniero drew his weapon close, humming, "What an idealistic person..."
War raged in the heavens around Outrage.
Duel Eleven: Heaven and Hell
Echoes of battles shook the halls of Catedral. Large rivulets of dust drifted from the ceiling to the ground around Fate, as she continued to fly as fast as she could through the empty channels that twined their way through about the Espada fortress.
Testarossa Harlaoun, the terribly fun show will begin soon, so don't try to escape before it's your cue. You have a very important role to play in the upcoming performance... so don't disappoint. I'll leave a friend of yours with you, so when the time is right...
Fate's eyes narrowed darkly as she recalled words sneered only hours ago. The man was up to something terrible, and nobody but her was sure of that. Now, she had to do something about it.
Without a doubt, Fate knew Nanoha would be somewhere here. She trusted wholeheartedly that her friend would be at the very front of this assault in order to find her. Thus, it was important to link up with her again, in order to get this information out, before anything else happened.
A voice faintly whispered past her ear as she flew, "Fate..."
Steel feet slid to a halt in the air, head accentuated with whipping blond locks, looking around her in cautious surprise.
"Alicia...!?"
"Fate... it was you..."
"Alicia! We don't have time for this! Arnage is playing with all of us, he's planning to do-"
"SHUT UP!"
"ROCIADA DEL RELÁMPAGO."
White and lightning burst through the floor only feet beneath Fate, and both parties went crashing into the top of the corridor. For the TSAB Enforcer, all that was keeping her face, half wincing from the bright electricity, from being pulverized was both her hands pushed back, with Bardiche's gunmetal shaft and a quickly induced magic aura on it resisting the giant edges ofAtaúd, while Phoenix Entierro pushed upward from below, snarling mouth under hood.
"Shut up!" The Espada reiterated, "Arnage told me everything I needed to hear! About what you are! About who I am! And what you STOLE FROM ME!"
"Wait, what-!?"
Phoenix didn't wait. With her blade, she swung to one side, sending Fate who was on top, sliding off the ceiling, and through the air, where she clumsily twirled into control, turning to face her mirrored other.
"Ataúd! Start the countdown!"
The mechanical slab started cultivating magic from the Linker Core of both girl's mother that was stored within, one Gear gem raising a dull glow.
"CONQUISTA DEL RELOJ."
Phoenix continued to rave, snarling, "Kill her! Blast her! Fry her!"
"LANCERO DEL FOTÓN."
Fate swore under her breath as she saw the magic battery grow opposite her direction, and called back quickly.
"Bardiche!"
"YES SIR. PLASMA LANCER."
Sparking tongues of bright yellow illuminated the hall, as two voices exactly the same, shouted.
"FIRE!"
The projectiles tracked and intervened with each other in a blink of an eye, blasts shaking Catedral hallways and blinding eyes. Fate was already making use of the flash for her usual trick, Sonic Move sending her around to Phoenix's back to strike from behind. Bardiche's solid body snapped open to release the Haken Saber. White cape swirling about her, Fate twisted around to slash-
"You think you're the only who knows that trick?" Came the growl behind, while Fate was left staring startled at the open air where Phoenix should have been. Then the sound of metal ringing through the air at ear level.
Fate ducked and twisted about, letting Ataúd sail over her head as she swung around to strike back at Phoenix. The Espada, however, had used her small frame in conjunction with her hard stroke to send herself rolling after her own strike, feet swinging out. One heel smashed into the side of Fate's head as she turned around, sending her back with enough force to bounce her off one wall with a cry of pain.
"Alicia..." Fate winced as she caught herself, "...What... what did that man tell you?"
"He told me everything. Everything I need to know about you. Everything I'll ever need to know!"
"Everything...?"
Phoenix snarled from underneath her hood, "How you're the copy and I'm the original! Yet you... stole everything!"
"Alicia, please, listen to me! We don't have time for this-"
Phoenix's grip on the handle of her Device tightened, "No, we don't! So why don't you just go ahead and disappear, you DOLL!"
Familiar words that struck Fate at the very core of her being.
It's happening again. It's happening again. I'm losing my family.
Fate tried one more time, quietly, calmly, firmly, voice tinged with regret.
"Alicia, don't do this. I don't want to fight you. Arnage is up to something, you have to take me to the Outrage!"
