Rayne stood before the group in the living room, smiling. "So," she said, her hands held together. "Now that you've all had a good meal, provided by yours truly, it's time for one last fight."
"Uh…I'm sorry, did she just say fight?" Zero asked, pointing at Rayne, looking to Netto who was sitting to his right. Netto nodded, already frowning.
"I did indeed say 'fight', Zero," Rayne answered, her smile growing. "Today's my, Turbo, and Matsu's last day here in the Prime Zone before we head back to Ryuu!" Everyone quickly began to sweat as Rayne continued on. "Now, Turbo and myself have been providing some tips and help in your training, whenever I wasn't at Beamer's. Hope you all make this a good one!"
"Well, calling it now," Naruto said as everyone moved to the teleporter room. "This is gonna suck."
"Come on, I know you can do better than that!" Rayne yelled as she kicked Ashe out of the air, knocking her out of her Beast Trans. "I thought you all were training, not vacationing!"
"Grah, fuck this!" Minato yelled, having been summoned by Naruto to help in the fight. His tails began to arch around his body to meet up near his mouth, chakra gathering. It soon condensed into a dark purple ball of energy, splashes of red swirling around. He fired the Bijuudama at Rayne, who stared at it, not moving.
"…" She mumbled something under her breath, well out of earshot of everyone as they waited to see if she would dodge it. But the ball of chakra simply disappeared, revealing a smirking Rayne. "Gonna have to do better than that to take out a Mind Energy master, furball," she called over to him, before dashing at him, closing the long distance in little time, burying her knee into his gut. He flew away, rolling along the ground, while everyone else stared in a bit of shock, not expecting the speed at which she had moved. The first to properly react was Will, who was currently in armor, taking a swing at Rayne with one of his swords, missing her by a hair's breadth. He grunted and fell off of her extended foot, holding his gut.
"Just go down!" J was the next to attack, slamming his greatsword into the ground, leaving cracks. He raised his left forearm to catch Rayne's foot, pushing it away as he tried to get past her reach, aiming to tackle her. Unfortunately, he had forgotten that Turbo was also part of the fight. He was soon reminded by way of a fist in the jaw, knocked away from his greatsword. The greatsword derezzed, the data streaming back into J. He held his jaw, shaking his head. "Owwww," he groaned, on his knees and free hand.
Grey and Sasuke attacked next, while Lan provided ranged support in Crossfusion. Rayne turned to meet the two head on, while Turbo dashed at Lan, ducking under a slash from Chaud, also in Crossfusion. Rayne easily dodged Grey's claws, making sure to keep him between her and Sasuke. She saw Sasuke's finger twitch and only just noticed the ninja wire that Grey had managed to lay around her. She jumped straight up as the wire closed in around her, grabbing nothing but air. Grey charged her as she landed, but was rewarded with a kick to the head, knocking him out of Beast Trans and the fight. Sasuke didn't last any longer, a victim to Chaud being thrown into him, Lan following soon after, having been dispatched by Turbo.
Rayne held her hand up for a high five with Turbo, grinning, before snapping her body to the side, dodging a streak of green light. She looked around for the source, when Turbo suddenly snapped his fist out at something. He was rewarded with the feel of his fist hitting someone, knocking Z out of her cloak. She quickly summoned two shuriken, throwing them in an attempt to score a hit on Rayne and Turbo. She missed them, backpedaling from a high axe kick from Rayne, ducking under another swing from Turbo. She then smirked at the two as a fully charged buster shot cut in between them, X now taking the position of Lan. Zero was the next to charge in, separating Turbo from Rayne, while Axl appeared at Z's side, firing both pistols at Rayne, who began to strafe, dodging with ease.
With Turbo, Zero and X were keeping the heat on, doing their best to keep him on the defensive. Geo and Maylu soon showed up as support, adding their own long ranged firepower to X's already heavy barrage of plasma. Turbo held his hands out and straightened them, ready to chop. He began to chop at the incoming projectiles, slicing through them and dispersing them. Zero charged in when there was a sudden lull in the barrage and was swiftly dealt with as Turbo grabbed him and threw him with a judo throw. Zero slammed into Geo, knocking the wind out of the EM warrior. Turbo suddenly appeared in front of X and Maylu, throwing them both with one hand each, before giving them a short bow at the waist. He turned back to see that Rayne had dispatched Z and Axl without much trouble. Bud and Sonia, along with Netto and Naruto, had already been dealt with near the start of the fight, while Shinobi, Kurama, and Rockman had been locked down and were currently watching the fight from their position in the ground. The only one left in the fight at this point was Max, who had been watching the entire time, having been asked by Rayne to wait until his team had either been defeated or won.