"So that you can what? Destroy it? You stole my entire life already! You want to come and take the meaning out of the life I've built up here with Aaroniero-sama, too!?"
"It's not like that! Alicia! This isn't the time! You have to trust me!"
Phoenix snorted, "Trust you... you're a lying clone, a TSAB mage, the enemy. You are the last person I should ever TRUST!"
At that, Fate grunted and dodged back in a flash, as Phoenix charged and hacked at her previous location. Phoenix turned her shadowed head, teeth bared.
"You are the source of all my troubles! I will kill you!"
"...Bardiche. Load Cartridge."
Aaroniero Arleri twisted around in the stars, dodging several repeated blasts of Divine Buster. Nanoha, in the distance, held Raising Heart Excelion's business end ahead of her firmly, lost in concentration as she continued to adjust the aim and fire at will.
Rolling under another wave of pink blasting magic, a rod of white energy coalesced into Aaroniero's hand.
"Glotonería."
"LANZA DEL FANTASMA: RESUCITADO."
With a strong underhanded thrust, the glowing beam left the Ghost, searing towards Nanoha as it grew into a larger shaft of destructive energy. Nanoha merely narrowed her eyes slightly and pointed her Device at the oncoming attack, firing directly back. The two sieges attacks connected head on, splitting the model universe around them in a blazing flash and globular explosions of flame and smoke.
Backing away from the smoke screen, Nanoha glanced about her, trying to pick up how Aaroniero would come out from behind the cover that was blocking either of them off from the other.
Her sixth sense tickled her left ear. She twisted her head just in time to see Aaroniero's pitch white body stabbing through the air in that direction at high speed, his spear turned trident leading the strike.
When did he-!?
With no more time to think, two bodies met in a very meaty collision, the Espada continuing onward, until the both of them slammed into the side of Outrage. Nanoha's head arched back, scrunched face and clenched teeth hissing pain. Aaroniero, one hand still applying pressure to his strike, used his other to grab Nanoha's left wrist, slamming her grip on Raising Heart against the surface of Outrage.
Aaroniero's mask tilted slightly in respectful bemusement.
"Your resilience is astounding."
Nanoha winced and opened one eye. At her stomach, all that was keeping Glotonería from impaling her was the palm of her other hand, which was producing a minuscule round shield of Midchildan design.
"You still haven't told me what's driving you to use Outrage, Aaroniero." Nanoha only replied.
"You should be more concerned about your current situation. You should know by now that an Engine Device can break through a shield of that make without even trying."
The mage grunted as she tried to push back the tip of the weapon, with Aaroniero resisting the entire time, both their arms shaking slightly from the effort.
"Are you avoiding the question, Aaroniero?" Nanoha quipped back. The Espada couldn't find the extra energy to laugh at the question, even if he wanted to.
"You are indeed... a curious individual, even now. Then, Nanoha, don't you feel there is something wrong with this universe?"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"The perversity of way this universe works. Those standing in opulence over many, their selfish greed and pride are what create people like us, those who exist comfortably with their convenient prejudices, supported by convenient living, make us fester, unknown, in the dark corners of this universe. How much longer can people like you, living in the light, ignore those of us who have been cast into the shadows?"
The spear pushed back towards Nanoha, while she choked, "And killing millions of people is going to change this!?"
"In the eternal Outer Heaven, there is no light, or dark. Just the uniform roiling of chaos. The universe must descend into chaos for there to be purity."
"Tch! I won't accept this!"
Aaroniero's smooth facade harrumphed, before pulling back his spear, arm swinging back.
"Gear Two."
From out the back of side mounted prongs of the trident, extensions slid out, sparking with new power, "ASCENSIÓN."
Glotonería, suffused with the strength of a second Gear, was thrust back forward toward Nanoha, intent on tearing her through.
Nanoha grabbed the blade.
For some reason, Aaroniero didn't know why, but he was still visibly surprised by the girl's actions. Raw maagic that had wrapped itself around Nanoha's hand to shield her from the sharp edges. It would have been no effort to easily drain that magic away with an Engine Device, but as Aaroniero did, it seemed the thick layer never ran out.
How much magic does this woman have!?No matter how much magic I take from here, she seems to have so much more!
Nanoha's gaze was firm as she pushed the trident away from her.
"Aaroniero, every time we fought, you kept assuming all we could be is enemies. But now I understand you... this is more than just simply stopping you."
"Oh?" Aaroniero managed to hum as if he was still self assured.
"You may be right, Aaroniero. Light and dark... there are lot of bad things in this world, and a lot of misunderstanding, but if you won't try to let other people understand this sadness, then you have no right to pass judgment on the universe either!"
"Such idealistic words, but words do not move people. The very structure of this universe has been made to despise excess sediment like us. The universe does not even care about things like empathizing with us. Room and understanding can only be made, by tearing it out with your own hands!"
Aaroniero's knees leapt up, before both feet rammed themselves into Nanoha's stomach, crushing her into the side of Outrage again, the mage yelping, while the Espada flipped away, his Device growling.
"LOBO HAMBRIENTO: ASCENDIDO."
The elongated trident of Glotonería snapped out a glowing whip of white magic that twisted and snaked into Nanoha, the tip unleashing a detonation that wreathed the entire side of the structure with flame.
The aged and hardened structure of Outrage was hardly affected by the heat and burns, but nonetheless, the flames continues to roar on their own, sticking to the side of the structure.
"I don't believe that..."
A white and blue sleeve swiped through the blaze, the device in hand dispelling the fire into wisps of smoke. Nanoha floated, determined, and hardly affected by the attack.
"...Aaroniero, I promise, after I beat you, I'll show you that you don't need your war or chaos to get people to understand you and your people! Your light and dark, I'll show you they can reach each other!"
The Espada flipped about his Device in one hand, "Hmph. You should speak less, Takamachi Nanoha. Otherwise it will hurt more when We shatter those glass dreams of yours."
The artifacts chamber's design could be considered slightly haphazard. From the double doors that had been blown to pieces at their violent arrival, onwards, was a large hall lit only by the lamps of rows and rows of capsules containing sealed Lost Logia of all shapes and sizes, crystalline and solid. This was the only sense of order, as every available space beside was stuffed away with stored unused ancient weapons of war. Large robots or other mechanized junk that sat unused and
"You can't hide from me forever, Fate! Or is it you just can't stand the presence of me! That's all you'll ever be... just a cheap shadow!"
From somewhere in the dark, Fate watched quietly, cautiously, and did not respond. Bardiche at her side, was closed and silent at his master's wishes as well.
"Do you think you can hide!?" Phoenix continued to shout to the dull lit room as she paced through the rows of sealed containers, "You can't! I have you cornered! I have you figured out! There's nothing I need from you anymore, except to just die!"
"...Sonic Form."
Phoenix twisted toward one shadow, teeth bared. "There!"
"LANCERO DEL FOTÓN: PERFECCIONADO!"
Swinging Ataúd at the massed darkness, several dozen bolts of lighting detonated all over ancient archived steel, which survived only due to it's Al Hazredian construction.
Within the backlashing wind, Phoenix heard behind her, gently:
"Have I wronged you that badly?"
The smaller girl choked and swung around, her large blade crashing into Fate's scythe, the mage's body having shucked the cloak for a tighter fit body suit.
"You don't even know the half of it!" Phoenix spat back, the two of them pacing and struggling against each other, magic skittering off their locked edges
"Why is everything my fault? How have I stolen everything?"
Fate saw she said the wrong thing, as from under the hood, red eyes widened with from stupefied hatred. Reaching forward with one arm, Phoenix grabbed Bardiche and pushed it away, while her free hand reared back Ataúd over her head and sent it crashing down into the ground where Fate should have been.
Phoenix then realized that Fate was already several feet back. The Espada was surprised and somewhat embarrassed, which upset her only more, as she shouted across the room.
"Don't pretend you don't know by now! I know I'm Alicia Testarossa! Do you know how many years I've lived like this?"
"Alicia..."
The hooded head turned to the side, muttering, "Aaroniero doesn't hide anything from me... I know my body is... I've fought for years, with this kind of body, this kind of life... for the longest time I would have accepted that maybe this was how thing's was supposed to be. A creature created only to be experimented on, and then abandoned... but now..."
Two bodies suddenly disappeared, and then blinked in and out of existence, their blades flashing. Phoenix's voice growled through the air.