Rayne turned to Max, gesturing for him to stand up. "Well, looks like it's your turn now, Ice Boss," she said, smiling. "Hope you're ready. You're the only one I haven't actually seen do any kind of training in the last two months."
"I'll be just fine, I think," Max replied. He stretched his arms out as he walked forward, stopping a few yards from Rayne. "So…"
"Anytime you're ready," Rayne grinned, crooking her finger and beckoning at Max to 'bring it'.
Max grinned in return, suddenly disappearing from sight. The only warning Rayne had was the flaring of Zone Energy just as Max reappeared, now clad in Jaegar Rustung, his body airborne as he swung his left leg at her head. She ducked and flipped away, dodging a strike from Max as his fist slammed into the ground, cratering it. "Just so we're clear, this is a fight. Not a spar. That means the kid gloves are supposed to come off, right?" Max asked, still kneeling, his fist on the ground.
"That's exactly right," Rayne answered, nodding, trying to keep the surprise off of her face. The last time he had used that Rustung ability, she could feel the buildup of Zone Energy. For him to have progressed to the point he didn't need as long of a buildup time in only two months was astounding to her.
"Good. Now I don't feel so bad about that," he said, standing up. His armor flashed to orange, the Schneider Rustung now. He pulled one of the handles from his hip, the blue blade flaring to life.
"Since we've established that there will be no hard feelings at the end of this due to how much strength we are using," Turbo interjected, drawing Max's attention, "I can only assume that there will be no complaint if we also do not hold back, Master Maxwell." With that, an image suddenly appeared to Max, right above Turbo. It was a dragon that seemed to be made of magma, the image somehow exuding a sense of demonic energy. Max gulped a bit, but didn't back down.
"That's nice, Turbo. But after feeling the energy from Reshiram and Makuta in the other timeline, not much can probably faze me in this one," Max said, summoning the buckler he had first used against Rayne to his left hand.
Turbo's head tilted to the side. "Then we shall begin in earnest." He and Max met halfway, Max using the buckler to block one of the chopping hands Turbo was using, feeling Spiral Energy coming from it. He gave his Ultima Energy a slight nudge, adding a layer of Barrier Ultima just off of the surface of the buckler just before the invisible blade made contact with the buckler. "I see you are now able to use more than just borrowed Zone Energy," Turbo noted, aiming a knee at Max's crotch. Max used the butt of the handle of the sword to smack Turbo's knee back down, before quickly reversing the move to intercept the other hand. He then slammed his head into Turbo's, shocking Turbo enough for him to back up a step. Max used that opening to release the sword and punch Turbo with that now free hand. He actually managed to knock Turbo down, surprising himself with that feat. He turned in time to see Rayne's foot right before it connected with the right cheek of his helmet, knocking him away. He rolled and jumped back up, letting the buckler disappear.
"Damn," he muttered, feeling the sting on his right cheek. "Still not quick enough with the other Weaponizer techniques to try them midbattle…" He quickly changed to Panzer when he saw Rayne charge him, the force of her kick to his midsection forcing him to skid back a good few yards. The Panzer Rustung was some of the thickest armor he could use, currently the thickest that he could summon without much preparation. It was able to take the blow without him feeling it too badly, but he could feel the dent Rayne had left in it. The bracers began to deploy as every last slot opened on the armor, the cannons on the back also dropping into position. "Hybrid Bang!" Every last weapon fired, twisting and turning as each shot targeted either Rayne or Turbo, tearing the ground apart as well. The two began to dance between the beams, the barrage soon ending. Max released the Rustung, visibly sweating now, the heat of the barrage being the cause. Max ran at the two, summoning up a thin layer of Barrier Ultima for his entire body, while also using Spiral Energy to strengthen his muscles in conjunction with Chakra.
Turbo was the first to try to hit him, his invisible blades bouncing off of the barrier, Max barreling straight into Turbo. The two wrestled on the ground, Turbo managing to throw him off. Rayne was next, aiming a kick at Max's chest as he fell, knocking him away, but not before he managed to tag her with a bit of Light Zone Energy. As he landed, the Zone Energy invaded Rayne's energies, trying to overtake it, but was unable to with such a small amount. "Wow," Rayne said, whistling, impressed as she felt the Zone Energy disperse quickly. "I wasn't even aware you could do that."
"Because it's dangerous," Max grunted as he stood up. "Too much and I risk killing the target. Too little and, well, the energy disperses. I figured you'd be able to handle a good amount, but I wasn't able to keep in contact long enough." He rubbed at his chest, wincing. "Damn, that smarts." His left hand glowed a soft pink as he applied a small bit of Nurse Ultima to it.
"Guess we should kick it up a notch further, then," Rayne said with a grin. "Denpa Henkan!"
"Aw, fuck me," Max whined.
"Rayne Adamant! On Air!" Beside her, Turbo erupted into green EM energy, spiraling around Rayne, whose body began to emit a soft blue light. The energy dispersed, revealing a now Wave Changed Rayne. She wore a bright scarlet bodysuit, almost glowing, that hugged every bit of her figure, the main body making up the majority of the scarlet while the leg, hands, arms, and neck were a softly-glowing onyx. Over her chest was red, orange, and yellow armor with a flaming wheel symbol on the center of her chest, as well as directly over her heart. Her upper outer arms were covered in rectangular armor plating with the top parts that were going over the shoulders shaped like wheels of fire. Her lower arms and the backs of her hands, fingers, and thumbs were covered in the tri-colored armor. More tri-colored armor with the addition of a bit of black covered the lower half of her main body, a pair of high-tech guns on the belt part of the armor. The outer parts of her upper legs and a ring just above her knees sported the tri-colored armor with a pair of black lines with yellow dashes going down the middle of them to resemble streets. The lower legs were covered completely in the armor, black metal with yellow dashes going down the middle acting as the soles of her boots with the flaming wheel plating covering the part of the leg armor that covered her knees. Her head was covered by a helmet resembling an armored motocross helmet in the three colors with a softly glowing, gold visor while flowing locks of hair made of fire-colored EM energy emerged from it in a ponytail, ending just above her rear. "Turbo Duel!" she announced.
Max's shoulders drooped. "Well…that is new…and actually kinda scary…" He shook his head, once more using his energy to call up a Schirm weapon, this time a respectably-sized shield that hid his upper body. Behind the shield, he began to call forth multiple energies into his right hand, hiding it from view. At the same time, he was releasing a large amount of Flame Zone Energy, trying to mask the energies he was calling into his hand.
"Not gonna get anything done just standing around!" Turbo Duel announced, charging at Max, slowing herself down on purpose. Max charged at her, confusing her slightly. He suddenly moved the shield aside, a white ball in his right hand, his arm reaching back. She snorted, almost chuckling. "Light Zone Energy, huh? Back to the basics, then?"
'Mistress, wait! That isn't just Zone Energy!' Turbo exclaimed from within her mind. Her eyes widened as she suddenly sensed multiple energies in that ball. Time slowed for her as her mind processed the energies.
'Spiral, Mind, even two different types of Zone Energy,' she thought to herself, her run slowing down slightly. She could see Max's arm now reaching forward, passing through the ball of light. 'But how…when did he Equalize?! There's no one to train him in that and I find it hard to believe that Kyurem would just let the Disciple of Balance recklessly throw away his energies like that!'
"Here's coming atcha!" Max announced as his fist passed completely through the ball, a black and silver gauntlet now covering his right hand, wrist, and forearm. The ball of light was now gone, dark energy seeping off of the gauntlet, mixed in with bits of green and blue. The fist struck Turbo Duel's gut, who had already stopped and was backpedaling in some confusion. When the fist hit, it was no more than a tap. Until the latent energy within was unleashed. The gauntlet cracked and shattered, disappearing as Max let loose all of the energy in it, pushing Turbo Duel away with a blast of green, black, and silver energy.
'Master, I'd really appreciate it if you'd loosen the seals a bit more!' Max all but yelled in his own mind, feeling Kyurem comply with his request. He drew upon more Ultima Energy, coating himself with Barrier Ultima as Turbo Duel stood up, shaking her head.