"...Now I'm told I have a life and existence that should belong to me...! That somewhere, I could have a family, friends, happiness, BUT YOU HAVE IT INSTEAD!? Why are you allowed to have it!? Why were you even given it!? What did you do that allows you to live happily out in the open!? That should be me! Alive! What did you do to leave me here!?"
Blades caught each other above their owner's heads, Fate the clone and Alicia the phoenix glaring at each other while sparks fell around them.
"Alicia! I never wanted it to be like this-!"
"Then die! Die so I can exist as a person, not some other of you, that no one knows about!"
"Is this the only way to you!? Do we have to replace each other!?"
"Only one of us was intended to exist, so there can be only ONE!"
"I don't believe that-!"
The blades broke apart, both of them sliding back through mid air.
"I don't believe that..." Fate panted to herself, while Phoenix wordlessly held herself in another even stance, "Alicia, I have so many things to tell you, but someone's put a wall over your heart."
"SMASHER DEL TRUENO: PERFECCIONADO!"
Swooping upward, Testarossa Harlaoun let the torrent of amber lightning and magic rush underneath her feet. She could almost hear Arnage's mockery inside her head, and she felt her face tighten in indignation at a person not present, though she looked at Phoenix below.
"I won't let that man get away with this. Alicia, there won't only be one at the end of this!"
And then the spinning trident head, become nearly a glowing drill and belonging to Aaroniero Arleri's Engine Device in Third Gear, burst out from the inside of a holographic nova.
Nanoha gasped, and tried to reorient her flight path that had brought her beside the hologram, before Aaroniero speared her head through. Swinging her feet out in front of her, Nanoha manage to back away and stutter long enough, so that rather than fly head on into her own death, she had her free arm thrown out in time to let the spear skitter off a hastily thrown shield, while her left hand swung up Raising Heart Excelion and pointed it at the sun.
"Shoot!"
"DIVINE BUSTER."
Point blank, the blast devoured the sun in a single go. But even in that short space of time before Nanoha shot, Aaroniero had already flung himself high into the starry virtual universe, Glotonería and his own body twisting about in a display of aerial acrobatics. Dropping rapidly from his ascended position, the Espada dove down to slash at Nanoha, who dashed back further to avoid the attack. Following up immediately, Aaroniero pointed in Nanoha's direction, firing a rush of white blades at the mage, who took off in a blur, echoes of "Flash Move" left behind.
"Where do you think you are going...?" Aaroniero muttered, before the speed given to him by Engrajei magic in its highest normal gear sent him careening after Nanoha's escape.
The two flickered around in the stars, trading scattered shots here and there, while trying to out maneuver the other.
Unable to entirely escape from Aaroniero's harassment, Nanoha twisted her aim backwards.
"ACCEL SHOOTER."
In the face of a good dozen glowing warheads, Aaroniero grunted and quickly peeled away. Under Nanoha's control, the shots continued to arc and chase after the Espada, who twisted and winded around each magic bullet that swung at him. Cutting through several rounds, Aaroniero pointed back and fired.
"MIRADA CALIENTE: PERFECCIONADO."
Nanoha, in turn, flung herself away from the "cutting laser" that was practically feet thick in width, while Aaroniero swung around his aim, chasing the laser after the white mage, beam ripping explosions in the "distance" of the galaxy that was actually just the masked walls of Catedral being traced by Aaroniero's attack.
Diving, Nanoha hid behind Outrage. Aaroniero, unwilling to continue firing when his masterpiece was interceding, was forced to disengage his attack. Nanoha, however, from between the gap of the rotating sphere and the large arch ringing it, returned fire, Busters filling up the air between the two. Blurring between several, the Espada dove in a mad rush towards the gap that Nanoha entrenched herself between. To no avail on Nanoha's part, even with her firing, Aaronerio still closed in to the point he squeezed through the gap at full speed, feet first. The blow to Nanoha's body was enough to send her yelping and tumbling backwards.
Aaroniero stood, illuminated by the glowing veins across Outrage's sphere "This is the second time Our feet has graced you. Your vow seems to be not very effective in raising your fighting spirit, Takamachi Nanoha."
The female magus maintained a fairly unamused look in return, not giving a verbal answer.
"It appears that in the end, you have run out of tricks, and We have the superiority. Attack. Speed. Breakthrough. You cannot even defend yourself properly."
"I'm not finished yet, Aaroniero." Nanoha firmly replied.
"ACCEL CHARGE SYSTEM."
Aaroniero watched magic coalesce at the end of Raising Heart Excelion in the form of a solid spear tip.
"Relying on a flimsy close-quarters spell? How desperate you are, relying on techniques you have no true expertise in. Have you really run out of spells to use against Us?
"Even if I am out of tricks, that doesn't mean I've given up." Nanoha retorted, "There are more things to magic than just the number of spells you carry, or tactics!"
"We suppose these other things are ridiculous vague elements such as strength of will, or perhaps for you, power to love? Pathetic. How much do you have in you? How much of it will We be able to beat out, before We kill you?"
Nanoha humorlessly let glowing wings spread out along the sides of Excelion, indicating her beginning her renewed assault. Driving forward, Nanoha charged at Aaroniero repeatedly, trying to connect the spear with him, while the Espada easily darted back and aside from each attack. As he watch Nanoha's continued flying by and make wide, predictable turns in some lame last-ditch attempt to hit him, Aaroniero's irritation grew.
"Hmph. This is your limit, I suppose?" The Espada muttered, ducking his tall head under another flying stab at his body, "And you believed that the likes of you could even stop Outer Heaven? Perhaps I judged you too easily on your sheer strength, but when one is past all that... you are simply a woman with a firearm."
Nanoha charged again, unmoved by Aaroniero's words. Thus, the ghost merely drew back his whirling Device, and brought it down in a strong, single handed stroke downwards, a bit to Nanoha's side.
Glotonería bit into the wings of Excelion, and the Accel Fins beside Nanoha's ankle, shattering and consuming magic completely, in an instant.
Nanoha gasped at the sensation of her normally perfect and stable flight suddenly pitching wildly around, including forward into Aaroniero's grip. Strong arms and long fingers grabbed her by the arm and twisted her around, her body crushed against the Espada, while her grip on Raising Heart painfully behind her back and held in place by Aaroniero's hand.
The two intertwined, with the ghost in control, Aaroniero inverted himself entirely, and dove at full speed towards the top of Outrage. Gasping, Nanoha continued to try and break free. Wind whipped at their faces. Nanoha continued to struggle, and Aaroniero Arleri's face was silent and confident above all.
The two smashed into the steel surface with loud crunches that echoed across the universe.
Aaroniero somersaulted back onto his feet, observing the mess ahead of him. Nanoha lay sprawled across the steel, groaning and half-conscious.
"Engrajei is an excellent style for Us... even without shields, this artificial body of mine already is more durable than any normal being's." Aaroniero quipped, gripping one of his wrists for show of strength.
Another baleful grunt of pain. The Espada paced forward, twisting the grip of his spear to hold it upside down.
"This is the end, Takamachi Nanoha... ultimately, Outer Heaven is the future!"
Nanoha wheezed, sitting up with some effort, while glaring up at Glotonería pointed at her face, and past it to Aaroniero's stolid features, the unmoving mask.
"Goodbye, mage."
"...Looks like you paid too much attention to me..."
That caught the Espada, his head tilting upward in confusion.
"What?"
Raising Heart answered for its master, "SNIPE SHOT."
Out of the corner of Aaroniero's vision, one of Nanoha's magic spheres came diving in. Aaroniero choked.
When did she fire those!? Back then? After all that commotion, she still was able to control a shot that missed!? She made Us 'play' with her so much that We-!
At the speed the Accel Shot was coming in, Aaroniero knew he was a bit too tall to simply jump out of the way from. Instead, Aaroniero opted to swing his spear with full force, bringing the whirling edges to crush the glowing sphere, leaving shards of it to dissipate into the air.
The second one right behind the destroyed first, went straight into Aaroniero's chest, wide open as he was in midswing.
Without any form of Barrier Jacket or Knight Armor, even the simplest and nonlethal of Nanoha's magic felt like a steel beam ramming into his chest a dozens of miles per hour. Even artificial bodies felt the concentrated blow of that, leaving him struggling for breath as he stumbled and finally lurched forward, barely able to prop himself up with his spear.