'Mistress, we may want to consider releasing this form. That hit did more damage than I had anticipated it would,' Turbo suggested. 'It is bad enough that this form damages you as is!'
'Just give me one hit, Turbo,' Rayne replied, holding her right leg up, her shin and foot coating themselves in flame. She disappeared and reappeared in front of Max, aiming to see just how much Max could take. She took one kick and knocked him back, succeeding in making a small crack in his Barrier Ultima. She quickly released her Wave Change, falling to her knees and gasping for breath.
"Fuck," Max groaned, slowly sitting up. He released the barrier, feeling a noticeable drain on his mind and body as Kyurem slowly tightened the seals back. "I probably could have tried to dodge that. Not my brightest moment." Z was at his side now, helping to prop him up. He smiled at her. "I'm good, really. But I really don't want to do that again." Z sighed in relief, before smacking him lightly on the back of the head.
"Max, we need to have a talk," Rayne said quietly, Turbo supporting her weight at the moment. "After I've had a good rest. And before I go back."
Max nodded. "Yeah, Master Kyurem mentioned there'd probably be questions about what I just did. I'll be happy to answer."
A few hours later, after everyone had gotten back home and rested, Rayne was sitting on the counter of the main kitchen, swinging her legs back and forth. Kyohaku sat beside her, mimicking the older female, trying to match pace with her. Turbo and Max were seated at the table, the four sitting in silence. "So…you Equalized," Rayne spoke up, frowning at Max.
Max quickly put his hands up, palms facing Rayne, nervously grinning. "Uh, not quite," he said, sweating a bit. "I mean, yes, I did Equalize, but not how you think."
Rayne raised an eyebrow, clearly intent on lecturing him if he didn't give a reasonable explanation. "Oh?"
"Just…just watch," Max said, now holding both hands out. He summoned a ball of Light Zone Energy and a ball of Spiral Energy. Rayne watched, still trying to understand where Max was going and trying to come to terms with the fact that she saw proof he had Equalized his energies and yet, he could still manipulate them independently of each other. The Zone Energy began to shrink into a small ball and Max brought the two together. Rayne and Turbo watched with some fascination as the energies melded into each other, disappearing into the glowing white ball in his hands now. "Balanced and equal."
"Master Maxwell…you…you have discovered a way to externally synthesize the process of Equalization," Turbo said, while Rayne sat, her jaw slowly moving up and down, but no words or sounds coming out, her legs no longer swinging.
Max nodded, his grin going from ear to ear. "Yeah!" he said, excited. "I found out a way to do it last month! This has opened up so many possibilities! I mean, my arsenal of energies was pretty big to begin with, even knowing that I haven't seen every energy out there! But with this, I have so many things at my fingertips now!" He took his left hand and passed it through the ball, the ball disappearing as his hand reemerged with a small dagger in hand, the dagger's blade green, while the handle appeared to be completely silver. "It took me this last month to figure out how to make use of it. I can't shape the new energies in quite the same way as I normally would, but I learned that they become their own types of weapons and armors. The technique isn't really ready for full on combat, though. To be honest, I've only got about five or six combinations that I currently can mold. The one I used earlier today uses the largest quantity of energies I can currently mold into one. It also takes a bit of time to make. But since I've been practicing with that one so much for the last two weeks or so, it's also the quickest I can make."
"You…you couldn't do anything like this in the other timeline," Rayne said, finally finding her voice. "And I'm pretty sure that's supposed to be impossible!"
"Well, not impossible," Max said, grinning sheepishly as the dagger disappeared, the energy dispersing. "Just really, really hard. I don't think anyone ever really tried to do it, either. But all it took was a bit of advice from Master Kyurem to get me thinking about what it is to be the Disciple of Balance."
Rayne smiled softly, nodding. "Well, alright then." She took an absent minded look at the clock on the wall and nodded once more, this one more confident. "Well, I'd say it's about time for us to be going, then. Keep training hard, Ice boss! You and your team both!"
Well, this chapter got pumped out pretty easily. Ideas are starting to flow again and it's kind of nice getting back to this story. I won't make any promises this time, though, because every time I've made a promise, I think I unintentionally pressured myself. And I hate writing under pressure, ya know? Anyways, thanks for the read!