"Even... t-two!?" Came the disbelieving gasp. Then the Espada felt something poke him from behind, and the sound of emptied shells being spat out a slide into open air.
Nanoha, regaining her second wind, held Raising Heart Excelion firmly with both hands, the tip against Aaroniero's back at point blank.
Magic began to be pulled out of the air, drawing towards the glow of Nanoha's Intelligent Device.
"I'm sorry, Aaroniero, but I have to make sure that I've beaten you." Nanoha managed to mutter out, in spite of her own pain. Aaroniero remained stupefied by the sudden turning of the tables, his tall mask swiveling somewhat to look back at her, as the high pitch of magic being sucked in continued to whine through the air.
"STARLIGHT BREAKER."
"Shoot."
Slowly approaching the chamber Outrage was in, from above, floor by floor, was Fate T. Harlaoun, and Phoenix Alicia Testarossa Entierro. Not that either of them were paying attention to that detail.
The ceiling collapsed, leaving the mage and the ghost to crush the next level of ground below their feet, along with increasing piles of shattered stone debris, their weapons hinged on each other. Phoenix gritted her teeth with effort. To her own surprise given her physical condition, found the strain of the lengthy combat beginning to wear at her body and mind. Her fatigue eating at concentration and strength of magic and of might. The Espada also recognized Fate's own
Phoenix snorted to herself.
We both probably are at the end of our lines. At this rate, we'll be ending this soon... she can't reload forever, either!
"-And I bet you came to that conclusion as well, huh!?" and pushed Fate away with a swing of her sword, the mage leaving droplets of sweat flying from her hair and brow as she slid back down the hall.
"Even Engrajei magic can't stave of the problems of endurance forever, after all?" Fate hummed to herself.
"Are you making fun of me, still!?" Phoenix spat, before flying forward, low to the ground, while her sword scraped across the ground, leaving scorch marks and sparks of electricity where steel met the ground. Suddenly stretching one heel into the ground, Phoenix brought herself to a slide, her footing making her spin around with Ataúd, which was brimming with electricity.
"ONDA DE LA CHISPA: PERFECCIONADO!"
Fate pointed Bardiche forward as it glowed.
"DEFENSER PLUS."
Phoenix's blade unleashed an uncontrolled burst of electricity, twitching, jerking tongues fanning out to hit anything it could conduct, the spray filling up the the ceiling to floor, tearing up everything it could. Simultaneously, Fate was encased on all sides in a large bubble of her own yellow magic, which pushed the stray lightning around its perimeter.
The floor broke again, sending them both downward into the next room below, one supported by multiple pillars. Phoenix kept on the move, kicking off a piece of rubble that was falling near her, and went diving at the sphere that swallowed up Fate like a shell. Slamming her sword into the bubble exterior, Phoenix sent the mage and all diving into the ground.
Three Engrajei symbols lined up, the row floating in front of Phoenix as she used the circles to aim at Fate's crash landing.
"SMASHER DEL TRUENO: PERFECCIONADO!"
Another concentrated blast from Phoenix smashed into Fate, who had gotten back to her feet as the barrier dissipated, leaving a thunderous roar, smoke and dust in its wake.
Phoenix stared down at the dusty smokescreen between her and Fate.
That had to have been a direct hit, please!
"PLASMA SMASHER."
Phoenix swore and flipped backwards, narrowly missing the beam that shot upward at her. Landing on the ground, she glared ahead at Fate, who stood beside a scorching crater she should have been inside a few seconds prior.
"There's no point pretending. This is the last blow for both of us!" Phoenix shouted, "Come on! Throw your best, as I will! This will decide who deserves to live!"
Fate, down the other end, was quiet, still gentle, "...Alicia-"
"What!?" Phoenix spat out, before snapping her mouth shut at the slip of her tongue, the way she allowed herself to finally be identified by a name she wanted but still hated.
"Does you really want to end it this way? Why must you fight to earn your existence?"
"Still on about that? I told you! There's no other way left! Kill or be killed! I want to know which one of us truly deserved to live out in that life you have!"
Again, it seemed hard to read Fate's features, her face unmoved, yet her eyes flickering between ideas, and between emotions. Regret. Determination. Sadness.
"There is so much hate..." Fate finally came to a decision, "Alicia, I will let you attack me."
"What kind of crap is that?"
"If this will let you understand how I feel, even the slightest bit... I won't stop it, I won't dodge it. Use your final blow, with all your emotion, and all your hate. When all of that is gone, then maybe..."
"Tch, you make it sound like you'll live through it!" Phoenix sneered back.
"I will. But if I don't-"
"YOU WON'T! You're so stupid! But if you want to just lie down and die, that's just perfect!" Phoenix spat, spinning Ataúd around her head before jamming it into the ground in front of her, cracks splitting outward from where the clockwork sword embedded itself upside down, handle pointing upward.
The room began the glow, amber magic filling the room, a giant Engrajei seal forming underneath Fate's feet. She didn't move. She didn't even flinch.
Phoenix muttered, her fingers twining together into shapes.
"Orbus, Kultes, Desgaia. Lords of silver, lords of ash, show yourself as I guide my hand. Teis, Lazt, Delor..."
The air began the spark, around them, noises filling the air high above them that had been created from the holes between each level, as they continued to fight downward. Wind flung itself around the Espada, her cloak flaring up to reveal her smallish form.
"Orbus, Kultes, Desgaia! Come, Tower of Ruin! Thunder Falling!" Phoenix screamed at Fate.
"PERFECCIONADO." Ataúd also hummed beside its master.
And ripping down from the holes above that lead to the heavens in the darkness, a monstrous lightning bolt fell from the sky, directed at Fate's head.
There wasn't even time the blink. It fell, and Phoenix went flying onto her back for a foot or two. The only sound was a dull rumble as the world stopped shaking.
Phoenix panted from her position on the ground. She did not use that ceremonial spell often. Even less so at the full strength Engrajei magic put it at. The effort and the blast drained her. All three of Ataúd's main three Gears had came to a halt, only one dully glowing as the Device tried to build its own magic again.
But she began to uncontrollably, snicker, snigger, chuckle, laugh.
"I did it..! She just stood there and I...!"
Then she felt electricity that didn't belong to her.
No! That... that's-
"Impossible!"
Phoenix scrambled to one knee, and stared, dumbfounded.
Fate T. Harlaoun stopped holding a scythe. In both hands, high above her head, a massive broadsword stood, holding the thunder that she had called down on her. The grip and hilt was the familiar black and steel of Badiche, but the entire blade was concentrated magic, the shards of lightning jumping across its handle.
"You... you lied!" Phoenix snarled, getting to her feet, "You said you were going to take it-!"
"I didn't dodge, I didn't stop. I accepted your fury, with Bardiche Zamber, and I won't let it stop me. Phoenix, you have nothing left. Now it's time for you to listen to me."
"SHUT UP! I WON'T EVER LOSE TO YOU!" Phoenix was beyond all thinking. Just pure instinct. Grab the sword, charge.
Phoenix stopped after five steps. Her body and her Device immobile as yellow bands trapped her in place. She looked down at herself in shock and fury. And fear.
"No-!"
"LIGHTNING BIND. THE TARGET AQUISITIONED, SIR."
Fate gave a test swing to her great sword, "Very well. It's time to finish this, Phoenix."
"No... NO! This is my life! I deserve it!"
Fate took to the air, leaving tongues of bolts behind, as she raised her sword above her head.
"Strike it through, Thunder Blade!" She called to her Device.
"JET ZAMBER." Bardiche replied.
Fate swung, her blazing instrument stretching and cutting everything in its downward path towards Phoenix.
Phoenix could only look up, staring at the electrified edge crashing through more of the ceiling towards her own head. She screamed in rage and fear, her hood falling back, her eyes like blood and her hair the color of the sword.
The Jet Zamber cleaved through the floor a few inches to Alicia's left.
Bardiche's blade returned to its normally large size. The Lightning Binds fell away. Phoenix fell to her knees, her head bowed, her body shivering. Ataúdclattered to the ground as her arms fell limp.
Fate landed, herself panting and sweating from exertion, but walked the several long meters to stand in front of her original.
"This... isn't fair... even at my best, I still can't... if I can't then..." The original muttered.
The clone went down on her own knees, laid Bardiche down, and drew her origin to her with her arms wrapped around her, the smaller girl's head resting against her shoulder.
Alicia spasmed at the touch, defensive, but did not do anything. She couldn't do anything more. No effort was enough any more. There was no need for effort in anything anymore.
"Alicia," Fate whispered, "Do you know who Precia Testarossa was...?"
Phoenix didn't speak.
"I think... her Linker Core is in your Device. Her magic is keeping you alive. Precia was our mother."
"Our..."
"Alicia... Phoenix. I've known for a long time that I'm the clone. Precia created me because she loved you. Loved you so much she couldn't bear the thought that you died. Because Precia loved you so much, she hated me. Looked at me and knew how much I would never be you. She loved you so much she wanted to tear heaven and hell apart to bring you back."
"...Mother..."
"Precia... my mother... died hating me and loving you. But sometimes, I dream, about what it could have... been like..."
Alicia could feel dripping at the back of her head, as she continued to be held.
"Alicia... I don't want you to hate me... I've... wished... for so many years... wondered for so long what it would be like, if you were alive... and you are... you're back! Alicia, I don't want to fight you. I never wanted to prove which of us was more deserving! Why do we have to treat each other like one is inferior!?"
Phoenix muttered angrily, "Because that's how we were born... how this universe is... people like me, and the lucky ones like you...!"
"Someone taught me that it doesn't have to be that way... Alicia... you're my elder sister... can't you think of it like that?" Fate tearfully exhaled, the dream come out into words.
"S-Sisters...!?"
"That's right... a family-"
That was when the floor collapsed, leaving them to fall into a model universe.
Streams of smoke left Aaroniero as he tried to rise, and managed to fall onto one knee, far down the end of the top of Outrage.
Walking towards him, Takamachi Nanoha let the smoking magazine drop from Raising Heart Excelion, and tapped a new one in. The Device acknowledged the reload. She walked over Glotonería's still form that had left the Ghost's grip half way through the blast.
It was a good thing I ended this, too... this is my last. If we kept at this, I really would have lost to him, at this rate we were fighting.
She stood before her taller nemesis, the gold head of Raising Heart aimed at Aaroniero, unarmed, worn down, and ultimately out of options.
"Aaroniero Arleri. I'm sorry, but this time, you really are under arrest. You promised you would deactivate Outrage, if I beat you."
"Yes, We did. Pitiful. We were stopped by someone like you." The tall mask muttered to itself darkly as it shuddered to a hunch, managing to stand.
"Aaroniero..."
"We are not afraid... but we are disappointed... someone like you defends this unjust world, that exists only for people standing in the light, so they can cast shadows on others..."
"It doesn't have to be this way." Nanoha argued.
"It always will be. As long as people like you, the brave, the strong, defend what is wrong."
"I don't defend that."
"Then why did you stop me."
"Because you were threatening people precious to me. Aaroniero Arleri. If I can help-"
"And how long would you be able to help, before you turn on Us, or others turn on you? There will always be Us, and them."
Nanoha frowned, "I don't believe that. And I won't stop trying because of what ifs. Perhaps you're right. But maybe I'm right. Aaroneiro, give up. Let me help the Espada."
Aaroniero Arleri didn't move from his slouch. You could almost feel him fume.
Eventually, he spoke, "We cannot agree. But We cannot break vows. We should have killed you, but in the end, We must keep out vows, and... stop. For now."
Nanoha sighed, "That's... good enough for now-Look out-!"
Something thing and purple came out of Aaroniero Arlei's chest, something else white suddenly behind the Espada's back. Fluid and grease came out, staining the pristine white robes.
Aaroniero Arleri shuddered as he started to become a ghost, "Y-you... when did you...!?"
Nanoha stiffened in shock.
And a man in a white coat and sunglasses craned his head out to the side. He rested his head on Aaroniero's right shoulder, and dangled his left arm over the other for a few seconds, before raising it in a slow wave.
"Hey, Takamachi."
Foul phantoms of the past are closing off the glimmer of hope ahead. The gods themselves now play their Outrage.
Duel Twelve: Judas at the Opera
Ladies and Gentlemen, Ladies and Gentlemen, the terribly fun show is about to end...
LET'S ROCK!
(A/N: This chapter came out... really slow, partly out of laziness, apologies, but also I had to think hard how to keep the fighting natural, between all the heroic speeching.)